VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan (center)

Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan checked first-hand the progress achieved in the construction of various super-priority tourism destination (DPSP) facilities for Lake Toba, North Sumatra, on Thursday and Friday.

Pandjaitan is optimistic that the construction of Lake Toba, as one of the super-priority tourism destinations, would be completed soon and offer significant benefits to the community.

"Toba has vast tourism potential, presenting itself through the natural beauty, culture, and customs. They can become tremendous attractions for both domestic and foreign tourists," the minister noted in a statement here on Saturday.

Pandjaitan paid a visit to the Porsea Pier to observe the progress in the construction of the shipyard and to check the two water buses that will soon be operated.

The minister also visited the Balige Pier and Lintong Ni Huta Tourism Village to review the toilet construction work completed by Pertamina."Pertamina has assisted in this development work. It is important to build such public facilities. It is clean. Hence, prospective tourists would feel comfortable," he remarked.

Pandjaitan also visited the Parapat Beach and Creative Hub in Dolok Sipiak, built since 2018, to serve as an integrated place for activities and recreation for the local community.

"This co-working space will become a center for MSMEs to gather and become the axis of driving force of the local economy. Here we also promote the existing culture because it can also be used as a training ground for community arts," he stated.

Furthermore, the minister reviewed the renovation work of a road connecting Pesanggaraha Soekarno and Samosir Islad and a flyover connecting Samosir Island and Sumatra Island//ANT

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin symbolically hands over aid for flood victims at the Karangligar village head office in Karawang district, West Java, on Saturday (February 13, 2021). (Rangga Pandu)

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin symbolically handed over aid from the Indonesian President and the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) for flood victims at the Karangligar village head office in Karawang district, West Java, on Saturday.  

The aid comprised basic necessities, 600 packs of fast food, 300 packs of child food, 300 blankets, 300 mats,and 50 baby care kits, worth Rp252,764,600.

The aid also included 300 thousand masks, 10 thousand antigen rapid test kits, five thousand sarongs, and 1,200 mattresses. 

In his address, the Vice President said he and the President were concerned about the flood that had swamped the district and called for joint efforts to prevent floods in future.He further said he will ask the Public Works and People's Housing Ministry and other ministries to respond to the Karawang district head's request to build a dam and normalize rivers in the area.

Floodwaters swamped more than 5,300 homes in Karawang district, West Java, on Tuesday (February 8, 2021), forcing 3,396 people to flee to drier ground, according to data provided by the Karawang district military command's task force.

The affected homes were located in 30 villages in 17 sub-districts, it stated.There were no immediate reports of fatalities or injuries in the flood, which followed heavy rainfall over few days.

While visiting two flood-stricken areas on Tuesday, Karawang district head Cellica Nurrachadiana had appealed to all sides to provide aid to flood evacuees soon.

He said many flood evacuees were hoping for immediate assistance in the form of blankets, food, and baby kits.

“We also assure that their daily needs will be met, particularly nutrition intake. We will also try to build another public kitchen. The command post is ready to collaborate with military and police personnel (to handle the impact of the flood),” he stated//ANT

Aung San Suu Kyi has not been seen since her detention nearly two weeks ago. (Photo: AFP/Sai Aung Main)

Opposition to Myanmar's new military regime intensified on Saturday (Feb 13) as spontaneous neighbourhood watch groups mobilised to thwart arrests of anti-coup activists and the UN demanded the release of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi.Since taking Aung San Suu Kyi and her top allies into custody, troops have stepped up arrests of civil servants, doctors and others joining strikes demanding the generals relinquish power.

Crowds defied overnight curfews to mass on the streets as night fell, hours after finishing a seventh straight day of rallies, following rumours that police were preparing to launch a fresh wave of arrests.

One group swarmed a hospital in the city of Pathein on rumours that a popular local doctor would be taken, chanting a Buddhist prayer urging protection from harm.

"If I have problems, I will ask for your help," doctor Than Min Htut told the group who had come to aid him, flashing the three-finger salute that has come to symbolise resistance to the coup.

Than Min Htut spoke to AFP on Saturday to confirm he was still free and would continue to participate in a civil disobedience campaign opposing military rule.

More than 320 people have been arrested since last week's coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group.

An emergency session of UN Human Rights Council in Geneva called for the new regime to release all "arbitrarily detained" persons and hand power back to Aung San Suu Kyi's administration.

The UN deputy rights chief Nada al-Nashif warned Myanmar during the Friday meeting that "the world is watching" events unfold in the country//CNA

RSAF fighter aircraft were scrambled in response to a potential air threat. (Photo: Facebook/The Republic of Singapore Air Force)

Fighter aircraft were scrambled in response to a "potential air threat" on Saturday (Feb 13) morning, said the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). 

"Some of you might have heard us flying this morning. Our Fighter aircraft were scrambled in response to a potential air threat," said RSAF in a Facebook post. 

It also thanked its crew for being "ever ready" to defend Singapore's skies. 

CNA has reached out to the Ministry of Defence for more information//CNA