VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Rahmat Erwin Abdullah, an Indonesian weightlifter, made an outstanding achievement at the "IWF World Championships 2023" Weightlifting World Championship at the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Olympic Complex, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Monday (11/9).

Rahmat Erwin Abdullah managed to break the world record with a 209 kg Clean and Jerk force in the 81 kg category. He also won gold and silver medals as the best athlete in Group B, with a Snatch 145 kg and Clean and Jerk 209 kg, a total force of 354 kg.

The Indonesian Ambassador in Riyadh, Dr. Abdul Aziz Ahmad, was present to witness and pinned the medal to Rahmat Erwin Abdullah. "Congratulations to Rahmat!" Ambassador Aziz said. "Rahmat Erwin Abdullah's achievements not only inspire other athletes and the pride of the Indonesian people, but also inspire the strengthening of relations between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia in the field of sports."

Ambassador Aziz emphasized the importance of organizing international sports events in Saudi Arabia as part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which can be used to strengthen bilateral relations between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia in the field of sports.

Rahmat Erwin Abdullah, who was born in Makassar on October 13, 2000, previously won bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 73 kg category. However, in the "IWF World Championships 2023" in Riyadh, he competed in the 81 kg category, showing a consistent performance in Group B without competing in Group A filled with world-class lifters.

In the Snatch, Rahmat Erwin Abdullah managed to lift 145 kg, without changing the weight on subsequent occasions. In the Clean and Jerk force, his mainstay, he started with a 195 kg force, then increased the weight to 200 kg in the second successful force.

Rahmat Erwin Abdullah's crowning achievement came during the third lift, where he broke the Clean and Jerk world record of 209 kg, beating the previous record of 208 kg held by Bulgarian lifter Nasar Karlos May Hasan at the 2021 World Championships.

With these results, Rahmat Erwin Abdullah became the best in Group B with a Snatch of 145 kg and a Clean and Jerk of 209 kg, and a total force of 354 kg. Rahmat Erwin Abdullah's gold victory in the Clean and Jerk force was confirmed after competitors in Group A were only able to lift lower weights.

Rahmat Erwin Abdullah's remarkable achievement in breaking the Clean and Jerk world record in the 81 kg category is his second World Record. Previously, he also broke the 73 kg category World Record at the 2022 Weightlifting World Championships in Bogota, Colombia, with a 200 kg force.

"Rahmat Erwin Abdullah is the only Indonesian lifter to break the Clean and Jerk World Record in two different categories, 73 kg and 81 kg," said Ir. Hadi Wihardja, Development and Achievement Division of the Indonesian Weightlifting Association (PABSI). "So, he deserves the nickname 'The King of Clean and Jerk'."

PABSI fielded 15 national athletes at the "IWF World Championships 2023" in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia which was held on September 4-17, 2023. The achievements of the national weightlifters at the World Championships are a strong base as they prepare to compete in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in the near future. (VOI)

China is bolstering its air power along the coast facing Taiwan with a permanent deployment of new fighters and drones at expanded air bases, Taiwan's defence ministry said on Tuesday in its biennial report.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has ramped up its military activities near the island in recent years in response to what Beijing calls "collusion" between Taiwan and the United States and to prevent Taiwan independence.

China staged war games around Taiwan in August of last year and again in April, and its forces operate around the island almost daily.

In its National Defence Report, the ministry said China uses "realistic combat training and exercises to strengthen its preparedness against Taiwan".

"The Chinese communists have been completing the expansion of airfields along the coastline of its eastern and southern theatre commands, realigning new fighters and drones to be permanently stationed there," it said.

China's frequent drills to Taiwan's north and south and into the Pacific show its efforts to "intimidate" Taiwan from both its east and west, the ministry added.

China's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Taiwan, whose forces are dwarfed by those of China's, has been pursuing a strategy of asymmetric defence by improving its long-range, precision, unmanned, manoeuvrable and artificial intelligence capabilities.

The ministry said that in the event there were clear signs of a Chinese invasion they could "preemptively strike its mobilising invasion forces" with precision weapons.

The report outlined the "grey zone", ostensibly non-military methods, China also uses against Taiwan. The ministry said that included weather balloons around the Taiwan Strait that are actually for spying purposes, and civilian aircraft used for surveillance.

China's sabre-rattling around Taiwan has sparked concern regionally and in Western capitals about a possible conflict.

China's economic slowdown could increase the risk of Beijing taking military action toward Taiwan, the Republican chair of a U.S. congressional committee on China said on Monday, drawing a contrast with Democratic President Joe Biden, who said it made it less likely.

Asked about Biden's comments, Huang Wen-chi, assistant deputy chief for Taiwan's General Staff For Intelligence, said China's defence spending continued to increase and Taiwan could not let down its guard.

"We so far can't see any friendliness from the Chinese communist authorities towards us," he added.

Taiwan's government says only Taiwan's people can decide their future. (Reuters)

The coming meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could help reshape how the reclusive and distrustful North has dealt with its partners in Moscow and Beijing, analysts say.

When Kim visited Russia for the first time in 2019, his summit with Putin was almost an afterthought amid the flashier meetings with then-U.S. President Donald Trump and multiple visits to meet with North Korea's only treaty ally and main economic partner, China.

This year, Pyongyang's relations with Moscow are in the spotlight, with Kim choosing Russia - not China - as his first foreign visit since before the COVID-19 pandemic, raising the prospect that he may be looking to balance the two major powers on his borders against each other, analysts said.

It remains to be seen whether Putin and Kim agree on anything substantive such as an arms deal or economic aid, but their moves to repair ties may have implications for the war in Ukraine, tensions with South Korea and Japan, and the China-U.S. rivalry.

“North Korea has basically been on its own, without any true allies,” said Artyom Lukin of Russia's Far Eastern Federal University. “Now North Korea needs allies in the full politico-military sense of the term.”

China will be Pyongyang's main ally and protector, but Russia will have a role too, he said.

“Unlike the China-North Korea alliance, the Russia-North Korea alliance will be that of equals,” he added.

Early in his rule, Kim's relations with Beijing and Moscow were chilly, with both countries joining international sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and missile programs.

Since 2018, however, Kim has moved to repair ties and has capitalised on rivalries that have split China and Russia from the United States and others.

Pyongyang and Moscow have denied that North Korea would supply arms to Russia, but they have vowed to boost military ties, possibly including joint drills, and discussions may also include Russian humanitarian aid to the North.

Some analysts and Beijing-based diplomats say China may view Kim's decision to visit Russia in his first international trip in years as somewhat of a slight.

Kim visited Xi in Beijing in his first known foreign trip as leader in 2018, and they last met when Xi visited Pyongyang in 2019, just before the COVID pandemic erupted.

"If you are Xi Jinping, you have to wonder why Kim is visiting Vladivostok and not Beijing on the first trip outside North Korea since before the pandemic," said John Delury, a professor of Chinese Studies at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea.

"During the Cold War, Kim's grandfather (Kim Il Sung) subtly and effectively played on the vanities and anxieties of Beijing and Moscow, who were locked in a competition for dominance within the socialist bloc," he added. "In this new Cold War-ish environment, we should not dismiss the possibility that the Chinese are a bit miffed seeing Kim choose Putin over them."

China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the summit. Several Chinese academics asked to comment on the summit declined, saying the matter was too sensitive. The few reports in Chinese state media have referred only to official statements from Russia and North Korea on the meeting.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said he was unsurprised that Kim chose Russia as his first post-pandemic destination abroad given the North Korean leader's interest in exploiting "new Cold War" geopolitics.

Even so, tensions and distrust linger among North Korea, China, and Russia, and that may limit cooperation on things such as joint military drills or transferring sensitive military technology, he said.

"Putin is unlikely to provide Kim with technology to miniaturise nuclear devices or propel nuclear-powered submarines because even a desperate war machine does not trade its military crown jewels for old, dumb munitions," Easley said. "Trust is so low among Russia, North Korea, and China that a real alliance of the three isn’t credible or sustainable." (Reuters)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to replace his foreign and defence ministers, public broadcaster NHK reported on the eve of a planned cabinet reshuffle, as the beleaguered premier looks to boost his sagging popularity.

NHK reported on Tuesday that Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will be succeeded by Yoko Kamikawa, a former justice minister who oversaw the execution of the leader of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult that carried out a deadly sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995.

Kamikawa would be one of five women in the new government line-up, NHK reported, a record high and up from two currently. Nevertheless, a World Economic Forum report measuring gender parity ranked Japan 125th out of 146 countries in 2023, with a particularly poor showing in political empowerment.

Elsewhere, Minoru Kihara will replace Yasukazu Hamada as defence minister. Kihara currently heads a Japan-Taiwan interparliamentary group. Ruling party lawmaker Yoshitaka Shindo will become economy minister, replacing Shigeyuki Goto.

Most other key cabinet ministers are seen retaining their posts in a sign there will be no drastic overhaul of economic policies. Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura are set to remain, NHK reported.

Recent opinion polls show Kishida, who became prime minister less than two years ago, scoring lower approval than disapproval ratings. He has said he plans to reshuffle his cabinet and make changes in the leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as early as Wednesday.

Hirokazu Matsuno will remain chief cabinet secretary, a key position that involves being the main government spokesperson and coordinating policy among ministries. Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga, Kishida's immediate predecessors, both served in the post before becoming premier.

Kishida appointed Suzuki as finance minister when he formed his first cabinet in October 2021. Continuity at the finance ministry would underscore his administration's focus on keeping sharp yen falls in check, and compiling a fresh package of measures to cushion the blow from rising living costs.

Nishimura's time in charge of Japan's trade, industry and energy policy has coincided with tense bilateral ties with China following the decision to release treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean. (Reuters)