VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the Eighth Conference of Military Educationists of the Korean People's Army at the Apr 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang, North Korea in this undated photo released on Dec 7, 2021. (Photo: KCNA via REUTERS) - 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this week opened a key ruling party meeting, state media reported on Tuesday (Dec 28), a forum he has previously used to make major New Year policy announcements.

The 4th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) was convened on Monday, state news agency KCNA reported.

The gathering of party and government officials comes as North Korea grapples with compounding economic crises caused by an anti-pandemic lockdown, international sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme, and natural disasters.

It also comes as North Korea marks the 10th anniversary of Kim assuming supreme command of the military after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, in 2011.

"The plenary meeting is to review the implementation of main Party and state policies for the year 2021," the report said.

The meeting would also discuss and decide on strategic and tactical policies and practical steps for "dynamically guiding the struggle of our Party and people to usher in a new period of the development of socialist construction to the next stage of victory," KCNA said.

Around the new year, Kim has often made major policy announcements, including in 2018 when he announced his interest to send a delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea, and in 2019, when he discussed his desire to continue talks with US President Donald Trump.

"Kim has used speeches around the new year holiday in the past to make friendly overtures to the US and South Korea, but also to reveal nuclear weapon developments and other military plans," NK News, a Seoul-based website that monitors North Korea, said in a report on Monday.

North Korea has said it is open to resuming talks with the United States and the South, but only if Washington and Seoul take steps to end "hostile policies" such as sanctions and military drills//CNA

People queue for a COVID-19 test on Broadway in SoHo as the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to spread in Manhattan, New York City, on Dec 27, 2021. (Photo: REUTERS/Andrew Kelly) - 

US health authorities on Monday (Dec 27) shortened the recommended isolation time for Americans with asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 to five days from the previous guidance of 10 days.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said the asymptomatic people after isolation should follow five days of wearing a mask when around others.

It also recommended a five-day quarantine for those exposed to the virus who are unvaccinated or are over six months out from their second mRNA dose or more than two months after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and not yet boosted. The quarantine period should be followed by strict mask use for an additional five days.

According to the CDC, isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick, while quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.

"CDC's updated recommendations for isolation and quarantine balance what we know about the spread of the virus and the protection provided by vaccination and booster doses," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.

Omicron accounts for 73 per cent of US coronavirus infections, the federal CDC had said last week.

Breakthrough infections are rising among the fully vaccinated population, including those who have had a third booster shot. However, Omicron appears to be causing milder symptoms in those people, some of whom have no symptoms at all.

Reducing the CDC's 10-day quarantine recommendation would help asymptomatic people return to work or school, with proper precautions, White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci had told CNN last week.

Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should wear a mask for 10 days, the CDC said//CNA

President Director of the State Logistics Agency (BULOG) Budi Waseso addressing a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday (December 28, 2021). ANTARA/Aditya Ramadhan - 

Indonesia has not imported rice for meeting domestic demand and government buffer stock needs for three years in a row, according to the government-owned State Logistics Agency (BULOG).

"For the last three years, our buffer stock is never procured through any import scheme. I also wish to reiterate President Joko Widodo's statement that we are indeed not importing rice to fulfill our buffer stock," President Director of BULOG Budi Waseso stated at a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The company absorbed around 1.2 million tons of rice produced by Indonesian farmers in 2021 alone, and reduced the necessity for importing rice from foreign countries over the last three years, he said.

"I attribute our success in absorbing rice produced by local farmers to the tireless efforts of the national BULOG network during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our decision to purchase rice from local farmers also helped them to sell their products and us to maintain our non-import stance for three years," Waseso informed.

Waseso reiterated BULOG's readiness for absorbing the national rice production, which is projected by Statistics Indonesia (BPS) to reach 11.61 million tons by the first quarter of 2022, to maintain price stability and stock availability in the country.

"Besides fulfilling the government's buffer stock (needs), purchasing rice from local rice farmers will also boost economic activities among farmers, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

Besides maintaining price stability for farmers, BULOG has also played role in ensuring price stability for consumers by distributing almost 700 thousand tons of rice under market intervention programs to improve rice supply and price stability, the president director stated.

The government has also tasked BULOG with distributing 28.8 million tons of rice to families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and who are eligible to receive government benefits, he added.

Additionally, the state-owned company has distributed self-produced fortified rice for 2,150 infants in seven provinces to reduce stunting prevalence and 8,500 tons of rice under disaster response missions in 2021, Waseso disclosed//ANT

President Joko Widodo and his Onwards Indonesia cabinet try rowing a dragon boat in Ladongi dam, East Kolaka district, Southeast Sulawesi, on Tuesday (December 28, 2021). (ANTARA/HO-Biro Pers Sekretariat Presiden/Laily Rachev) - 

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and several members of his Onwards Indonesia cabinet tried their hand at rowing a dragon boat at Ladongi dam, Southeast Sulawesi, on Tuesday.

Public Works and Public Housing Minister, Basuki Hadimuljono, and Cabinet Secretary, Pramono Anung, were among those who joined the President on the dragon boat.

Meanwhile, Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia played the drums for the rowers to keep in sync with as well as to encourage them.

As seen in a video uploaded on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel, the dragon boat had 15 rowers, including the President and ministers, a drummer, and a boatman who stood at the back.

Although the rowers did not push and pull their oars in unison, the dragon boat sped and circled the dam for about 15 minutes.

President Jokowi inaugurated Ladongi dam on Tuesday. The dam has a capacity of 45.9 million cubic meters and spans 222 hectares.

It will provide irrigation water for rice fields in a number of surrounding districts, such as East Kolaka, Konawe, South Konawe, and Kolaka, Jokowi noted at the inauguration.

He said he expected the dam to provide water for agricultural needs to reinforce self-reliance, sovereignty, and food security.

"Without water, it is impossible for us to achieve what is considered as good food security, good food sovereignty, and good food independence," he remarked.

Ladongi dam also has the potential to become a tourist destination, especially water tourism, he said.

As per data from the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, Ladongi dam could supply 120 liters of water per second, reduce flooding by 176.6 cubic meters per second, and has 1.3 megawatts worth of electricity potential, he noted.

The dam was built in 2016-2021 at a cost of Rp1.2 trillion.

The President's entourage on Tuesday comprised of Hadimuljono, Lahadalia, Anung, Governor of Southeast Sulawesi, Ali Mazi, and acting head of East Kolaka District, Sulwan Aboenawas//ANT