VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Minister Trevelyan when met with Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto accompanied by British Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste, Dominique Jermey - 

Voinews, Jakarta - UK Minister of State for Indo Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan visit Jakarta on 28-29 February 2024 and will meet with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to discuss bilateral relations as the UK and Indonesia mark their 75 th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. 

Mrs Trevelyan will also meet with Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto to talk about economic affairs including UK support for Indonesia’s application – as the first country in Southeast Asia, in OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) membership.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Thursday (29/02/24), Minister Trevelyan is scheduled to meet with Deputy Minister for Communications and Informatics Nezar Patria to discuss ways to collaborate further on digital transformation and countering disinformation.

And, in a demonstration of the impact the UK is having across the ASEAN region as an ASEAN Dialogue Partner, the Minister will meet partners, including UN Women and the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation, collaborating on the UK’s flagship ASEAN programme on Women, Peace and Security. 

Minister Trevelyan will attend the signing of an MoU between Infrastructure Export UK (IE:UK), a partnership between the UK Department for Business and Trade and the UK’s leading infrastructure firms, and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) on sustainable infrastructure opportunities in the New Capital City.

“This is a great moment to return to Indonesia as we celebrate our 75 th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. Indonesia matters to the UK. I am keen to explore ways to collaborate further and discuss plans on how the UK’s support can pave the way for Indonesia to reach its ambitious goals on economic development, digital transformation, regional stability and for the New Capital of Nusantara (IKN)", She said. 

Minister Trevelyan added that Indonesia also hosts the ASEAN Secretariat. The UK became an ASEAN Dialogue Partner in 2021 and the relationship between the continues to thrive, with close cooperation on a range of issues, including health security, education, climate change, and economic integration across the region//VOI

Billy Mambrasar and Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Penny Williams pose after dicussing education in Indonesia (Photo : Billy Doc) -

Voinews, Jayapura, 28 February 2024 — The distinguished Ambassador of Australia to Indonesia, H.E. Penny Williams, convened with the Special Staff to the President of the Republic of Indonesia for Innovation and Education, Mr. Billy Mambrasar, at Swis-Belhotel, Jayapura, Papua Province, on Tuesday (27/02/2024).

This important meeting was marked by a profound exchange on the pivotal role of education in propelling Indonesia's development forward.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Wednesday (28/02/24), deliberating on the symbiotic relationship between education and progress, both dignitaries explored avenues of collaboration to enhance the human development trajectory of their respective nations.

Their dialogue epitomized the spirit of cooperation and mutual benefit, underscoring the shared commitment to advancing the prosperity and well-being of their people.

Billy Mambrasar started the meeting by sharing his experience, being an Australian Alumnus and an awardee of the Australia Awards in the year of 2013.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Australian Government for the continuous support to Indonesia in so many ways. Indonesia-Australia diplomatic relations was established in 1949. We sure have gone a long way. My first overseas education experience was granted by the Australia Award, and I am forever thankful for the many doors it has led me to,” said Billy who graduated from the Australian National University (ANU) in 2014 with a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

“Since President Widodo (Jokowi) appointed me to be his Special Staff in 2019, the mandate has always been clear, to accelerate education and innovation in Indonesia, including in its most outer areas. Therefore, on behalf of Mr. President, I would like to extend my gratitude to Your Excellencies, Mrs. Penny William for your special attention to Papua, as demonstrated through your presence here today,” said Billy.

“Moreover, Mr. President also appreciates the collaborations between Australia and Indonesia for education and human development, through the ongoing projects, such as Invoasi, Prisma, Skala, and many more,” he added.

Billy expresses his excitement about the upcoming “Inovasi” Project and request the Ambassador to accelerate the process, by also having the partnership with the local NGO’s in education, as the form of knowledge transfer from Australia to Indonesia.

Penny Williams appreciates the progress of the development in Papua, and Australia will support in various form of the development cooperation with Indonesia in Papua.

“This is my first official visit to Papua and I am very delighted to be here today with the rest of the Embassy entourage. It is fascinating to see the developments of Papua as a result of continuous collaborations between the Indonesian and the Australian government,” said Penny.

At the closing of the meeting, Penny Williams send his regards to President Joko Widodo, and appreciate all the progress made by the President. The Ambassador also outlines Australia’s commitment to strengthen it’s partnership with Indonesia in the critical development sector, especially in the are of the Energy, Environment, and the Human Development//VOI

Smoke from bushfires rises north of Beaufort, near Ballarat in Victoria, Australia on Feb 24, 2024. (File Photo: AAP Image via Reuters/David Crosling) - 

Voinews, Sydney - Hundreds of thousands of residents in Australia's southeast were told to evacuate on Wednesday (Feb 28) due to an intense heatwave that authorities said could further spread a massive bushfire in Victoria state, which faces its worst conditions in four years.

Extreme fire ratings have been issued for large parts of Victoria with the Wimmera region in the west given a catastrophic ranking, the top warning level. Mildura, a rural city of about 56,000, could touch 45 degrees Celsius, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

A potential fire impact zone that covers several rural towns has been identified as officials urged around 30,000 residents there to leave their homes by Wednesday morning.

"Today will be a very challenging day for firefighters," Jason Heffernan, Chief Officer at Victoria fire department told ABC television. "Today is one of those days when communities may need to take immediate action at very short notice."

Hundreds of firefighters were still battling a massive blaze near the city of Ballarat, 95 km west of Melbourne. The fire, burning since last Thursday, has already destroyed six homes, killed livestock and burnt more than 20,000 hectares (200 square kilometres).

A heat wave is set to sweep in from Australia's outback interior, moving across Victoria before likely shifting east to the state of New South Wales on Thursday. Total fire bans are in place across several cities, including Melbourne.

Dry lightning could spark new fires while strong winds forecast from Wednesday afternoon could spread the existing one near Ballarat, Heffernan said.

Heffernan urged people to reconsider any decision to stay back to protect their homes.

"Unless your property is immaculately prepared and you have firefighting resources available and you are fit and you are mentally capable to sustain a long duration firefight ... my strong advice to the community is to leave early," he said//CNA-VOI

Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of TikTok logo in this illustration taken, February 19, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration - 

Voinews, Jakarta - ByteDance-owned short video app TikTok is replacing several senior executives including the person running its trust and safety unit which handles content moderation, the Information reported on Tuesday, citing people at the company and a memo sent to staff.

Adam Presser, operations head of the app who reports to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, will now oversee trust and safety, according to the Information.

Last month, Chew testified before Congress alongside Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg and other tech and media heads in a hearing where lawmakers accused the companies of failing to protect children from escalating threats of sexual predation on their platforms.

Replying to questions from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, TikTok's CEO had said that the company would spend more than $2 billion on trust and safety efforts. Cormac Keenan, who had led global trust and safety, will now take on a strategic advisory role in the senior leadership team, a spokesperson at TikTok confirmed//CNA-VOI