VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses her supporters at a Labour Party event in Wellington, New Zealand, Oct 11, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Praveen Menon) - 

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has gone into self-isolation until Tuesday (Feb 1) after being deemed a close contact of a person who tested positive for COVID-19, the government said.

The exposure took place on Jan 22 during a flight to Auckland from the town of Kerikeri, the government said in a statement on Saturday, adding that the result of whole-genome sequencing was expected the following day.

That would show if the infection was caused by the Omicron variant of coronavirus, it said.

Ardern, who is asymptomatic, is feeling well, the statement added. She will be tested on Sunday and is in isolation in line with the health ministry's directives.

The governor-general and members of her staff, who were also onboard the flight, are following the same isolation procedure//CNA

A staff member prepares for the EU-China High-level Economic Dialogue at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, June 25, 2018. (Photo: Reuters/Jason Lee) - 

Australia will seek to be included in consultations about a trade dispute between the European Union and China launched by the EU at the World Trade Organisation, the Australian trade minister said on Saturday (Jan 29).

Thursday's EU challenge accuses China of discriminatory trade practices against Lithuania, saying they threatened the integrity of the single market.

"Australia has a substantial interest in the issues raised in the dispute brought by the European Union against China ... and will request to join these consultations," Trade Minister Dan Tehan said in a statement.

China, which regards self-governed Taiwan as its own territory, has downgraded ties with Lithuania and pushed firms to sever links with the Baltic nation of 2.8 million people after it allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in Vilnius. 

Its strictures include a refusal to clear Lithuanian goods through Chinese customs, rejection of import applications from Lithuania and pressure on EU firms to remove Lithuanian content from supply chains when exporting to China.

Relations between Australia and China, its top trade partner, soured after Canberra banned Huawei Technologies from its 5G broadband network in 2018, toughened laws against foreign political interference and urged an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

Beijing responded by freezing ministerial contacts and imposing tariffs on several Australian commodities, such as coal, beef, barley and wine.

Australia has filed two WTO complaints in the past 18 months over China's duties on imports of bottled wine and barley.

In a statement on Saturday, the foreign ministry said Australia "welcomes" an invitation from France to take part in a February meeting of Indo-Pacific foreign ministers.

"Australia greatly values cooperation with France and with Europe, including in the Indo-Pacific," it said in an e-mailed statement, without saying if Foreign Minister Marise Payne would attend.

Australia's relations with France, which holds the rotating six-month presidency of the EU Council, have also soured after Canberra signed a security pact last year with Britain and the United States, dubbed AUKUS, scrapping a multi-billion-dollar submarine deal with France.

The pact, widely viewed as an attempt to shore up regional military muscle in the face of China's growing presence, riled Beijing but also caused fury in France//CNA

An illustration of booster vaccination drive in Lampung Province. ANTARA/Ruth Intan Sozometa Kanafi - 

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin affirmed that multi-party cooperation, involving the public and private sectors, will expedite the government’s third or booster vaccination program against COVID-19 before the G20 Summit.

“Indonesia has started the recovery phase after being hit hard by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The booster vaccination program is crucial for sustainable recovery while strengthening the citizens’ security against the new variant, Omicron,” Sadikin stated during a press release received here on Saturday.

In 2021, the minister had worked closely with some private technology companies for building the first drive-through vaccine center in Southeast Asia.

“We all have seen the concrete role of technology in boosting the efficacy of vaccination distribution. Hence, we welcome further partnership for the second booster vaccination distribution process with the technology company,” he noted.

Currently, the two private technology companies are cooperating again with the government to distribute the booster vaccination targeting tens of thousands of citizens categorized as prioritized and vulnerable groups as well as online ride-sharing partners in Bali.

“The increase in immunity among members of the public is very important for Bali that will host the G20 Presidency and welcome the guests from various countries. We expect the initiatives of Grab and Good Doctor to help encourage other private sectors to ensure the success of Indonesia’s vaccination program,” Sadikin highlighted.

Bali’s transportation service head IGW, Samsi Gunarta, remarked that the provision of booster vaccination was right on time since the province will host several meetings related to Indonesia’s G20 Presidency this year, especially the G20 Summit next October.

“Bali’s administration has commenced various preparations to host the 2022 G20 Summit that is expected to revive the economy in this Island of Gods. The booster vaccination from the private sector for tourism and MSMEs players will have very good long-term impacts, not only in terms of health protection for workers in such key sectors but also for the national and international guests, who will visit Bali,” he remarked//ANT

The Indonesian Embassy in Paris has opened an Indonesian Language for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) class at Institut Universitaire de Technologie (IUT) Le Havre, France. (ANTARA/Personal Documentation/FR) - 

The Indonesian Embassy in Paris, through its Education and Culture Attaché (Atdikbud), has opened an Indonesian Language for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) class at Institut Universitaire de Technologie (IUT) Le Havre, France, an official has informed.

The campus is the fifth to open an Indonesian language class after Inalco Paris, Université La Rochelle, Universite Le Havre, and Université Savoie Mont Blanc.

In a press statement released on Saturday, Paris' Atdikbud Warsito welcomed and lauded IUT Le Havre's leadership for opening the Indonesian language class.

"We (Atdikbud office) have held various programs such as presentations, seminars, competitions, culture weeks, and cooperations with other academics to introduce BIPA," he informed.

"As a result, we thank the IUT Le Havre's leadership for holding the BIPA class for the first time at the start of 2022," he said.

With this class, IUT Le Havre students can get an internship or participate in student exchange programs offered by Indonesian universities, he remarked.

Meanwhile, IUT Le Havre's international cooperation director, Thierry Tabellion, said he expects the Indonesian language class to become a door to opening and strengthening collaboration between IUT Le Havre and Indonesian campuses.

"We expect the Indonesian Embassy in Paris to always fully assist and support this BIPA class," he remarked.

BIPA instructor at IUT Le Havre, Karine Delforge, expressed her gratitude for the opening of the Indonesian language class.

The Indonesian language class will be routinely held annually and will be offered for only one class, she said.

Delforge is among the alumni of the Indonesian Embassy's BIPA class. She said she has been diligently and actively participating in learning activities for two years.

She said she has finished the advanced level BIPA class adding, she was deemed one of BIPA's best participants in 2021.

In 2021, the total number of participants in the Indonesian language class managed by the Indonesian Embassy in Paris reached 290 people, she noted.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the learning activities for the Indonesian language class were conducted in an online format, while during the second semester of 2021, they were conducted in a hybrid format, she added//ANT