VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Two U.S. Secret Service agents who were working on Joe Biden's trip to Asia are being sent home after one was accused of drunkenly assaulting a South Korean the day before the president arrived in Seoul, officials said.

A Yongsan district police official told Reuters that one of the agents was arrested in the early hours of Thursday after getting into a fight over a taxi.

A U.S. official disputed that the individual was detained or arrested, saying only that he was "investigated" by South Korean officials. The official said the other agent involved in the dispute was not investigated for wrongdoing.

"The Secret Service is aware of an off-duty incident involving two employees which may constitute potential policy violations," said Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the agency.

"The individuals will be immediately returned back to their post of duty and placed on administrative leave. There was no impact to the upcoming trip."

The incident occurred outside the Grand Hyatt hotel, where Biden was to stay as he starts his May 20-24 trip to South Korea and Japan. Biden arrived in Seoul on Friday evening. read more

The South Korean police official did not give the name or other information on the suspect.

The Secret Service is the U.S. agency that guards the president and the White House. Secret Service members have periodically been involved in the past in incidents over misbehaviour overseas.

In 2012, 11 Secret Service agents were sent home from Colombia for alleged "misconduct" involving disputes with prostitutes before a visit by then-President Barack Obama.

TV Chosun, a South Korean broadcaster that first reported the incident in Seoul, said the suspect was in his 30s and was arrested after a fellow guest at the hotel called police. (Reuters)

The United States is "deeply concerned" about an upcoming visit to China by U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet based on its understanding of the restrictions she will be subjected to there, the State Department said on Friday.

Department spokesman Ned Price during a press briefing called for Bachelet to release a U.N. report on conditions in China's Xinjiang region, where the United States says China's government is committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims.

Bachelet's visit, initially planned for May, will be the first by a U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights since 2005, and includes a planned trip to Xinjiang where activists say some 1 million Uyghurs have been held in mass detention. (Reuters)

Tunisian President Kais Saied named a law professor to head an advisory committee to draft a new constitution for a "new republic", the presidency said on Friday, excluding political parties from restructuring the political system.

Saied has consolidated his one-man rule since seizing executive power last summer and dissolving the parliament to rule by decree in moves his foes call a coup.

He has since said he will replace the democratic 2014 constitution with a new constitution via a referendum on July 25 and have new parliamentary elections in December.

The committee headed by law professor Sadok Belaid consists of deans of Law and Political Sciences. It must submit its report on June 20 to the president, the official gazette said.

In parallel, another committee was established, comprising six national organizations, including the powerful UGTT Labour Union, to submit proposals for reforms. This committee also does not include any political party.

In the first reaction to the president's appointment of an advisory body to prepare a new constitution and propose economic and political reforms, the UGTT said it rejects the proposals.

Saied's opponents accuse him of trying to consolidate one man rule and his actions have been criticized abroad too. He rejects the accusations and says he is not a dictator and wants to change Tunisia after "a decade of ruin".

Western countries have urged a dialogue in which unions, political parties and civil society participate to return Tunisia to a democratic path to help it financially as the country suffers its worst financial crisis.

Saied's consolidation of power has accelerated this year - he replaced the top judicial body and threatened to restrict civil society groups, giving the 64-year-old almost total control.

This month Saied also appointed a new election commission, seizing control of one of the last independent bodies in the North African country and casting doubt on electoral integrity. (Reuters)

The chairman of the House of Representatives (DPR) RI, Puan Maharani, invites the entire community to spread the spirit of mutual cooperation on National RevivalDay (Harkitnas) which is commemorated every 20 May. Puan is sure that with the mutual cooperation of all elements of the nation, Indonesia can quickly recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Let us together understand the meaning of National Revival Day by continuing to strengthen the spirit of mutual cooperation in building the nation and state," said Puan to reporters, Friday (20/5/2022).

The commemoration of the 144th Harkitnas in 2022 takes the theme 'Let's Rise Together'. Puan assessed that the joint work that had been carried out by all the nation's children in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic had produced positive results considering that now Indonesia was preparing to enter an endemic period.

"The Harkitnas commemoration must be a momentum for the Indonesian people to quickly rise from Covid-19," said the first woman who served as Chair of the Indonesian House of Representatives.

At this year's Harkitnas commemoration, Puan also invited the public to be grateful because the Covid-19 pandemic situation was much better than two years ago.

She said, since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, all Indonesian people have lived life in conditions full of concern.

According to her, the ferocity of the Coronavirus has taken a lot of people close to him. Not to mention that many Indonesians lost their livelihoods and income during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Restrictions on community mobility also have an impact on the mental health of some people. The pressure of the necessities of life in the midst of the crush of the economic situation that has not improved often leads to conflict and violence in the family," she explained.

The former Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture said that the national economy had been able to survive so far because of government policies that were fully supported by the DPR RI by allocating a fairly large National Economic Recovery budget.

According to Puan, the budget is not only intended for business actors but is also focused on being a social safety net for people who are directly affected.

"Currently, the industrial, agricultural, tourism, and creative economy sectors are starting to show movement in a positive direction. The spirit to rise needs to be ignited for the progress of the nation and the welfare of all Indonesian people," said Puan.

"Thanks to the hard work of all Indonesian people who continue to support each other, and work together, we can overcome any tough challenges together," she added.

Even so, the granddaughter of the Proclaimer of the Republic of Indonesia Bung Karno asked all parties not to be carried away and asked that vigilance should remain a priority.

Puan also hopes that various government policies will continue to prioritize the element of prudence, including easing the use of masks, which are considered to be handled wisely.

"Indonesian people also need to have vigilance in carrying out activities to prevent the risk of contracting the disease," he said.

Therefore, Puan reminded us that health protocols must still be applied in all regions with responsible supervision. It aims to maintain the health condition of the community so that the economic recovery will be better.

"We must maintain and improve this good condition with the awareness to take care of each other by remaining disciplined in carrying out a healthy lifestyle," said Puan.

With this discipline, the Speaker of the DPR believes that the nation's development will improve again. Puan invites the community to remember the struggle of our predecessors to make Indonesia a great nation.

"Only a nation that dares to take its fate into its own hands will be able to stand strong," said Puan quoting the statement of the Proclaimer and the first President of Indonesia, Soekarno.

On the commemoration of Harkitnas, Puan also invited all the sons and daughters of the nation to always maintain the spirit of unity as initiated by the Boedi Oetomo association. That way, the ideals of the founding fathers for Indonesia to become a developed country can be realized.

“On May 20, 1948, Bung Karno set the birthday of the Boedi Oetomo association as the day of the rise of Indonesian nationalism. It is the spirit of nationalism that we must always maintain in building the nation and state so that Indonesia can become great," she concluded. (RRI)