VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

A woman rests with children, as Palestinians arrive in Rafah after they were evacuated from Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis due to the Israeli ground operation, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Feb 15, 2024. (Photo: REUTERS/Mohammed Salem) - 

Voinews, CAIRO/JERUSALEM - Fighting, fuel shortages and Israeli raids put the Gaza Strip's second-largest hospital completely out of service on Sunday (Feb 18), local and United Nations (UN) health officials said, as Israel battled Hamas militants in the devastated Palestinian enclave.

Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis still sheltered scores of patients suffering from war wounds and Gaza's worsening health crisis, but there was no power and not enough staff to treat them all, health officials said.

"It's gone completely out of service," Gaza health ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al Qidra told Reuters.

"There are only four medical staffers currently caring for patients inside the facility," he said.

Gaza's hospitals have been a focal point of the four-month-old war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls the besieged territory.

Most have been put out of action by fighting and lack of fuel, leaving a population of 2.3 million without proper healthcare while tens of thousands have been wounded by airstrikes and many others suffer from chronic illness and, increasingly, starvation.

Israel has raided medical facilities alleging that Hamas keeps weapons and hostages in hospitals. Hamas denies this. The international community says hospitals, which are protected under international law, must be protected.

The World Health Organization (WHO) urged Israel to grant its staff access to the hospital, where it said a week-long siege and raids by Israeli forces searching for Hamas militants had stopped them from helping patients.

"Both yesterday and the day before, the @WHO team was not permitted to enter the hospital to assess the conditions of the patients and critical medical needs, despite reaching the hospital compound to deliver fuel," WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on social media platform X.

The Israeli military said its special forces were operating in and around Nasser Hospital and had killed dozens of Palestinian militants and seized a large amount of weapons in fighting across Gaza over the past day.

"Dozens of terrorists were eliminated and large quantities of weapons were seized," it said in a statement.

The military said this week it was hunting for militants in Nasser Hospital and had arrested at least 100 suspects on the premises, killed gunmen near the hospital and found weapons inside it.

Hamas has denied allegations that its fighters use medical facilities for cover.

Israel's air and ground offensive has devastated much of Gaza and forced nearly all of its inhabitants from their homes. Palestinian health authorities say 28,985 people, mostly civilians, have been killed.

The war began when Hamas sent fighters into Israel on Oct 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies//CNA-VOI

The United Nations logo is seen at the 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit at UN headquarters in New York, US, Sep 23, 2019. (File photo: Reuters/Lucas Jackson) - 

Voinews, United Nations - The United Nations Security Council is likely to vote on Tuesday (Feb 20) on an Algerian push for the 15-member body to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, said diplomats, a move the United States signalled it would veto.

Algeria put forward an initial draft resolution more than two weeks ago. But US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield quickly said the text could jeopardise "sensitive negotiations" aimed at brokering a pause in the war.

Algeria requested on Saturday that the council vote on Tuesday, diplomats said. To be adopted, a UN Security Council resolution needs at least nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the United States, Britain, France, China or Russia.

"The United States does not support action on this draft resolution. Should it come up for a vote as drafted, it will not be adopted," Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement on Saturday.

Washington traditionally shields its ally Israel from UN action and has already twice vetoed council action since Oct 7. But it has also abstained twice, allowing the council to adopt resolutions that aimed to boost humanitarian aid to Gaza and called for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses in fighting.

Talks between the US, Egypt, Israel and Qatar are on to seek a pause in the war and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

"It is critical that other parties give this process the best odds of succeeding, rather than push measures that put it - and the opportunity for an enduring resolution of hostilities - in jeopardy," Thomas-Greenfield said.

The likely council vote comes as Israel also plans to storm Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than one million Palestinians have sought shelter, prompting international concern that such a move would sharply worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

"The situation in Gaza is an appalling indictment of the deadlock in global relations," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Munich Security Conference on Friday.

When asked to explain, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres was "pointing the finger" at the lack of unity in the Security Council "and how that lack of unity has hampered our ability ... to improve situations around the world"//CNA-VOI

An RSAF F-15SG fighter jet and Apache helicopter perform during a preview of the Singapore Airshow on Feb 18, 2024. (Photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman) - 

Voinews, Singapore - The Singapore Airshow returns next weekend with public visiting days for the first time in four years and new stunts by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).

The biennial event was closed to the public during its last edition in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, the trade show will be held at the Changi Exhibition Centre from Feb 20 to Feb 23, with public visiting days on Feb 24 and 25. The aerial displays will also be streamed live on Feb 20 and 24.

The RSAF’s presentation is among this year’s eight aerial displays from six air forces and two commercial companies, which will also see the airshow debut of China’s C919 airliner.

A total of 12 stunts will be performed by an RSAF F-15SG fighter jet and an AH-64D Apache helicopter – four solo stunts each, and four “integrated” stunts interweaving both aircraft.

The RSAF’s aerial display team will debut two new integrated stunts dubbed the “double helix” and “slingshot”.

The slingshot opens the display with the Apache charging into the centre of the show as the F-15 makes a 360-degree high-G turn around the helicopter.

But it is the double helix – named for the way the Apache makes a steep spiral descent while the F-15 climbs up by it – that RSAF pilots described as the most difficult stunt in the show.

“There is a massive difference in the performance platforms” of the two aircraft, said Major Paul-Matthew Lim, 36, team lead for the F-15SG aerial display.

The F-15 moves faster and makes tighter turns but has a bigger radius, while the Apache is “more graceful and manoeuvrable”, making integration of the two platforms’ capabilities a challenge, he said.

MAJ Ingkiriwang Reeve, 37, team lead for the AH-64D aerial display, pointed out that the Apache descends about 1,600ft over the course of the double helix.

“Apart from managing the height and speed of my aircraft, I have to deal with the wind’s varying intensity and direction at each altitude level,” he said.

“At the same time, I must be visual with the F-15 at all times making a turn around us and climbing. So all these variables make it very difficult as compared to the other three manoeuvres.”

Executing the move therefore requires precise coordination between the two aircraft, as well as between himself and his co-pilot, he said.

The performance crew are from operational squadrons rather than a full-time aerial display team, pointed out Lieutenant Colonel Max Ng, chairman of the RSAF flying display committee. They started preparations last November.

“We hope to demonstrate our professionalism, precision and passion in all that we do in the aerial display,” he said.

RSAF’s full array of aircraft and ground-based air defence systems will also be on display on the public viewing days of Feb 24 and 25.

For the first time, this will include a CH-47F Chinook helicopter. The RSAF started taking delivery of the aircraft to Singapore in 2022, to replace its older Chinooks that have been in service since 1994.

Members of the RSAF’s ground crew said they hope Singaporeans will go to the airshow to enjoy and learn from the displays, and maintain confidence in the air force’s capabilities to protect Singapore’s skies.

For full-time national serviceman (NSF) Third Sergeant Yap Kah Wei, getting involved in the airshow was an honour and a “once in a lifetime” experience, although working with the RSAF’s assets felt daunting at times.

“There’s obviously pressure because it’s a multimillion (dollar) jet and I’m just an NSF,” said the 20-year-old air force technician for the F-15 aerial display team.

“But I believe that I’m confident in myself and in my abilities to do my tasks with the training given by my superiors,” he said.

“I have (learnt) many things that I can take away, that I can carry with me for the rest of my life.”//CNA-VOI

A view of Pantai Lango Village in Penajam Sub-district, North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan. (ANTARA/Nyaman Bagus Purwaniawan) - 

Voinews, Jakarta - The development of the new capital city of Nusantara (IKN) in East Kalimantan has had positive economic impacts on residents of coastal areas in Penajam Sub-district, according to a local figure.

"The development of Nusantara City positively affects buffer zones in a number of villages in Penajam Sub-district," said Setta, a local community figure, on Saturday.

The government is working on some supporting facilities and infrastructure projects, including a VVIP airport and toll roads connecting Nusantara to Balikpapan and Samarinda.

Setta said the construction works on Indonesia's future seat of government have provided economic benefits to people living in Penajam's villages of Maridan, Gersik, and Pantai Lango.

Setta said local residents in the villages had been reaping profits by meeting the basic needs of IKN construction workers, such as those related to accommodation and food.

In Pantai Lango Village, some 15-20 barrack-styled houses owned by local residents are being rented to construction workers for up to Rp15 million (around US$961) per year.

Setta said that three families in Pantai Lango had been providing packages of food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to around 250 construction workers. They are offering the food for Rp20,000 to Rp25,000 (around US$1.60) per package.

Noting that most of the people in the village are fishermen, the local figure said that the development of Nusantara had led to a surge in the demand for fish.

Moreover, the government is also hiring some of the local fishermen to work as additional laborers for several projects, especially when the weather becomes unsuitable for sailing.

"Thanks to the development of IKN, the residents of Pantai Lango Village can generate additional income," Setta said//ANT-VOI