VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry recorded 1,165 members of the Jamaah Tabligh congregation from Indonesia spread across 13 countries, of which 357 have returned home, while 808 others remain stranded amid the global new coronavirus disease pandemic. The Indonesian representative offices facilitated the return of those Jamaah Islamiyah members, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry's Director for the Protection of Citizens and Legal Entities Overseas, Judha Nugraha, stated as quoted by Antara. Some of the returnees were flown back home from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jordan, Moroco, Kuwait, and Thailand, while those who have yet to return to Indonesia remain quarantined in accordance with the COVID-19 preventive measures, or tried at court, he informed journalists here on Wednesday.

The Jamaah Tabligh members are viewed as one of the clusters receiving protection for Indonesian citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of May 19, the Indonesian government has facilitated the return of 99,543 Indonesian citizens from abroad, most of whom are Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia and Indonesian sailors working for foreign cruise ships//Ant

Indonesian and British policymakers, scientists, and funding agencies recently deliberated on a roadmap, to tackle the global challenge posed by COVID-19 through effective multi-disciplinary collaborations. According to a statement received here on Thursday, the Indonesian Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education, supported by the Indonesian Embassy in London, and the United Kingdom’s University of Nottingham, recently organized a webinar and discussion panel. The event brought together scientists from the University of Nottingham, and some of Indonesia’s leading universities, such as the Bandung Institute of Technology, Bogor Institute of Agriculture, and the Gadjah Mada University. As quoted by Antara, experts attending the webinar presented their COVID-19 research portfolios.

The webinar also featured a discussion with the head of the COVID-19 Research and Innovation Consortium for the Indonesian Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education, Professor Ali Ghufron Mukti, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Newton Fund Manager, and the British Council. The online meeting was also attended by members of the Indonesian Young Academy of Sciences (ALMI). Other topics discussed at the webinar included the importance of global collaboration in tackling COVID-19, University of Nottingham’s leadership in the collaborative research undertaken by Indonesia and the UK, and the roles of Indonesian diaspora scientists//Ant

Wearing masks is being made compulsory in Spain both indoors and out in public if social distancing is not possible. As quoted by BBC.com ( 20/5)  Only children under six and people with health issues are exempt from the law, which comes into force on Thursday. Many European countries have now made wearing masks a requirement on public transport but the Spanish decree goes further. Spain has seen one of the worst Covid-19 outbreaks in Europe but is now easing the lockdown gradually. It already requires the wearing of masks on public transport and is now strengthening the rules across the population.  Spain has reported almost 28,000 deaths and 232,000 infections since March but the rate of infection has declined. Spain had imposed some of the toughest measures on the continent, including keeping children indoors for six weeks. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed parliament on Wednesday ahead of a vote on extending the state of alert for two more weeks//BBC

President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel have jump-started the Franco-German "motor" at the heart of Europe by jointly pitching a hugely ambitious economic recovery plan, even if it faces a bumpy road ahead. As quoted by AFP.com (20/5) Macron and Merkel, whose relationship has been shadowed by disagreements on several key issues, on Monday put differences aside to propose a 500 billion euro ($546 billion) fund to help mend an economy devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. The plan marked a major move for both sides, with Germany seen to have moved round to the French view that more flexibility is needed to ensure all of Europe -- and not just the richer north -- can recover from the crisis. Under their plan, the fund will be financed by borrowing from the market in the name of the EU while the money given out will not have to be paid back//AFP