VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The National Library of Indonesia, Ofy Sofiana, together with the Deputy Governor of North Sulawesi, Steven Octavianus Estefanus Kandouw, on Tuesday (22/3/2022) - 

The signing of the memorandum of understanding was represented by the Deputy for Library Material Development and Information Services at the National Library of Indonesia, Ofy Sofiana, together with the Deputy Governor of North Sulawesi, Steven Octavianus Estefanus Kandouw, on Tuesday (22/3/2022).

Ofy said, according to the direction of President Joko Widodo, strategic issues that are closely related to the library sector are improving the quality of superior human resources and transforming the digital ecosystem. The transformation of libraries in the digital era and the industrial revolution 4.0 presents a new paradigm, namely libraries reaching the community.

"Then the big theme of the program/activities of the National Library of Indonesia 2022, is Library Transformation to Form a National Digital Ecosystem based on the presence of libraries in providing a direct impact on the welfare of the community," he said.

According to a release receibed by Voice of Indonesia on Wednesday (23/03/22), this program is carried out through strengthening digital-based applied literacy content, expanding access to information and knowledge through collaboration and cooperation, as well as making libraries into the public domain in increasing knowledge (creativity innovation), community empowerment (local-based potential development space). and space for the preservation and promotion of culture.

The National Library of Indonesia develops various National Library digital services such as e-Resources, iPusnas, Indonesia OneSearch, and Khastara. Ofy hopes that these various facilities can be utilized optimally through the signing of a memorandum of understanding between National Library of Indonesia and five local governments and 10 universities in North Sulawesi Province.

“I hope that the provincial government's policies will continue to emerge. North Sulawesi to strengthen literacy culture and also the role of Mother of Literacy continues to move to build literacy to create quality human resources and competitive capabilities in the face of global competition and also improve the quality of life for welfare," he said.

On the same occasion, 15 District/City Literacy Mothers were also inaugurated throughout the province of North Sulawesi. Member of Commission X DPR RI, Vanda Sarundajang, hopes that Mother Literacy can accelerate reading culture in society, especially the younger generation and children.

"Mother of literacy will be a motivator for our children to be more fond of reading and can use the library more optimally," he said.

He also gave appreciation to the National Library of Indonesia for its high performance even though the budget was limited. It was stated that the National Library was able to create innovations so that it received many awards.

"I invite all of us who are present here starting from ourselves, then family, neighbors, we start promoting again about the importance of libraries and the love of reading to anyone," he appealed.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of North Sulawesi, Steven Kandouw, emphasized the importance of literacy for the community. He hopes for support from the Literacy Mother to increase the literacy index of the community.

"The Chairperson of the PKK in the province and district/city was appointed as the Mother of Literacy with the hope that through this pattern, penetration into the community, our efforts to increase literacy are more effective by taking advantage of it," he concluded//VOI

Ships wait to be loaded at the Rio Tinto alumina refinery in Gove, also known as Nhulunbuy, located 650km east of Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory on Jul 16, 2013. (File photo: Reuters/David Gray) - 

Australia has imposed an immediate ban on exports of alumina and aluminium ores, including bauxite, to Russia, the government said on Sunday (Mar 20) as part of its ongoing sanctions against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

"Russia relies on Australia for nearly 20 per cent of its alumina needs," the Australian government said in a joint statement from several ministries, including the prime minister's office. It added that the move will limit Russia's capacity to produce aluminium, which is a critical export for Russia.

"The government will work closely with exporters and peak bodies that will be affected by the ban to find new and expand existing markets," the statement said.

Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto owns an 80 per cent stake in Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) in a joint venture with Russia's Rusal International PJSC, the world's second-largest aluminium producer.

Last week, Australia imposed sanctions on two Russian businessmen with links to its mining industry, one of them being billionaire Oleg Deripaska who holds stakes in QAL.

Australia has so far imposed a total of 476 sanctions on 443 individuals, including businessmen close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and 33 entities, including most of Russia’s banking sector and all entities responsible for the country's sovereign debt, the statement said.

The government also said that it will donate at least 70,000 tonnes of thermal coal to Ukraine to meet its energy needs.

Australian coal producers have been bombarded with calls for supply over the past few weeks from Ukraine and other countries like Poland that have been reliant on Russian supplies.

"The Australian government has worked with the Australian coal industry to source supplies," the statement said.

Whitehaven Coal has quickly arranged a shipment, and the government is now working with the company and the Ukrainian and Polish governments to deliver the supplies at the earliest available opportunity, the statement said.

The government also pledged additional military equipment and humanitarian aid for Ukraine//CNA

Britain's Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, arrive at Philip SW Goldson International Airport in Belize City, Belize, on Mar 19, 2022. (Photo: Reuters/Toby Melville, Pool) - 

Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate arrived in Belize on Saturday (Mar 19) for a week-long Caribbean tour that was marred by a local protest before it even began amid growing scrutiny of the British Empire's colonial ties to the region.

The arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge coincides with the celebration of Queen Elizabeth's 70th year on the throne, and comes nearly four months after Barbados voted to become a republic, cutting ties with the monarchy but remaining part of the British-led Commonwealth of Nations.

Three miniature cannons fired a salute to the couple as their plane landed in Belize City before a military band played the national anthems of Belize and Britain at a welcoming ceremony that kept the media throng at a distance.

William inspected a guard of honour as the band played the local creole song Ding Ding Wala, then drove off with his wife to meet Prime Minister John Briceno.

Afterwards, Briceno told Reuters that the duke and duchess were "excited to be here in Belize as we are delighted to have them", adding: "We wish them a fruitful and memorable visit."

The couple are due to stay in Belize, formerly British Honduras, until Tuesday morning. On the eve of their departure, an event planned for Sunday was scrapped when a few dozen villagers staged a protest.

Residents of Indian Creek, an indigenous Maya village in southern Belize, said they were upset that the royal couple's helicopter had been granted permission to land on a local football field without prior consultation.

The village is in a land dispute with Fauna & Flora International (FFI), a conservation group supported by the royal family, stirring discontent over colonial-era territorial settlements still contested by indigenous groups.

A visit to a different site is being planned instead, Belize's government said. In a statement, Kensington Palace confirmed that the schedule would be changed because of "sensitive issues" involving the Indian Creek community.

In a statement, FFI said that it had purchased land at the nearby Boden Creek from private owners in December 2021, and that it would conserve and protect the area's wildlife while supporting the livelihoods and traditional rights of local people.

Without directly addressing the dispute, FFI said that it bought the land to benefit the area's ecological integrity, resident communities and Belize as a whole, and pledged to maintain "open and continuous dialogue" with the local community.

After Belize, the duke and duchess are due to visit Jamaica and the Bahamas. Meetings and a variety of events are scheduled with politicians and a range of civic leaders.

Dickie Arbiter, Queen Elizabeth's press secretary from 1988 to 2000, described the tour as a goodwill visit that ought to give a temporary lift to the family's popularity.

Today, many people in former colonies see the monarchy as an anachronism that should be let go, he said. But he expected that little would change while Elizabeth remained on the throne.

"The royal family is pragmatic," he said. "It knows it can't look at these countries as realm states forever and a day."//CNA

A file photo of an S-400 "Triumph" surface-to-air missile system after its deployment at a military base outside the town of Gvardeysk near Kaliningrad, Russia, on Mar 11, 2019. (File photo: Reuters/Vitaly Nevar) - 

The United States has informally raised with Turkey the unlikely possibility of sending its Russian-made S-400 missile defence systems to Ukraine to help it fight invading Russian forces, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

US officials have floated the suggestion over the past month with their Turkish counterparts, but no specific or formal request was made, the sources told Reuters. They said that it also came up briefly during Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman's visit to Turkey earlier this month.

The Biden administration has been asking allies who have been using Russian made equipment and systems including S-300s and S-400s to consider transferring them to Ukraine as it tries to fend off a Russian invasion that began on Feb 24.

The idea, which analysts said was sure to be shot down by Turkey, was part of a wider discussion between Sherman and Turkish officials about how the United States and its allies can do more to support Ukraine and on how to improve bilateral ties.

The Turkish authorities have not commented on any US suggestion or proposal relating to the transfer to Ukraine of Ankara's S-400 systems, which have been a point of long-standing contention between the two North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies.

Turkish foreign ministry officials were not immediately available for comment.

Turkish sources and analysts said that any such suggestion would be a non-starter for Turkey, citing issues ranging from technical hurdles related to installing and operating the S-400s in Ukraine, to political concerns such as the blowback Ankara would likely face from Moscow.

Washington has repeatedly asked Ankara to get rid of the Russian-built surface-to-air missile batteries since the first delivery arrived in July 2019. The United States has imposed sanctions on a Turkey's defence industry and removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet programme as a result.

Ankara has said that it was forced to opt for the S-400s because allies did not provide weapons on satisfactory terms.

US officials are keen to seize this moment to draw Turkey back into Washington's orbit. Efforts to find "creative" ways to improve the strained relationship have accelerated in recent weeks, even though no specific proposal has so far gained traction, US and Turkish sources have said.

"I think everyone knows that the S-400 has been a long standing issue and perhaps this is a moment when we can figure out a new way to solve this problem," Sherman told Turkish broadcaster Haberturk in an interview on Mar 5.

It was not clear what exactly she meant and the State Department has not answered questions about her comments. The White House did not respond to a request for comment about the suggestion made during her visit to Turkey.

The effort is also part of a wider bid by the Biden administration to respond to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plea to help protect Ukraine's skies. Russian or Soviet-made air defence systems such as S-300s that other NATO allies have and S-400s are sought after.

One source familiar with US thinking said that Washington's floating of the possibility came as a result of the renewed effort to improve ties at a time when Ankara has been spooked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had not received a specific heads up from Russian President Vladimir Putin on his plans of a full-scale attack on Ukraine, another source familiar with the discussions said.

Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has good ties with both. It has said the invasion is unacceptable and voiced support for Ukraine, but has also opposed sanctions on Moscow while offering to mediate.

Ankara has carefully formulated its rhetoric not to offend Moscow, analysts say, with which it has close energy, defence and tourism ties. But Ankara has also sold military drones to Kyiv and signed a deal to co-produce more, angering the Kremlin. Turkey also opposes Russian policies in Syria and Libya, as well as its 2014 annexation of Crimea.

"Turkey has managed to walk on the razor's edge, and a transfer of a Russian S-400 would certainly lead to severe Russian ire," said Aaron Stein, director of research at the Philadelphia-based Foreign Policy Research Institute.

"And for Erdogan, the S-400 has become a symbol of Turkish sovereignty, so trading it away wouldn't be all roses and flowers."//CNA