VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Beijing recorded its heaviest rainfall this year as the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri passed through China's capital on Monday, forcing over 31,000 people to evacuate their homes in the city, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Heavy rain continued to fall in the capital as well as Hebei, Tianjin and eastern Shanxi as Doksuri dissipated over northern China, the China Meteorological Administration said.

Doksuri is one of the strongest storms to hit China in years and caused widespread flooding over the weekend in the southern province of Fujian, driving hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.

Average rainfall in Beijing overnight reached 140.7 mm (5.5 inches), with the maximum recorded rainfall in Fangshan area hitting 500.4 mm (19.7 inches), according to the city's observatory. Rains in the southern and western areas were expected to be heavier early Monday.

There was no reported damage or casualties, state media said.

Work was halted on more than 4,000 construction sites, almost 20,000 buildings were inspected for damage, and scenic spots in the city were closed, media reported.

While Doksuri continues to taper off, forecasters warned that typhoon Khanun was approaching and was set to strike China's densely populated coast this week.

Authorities said Khanun could inflict further damage to corn and other crops that have already been hit by Doksuri. (Reuters)

Japanese factory output improved in June for the first time in two months, government data showed on Monday, highlighting growing confidence among manufacturers buoyed by strong demand.

Many countries, including Japan, are relying on domestic consumption to underpin growth while the risk of global recession persists.

Output rose 2.0% in June from a month prior on a seasonally adjusted basis, missing the 2.4% median market forecast. That followed a revised 2.2% decline in May.

"Production is likely to continue to pick up on the back of resilient domestic demand, particularly for private consumption," said Taro Saito, executive research fellow at NLI Research Institute.

"However, the pace of recovery is likely to be moderate due to continued sluggish export growth caused by slowdown in overseas economies."

The figures tally with improvement in sentiment among big manufacturers in the second quarter as raw material costs peaked and the end of pandemic curbs lifted consumption, showed the Bank of Japan's "tankan" survey released on July 3.

Still, concern about weakening overseas made manufacturers more muted in the Reuters Tankan poll published on July 19.

Production in the auto-related sector, which comprises a large chunk of corporate Japan, rose 6.1%. Sales both at home and abroad were strong, a Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) official told a media briefing.

Output of trucks and parts, including gear systems, also contributed to the upward swing, the official said.

Toyota Motor (7203.T), Honda Motor (7267.T) and Nissan Motor (7201.T) reported increased global production in January-June as semiconductor supply eased.

Electronic components and devices output rose 6.8% as shipments of capacitors used in smartphones increased, the METI official said.

METI maintained its assessment of industrial output, saying "production is slowly picking up".

Manufacturers surveyed by METI expected output to fall 0.2% in July and increase 1.1% in August, the data also showed.

"We'll continue to monitor the effects of the shortage of parts and materials and the impact of rising prices" in coming months, the METI official said.

Separate data showed retail sales rose 5.9% in June from a year earlier, in line with economist forecasts.

Compared with the previous month, retail sales contracted 0.4%, following a 1.4% rise in May, the data showed. (Reuters)

VOINews, Jakarta - Award-winning jazz singer-songwriter from the Netherlands Henk Kraaijeveld inspires the audience with his warm voice and charming stage personality. With his band, Henk Kraaijeveld Quintet, they perform at Jazz Gunung Bromo on July 21, Rumah Adat Melayu Pontianak on July 25 and Erasmus Huis Jakarta on August 1.

For this tour, his band consists of pianist and songwriter Daan Herweg, bassist Thomas Pol, drummer Roberto Pistolesi and saxophonist Yoran Aarssen.

Henk Kraaijeveld brings together compelling music with strong poetic lyrics and surprising improvisations in which storytelling has the main feature. Earlier this year he released his second album “Patches of the Sky”, from which the quintet play most of the songs on their Indonesian tour. They will also play adventurous songs, both ballads and uplifting catchy modern jazz.

In the album, there is also a song about the tragic love story of Saidjah and Adinda, from the famous novel “Max Havelaar” written by Dutch author Multatuli.

“It is important to acknowledge that history and play the song in Indonesia. We also cover a popular Indonesian song, you will hear live which one that is gonna be,” said Kraaijeveld.

In 2021 Henk Kraaijeveld Quintet performed online exclusively for Erasmus Huis, but this year they are performing live in Indonesia. “We are very excited to play in Indonesia for the first time with the Henk Kraaijeveld Quintet. I have been here before and remember the warm and enthusiastic audience. We also hope to enjoy the great food and beautiful nature!” said Kraaijeveld.

Furthermore, the Deputy Head of Culture and Communication of the Dutch Embassy in Indonesia Jaef de Boer mentioned that “Indonesia is widely renowned for its good music taste and festivals, especially the appetite for jazz music. Therefore Erasmus Huis is pleased to invite Henk Kraaijeveld Quintet and present some of the best Dutch jazz for the Indonesian audience.” (VOI)

VOINews, Jakarta - Indonesia's success in becoming the overall champion at the 13th Worldskills ASEAN 2023 constitutes an anniversary present to the nation, according to Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah.

"This is the most beautiful gift for the 78th anniversary of Indonesia's independence," she remarked.

She made the statement while attending the "Welcoming and Appreciation of Indonesian Delegates Competing at the 13th Worldskills ASEAN Singapore" event in Jakarta on Saturday.

Fauziyah extended congratulations to the competitors who have managed to bring pride to the nation.

She expressed hope that the delegates would cherish the competition as a valuable experience that can motivate them to further hone their skills.

As a mark of appreciation for the success garnered by the delegates at the international-level event, the government will award them incentives in the form of cash, she remarked.

As much as Rp25 million (US$1,600) each was presented to those clinching gold medals, Rp20 million (US$1,300) for silver medalists, Rp15 million (US$1,000) for bronze medal winners, and Rp12.5 million (US$800) for those having won the medallion of excellence.

"The delegates simply deserve these awards for their success in bringing Indonesia to emerge as the overall champion of the competition," she pointed out.

Moreover, all delegates will also receive certificates of participation from Singapore as the host country.

"This feat is the result of all-out efforts exerted by the competitors as well as the experts, not to mention the support provided by the leaders of training centers and sponsors," she elaborated.

The 13th Worldskills ASEAN was a competition that brought together young talents from ASEAN countries to compete in a total of 22 vocational fields.

At the competition's conclusion, Indonesia managed to emerge as the overall champion, with 14 gold medals, eight silver medals, three bronze medals, and two medallions of excellence. (antaranews)