VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOInew,Jakarta: PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) recorded that it had transported 21,144 passengers on D-1 of the 2024 Vesak Day long holiday and collective leave.

"Entering the Vesak Day long weekend , Whoosh Fast Train passengers on Wednesday (22/5) reached 21,144 passengers, an increase of around 30 percent compared to normal days," said KCIC General Manager Corporate Secretary Eva Chairunisa in a statement in Jakarta, Thursday.

He said that the public's favorite departure schedule on Wednesday is from 11.30 WIB until the last schedule at 20.30 WIB where the occupancy reaches 80 to 100 percent.

Eva said that KCIC has anticipated the high public interest in going on holiday by operating a total of 48 Whoosh trip schedules.

"KCIC provides 28 thousand seats per day to serve people who want to vacation during this long weekend . "This number has increased by 20 percent when compared to the seating capacity that KCIC provided last April," said Eva. "

For departures on May 23, tickets departing from Halim Station to Padalarang and Tegalluar stations from departures at 06.00 WIB to 16.10 WIB, the occupancy is already above 95 percent. .

Based on the data collected, Eva continued, tickets sold on May 23-26 had reached 36 thousand tickets. This number will continue to increase due to ongoing sales in various channels .

Eva reminded prospective KCIC passengers to time their journey to the station so they don't experience delays.

"Passengers are expected to arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. This is because the boarding gate will be closed 5 minutes before departure for passenger safety reasons." closed Eva.

Eva added that for people who want to get further information about facilities, KCIC can contact the information center at the station or the KCIC Contact Center via 150909, WhatsApp chat to 0815-1032-0909, email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , as well as ⁠ Instagram reply and DM to @keretacepat_id.

VOInews, Jakarta: The White House on Wednesday (22/5) reiterated its rejection of unilateral recognition of the Palestinian state after three European countries, namely Ireland, Norway and Spain, recognized the Palestinian state.

Responding to the actions of the three European countries, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that any Palestinian state must be formed through direct negotiations with Israel.

"What I can tell you is we believe the only way you're going to achieve a two-state solution that benefits both Israel and the Palestinians is through direct negotiations between the two sides," he told reporters at the White House.

The three European countries said Wednesday that they would officially recognize a Palestinian state on May 28, a move that was a major blow to Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long opposed a Palestinian state, and most recently rejected it on Wednesday when he said recognition by Ireland, Norway and Spain "is a gift to terrorism and will not bring peace."

He charged that a Palestinian state would become a "terrorist state," and insisted that his government "will not agree to this" and "will not stop him from defeating Hamas."

Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's finance minister, separately threatened to take "harsh punitive measures" against the Palestinian Authority (PA) in retaliation for recognizing a Palestinian state, including cutting the government's tax revenues.

"At the last cabinet meeting, many ministers, including me, firmly put forward demands for harsh punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority for its unilateral actions against Israel, including its efforts to obtain unilateral recognition and its support for the legal case against Israel in The Hague," Smotrich said .

Tax revenues - known in Palestine and Israel as "maqasa" - are collected by the Israeli government on behalf of the Palestinian Authority on Palestinian imports and exports, and Israel in return gets a 3 percent commission.

His income is estimated at around 188 million US dollars (around Rp. 3 trillion) every month and is the main source of income for the Palestinian Authority.

"What the United States can do through tough diplomacy and 'informal' diplomacy, led by the president's secretary of state, myself and others is realizing the vision of an integrated region, a secure Israel, and a two-state solution," Sullivan said.

He said this when asked about Israel's longstanding refusal to get involved in any process that would lead to the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

“Israel is a sovereign country, ultimately they have to decide what they are going to do. "What we can do as friends is try to make efforts to make this happen," he added.

VOInews, Jakarta: The Indonesian government through the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemns Israel's extreme actions in vandalizing and blockading aid for the people of Gaza.

"Indonesia strongly condemns the blockade and destruction carried out by Israeli civilians against humanitarian assistance from the international community for the people of Gaza," the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on its social media account on Thursday (16/5).

The ministry said the Israeli government's omission showed Israel's attempt to block the entry of humanitarian aid.

"The omission by the Israeli security forces proves Israel's position that continues to try to obstruct in various ways the distribution of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. This action should be dealt with firmly and ensured that it does not happen again," said the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Therefore, Indonesia asks the UN Security Council to ensure the smooth delivery of humanitarian assistance.

"The guarantee of smooth humanitarian assistance is very important. The Security Council must ensure guarantees from Israel for the smooth delivery of humanitarian assistance, in order to prevent the worsening of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza," the Foreign Ministry said.

VOInews, Jakarta: Deputy II Chief of Presidential Staff Abetnego Tarigan hopes that the commemoration of the 65th National Education Day (Hardiknas), which falls on May 2 2024, will provide momentum in accelerating teacher certification.

According to Abetnego, teacher certification is an effort to meet the guaranteed needs for teachers who play a strategic role in creating an inclusive and safe learning ecosystem.   

"Accelerating teacher certification is a necessity so that teachers earn income above minimum living requirements and social welfare guarantees," said Abetnego in a statement received in Jakarta, Thursday.

Abetnego explained that currently, of the 3 million teachers in Indonesia, only 1.34 million teachers have been certified or around 44.9 percent.

If teachers' income is obtained from salaries and professional allowances based on certification, this means that there are still more than one million teachers who are not prosperous.

Apart from that, many teachers still have to find additional income to meet their living needs, and quite a few are even caught in illegal online loans (pinjol).  

"There should be no more stories of teachers having to work as farm laborers or goods couriers after school hours are over, or even stories of teachers being caught in debt," he said.

Abetnego said that the Presidential Staff Office supports the efforts of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemdikbudristek) which is preparing a new scheme to accelerate teacher certification.

With this new scheme, there are several adjustments for teachers and prospective teachers who take Teacher Professional Education (PPG), especially in the recruitment, learning and selection processes.

In the recruitment process, continued Abetnego, the government updated in-service teacher data (daljab) which contained teachers' education and teaching experience more accurately.

Meanwhile, in learning, there will be adjustments related to "hybrid" or mixed implementation, travel time and credit units for teachers with certain conditions.

"In the admission selection there are also adjustments that make it easier for daljab (in-service) teachers to take competency tests conducted by the Ministry of Education and Culture," added Abetnego.

He believes that the changes to the PPG scheme, which are currently being discussed in the Minister of Education and Culture's Draft Regulation, will be a leap in breaking down the deadlock in the implementation of certification as mandated by Law (UU) No. 14 of 2005 concerning Teachers and Lecturers.

With this new scheme, KSP hopes that the target of at least 800,000 certified teachers can be achieved this year as an effort to improve quality education.

Source: Antaranews