VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - The Agriculture Ministry has distributed production equipment and agricultural machinery assistance to farmers in West Lombok district, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province, to mitigate the impact of El Nino.

Director for agricultural irrigation at the Directorate General for Agricultural Infrastructure and Facilities at the ministry, Rahmanto, said that his party has provided four-wheeled tractors, two-wheeled tractors, transplanters, and water pumps to farmers in Kebon Ayu village, Gerung sub-district.

The El Nino phenomenon, which has been forecast for July 2023, is expected to trigger a long drought and thereby, lead to a fall in agricultural production, he noted, according to a written statement received on Thursday.

Hence, his party has also helped the local community to establish a 700-cubic-meter agricultural pond to maintain water availability in the region as well as improve three tertiary irrigation networks for channeling the water from the pond to agricultural land.

The ministry will also build five agricultural roads in the village to help the farmers transport their produce, thereby reducing production costs.

Rahmanto said he expects that the farmers will utilize the assistance optimally to maintain their productivity and prevent a food crisis amid El Nino.

According to Kebon Ayu village head Jumarsa, the establishment of agricultural roads in the village will significantly help increase local agricultural productivity, considering that most of the residents make a living as farmers.

Meanwhile, head of agricultural infrastructure and facilities at the West Lombok Agricultural Office, I Nyoman Sugiartha, informed that the agricultural roads will be built in the northern part of the village.

According to information posted on the ministry’s website, an agricultural road is a transportation infrastructure built in a community's farming, plantation, or breeding area to ease the mobility of agricultural machinery and equipment.

It also makes it easier to transport agricultural products to storage houses, processing facilities, or markets. (Antaranews)

South Korea on Wednesday announced new sanctions on two individuals and two entities over their alleged involvement in North Korea's weapons programmes, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

The sanctions target Choi Chon Gon, a former South Korean national who acquired Russian citizenship, two companies Choi owns and a North Korean who supported Choi, the ministry said.

Choi is accused of helping North Korea's illegal financial activities in violation of United Nations Security Council sanctions after acquiring Russian citizenship.

"It marks the first time our government has imposed unilateral sanctions on an individual of Korean descent," the ministry said in a statement.

Reuters was unable to immediately reach Choi for comment.

Nuclear-armed North Korea has been testing various weapons including its biggest intercontinental ballistic missile, ramping up tension with Seoul and the South's main ally, the United States. (Reuters)

South Koreans became a year or two younger on Wednesday as new laws that require using only the international method of counting age took effect, replacing the country's traditional method.

Under the age system most commonly used in South Koreans' everyday life, people are deemed to be a year old at birth and a year is added every Jan. 1.

The country has since the early 1960s used the international norm of calculating from zero at birth and adding a year on every birthday for medical and legal documents. But many South Koreans continued to use the traditional method for everything else.

In December, South Korea passed laws to scrap the traditional method and fully adopt the international standard.

"We expect legal disputes, complaints and social confusion that have been caused over how to calculate ages will be greatly reduced," Minister of Government Legislation Lee Wan-kyu told a briefing on Monday.

According to a government survey conducted in September 2022, 86% of South Koreans said they would use the international age in their everyday life when the new laws took effect.

Another age system exists for conscription, school entrance and calculating the legal age to drink alcohol and smoke: a person's age is calculated from zero at birth and a year is added on Jan. 1. Officials said that method would remain for the time being. (Reuters)

VOINews, Jakarta: House Speaker Puan Maharani has called on the people to boost solidarity by sharing burdens with one another on the occasion of Eid al-Adha 1444 Hijri.

"Eid al-Adha is an occasion holding great meaning during which Muslims around the world remember and emulate the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim for his devotion to the Almighty God," Maharani noted on Wednesday.

The House speaker underscored the importance of the Indonesian nation being united to face various challenges.

"Through the spirit of Eid al-Adha, we increase cooperation, a sense of solidarity and justice, and inter-religious harmony," she remarked.

On the occasion of Eid al-Adha, she emphasized the importance of living with social values and showing care for others.

Maharani said that offering sacrificial animals is a manifestation of gratitude, faith, and piety.

"Sincerity in offering sacrifice is a form of gratitude that increases our piety to the Creator," she remarked.

During Eid al-Adha, Muslims will gather to help those in need and donate sacrificial meat to those less fortunate, she noted.

"With the endemic status, the community can continue this tradition with enthusiasm and care while still maintaining the recommended health protocols," she affirmed.

She also invited people to strengthen the spirit of justice, as it is the main foundation for the progress and welfare of the nation.

"On this Eid al-Adha, let us strengthen the spirit of justice in the country. Let us fight all forms of injustice and work together to build a nation that is just to all its people," she stressed.

Furthermore, she expressed optimism that Eid al-Adha would remind all parties about human values and also bring blessings and happiness.

The House speaker was thankful that Eid al-Adha would be experienced quite differently, followed by a change in status from a pandemic to endemic for COVID-19. (antaranews)