VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry held a reception agenda to celebrate the U.S.  10^th Peace Corps program in Jakarta on Wednesday (4/12). It was attended by Director of Peace Corps Program,  Jody Olsen. On the sidelines of the agenda, Jody Olsen to Voice of Indonesia hopes that besides education sector, she understands the other fields to cooperate with Indonesia, which has been done for 10 years.

“It's very important to continue the really strong English program and then second as we work with the working groups that have worked so hard we will discuss what other possibilities might be. Right now we are not sure but it might be agriculture, might be an economic development but what I'm excited about as Peace Corp expand here and the working group has expand we get to work with hand in glove and looking at what is the best way to go and so we should know very soon. The important message that I take back is that one of friendship, that one of being an extended family and message that the government is so strong in supporting the Peace Corps and so part of our messages we want to be so strong in support of the programs in Indonesia. And that we want to take back the gift of friendship understanding that you are here that I want more Americans to feel.” Jody said. 

Meanwhile, Director of America I of Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Zelda W. Kartika mentioned that the ministry will explore well the expansion of   Peace Corps program in a bid to improve human resources not only through English lesson, but also other fields in Indonesia. (NK-TRANS:AF)

Nusa Penida in Klungkung regency, Bali, has topped the list of 20 best destinations for backpackers to visit in 2020 released by Dublin-based online hostel reservation platform Hostelworld.

In the past 12 months, the number of bookings made by British tourists for accommodation in Nusa Penida increased by up to 610 percent, according to the company, confirming the region as the most popular destination among UK citizens during the period.

Located in the southeast part of Bali, Nusa Penida's Banjar Nyuh Port is reachable by speed boat from Sanur Port in Bali. Domestic and foreign tourists can be found enjoying a day trip there or spending at least one night on the island, which is especially famous for its Kelingking Beach, which boasts a Tyrannosaurus Rex-shaped cliff and is home to manta rays and Bali starlings, locally known as jalak Bali. 

Regarding accommodation, Hostelworld said the island does not disappoint. "It’s a boutique hostel with gorgeous bungalows, a beautiful Bali-esque pool and outdoor social spaces where you can enjoy your free daily breakfast," reads the description on its website.

During their stay, holidaymakers can rent motorcycles or cars to explore the island

Following behind Nusa Penida on the best backpacker destination list based on the biggest growth in bookings were Surat Thani in Thailand and Maribor in Slovenia. 

State-owned oil giant Pertamina signed up on Wednesday two consortiums that will compete against each other to win a contract for upgrading the Balongan oil refinery in West Java.

The first consortium, dubbed REE, consists of state engineering firms Rekayasa Industri and Rekayasa Engineering, as well as oil and gas infrastructure firm Enviromate Technology International. Meanwhile, the second consortium, JSW, consists of JGC Indonesia, the local arm of Japan's engineering company JGC Corporation, oil and gas engineering consultancy Synergy Engineering and state construction giant Wijaya Karya (Wika).

Pertamina will use a Dual Feed Competition scheme whereby the oil company will receive a Front End Engineering Design (FEED) from both consortiums then automatically grant the contract to whichever team submits the best design. Normally, a company would hold a second bid to grant the contract.

“With this scheme, Phase 1 of the Balongan refinery can be completed faster, or within two and a half years,” Pertamina president director Nicke Widyawati said in a statement. 

The company previously said it expected the Balongan refinery to begin Phase 1 operations by 2022. Once upgraded, the facility will have an installed capacity of 150,000 barrels per day (bpd). 

Pertamina megaprojects director Ignatius Tallulembang told reporters on Nov. 7 that the company planned to announce the winning bidder in December.

Implementing the new scheme is one of Pertamina’s strategies to accelerate upgrading four major refineries as per its Refinery Development Master Plan (RDMP). Pertamina will next implement the scheme for the three remaining major refineries, which are the Balikpapan, Dumai and Cilacap refineries, as Indonesia moves to reduce oil imports by increasing domestic oil production, building refineries and producing biofuels.

The National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN) has developed a nuclear-based analysis which can identify an air pollutant and its origin, a researcher said at a workshop of BATAN-IAEA Collaborating Center in Jakarta, Tuesday. "We shoot an x-ray and gamma-ray to the dust particle (to identify the kind and origin of the matter)," BATAN's air quality researcher, Prof Muhayatun Santoso said.

Following the procedure, the researcher will be able to identify not only the mass concentration but also its variety. Therefore, this procedure differs from the conventional real-time analysis which would reveal the matter's concentration.

For years, Santoso collected hundreds of samples of air pollutants from across the country. By observing a large number of samples, researchers could map out types of air pollutants and their origins.

For Santoso, her technology can be used for anticipating land forest fires, mainly to map out the origin of haze and sources of air pollutants whether it was caused by natural disasters or man-made activities. (ANTARA)