VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

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• Freddy was 36 days at tropical storm status or higher, beating record of John (1994) - 

VOInews, Geneva : The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has declared Tropical Cyclone Freddy to be the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record, at 36 days. Freddy crossed the Indian Ocean basin, starting off the coast of Northwest Australia and reached southern Africa, in February and March 2023. It caused major human and economic losses in the worst-affected countries.

A WMO international committee of experts working under the auspices of the Weather and Climate Extremes Archive conducted a detailed analysis and verification of the distance and duration. The evaluation committee recognized Tropical Cyclone (TC) Freddy’s duration of 36.0 days at tropical storm status or higher as the new world record for the longest tropical cyclone duration. 

“Freddy was a remarkable tropical cyclone, not only for its longevity but also for its ability to survive multiple land interactions, which unfortunately had significant consequences for southeast African populations," says Chris Velden, committee member and tropical cyclone/satellite expert from the University of Wisconsin, USA.

“This investigation highlights the meticulous care that the WMO undertakes in certifying all weather observations. Such painstaking evaluation provides the critical confidence that our global records of all weather phenomena are properly measured,” said Randall Cerveny, Rapporteur of Climate and Weather Extremes for WMO.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Monday (01/07/24), WMO will update its Archive of Weather and Climate Extremes to reflect the new record. The archive includes the world’s highest and lowest temperatures, rainfall, heaviest hailstone, longest dry period, maximum gust of wind, longest lightning flash and weather-related mortalities. It is used by weather historians and, increasingly, by policy makers.

“The extremes presented for adjudication for the WMO Weather and Climate Extremes Archive are ‘snapshots’ of our current climate. It is possible, and indeed likely, that greater extremes will occur in the future. When such observations are made, new WMO evaluation committees will be formed to adjudicate these observations,” said Randall Cerveny.

The WMO evaluation committee consisted of experts from the Tropical Cyclone Warning Center Melbourne (Bureau of Meteorology, Australia), the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) La Réunion (Météo-France, France) that forecasted TC Freddy, as well as scientists from Spain, Canada, Hong Kong China, and the United States//VOI

President Joko Widodo after delivery an introduction while leading a plenary cabinet session at the State Palace, Jakarta, Monday (Jule 1, 2024). ANTARA/Hafidz Mubarak A/YU - 

VOInews, Jakarta : President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) extended wishes to the Indonesian Police (Polri) on the 78th anniversary of Bhayangkara Day on July 1, 2024, and called on the personnel to continue to serve the public with dedication.

The president conveyed this via the social media account X @jokowi monitored in Jakarta on Monday.

"Happy 78th Birthday Bhayangkara," the president wrote while starting his greeting.

President Jokowi expressed hope that the momentum offered by Bhayangkara's 78th anniversary would drive the spirit to uphold courage and innovation in safeguarding Pancasila and the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI). He also called on the Polri to always serve the people.

"The spirit to always uphold the courage, innovation, solidarity, and honor of the Polri in protecting Pancasila and NKRI always serving the community wholeheartedly," he remarked.

The big theme of this year's anniversary is "Polri Precision Supports the Acceleration of Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Transformation Towards Golden Indonesia."

Head of the Public Information Bureau at Polri's Public Relations Division, Brig. Gen. Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, stated that the peak of the commemoration of Bhayangkara's anniversary was enlivened by the people's party at Monas, Jakarta.

On this occasion, Andiko also expects Polri to garner greater love from the public//Antara-VOI

The Indonesian delegation participating in the eighth round of the Indonesia-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (ICA-CEPA) negotiations held in Ottawa, Canada, on June 24-28, 2024. (ANTARA/HO-DJKI Kemenkumham) - 

VOInews, Jakarta : The Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights stated that the eighth round of the Indonesia-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (ICA-CEPA) negotiations agreed on potential stronger cooperation in protecting intellectual property.

"The Indonesia and Canada cooperation especially covers the micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) sector and communal intellectual property," the ministry's Director for Cooperation and Education, Yasmon, noted in a statement from his ministry here on Monday.

He explained that the ICA-CEPA plays a strategic role in bolstering intellectual property cooperation between Indonesia and Canada. This, he said, is because the two countries have strong economic cooperation, with Indonesia being Canada's leading partner in Southeast Asia in terms of trade cooperation.

Yasmon noted that in the eighth round of negotiations, held in Ottawa on June 24-28, the discussions focused on matters about patents, trade secrets, copyright, and geographical indications.

In addition to closer cooperation in the field of intellectual property, Yasmon stated that the eighth round of ICA-CEPA negotiations also succeeded in reaching an agreement regarding the subject of patents, grace periods, and patent publication.

Meanwhile, regarding trade secrets, he pointed out that further discussions were still necessary on several aspects, especially concerning the protection of confidential information relating to government employees.

At the eighth round of negotiations, the Indonesian delegation was led by Yasmon.

The ICA-CEPA was first launched on June 20, 2021, and since then, eight rounds of negotiations have been held.

The ninth round of negotiations is scheduled to be held in September 2024, and the negotiations are planned to be concluded in Indonesia in the same year//Antara-VOI

Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, on Monday (July 1, 2024). (ANTARA/Mentari Dwi Gayati) - 

VOInews, Jakarta : The government plans to take coordinated measures to tackle the deteriorating air quality in Jakarta, according to Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno.

Uno underlined that the government had earlier dealt with a similar issue during the preparations for the 43rd ASEAN Summit held in Indonesia's capital city last year.

"We will simply emulate the measures we took during the preparations for last year's ASEAN Summit to reduce air pollution," he remarked at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, on Monday.

To ensure better air quality for delegates of the 43rd ASEAN Summit last year, the government applied the work-from-home scheme for civil servants and conducted weather modification.

Uno then noted that the worsening air quality in Jakarta presents a danger, especially to those often indulging in outdoor sports and exercise.

"Last year, I experienced a respiratory problem due to my outdoor workout routine," he pointed out.

However, the minister noted that the poor air quality in the capital city and its surroundings had yet to adversely affect the tourism sector and the holding of sports events.

"Thank God, two big events held recently, namely BTN Jakarta International Marathon and LPS Monas Half Marathon, went successfully," he remarked.

According to air monitoring site IQAir, the air quality in Jakarta still stands in the category of unhealthy as of Monday at 6:15 local time, ranking in the top five among the cities with the worst air pollution globally.

The site recommends that people in Jakarta refrain from venturing outdoors and wear masks if they need to go outside. People are also advised to close their windows to avoid air pollution in their houses//Antara-VOI