VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Founder of philanthropic organisation Bakrie Center Foundation (BCF) Anindya Bakrie (third from left). ANTARA/HO-BCF - 

The Bakrie Center Foundation (BCF) entered a strategic partnership with the Global Health Security Consortium (GHSC) and Indonesia's B20 in enhancing the country's role in the global health agenda to create a global health legacy.

Founder of the philanthropic organisation BCF Anindya Bakrie stated that the foundation remains committed to encouraging a reform in the global health architecture to be more responsive in facing the current and future pandemics.

"BCF's support, as a strategic partner, is part of the Bakrie Group's commitment on their 80th anniversary in 2022 to initiate a 3C (climate, COVID-19, and capital trends) orientated corporation," Bakrie stated in Jakarta on Saturday.

The GHSC, Indonesia's B20, and BCF are collaborating to focus on the three key pillars that comprise expanding the global coverage of COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines created to tackle infectious diseases, according to the organisation's founder.

The second and third pillars would be to enhance the genomic sequencing-based early monitoring and early detection system to detect new variants and mutations of diseases as well as to bolster the partnership for research and investment in natural sciences between the global north and global south countries, he affirmed.

The collaboration, promoted throughout the G20 Summit under Indonesia's Presidency, is consistent with BCF's commitment to partnering with GHSC and Indonesia's B20 in enhancing the global health architecture, Bakrie remarked.

"This is an essential factor to promote an inclusive and collaborative COVID-19 recovery globally," he stressed.

The GHSC is an independent consortium of three major global health institutions, with expertise in the politics, science, and medical sectors that is led by former prime minister of the United Kingdom Sir Tony Blair.

The consortium comprises the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine, and a research team of Oxford University//ANT

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin offered condolences over the death of Chief of the Fatwa Commission of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) Hasanuddin A.F.  (ANTARA/HO-Setwapres) - 

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has offered condolences over the demise of Chief of the Fatwa Commission of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) Hasanuddin A.F.

"I express my deep condolences over the death of Prof. Dr. K.H. Hasanuddin A.F., chief of the MUI Fatwa Commission and professor of the Sharia and Law Faculty of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University in Jakarta," Amin noted in a written statement released on Friday.

Hasanuddin passed away on Thursday night at around 11 p.m. local time.

The vice president affirmed that Hasanuddin had contributed significantly to development of the country's educational and religious sectors.

"During his lifetime, K.H. Hasanuddin contributed a lot to the nation and state not only through the educational sector but also through his endeavors at MUI," he added.

One of his endeavors was the result of a study and halal fatwa of the MUI pertaining to the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, named Merah Putih (Red and White) vaccine, he remarked.

"Before his death, he got involved in deciding the fatwa for the Merah Putih vaccine developed by Airlangga University," he stated.

This role demonstrated Hasanuddin's commitment as an ulema, who cared about the public and supported the government's efforts to handle the COVID-19 pandemic, he remarked.

"This shows his commitment and hard work to protect the public from the danger threatening their life, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic," he noted//ANT

Miguel Oliveira of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team accelerates his motorcycle on day one of the 2022 MotoGP pre-season test race at the Mandalika International Street Circuit, West Nusa Tenggara, on Friday (Feb 11, 2022). ANTARA PHOTO/Andika Wahyu/YU - 

MotoGP racers in the 2022 Indonesian Grand Prix at the Mandalika International Street Circuit logged improved lap time on the second official pre-season test race day, Saturday, after racetrack conditions hindered the race on day one.

As of 11 a.m. local time (UTC +8), Brad Binder of the KTM team recorded the best lap time of 1'31"814, a margin of 0.6 seconds of the best lap time of 1'31"466 recorded on day one clocked by Pol Espagaro of the Repsol Honda team.

Fabio Quartararo of the Yamaha team came second, with a lap time margin of 0.006 seconds from Binder's, while the third place was claimed by Alex Rins from the Suzuki team, with a lap time margin of 0.070 seconds.

Enea Bastianini from the Gresini team and Aleix Espargaro from the Aprilia team were placed fourth and fifth on their second day lap time record respectively.

On the second test day race, a total of 13 racers were successful in improving their time lap as compared to their day-one record.

Earlier, during the first day of the race test session on Friday (Feb 11), racers' complaints of dust and pebbles on the racing track compelled the race organiser to suspend the race for an hour to clean the racetrack.

The racetrack was reopened at noon local time after it was deemed safe, and racers were instructed to perform a 20-lap race to test the racetrack before 3 p.m. local time.

The Indonesian Grand Prix deputy race committee, Eddy Saputra, noted that the race track was dirty on account of a sub-optimal cleaning process.

"Normally, the cleaning must be conducted daily in two weeks before the race. I think the circuit operator is late in cleaning the track this time," Saputra remarked.

To prevent the incident from recurring and to enhance the pre-season test race, the organiser will schedule cleaning of the race track every morning, noon, and afternoon, he revealed.

Meanwhile, Espargaro, who recorded the best lap time on day one, claimed he would feel more confident to rev up the pace of his motorcycle if the race track were clean.

"We still looking for the right feeling (for the race), yet the dirty racetrack hinders us from exerting our maximum efforts on day one. I am convinced that I will record a better lap time if the race track is clean," Espargaro remarked.

A dirty racetrack will pose a greater risk for racers, as the dirt will reduce the effectiveness of the bike's braking grip and impact the efforts to rectify the direction of acceleration, he added//ANT

Supporters wave French national flag and cheer French anti-COVID restrictions car drivers near the Canadian National Memorial in Vimy northern France as they parade during the start of their "Convoi de la liberte" (The Freedom Convoy), a vehicular convoy protest converging on Paris to protest coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine and restrictions in France, February 11, 2022. The slogan reads "The last bastion". REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol - 

France mobilised thousands of police, armoured personnel carriers and water cannon trucks in Paris on Friday (Feb 11) to keep out convoys of motorists converging on the capital for a protest against COVID-19 restrictions.

Checkpoints were set up at toll points on major entry roads while riot-control barriers were erected across the city centre ahead of rallies that the protesters aim to hold over the weekend.

Inspired by horn-blaring "Freedom Convoy" demonstrations in Canada, the motorists - from numerous cities across France - were expected to gather outside Paris during Friday and seek to defy a police order not to enter the city.

"We've been going around in circles for three years," said pensioner Jean-Marie Azais, part of a "Convoie de Liberte" headed to the capital from the southwest, in reference to France's anti-COVID strategy.

"We saw the Canadians and said to ourselves, 'It's awesome, what they're doing.' In eight days, boom, something was sparked."

As the evening rush hour got under way, police began checking drivers' documents at various entry points into the city centre. More than 7,000 officers will be mobilised over the next 72 hours.

Convoy members exchanged information via social media on how best to slip into the city, avoiding a police presence that included heavy-lifting equipment to dismantle any makeshift roadblocks.

"We have always safeguarded the right to protest ... but we need harmony and we need a lot of collective goodwill," President Emmanuel Macron told newspaper Ouest France, while urging calm.

His prime minister, Jean Castex, was more blunt. Citizens had the right to protest but not gridlock the capital, he said.

The Canadian demonstrations, which have paralysed parts of the capital Ottawa and blocked key U.S.-Canada crossing points, united truckers angered by a vaccine mandate for trans-border traffic.

But in France it is ordinary citizens angry at COVID rules who are taking to their vehicles. The protests show signs of uniting disparate opponents of President Emmanuel Macron, two months before an election in which he is expected to stand again.

A crusade by Macron against anti-vaxxers had been broadly supported, with 80per cent in France having been inoculated, but public irritation over COVID restrictions including a widely enforced vaccine pass that has already triggered waves of demonstrations is growing.

In Toulouse, one woman cheering on motorists said the protesters should defy the police order to stay outside Paris city limits.

"The authorities cannot block everyone," she said, withholding her name. "The convoys must force it, they must still try to enter."

Some far-right politicians and remnants of the anti-government "Yellow Vest" movement came out in support of the protesters.

Some among a crowd that waved off a convoy of vans, motorhomes and cars in Vimy, northern France, wore the high-visibility vests that characterised those pre-pandemic popular protests of 2018 and 2019.

The "Yellow Vest" revolt shook Macron's presidency over several months. What began as a protest against diesel taxes morphed into a broader rebellion against Macron and revealed a deep-seated anger outside big cities at the high cost of living and a disconnected urban elite.

With spiralling energy prices and a strong economic rebound driving inflation higher, households are again feeling a squeeze on budgets and public frustration is simmering.

"The question everyone is asking is whether the freedom convoy going to be a renaissance of the 'Yellow Vests'," one investigative police source said//CNA