Opening the series of the 42nd Anniversary of the National Library of Indonesia - 

Libraries are required to take the main role in improving the literacy ability of the community to produce superior human resources (HR) who have the ability to adapt technology.

This is needed to support the implementation of digital-based economic transformation. To that end, the National Library of Indonesia (Perpusnas) seeks to create a national digital ecosystem through library transformation.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Tuesday (17/05/22), the Head of the National Library of Indonesia, Muhammad Syarif Bando, when opening the series of the 42nd Anniversary of the National Library of Indonesia said that this year, the National Library of Indonesia carries the theme of Library Transformation to Realize a National Digital Ecosystem. It was stated that there were eight efforts made by the National Library to create a national digital ecosystem.

"One of them is library integration, namely the library as a medium for integrating knowledge and collaboration between scientists, and finding the best solutions from multiple perspectives," he said at the National Library of Indonesia Theater, Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan No. 11, Jakarta, on Tuesday (17/5/2022).

Second, continued Syarif, libraries perform data visualization, both structured data and unstructured data. Third, libraries document and package in a multimedia format every intellectual capital of the community.

Fourth, libraries use semantic technologies to facilitate intelligent searches of various sources of knowledge for the community.

"The advantage of semantic technology is the ability to explore sources of knowledge online, without the need to open web pages one by one, by utilizing agents to browse thousands of websites," he continued.

Fifth, libraries in improving service quality utilize big data mining technology to disseminate various types of data to the public according to their needs. "Data mining aims to make the abundant data in the library more useful based on the patterns generated from the data analysis process," explained Syarif.

Sixth, he added, libraries also need to adjust to demographic developments and changes in the behavior of the millennial generation in accessing and using information and knowledge. Millennials read and absorb knowledge using social media such as YouTube, TikTok, Podcasts, and so on.

"With this description, library transformation is closely related to the distribution of knowledge through various social media channels as one aspect of the digital ecosystem," he continued.

Seventh, the library transforms printed and analog library materials into digital formats for the benefit of access and preservation.

Finally, libraries can optimize virtual space for library services. The library carries out various workshops, webinars, training, radio broadcasts to create positive content.

To create a digital ecosystem, the National Library of Indonesia has prepared 17 digital services, namely the iPusnas digital library, Indonesia OneSearch (IOS), e-Resources, INLIS-Lite, media transfer of library materials and ancient manuscripts, ISBN and ISMN online services, E-learning Librarian Training ( Eldika), ICT infrastructure development, online librarian competency test, Digital Reading Corner (Pocadi), multimedia mobile library car service, development of integrated interlibrary loan module in library applications, publisher header application development (Publisher Directory), virtual membership card application based on Android/ IOS, library data collection, e-Deposit, and library accreditation online visits//VOI

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II planting trees to celebrate Her Platinum Jubilee - 

Queen Elizabeth II celebrates a remarkable 70 years on the throne this year, longer than any other monarch in British history. Known for her quiet sense of duty and her devotion to a life of service, she has been an important figurehead for the UK, the 15 other countries for whom she is Head of State, and the Commonwealth during times of enormous social change.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Tuesday (17/05/22), Her Platinum Jubilee is being marked throughout the UK and around the world, with celebrations peaking in June. Reflecting Her Majesty the Queen’s love of nature, and the fact she has planted over 1500 trees during her reign; British people have been encouraged to join the celebrations by ‘planting a tree for the jubilee.’ A remarkable one million trees have already been planted across the UK as part of the ‘Queen’s Green Canopy’ initiative.

Today (18 May) a Gaharu – also known as Agarwood tree will be planted in the grounds of British Embassy Jakarta by British Deputy Ambassador and Chargé d'Affaires Rob Fenn. The Gaharu Tree is native to Indonesia. It was chosen to symbolise the growing friendship between the UK and Indonesia; and both countries’ concern for the protection of forests.

Among the attendees will be guests from the Indonesian government, alumni of the UK’s famous scholarship programme Chevening that are working in the environmental field and Ambassadors of other countries for whom the Queen is Head of State.

Queen’s Green Canopy

In the UK, everyone from individuals to youth groups, villages, cities, counties, schools and corporates have played their part by planting trees. Many have learned about sustainability and environmental protection as they joined in – as the website gives advice on which tree to plant, in the right place, at the right time.

Together these trees will create a lasting legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the UK, as the trees will last for many hundreds of years to come, benefitting future generations. The pandemic has reminded many of the importance of nature to mental health and wellbeing. Trees also have huge value to wildlife, providing a habit to many animals and plants.

Along with the new trees planted for the Queen’s Green Canopy, a UK network of 70 Ancient Woodlands and 70 Ancient trees have been selected to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70 years of service.

Ancient woodlands are at least hundreds of years old, and form a priceless habit for rare birds and animals. This project will highlight the importance of ancient woodlands and how to look after them. All these woodlands are already being looked after in the right way – actively managed to bring most natural benefit.

70 years on the throne

The Queen has become a much loved and respected figure across the globe.Her extraordinary reign has seen her travel more widely than any other monarch, undertaking over 260 official visits overseas, including nearly 100 state visits, including to Indonesia. This has made her “the UK’s foremost diplomat”, affirming old relationships and building new connections. No one has done more to strengthen the bonds of friendship, understanding and respect between the UK and the rest of the world.

Throughout years of tremendous change in international affairs, The Queen has been a source of continuity and stability. With her power to transcend politics and geography, she has touched the lives of millions of people around the world.

This June, in the UK and around the world, millions will celebrate her service. The Queen’s Green Canopy is one of many activities//VOI

Cover of a state of a global climate report 2021 - 

Four key climate change indicators – greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rise, ocean heat and ocean acidification – set new records in 2021. This is yet another clear sign that human activities are causing planetary scale changes on land, in the ocean, and in the atmosphere, with harmful and long-lasting ramifications for sustainable development and ecosystems, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Extreme weather – the day-to-day “face” of climate change – led to hundreds of billions of dollars in economic losses and wreaked a heavy toll on human lives and well-being and triggered shocks for food and water security and displacement that have accentuated in 2022.

The WMO State of the Global Climate in 2021 report confirmed that the past seven years have been the warmest seven years on record. 2021 was “only” one of the seven warmest because of a La Niña event at the start and end of the year. This had a temporary cooling effect but did not reverse the overall trend of rising temperatures. The average global temperature in 2021 was about 1.11 (± 0.13) °C above the pre-industrial level.

Criticizing “the dismal litany of humanity’s failure to tackle climate disruption,”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres used the publication of the WMO flagship report to call for urgent action to grab the “low-hanging fruit” of transforming energy systems away from the “dead end” of fossil fuels.

In a video message, Mr Guterrez proposed five critical actions to jump-start the renewable energy transition. They include greater access to renewable energy technology and supplies, a tripling of private and public investments in renewables and an end to subsidies on fossil fuels which amount to roughly $11 million per minute.

“Renewables are the only path to real energy security, stable power prices and sustainable employment opportunities. If we act together, the renewable energy transformation can be the peace project of the 21st century,” said Mr Guterrez.

The world must act in this decade to prevent ever worsening climate impacts and to keep temperature increase to below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, he said.

“It is just a matter of time before we see another warmest year on record,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas. “Our climate is changing before our eyes. The heat trapped by human-induced greenhouse gases will warm the planet for many generations to come. Sea level rise, ocean heat and acidification will continue for hundreds of years unless means to remove carbon from the atmosphere are invented. Some glaciers have reached the point of no return and this will have long-term repercussions in a world in which more than 2 billion people already experience water stress.”

“Extreme weather has the most immediate impact on our daily lives. Years of investment in disaster preparedness means that we are better at saving lives, though economic losses are soaring. But much more needs to be done, as we are seeing with the drought emergency unfolding in the Horn of Africa, the recent deadly flooding in South Africa and the extreme heat in India and Pakistan. Early Warning Systems are critically required for climate adaptation, and yet these are only available in less than half of WMO’s Members. We are committed to making early warnings reach everyone in the next five years, as requested by the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres,” said Prof. Taalas.

The WMO State of the Global Climate report complements the IPCC Sixth Assessment report, which includes data up to 2019. The new WMO report is accompanied by a story map and provides information and practical examples for policy-makers on how the climate change indicators outlined in the IPCC reports played out during the recent years globally and how the associated implications on extremes have been felt at national and  regional level in 2021.

The WMO State of the Global Climate report, which will be used as an official document for the UN Climate Change negotiations known as COP27 to take place in Egypt later this year.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Tuesday (17/05/22), dozens of experts contribute to the report from Member-States including National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and  Global Data and Analysis Centers, as well as Regional Climate Centres, the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW), the Global Cryosphere Watch and the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change services. 

The report was released just ahead of the World Economic Forum 2022 Annual Meeting, which brings together more than 2,000 leaders and experts from around the world under the theme “History at a Turning Point:Government Policies and Business Strategies.” Mobilizing public-private action to deliver on critical 2030 and 2050 global climate goals is a key topic on the agenda.  

“The State of the Global Climate report emphasizes the need for speed, scale and systemic action to mitigate the environmental risks presented in the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks report,“ said World Economic Forum Managing Board Member Gim Huay Neo.

“As shown by the recent IPCC report, we already have the means and the know-how to cut emissions and limit global warming. We need to focus our efforts on bold policies and solutions that can quickly transform the way we produce and consume resources. People and partnerships have to be at the heart of our approach, whether it is to create new jobs, provide more access and affordability for everyone and to build a cleaner and greener living environment.”

“The upcoming Annual Meeting in Davos is a key opportunity to strengthen our resolve for climate action, translate ambition to deeds and forge more partnerships to co-create a future we can be proud of,” she said//VOI

People queue at a COVID-19 testing centre in Soweto, South Africa, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. Health experts in South A experiencing a surge of new COVID-19 cases driven by two omicron sub-variants. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell) - 

South Africa is experiencing a surge of new COVID-19 cases driven by two Omicron sub-variants, according to health experts.

For about three weeks, the country has seen increasing numbers of new cases and somewhat higher hospitalisations, but no increases in severe cases and deaths, said Professor Marta Nunes, a researcher at Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Analytics at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto.

“We're still very early in this increase period, so I don’t want to really call it a wave,” Nunes said. “We are seeing a slight, a small increase in hospitalisations and really very few deaths.”

South Africa's new cases have gone from an average of 300 per day in early April to about 8,000 per day this week. Nunes says the actual number of new cases is probably much higher because the symptoms are mild and many who get sick are not getting tested.

South Africa's new surge is from two variations of omicron, BA.4 and BA.5, which appear to be very much like the original strain of Omicron that was first identified in South Africa and Botswana late last year and swept around the globe.

“The majority of new cases are from these two strains. They are still Omicron ... but just genomically somewhat different,” said Nunes. The new versions appear to be able to infect people who have immunity from earlier COVID infections and vaccinations but they cause generally mild disease, she said.

In South Africa, 45 per cent of adults are fully vaccinated, although about 85 per cent of the population is thought to have some immunity based on past exposure to the virus.

“It looks like the vaccines still protect against severe disease,” Nunes said.

Nunes said that the BA.4 and BA.5 strains of Omicron have spread to other countries in southern Africa and a few European countries, but it is too early to tell if they will spread across the globe, as Omicron did.

“It looks like the vaccines still protect against severe disease,” Nunes said.

Nunes said that the BA.4 and BA.5 strains of Omicron have spread to other countries in southern Africa and a few European countries, but it is too early to tell if they will spread across the globe, as Omicron did.

The increase in COVID-19 cases is coming as South Africa is entering the Southern Hemisphere's colder winter months and the country is seeing a rise in cases of flu.

At a testing centre in the Chiawelo area of Soweto, many people come in to be tested for COVID-19 but find out they have flu.

“Now we're in flu season ... so it’s flu versus COVID-19," said Magdeline Matsoso, site manager at the Chiawelo vaccination centre. She said people come for testing because they have COVID-19 symptoms.

“When we do the tests, you find that the majority of them are negative when it comes to COVID-19 but they do have flu symptoms,” said Matsoso.

"So they get flu treatment and then they go home because the majority is related to flu and not COVID-19.”

Vuyo Lumkwani was one of those who came to get tested.

“I wasn’t feeling well when I woke up this morning. I woke up with body pains, a headache, blocked (nose), feeling dizzy, so I decided to come here," she said.

"I was terrified about my symptoms because I thought it might be COVID-19, but I told myself that I’d be OK because I have been vaccinated,” said Lumkwani. She said she was relieved to be diagnosed with flu and advised to go home with some medications and rest//CNA