VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Coffee has a significant role for Indonesia and become a source of income for 7 million coffee farmers, with some foreign exchange contributions. Coffee significantly contributes to environment conservation and provides many jobs. Agriculture Minister, Syahrul Yasin Limpo stated at the opening of the National Coffee Day in Jakarta, Wednesday 11.

"Coffee is one of the Indonesia prime commodities. Coffee is the commodity which has a source of foreign exchange. Being a provider of many jobs with growing strongly and it is an industrial raw material that needed nationally and globally. This is encouraged the growth of agribusiness areas andcontributed to supporting the implementation of existing environmental conservation" Minister said. 

Mr Limpo explained that  the extent area of the national coffee plantation is 1.23 million hectares with a production of 717, 9 thousand tons. Mr Limposaid that the number of farmers is around 7 million families and absorbing about 67.9 thousand workfoce. Syahrul said that in 2018, the value of Indonesia's coffee exports has reached 815.9 million US dollars with a volume reaching 279, 9000 ton//Brg

Turkish and Russian officials have largely agreed on details of a ceasefire deal in Syria's war-battered Idlib province, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said on Thursday, the third day of discussions between the two countries. Last week, NATO-member Turkey and Russia - the two countries back opposing sides in Syria's war - agreed on the ceasefire to halt an escalation of violence in Idlib that has displaced nearly a million people and brought the two countries close to direct confrontation. Under the agreement, Turkish and Russian forces will carry out joint patrols along the strategic M4 highway linking Syria's east and west, and establish a security corridor either side of it. A Russian delegation arrived in Ankara this week to discuss the details of the agreement. The corridor stretches 6km (3.7 miles) to the north and 6km to the south of the M4 - effectively advancing Russia's presence further north into Idlib. Russia supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey backs opposition factions who have fought him for nearly nine years.

"We have largely reached an agreement. At the moment, the attacks have stopped, the ceasefire is holding," Akar was cited as saying by his office. "The joint patrols will start along the M4 on March 15. Our colleagues are discussing the details of that."

A senior Turkish official told Reuters news agency that concrete results were expected from the discussions in Ankara. Turkey was prepared to retaliate against violations by the Syrian government, he added.

"The fact that we are moving in line with the agreements brings hope for the future. We are moving forward," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

On Wednesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would not shy away from even stronger military action in Idlib if the ceasefire is broken. Akar also said on Thursday that all Turkish forces remained in their positions in Idlib. The latest Russia-backed offensive in Idlib by al-Assad's forces sparked what the United Nations says may be the worst humanitarian crisis yet in a war that has driven millions from their homes and killed hundreds of thousands. Russia had repeatedly played down any talk of a refugee crisis and accused Turkey of violating international law by pouring troops and equipment into Idlib since early last month. About 60 Turkish troops have been killed in that time//Aljazeera

Australia's government said it would pump 17.6 billion Australian dollars ($11.4bn) into the economy to try to stop the coronavirus outbreak triggering a recession, as it weighed an extension of travel restrictions following a formal pandemic declaration. The last time Australia rolled out a stimulus package was during the 2008 global financial crisis - when it managed to avoid a recession - illustrating the lengths the government will go to to limit the economic impact of the outbreak.  Despite only affecting about 130 people in Australia so far, with three confirmed deaths, economists expect the outbreak, classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, to cause a recession in the second quarter. The package will subsidise the wages of 120,000 apprentices, offer one-off cash payments for welfare recipients and give up to A$25,000 ($16,160) to small businesses, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at a news conference in Canberra on Thursday.

"This is a comprehensive, a well-thought-through, a well-targeted plan, which is designed to support the Australian economy and jobs and businesses through the difficult months ahead," Morrison said.

More than 6 million welfare recipients, notably pensioners and unemployed citizens, will get a one-off cash payment of A$750 ($485) from March 31, he added. Speaking with the prime minister, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said most of the package would be spent immediately, potentially boosting the economy by 1.5 percentage points in the second quarter. Australia has not experienced a recession, defined as two consecutive quarters of economic contraction, since the early 1990s.

"The package won't super-charge the economy. Neither does it guarantee that the economy won't slip into recession. But it is a good first step," said Craig James, chief economist at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

News of the stimulus came minutes before US President Donald Trump announced a 30-day ban on incoming travel from continental Europe, sending Australian stocks, which were trading down about 3 percent, tumbling to close down 7.4 percent. The effects of the stimulus package remain unclear while the pandemic widens. "Whether a recession can be avoided is still an open question as the management of the COVID-19 health crisis dictates the economic fallout," said analysts from ANZ Bank in a note. Further to halting the disease's spread, the Australian government said it would extend by a week existing travel bans on China, Iran, South Korea and Italy, which have reported higher numbers of people with the illness, while an emergency health committee would review whether to place a travel ban on all of Europe. Actor Tom Hanks said in a social media post that he and his wife Rita Wilson had tested positive for the coronavirus while in Australia, where he was scheduled to shoot a movie. Hanks said they would be "tested, observed and isolated" as requested by the local health authorities. Ratings agency S&P said on Wednesday it expected Australia to fall into recession in the first half of 2020, but the government's strong fiscal position allowed for stimulus without threatening its AAA credit rating//Aljazeera

A huge area of low pressure in the upper part of the atmosphere is sweeping across much of the eastern half of North Africa. It is bringing with it significantly cooler weather which extends from the coast of Libya and Egypt as far south as northern Chad and South Sudan. Sudan's capital of Khartoum is expected to see a drop in temperature from 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday to 27C (81F) on Friday. But the greatest effect of this weather system is expected to be felt further north and east as it continues to develop and it is already generating a deepening low-pressure system at the surface. Thunderstorms over central and northern Egypt are likely to become more widespread during Thursday afternoon and evening, with computer forecasts suggesting a peak risk over Cairo about 15:00 GMT. More than 25mm of rain could fall within a couple of hours and this is expected to cause severe flooding. Very strong, damaging winds are also expected. The strong winds will possibly intensify across northern Egypt overnight as the risk of thunderstorms sweeps across Israel, Jordan and northern parts of Saudi Arabia. With such strong winds, a huge amount of dust and sand is likely to be raised by the low-pressure system. Northern Egypt, including Cairo, can expect a drastic reduction in visibility during Friday morning. During Saturday, severe sandstorms are likely through central Iraq as the strong southerly winds blow dust from the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys. Much of Iraq, Kuwait and northeastern Saudi Arabia could suffer significant disruption. Air travellers should expect delays and cancellations across the region over the next two or three days. The system will weaken as it tracks across Iraq and Kuwait later on Saturday and by Sunday, for most of us, it should be settled back in the warm and sunny weather we expect in the Middle East at this time of the year//Aljazeera