VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Para archery athlete Ken Swagumilang during a training session in Surakarta, Central Java, on October 11, 2023. (ANTARA/HO-NPC Indonesia/Agung Wahyudi) - 

VOInews, Jakarta : Five Indonesian archery athletes have successfully qualified for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, France, the Indonesian National Paralympic Committee (NPC) informed in Jakarta on Tuesday (12/3).

Vice secretary-general of the Indonesian NPC, Rima Ferdianto, told Antara news agency that the athletes comprise three male and two female athletes.

Ferdianto added that the male athletes had accomplished notable feats at the Pilsen 2023 World Archery Para Championships in the Czech Republic.

Furthermore, he said the Indonesian archery team will be represented by Teodora Audi Ayudia Ferelly, who clinched a gold in the women's compound number at the Asian Continental Qualifier Tournament for the 2024 Paralympics in Bangkok, Thailand, in November last year.

Another female is Wahyu Retno Wulandari, who claimed gold in the women's doubles at the 2022 Asian Para Games.

Ferdianto informed that the Indonesian NPC set a target of taking 27 athletes from 10 sports to the Paris Paralympics, scheduled from August 28 to September 8. They expected the Indonesian contingent to win two gold medals//Antara-VOI

space rocket explode in Japan (Photo : TN) - 

VOInews, Tokyo : A rocket made by a Japanese company exploded seconds after launch on Wednesday (13/3), in a spectacular failure for the start-up's bid to put a satellite into orbit.

As reported by AFP, Tokyo-based Space One's 18-meter Kairos rocket blasted off in the coastal Wakayama region of western Japan, carrying a small government test satellite.

Five seconds later, live footage showed the solid-fuel rocket erupting in fire, sending white smoke billowing around the remote mountainous area as orange flames raged on the ground.

The fiery failure marks a blow to Japan's efforts to enter the potentially lucrative satellite-launch market.

Space One is hoping to become the nation's first private firm to put a satellite into orbit, and the plan had been for Kairos to do so around 51 minutes after take-off.

Parts shortages and other problems had reportedly led Space One to postpone the launch of Kairos five times before Wednesday's attempt, most recently on Saturday (9/3)//AFP-VOI

The Directorate-General of Human Rights at the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights during the discussion at Palais Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland (Photo : Kemlu) -  

VOInews, Jakarta : The Directorate-General of Human Rights at the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights discussed election implementation and human rights issues while participating in a dialogue with the Civil and Political Rights Committee at Palais Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland from Monday until Tuesday (11-12/3).

As reported by Antara, human rights issues discussed include developments in Papua and Aceh, the Indonesian criminal code, abortion, the death penalty, regulatory frameworks that are suspected of being discriminatory, religious freedom, vulnerable groups and minorities, anti-torture measures, and gross human rights violations handling.

Director-General of Human Rights at the ministry, Dhahana Putra, in a written statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday (13/3) said that the committee's recommendations would be considered together with various recommendations from other UN human rights mechanisms.

He further said that the meeting reflected the government's commitment to sharing views to advance and protect human rights in the country.

The Civil and Political Rights Committee consists of 18 independent experts and is tasked with monitoring the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights - ICCPR//Antara-VOI

Religious Attache of the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Jakarta, Syaikh Ahmad bin Isa Al Hazimi during the ceremony (Archive) -

VOInews, Jakarta : The Saudi Arabian government distributed 1,000 iftar packages and dates to the people at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta on Tuesday (12/3). Religious Attache of the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Jakarta, Syaikh Ahmad bin Isa Al Hazimi, representing the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Indonesia, expressed his gratitude for this distribution. He hoped the iftar packages and dates could bring closer relations between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

“...I'm at Istiqlal Mosque today to represent King Salman in the fast-breaking and date gift program. We are certainly very grateful for this program, which can make the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Indonesian government closer together”, Syaikh Ahmad bin Isa Al Hazimi said.

On the occasion, Shaikh Ahmad symbolically handed over packages to representatives of the Istiqlal Mosque and the mosque congregation. Saudi Arabia, through its Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Da'wah, and Guidance, donated around 40,000 boxes of iftar packages, 20 tons of dates, and 50,000 copies of the Koran to various locations across Indonesia. On a separate occasion, Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque, K.H. Nasaruddin Umar thanked Saudi Arabia for providing iftar and date packages to the mosque//VOI-Rama