VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Irish fighter Aaron Clarke (right) lands a kick on his opponent Indonesian fighter Sony Rizaldi (left) at a competition held in Jakarta, Saturday (16/9/2023) night. ANTARA FOTO/Indrianto Eko Suwarso/foc

VOInews, Jakarta : Indonesia is set to host the GAMMA World Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Championship in Dewa MMA Arena of Banten province from December 11–14, 2024, which will draw participation from about 500 athletes representing 42 countries.

At a press conference at his office in Jakarta on Tuesday, Youth and Sports Minister Dito Ariotedjo lauded the Mixed Martial Arts Association of Indonesia (Pertacami) for successfully bringing the international tournament to Indonesia.

He also urged the national association to scout Indonesian MMA athletes who have the potential to represent the country at similar competitions.

Ariotedjo underscored that Indonesia needs talented and skilled MMA fighters to compete at the SEA Games, Asian Games, or even the Olympics once MMA is included in the world's largest sporting event.

"We are looking forward to witnessing many fighters representing Indonesia and being successful in the MMA professional scene," he said.

The minister also expressed the hope that the MMA scene in Indonesia will develop on a massive scale.

Pertacami chair Tommy Paulus, on his part, confirmed that the Global Association of MMA (GAMMA) has given Indonesia the honor to organize the fourth iteration of the world-level championship this year.

He stated that the association has taken several preparatory steps despite facing some challenges. He hinted that the number of athletes competing at the tournament could increase, considering that the registration period has been extended till November 20.

He then called for support from all parties for the smooth running of the global tournament, which is expected to further strengthen Indonesia's image as a reliable host of international events//Antara-VOI

President Prabowo Subianto (second from the right) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (third from the right) during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Monday (November 18, 2024). (ANTARA/HO-Tim Media Presiden Prabowo) - 

VOInews, Rio de Janeiro : Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto held intimate conversations with several state leaders during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Monday, according to a press statement issued by the President's media team on Tuesday.

The summit was held at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro. According to the statement, Prabowo chatted and had intimate conversations with Singapore Prime Minister (PM) Lawrence Wong, Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh, and Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim.

Prabowo also had a friendly exchange with the Emir of Qatar. The two shared a warm hug, signifying the close friendship between the two countries.

On a separate occasion, the President also talked with Australian PM Anthony Albanese, and the two exchanged laughter.

There was also a moment when Prabowo sat next to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with Erdogan holding Prabowo's right hand during their talk.

Earlier, at the G20 Summit of the 2024 Brazil Presidency, Prabowo expressed his commitment to fighting poverty and hunger by making the two issues a national priority.

He revealed that his government has allocated a large budget for education.

Prabowo is currently on a five-nation tour to China, the United States, Peru, Brazil, and the United Kingdom.

The overseas visit reflects Indonesia's commitment to respecting, maintaining, and strengthening sound diplomatic ties with these countries.

As part of this visit, Prabowo earlier met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the United States President Joe Biden, and attended the APEC Summit in Lima, Peru//Antara-VOI

A passerby walks past an electric monitor displaying various countries' stock price index outside a bank in Tokyo, Japan, March 22, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo - 

VOInews, London : The U.S. dollar and bond yields held near multi-month peaks on Monday on expectations the Federal Reserve would slow its pace of easing, while global shares were mostly lower, with investors waiting for Nvidia's earnings release later in the week.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's new administration is beginning to take shape with nominations to health and defense roles last week, but two key positions for financial markets, Treasury Secretary and Trade Representative, are yet to be filled.

Trump's pick of vaccine sceptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the top U.S. health job has already led to a fallout in the health care sector, with drugmakers sliding at the end of last week.

"It should be a quieter week as the recent relentless wave of U.S. macro and political news flow in theory slows down with the main story on this front being on potential political appointments for the new Trump administration," said Deutsche Bank head of global economics and thematic research Jim Reid.

Trump's plans for lower taxes and higher tariffs are expected to spur inflation and reduce the Fed's scope to ease interest rates.

U.S. Treasury yields held near multi-month highs on Monday, having been bolstered by bets of less aggressive Fed rate cuts down the line.

The benchmark 10-year yield steadied at 4.4256 per cent, while the two-year yield last stood at 4.2823 per cent.

Futures imply a 60 per cent chance of the Fed easing by a quarter-point in December and have only 75 basis points of cuts priced in by the end of 2025, compared with more than 100 a few weeks ago.

That has come on the back of Fed Chair Jerome Powell's comments last week signalling that borrowing costs could remain higher for longer.

"With changes afoot in immigration policy, tariff policy, and fiscal policy, Fed officials would tread more lightly anyway in view of the inflationary impact that these policies pose," said Thierry Wizman, global FX and rates strategist at Macquarie.

The shift in outlook for U.S. rates and inflation lifted the dollar to a one-year high last week.

The dollar index, which measures the currency against a basket of six others, was steady at 106.69, just below last week's peak of 107.07.

Sterling last bought $1.2618, languishing near last week's six-month low, while the euro stood at $1.0547.

Global equity markets were slightly lower as investors took stock of latest developments with Trump's top team and the outlook for monetary policy.

However, he later said in a press conference that keeping inflation-adjusted real interest rates low for too long could cause excessive inflation and force the BOJ into hiking interest rates rapidly//CNA-VOI 

This handout taken and released on Nov 18, 2024 by the Philippine Department of National Defense shows US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (left) and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro posing after signing the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Metro Manila. (Photo: Handout via AFP) - 

VOInews, Manila : The Philippines and the United States signed a military intelligence-sharing deal on Monday (Nov 18), deepening defence ties between the two nations facing common security challenges in the region.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed the agreement with his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, at Manila's military headquarters, where they also broke ground for a coordination centre that will facilitate collaboration between their armed forces.

Called the General Security of Military Information Agreement or GSOMIA, the pact allows both countries to share classified military information securely.

"Not only will this allow the Philippines access to higher capabilities and big-ticket items from the United States, it will also open opportunities to pursue similar agreements with like-minded nations," said Philippines' defence ministry spokesperson Arsenio Andolong.

Security engagements between the US and the Philippines have deepened under President Joe Biden and his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr, with both leaders keen to counter what they see as China's aggressive policies in the South China Sea and near Taiwan.

China's foreign ministry said on Monday any kind of military agreement or security cooperation "must not be directed against or harm the interests of a third party, and they must not undermine regional peace or exacerbate tensions in the region".

"The only correct choice for safeguarding one's own national security and maintaining peace and stability in the region is to adhere to good neighbourly relations and to strategic autonomy," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.

The US and the Philippines have a mutual defence treaty dating back to 1951, which could be invoked if either side came under attack, including in the South China Sea.

"I want to start by underscoring our ironclad commitment to the Philippines," Austin said during the groundbreaking ceremony for the coordination centre.

Austin said the coordination centre should enable real-time information sharing between the two defence treaty allies and boost interoperability.

"It will be a place where our forces can work side by side to respond to regional challenges," Austin said.

The Philippines has expressed confidence the alliance will remain strong under incoming US President-elect Donald Trump.

Both the Philippines and the US face increasingly aggressive actions from China in the South China Sea, a conduit for more than US$3 trillion in annual ship-borne commerce, which it claims almost entirely as its own.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague said China's claims had no legal basis, siding with the Philippines which brought the case.

But China rejected the ruling, leading to a series of sea and air confrontations with the Philippines that have turned the highly strategic South China Sea into a potential flashpoint between Washington and Beijing.

"The United States' presence in the Indo Pacific region is essential for maintaining peace and stability in this region," Teodoro said during the inauguration, echoing previous remarks made by Marcos//CNA-VOI