VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Minister of Tourism and creative economy during the opening of Djakarta Ramadhan Fair 2024 in Jakarta (Photo : Birkom parekraf) - 

VOInews, Jakarta : Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (Menparekraf/Kabaparekraf) Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno officially opened the "Djakarta Ramadan Fair 2024" which took place at Lapangan Banteng, Jakarta, from 15 to 20 March 2024.

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga when opening the "Djakarta Ramadan Fair 2024", Friday (15/3/2024), appreciated the organization of the event which will become a magnet for people who want to enjoy Ramadan culinary delights and shop for various Ramadan-related products.

"I appreciate the collaboration of the Betawi Youth Forum and the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government in organizing this event which will motivate and inspire the community. Because loving culture also loves tourism," said Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga.

"DJakarta Ramadan Fair 2024" presents a Ramadan culinary festival as the main event. At this event, visitors will be pampered with typical dishes of the holy month ranging from traditional fast-breaking dishes to delicious desserts.

Visitors can enjoy dishes such as ketupat, opor ayam, satay, kolak, traditional cakes, and more. Visitors can also explore a variety of typical foods from various regions in Indonesia inspired by Ramadan traditions.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Saturday (16/03/24), apart from the culinary festival, the DJakarta Ramadan Fair also offers a Ramadan bazaar which presents various products related to Ramadan. Such as traditional clothing, handicrafts, home decorations, jewelry, and many more.

During the DJakarta Ramadan Fair, visitors will also be treated to various entertainment and interesting activities. Traditional music performances, art performances and stage events will entertain visitors and create a lively atmosphere. Apart from that, there will also be activities such as interesting competitions, cooking classes and social activities involving the local community.

"This event will also support the movement of domestic tourists during the Eid holiday this time, which has the potential to reach 71.7 percent of Indonesia's population or 193.6 million people," said Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga.

General Chair of the Betawi Youth Forum, Geraldi Aldi Bangsawan, said that the Djakarta Ramadhan Fair 2024 was held to enliven the holy month of Ramadan as well as being a gathering place for the people of Jakarta. This event is designed to provide an unforgettable experience for Jakarta residents and visitors from various regions in celebrating this special moment.

"This event is an initiation of the Betawi Youth Forum, this is an activity that is expected to touch the community directly. That's why we chose the event location at Banteng Square which is located in Central Jakarta, chosen deliberately to provide easy access for visitors from various areas in Jakarta ," said Geraldi.

Also present accompanied Menparekraf Sandiaga, Deputy for Tourism Products and Activity Organizer for the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy/Baparekraf, Vinsensius Jemadu//VOI

During the deceased reception ceremony that was received by the Ministry of Transportation in Jakarta (Photo: Kemhub) - 

VOInews, Jakarta : Ministry of Transportation of The Directorate General of Sea Transportation facilitated the repatriation of 3 (three) bodies of crew members (ABK) MV.2 HESIN who died due to a capsizing ship accident on an island in the coastal city of Tongyeong, South Korea, on Saturday (9/3) morning local time.

Director of Shipping and Maritime Affairs, Hartanto, said that the Indonesian Government, in this case the Directorate General of Sea Transportation, Ministry of Transportation, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia through the South Korean Embassy quickly coordinated to identify the victims who died in the incident.

The 3 (three) bodies of crew members who have been successfully repatriated are Safrudin, Maulana Mansyur, and R. Arie Permana.

"After hearing the news, we immediately coordinated with the Indonesian Embassy's Transportation Attaché in South Korea and the competent authorities in South Korea, to ensure the return of the 3 (three) bodies to Indonesia," he said, Saturday (16/3).

He revealed that the Ministry of Transportation, PWNI Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the manning agency company holding the SIUPPAK also expressed their deep condolences for the heartbreaking incident that happened to the crew of the MV.2 HESIN.

Following up on this, the Directorate General of Sea Transportation, Ministry of Transportation, is ready to oversee and facilitate the heirs to obtain the rights of these seafarers in accordance with those stated in the maritime work agreement.

"We have summoned the manning agency company together with the victim's family as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that all seafarers' rights can be immediately fulfilled by the ship owner," he added.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Sunday (17/03/24), this is a concrete form of the Indonesian government's commitment to protect and fight for the rights of Indonesian seafarers who work on international ships.

The body was returned to Indonesia and arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport (cargo terminal) on March 16 2024 at 15.30 WIB. The body pick-up ceremony at the airport was attended directly by representatives of the South Korean Ambassador, representatives of the Directorate General of Sea Transportation, Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Manning agency companies holding SIUPPAK, BP2MI, as well as the families of the deceased//VOI

FILE PHOTO: A flare burns excess natural gas in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, U.S. November 23, 2019. Picture taken November 23, 2019. REUTERS/Angus Mordant/File Photo - 

Voinews, London : Oil rose on Wednesday, supported by signs of strong global demand including from top consumer the United States while hopes that the Federal Reserve might start cutting rates soon also buoyed sentiment despite somewhat sticky U.S. inflation.

In an indication of healthy demand, U.S. crude oil and fuel inventories fell last week, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures ahead of Wednesday's official U.S. inventory report.

Brent futures for May rose 83 cents, or 1 per cent, to $82.75 a barrel by 0922 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for April gained 59 cents, or 0.8 per cent, to $78.15.

"With envisaged global stock draws in the second quarter and possibly beyond, heightened geopolitical tension with palpable impact on supply and the approaching rate cuts that will make borrowing and even oil trading cheaper, it is almost beyond comprehension as to why the market is reluctant to break higher," said Tamas Varga of oil broker PVM.

Oil had fallen on Tuesday after a higher than expected forecast for U.S. crude oil production and bearish economic data, but persistent geopolitical tensions limited declines.

In an earlier sign of strong demand, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries on Tuesday stuck to its forecast for oil demand growth of 2.25 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2024, higher than many other forecasts.

The International Energy Agency, which expects demand growth to be much lower, updates its forecasts on Thursday.

Oil and the wider financial markets also found support from sentiment that slightly hotter than expected U.S. inflation will not derail interest rate cuts by the middle of the year. Lower rates support oil demand.

"The risk environment has largely stayed unfazed, riding on the firm belief that current market pricing for a rate cut only in June will do the job," said IG market strategist Yeap Jun Rong.

The unexpected slide in U.S. crude inventories and strong growth forecasts by OPEC also supported prices, said Yeap.

In a note to clients, Capital Economics analysts said they still forecast the Fed to start easing policy "around June"//CNA-VOI

\VOInews, Jakarta : Six aid trucks crossed from Israel directly into the northern Gaza Strip, Palestine on Tuesday (12/3) as part of a pilot project for ensuring the delivery of supplies into the area, the Israeli army announced.

According to the army, as reported by AFP, six World Food Programme - WFP aid trucks "entered the northern Gaza Strip via the '96th' gate on the security fence" on Tuesday.

They claimed that this was done as part of a pilot to prevent the Hamas group from taking over the aid, noting the trucks had been inspected at Kerem Shalom beforehand.

Israel has maintained strict control over aid entering the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of its war with Hamas, inspecting shipments at Nitzana and Kerem Shalom before permitting them to enter through the territory's south.

The cumbersome screenings are a major reason current shortages are so glaring, aid workers say, and the shipments sometimes struggle to reach northern Gaza//AFP-VOI