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According to research conducted by International Living magazine, Bali in Indonesia is included in the list of the 25 best places across countries for retirees to live in. The research is entitled ‘the Annual Global Retirement Index 2022’ which was released on January 1, 2022. International Living compiled a list of places in the world, which have the highest scores and are considered the most suitable for retirees to live in. This means that living in these places tends to be able to make a retiree live a healthier and happier life by spending less, and getting more benefits or positive things.

Each year, assessors use a worldwide network of editors, correspondents, and contributors to gather a variety of information. Therefore, rankings and scores are determined based on 10 categories, namely the first aspect: ‘Housing.’ This category looks at the value of housing and the ease of buying or renting a house in a country or place. Second, there are ‘Benefits and Discounts.’ In some countries, a retiree can get discounts for many things, from air tickets, food, electricity to public transportation. Third, there are ‘Visas & Residence’. This includes the ease of obtaining permanent residence, taxes imposed on income, and the availability of special housing options for retirees. Fourth, it’s ‘Entertainment’. This category looks at the ease and comfort for retirees to live in a country and the ease of adapting there. In addition, there are amusement activities, such as museums, exhibitions, and many others.

Furthermore, the fifth category is ‘Development’. As a retiree, he or she, of course, looks at the most important thing, the progress of access or facilities in the surrounding environment. Sixth category is the ‘Climate’. In this category, rainfall, temperature, and humidity are assessed moderately. Seventh point is ‘Healthcare’. In this assessment, the factors that are seen are the quality and price of health services. Eighth point is ‘Governance’. Several things are assessed, such as the existence of a stable and safe environment, the right to personal freedom, the level of bureaucracy, the banking system, and so on. Ninth category is ‘Opportunity’. This factor is the level of ease of local authorities in supporting small businesses or other employment sectors. The last one is ‘Cost of Living’. This category assesses the estimated monthly cost budget.

In the list of the best places across 25 countries for retirees, Bali in Indonesia is ranked 16th, just below Malaysia and above Sri Lanka and Vietnam. This assessment resulted in Bali's average score of 69, only three points different from Malaysia in 15th place. The first place was occupied by Panama.

To boost the trade relations between Indonesia and accredited countries, Indonesian representatives abroad establish close relationships with many partners, including the government and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs). Recently, the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) Amman has received a visit from Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC) in order to discuss business improvement for both countries last Thursday (13/1).

In the meeting, JPMC was represented by Chairman Mohammad Thneibat and JPMC CEO, Mr. Abdel Wahab Alrowwad. Chairman Mohammad Thneibat conveyed his welcome and congratulations on duty to Indonesian Ambassador to Jordan, Ade Padmo Sarwono. He also explained lots of business collaborations carried out by JPMC in Indonesia, including joint ventures, such as between PT Petrokimia Gresik and PT Petro Jordan Abadi which is located in East Java.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Ade Padmo expressed his appreciation to the two heads of JPMC for the ongoing business relationship and he hopes that business cooperation could be continuously enhanced with Jordan, particularly JPMC. Ambassador Ade also expressed Indonesia's interest in investing in Jordan, which has been welcomed well by Chairman Mohammad Thneibat.

JPMC is a state-owned enterprise of Jordan, which engages in the mining and phosphate industry that becomes the second largest phosphate exporter in the world. Every year, JPMC exports around 1.2 million tons of raw phosphate to Indonesia. Phosphate is one of the 3 major nutrients in artificial fertilizers. It can be processed into various derivative products; one of them is phosphoric acid which is used in various products, such as fertilizers, animal feed, detergents and food products.

To improve the quality of education and expand international cooperation through cultural and language exchanges, the National Development University (UPN) "Veteran" Yogyakarta agreed to cooperate with Minsk State Linguistic University (MSLU) Belarus. The cooperation agreement of both universities was inaugurated through the signing of a cooperation agreement by the two Chancellors in a virtual ceremony held Friday (14/1).

The Chancellor of UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta, Prof. Mohamad Irhas Effendi, in his remarks at the ceremony stated that this collaboration was carried out as a follow-up to the cooperation between the two countries in the field of education. Department of International Relations, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta will be the focal point for the implementation of various programs of cooperation agreements with MSLU, including hosting the Belarusian Language and Culture Center in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, the Chancellor of MSLU, Natalja Laptseva expressed her joy at the agreement that was successfully inaugurated and signed. To follow up the implementation of the cooperation, Chancellor Laptseva conveyed the commitment of the university she leads to carry out various plans of action, including facilitating the establishment of the Indonesian Language and Culture Center, teaching Indonesian and organizing Indonesian cultural events at MSLU, as well as facilitating teaching Russian or other foreign languages and cultural exchange of Belarus to UPN Veteran Yogyakarta students.

Minsk State Linguistic University (MSLU) is located in Minsk City, Belarus and it has been established since 1948. This university provides foreign language teaching from 24 countries. MSLU has partnerships with 30 countries. Currently, there are 700 foreign students studying at various levels of education at MSLU. The Center for Culture and Indonesian Language at MSLU is expected to be the first step to open the Indonesian language department as the 25th foreign language taught at MSLU.

Traveling is usually done with family or friends. But lately, traveling has been also done alone or called a solo traveler. Traveling solo certainly has its own experiences and advantages. Recently, Lonely Planet has released a list of the best tourism destinations for solo travelers to visit. One of the main factors in mastering the art of solo travel is to choose the right destination.

Ubud in Bali is well known as a beautiful place for solo travelers to relax. Surrounded by mountains with shrouded fog, Lonely Planet describes Ubud, Bali as an artistic and spiritual center. Ubud is a great place for solo travelers who want to relax, contemplate and recharge. It is an amazing place. There are lots of tourists who travel alone here so that tourists don't need to feel uncomfortable or worried when walking around. In addition, the local Balinese are known for their hospitality.

Solo travelers can also comfortably travel to a vegetarian restaurant or take a yoga class on their own. Ubud is also known as a healing center and you can join the program in several health places. Apart from Ubud, Lonely Planet's other preferred destinations are South America, night tours in Berlin, Singapore, Rome and Vietnam.