VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOInews, Jakarta: Indonesia strongly condemned Israel's massive attack on the Jenin region of the West Bank on Monday (3/7). The ground and air attacks have resulted in civilian casualties.

"Indonesia strongly condemns the Israeli military attack in Jenin, West Bank, which caused dozens of Palestinian civilians to be killed and injured," the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on social media Twitter, monitored from Jakarta, on Tuesday (4/7).

According to the ministry, the attack is unacceptable and only worsens the humanitarian situation in Palestine and complicates peace efforts.

"This Israeli action cannot be ignored. The UN Security Council must immediately take a firm stance in consistently implementing all UN Security Council Resolutions," the ministry wrote.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it carried out the massive attack, as quoted by The Jerusalem Post.

The IDF said the attack was part of a counterterrorism operation in the city and in the Jenin refugee camp. One of the locations targeted by Israel was claimed to be the joint headquarters of a joint Palestinian militia in Jenin.

The location is also believed by Israel to be a gathering point for the militias, a storage place for weapons and explosives, and a communication center for the militias before carrying out attacks on Israel. The base is also suspected by Israel to be a place of escape for terrorists wanted by the IDF.

Before carrying out the attack, the IDF claimed to have spread warnings to Palestinians in Jenin.

Meanwhile, Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismael Haniyeh called on Palestinians in the West Bank to support Jenin and defend its people to thwart enemy plans. (VOI/Andy)

VOINews, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has asked ministry and government agency officials to intensify efforts to boost consumption in order to maintain positive national economic growth in the second half of 2023.

"Ensure that economic growth remains positive in the second semester of 2023. What we need to do is to boost household consumption. I believe you all know what needs to be done," he told the officials on Monday.

Speaking at the cabinet's plenary session at the Presidential Palace, Jokowi also asked officials to maintain stability in the prices of necessities, ensure food availability, and control regional inflation.

"You should also ensure that investment targets are met; this is important. Moreover, ensure the availability of fertilizers and maintain stability in the monetary and banking sectors; these are also important," he added.

Jokowi mentioned that the Indonesian nation should be grateful as national economic growth has remained steadily above 5 percent for six consecutive quarters.

As of July 2023, the World Bank has reclassified Indonesia as an upper-middle-income country after previously assigning it a lower-middle-income status due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"However, the situation we are facing in the second half of 2023 is not easy, and we should be vigilant regarding several factors," the president cautioned.

He then listed the unstable global situation, weakening trade and economic growth due to geopolitical conflicts, predictions of a global economic slowdown by international organizations, and global interest rate increases as aspects that officials must remain vigilant about.

"Global inflation is still relatively high. Additionally, we can observe the fragmentation of global trade hindering multilateral cooperation, as well as an early indicator showing positive growth in consumption and production in some areas but weakening in others," he added.

Jokowi also urged officials to prevent possible political competition ahead of the 2024 General Elections from hampering the implementation of government programs. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - South Korea has asked Indonesia for support in its bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan.

Busan, South Korea's second-largest city, is competing against Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, and Rome for the opportunity to host the event, which allows countries to construct pavilions and showcase their potential.

The South Korean government is currently holding an exhibition in Jakarta to promote Busan and seek Indonesia's support for hosting the 2030 World Expo.

"We believe South Korea is the perfect country to host the event," said Park Soo Duk, deputy to the South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia, during a press conference in Jakarta on Monday.

Park highlighted that South Korea has undergone significant development and transformation, progressing from being a poor country to a nation with rapid economic growth.

"In 1945, South Korea had a GDP per capita of US$70 per year and was considered the world's poorest country. However, it has experienced rapid growth, with its GDP per capita surpassing US$33,000 in 2022," he pointed out.

The World Expo is an international exhibition that showcases the achievements of countries worldwide and seeks to find solutions to global challenges.

The host for the Expo 2030 will be elected in November 2023 by member states of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), an intergovernmental organization responsible for overseeing and regulating World Expos.

The most recent World Expo took place in Dubai, UAE, from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022. The upcoming World Expo is scheduled to be held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to October 13, 2025. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - Indonesia still has five million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, which are sufficient to meet demand until the end of 2023, according to Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, the Director General of Disease Prevention and Control at the Health Ministry.

The IndoVac and InaVac brand vaccines have been supplied through domestic production involving pharmaceutical companies PT Bio Farma and PT Biotis Pharmaceuticals Indonesia, Rondonuwu informed.

"The two companies have been supporting the national capability in obtaining COVID-19 vaccines since the beginning of 2023," he said during an FMB9 Dialogue event titled "Official, COVID-19 becomes Endemic," which was streamed on Monday.

The use of vaccines during the endemic period is being discussed among epidemiologists and the Indonesia Technical Advisory Group of Immunization (ITAGI).

The discussion is focused on integrating COVID-19 vaccine services with the national routine program, administration intervals, target audience, and financing mechanisms.

The discussion refers to a guide from the World Health Organization (WHO), which directs the provision of COVID-19 vaccines to high-risk groups such as the elderly and people with comorbidities.

"For those who have not received primary vaccination, the government will cover the cost," he noted.

Rondonuwu aims to complete the stipulations related to COVID-19 vaccination during the endemic period by 2024.

During the event on Monday, Dicky Budiman, an epidemiologist from Griffith University Australia, stated that domestic vaccine production is a strategic policy amid the ongoing threat of COVID-19 during the endemic period.

"The smooth transition from the acute phase to the endemic status requires 20 to 30 years. This means that the demand for vaccines will always exist, especially for primary vaccinations for children," he explained.

Dependency on imported products has caused Indonesia to lag behind in vaccine production capability, as it is not an easy task, Budiman said.

According to Budiman, there are several scenarios that can change the pandemic status to endemic, including vaccination and the provision of medicines or factors that can alter the behavior of the virus.

"Vaccines have numerous impacts, including reducing the mortality rate by 47 percent and decreasing the number of new cases by approximately 37 percent," he added. (Antaranews)