VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Scott Morrison, Australia's prime minister, removes his protective face mask after arriving for a signing ceremony with his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga at the latter's official residence in Tokyo, Japan Nov 17, 2020. (Photo: Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via REUTERS)

Australia's government is in no rush to sign up to a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, although it recognises the importance of working towards that goal, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in an interview published on Saturday (Jan 23).

Morrison's conservative government, in a surprise change of policy last month, said it would achieve its 2030 carbon emissions pledge under the Paris climate agreement without counting carbon credits from over-achieving on its previous climate targets.

"It is about whether you can produce hydrogen at the right cost, it is about whether (carbon capture and storage) can be done at the right cost, it is whether we can produce low emissions steel and aluminium at the right cost," the newspaper quoted Morrison as saying.

"That is how you actually get to net zero. You don't get there by just having some commitment. That is where the discussion has to go, and I think the (US President Joe) Biden administration provides an opportunity to really pursue that with some enthusiasm."Australia's emissions are now projected to be 29 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, compared with its Paris accord target of cutting carbon emissions by between 26 per cent and 28 per cent, based on recent growth in renewable energy and what could be achieved under an A$18 billion (US$14 billion) technology investment plan the government outlined in September.

"We all want to get there," Morrison said. "It is not about the politics anymore, it is about the technology."

He added that the timeline to commit to a zero-net-emissions target will depend on "where the science is at and where our assessment is based on the technologies"//CNA

Sri Lanka is in the grip of a coronavirus surge, approving the emergency use of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University on Friday. (Photo: AFP/Ishara S KODIKARA)

Sri Lanka's health minister, who publicly endorsed sorcery and magic potions to stop surging coronavirus infections in the island, has tested positive and will self-isolate, officials said on Saturday (Jan 23).

Pavithra Wanniarachchi had publicly consumed and endorsed a magic potion, later revealed to contain honey and nutmeg, manufactured by a sorcerer who claimed it worked as a life-long inoculation against the virus.

She also poured a pot of "blessed" water into a river in November after a self-styled god-man told her that it would end the pandemic.

The island nation of 21 million on Friday approved the emergency use of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University only hours after Wanniarachchi tested positive, officials said.

"Her antigen test returned positive on Friday and she has been asked to isolate herself," a health ministry official said.

"All her immediate contacts have been quarantined."

A junior minister who had also taken the potion made popular by Wanniarachchi tested positive for the virus earlier this week.

Doctors in the island nation have said there is no scientific basis for the syrup, and there is no known cure for COVID-19.

But thousands defied public gathering restrictions to swamp a village in central Sri Lanka last month to obtain the elixir, made by carpenter Dhammika Bandara.

Pro-government media gave widespread publicity to the holy man, who claimed the formula was revealed to him by Kali, a Hindu goddess of death and destruction.

But the government has since scrambled to distance itself from Bandara, whose preparation was approved as a food supplement by the official indigenous medicine unit.

Sri Lanka is in the grip of a coronavirus surge, with the number of cases and deaths soaring from 3,300 and 13 in early October to nearly 57,000 infections and 278 dead this week//CNA

various kinds of vegetables oil - shiv impex

Indonesia is committed to fulfilling the 17 targets of the Sustainable Development Goals-SDGs 2030 and has succeeded in achieving significant progress. In this regard, Indonesia rejects discriminatory treatment related to the issue of sustainability of Indonesian palm oil products, amid Indonesia's efforts to raise stricter standards. This was affirmed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Mahendra Siregar at an online seminar with the theme "Sustainable Vegetable Oil: Opportunities for Increased Two-Way Trade" on January 14th 2021. As quoted on the kemlu.go.id page (15/1), in the event, Deputy Minister Mahendra Siregar said, Indonesia emphasized that efforts to achieve SDGs targets require close collaboration with some countries. In this regard, the Government of Indonesia is ready to share dialogue with all partners, both at the regional and global levels.

This webinar activity was organized by the Indonesian Embassy in Stockholm in a bid to encourage discussion on the topic of sustainable vegetable oil and the background of the agreement between the member states of the European Union (EU) and ASEAN to improve relations from a Dialogue Partnership to a Strategic Partnership, as well as the formation of a Joint Working Group on Vegetable Oil at the 23rd EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting to be held on 1 December 2020.

In his opening, Indonesian Ambassador to Stockholm, Kamapradipta Isnomo called for all stakeholders in Indonesia and the people of the European Union and ASEAN to take advantage of the momentum in early 2021 by welcoming the launch of the Joint Working Group towards increasing the two-way trade in vegetable oil. He said that the commitment of the two parties to form a Joint Working Group indicates a common vision to solve environmental challenges and issues in the vegetable oil sector from a more objective and non-discriminatory perspective.

The seminar was attended by two expert panelists in the field of sustainability and vegetable oil based in Sweden, namely Francis X. Johnson, Ph.D., Senior Researcher from the Stockholm Environment Institute, and Fumi Harahap, Ph.D, Postdoctoral Researcher from KTH Royal Institute of Technology. In the presentation and discussion, the points explained were the stages of economic transition to bio-economics, the market share of oil plant use, the potential for energy produced from agricultural crop residues, and opportunities for bio-refinery development to capture the full potential of vegetable resources. Representing the Swedish Government and acting as event moderator was Paul Westin from the Swedish Energy Agency.

Palm oil and its derivatives are one of Indonesia's leading commodities exported to Sweden. Over the last 3 years, the import value of Swedish palm oil from Indonesia has continued to increase, from US$ 14.5 million in 2017 to US $ 32.3 million in 2019. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic and efforts to accelerate national economic recovery, trade vegetable oils, especially palm oil exports abroad, are becoming increasingly important to the Government and the people of Indonesia.

BLOOD PLASMA TO TREAT COVID 19 PATIENT - JPNN

Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Ma'ruf Amin inaugurated the National Movement for the Convalescent Plasma Donor in Jakarta on Monday (18/1). Convalescent plasma transfusion is one way of treating patients with Covid-19 with severe and critical symptoms. On the occasion, Vice President Ma'ruf expressed his hope that this joint movement is intended to inspire empathy and motivate Covid-19 survivors to be able to voluntarily donate their convalescent plasma to help Covid-19 patients who are currently being treated in some hospitals.

Convalescent plasma is blood plasma taken from a former Covid-19 sufferer, because it contains SARS-Cov-2 antibodies. Then, the plasma is processed so that it can be donated. It is hoped that the antibodies in the blood plasma of recovered patients will help fight the Corona virus in the body of Covid-19 patients.

In fact, the donor movement of the convalescent blood plasma is not new to being implemented in Indonesia. Since April last year, partially, several regions in Indonesia have implemented it. Those who were exposed and recovered have also donated their blood. It's just that, the amount is not enough. From the testimonies of those who have been running, this area plasma transfusion accelerates the recovery process.

Indeed, not all Covid-19 survivors can become convalescent blood donors. Requirements to be able to donate their blood are people who are at the age 18 until 60 years, and they have been infected with Covid-19 (positive PCR)with moderate-severe symptoms; have been declared recovered; have no symptoms at least 14 days after recovering, male or femalewho are preferably never pregnant.

Based on data on covid19.go.id, until January 18, 2021, the number of patients who have recovered is 745,935 people. If five percent of that number meets the requirements, of course it can help the recovery process of those with severe and critical symptoms. As a result, this will reduce the number of deaths. In addition, it is likely that the recovery period will be shorter. This will certainly help save a lot not only the lives of Covid-19 patients, medical personnel, and health workers but also the Indonesian government. If the patient recovers faster, this will reduce the cost of treatment.

Hopefully, there will be many survivors who are willing to donate their blood plasma. The socialization of the National Movement for Convalescent Plasma Donor must also be intensified. The real action of public figures who are Covid-19 survivors of donating blood plasma also needs to be published. Thus, it can encourage other survivors to donate their blood plasma. Because 400 milliliters of their blood plasma means a lot to the Covid-19 patients. It is hoped that the survivors of Covid-19 in Indonesia will also donate their blood plasma. Of course, the point that needs to be considered and implemented is that all Indonesians must obey the set health protocols and make the vaccination program successful so that the Indonesian nation wins against Covid-19.