News Lelemuku

JAKARTA, LELEMUKU.COM - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has instructed Indonesian Minister of Agriculture Syahril Yasin Limpo to start exporting rice next year.

For the record, the Government has 4,776,000 tons of rice stock despite a deficit between national rice production and consumption in November and December.

According to Syahril, regarding preparation to export rice, Ministry of Agriculture will take several steps starting from seedlings, land preparation, irrigation, so the quality of rice to be exported is on par with that from other countries.

“We have to use trade diplomacy and trade agriculture and I am confident that I will be able to carry out the President’s instruction,” Syahrul said, adding that as many as 100,000 tons up to 500,000 tons of rice will be exported next year.

The Minister added that March and April next year will see the peak of the harvest season with rice production expected to reach more than 4,255,000 tons of rice.

“Therefore, if rice stocks in March alone reach 6,752,000 tons and the consumption is 2,400,000 tons every month, we will have an overstock of rice at 6,800,000 tons,” Syahrul said.

The Minister also ensured rice stocks and food security ahead of Christmas and New Year this year, including those stored in at the warehouse of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), trade warehouses, and in markets with the total amount reaching approximately 4.7 million tons. (Setkab)

JAKARTA, LELEMUKU.COM - In a bid to formulate good regulations to support small businesses in the country, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) welcomed the representatives of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) associations at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (18/06/2019).

The associations participated in the meeting are the Indonesian Micro and Small Businesses Association (Hipmikindo), the Indonesian Small and Medium Enterprises Association (AKUMINDO), the Indonesian Micro, Small and Medium Industries Association (Akumandiri), and the Indonesian Micro and Small Businesses Association (Hipmikimdo).

“There are currently around 62.9 million MSMEs in Indonesia. I think we have to seize the opportunity to develop these industries,” President Jokowi said.

On the occasion, the President would like to hear opinions from the associations regarding types of incentives they need from the Government. However, he warned them that although incentives are needed, too many incentives may weaken their entrepreneurial skills. (Setkab)

TOKYO, LELEMUKU.COM - Inpex Corporation announced today that it has signed a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with Indonesian authorities (the authorities) on behalf of the contractors with the endorsement of Shell Upstream Overseas Ltd. (Shell) on the basic principles regarding a revised Plan of Development (POD) for the Abadi LNG Project (Project).

The Project involves developing the Abadi gas field in the Masela Block located in the Arafura Sea, Tanimbar Islands, Maluku Province, Indonesia. Inpex, as the operator of the Project and on behalf of the project’s contractors, Inpex and Shell has been engaged in discussions with the authorities with the aim of submitting the revised POD.

The HOA outlines the terms agreed upon with the authorities following discussions held after the completion of Pre-FEED work on a revised POD to achieve an economically competitive project. The cost estimation in the revised POD of the Project which will include the construction of onshore LNG plant, gas pipeline, and offshore facilities, is contained in the agreed terms of the HOA.

The signing of the HOA acknowledges agreement between the parties of a revised POD that is sufficiently economically competitive. Inpex will now commence the process of submitting the revised POD for approval as well as amending and extending the Masela Block production sharing contract (PSC).

“The execution of the Heads of Agreement, which follows a series of constructive discussions with the Indonesian government, positions the Abadi LNG Project as an economically competitive project by international standards. Inpex appreciates and values the proactive intervention of His Excellency Ignasius Jonan, Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources and the Indonesian government, and looks forward to maintaining close and cooperative relations,” said Takayuki Ueda, President & CEO of Inpex, who attended the signing.

Utilizing the knowledge and experience gained through operating the Ichthys LNG Project, Inpex will continue to work closely with its partner Shell to make the necessary preparations to commence FEED work after receiving approval of the revised POD and reaching an agreement with the authorities on the PSC amendments and extension.

Commenting on the signing, Clare Harris, Shell’s Executive Vice President, Venture Development said, “The Heads of Agreement is a significant milestone in the development of the Abadi project, an important economic opportunity for Indonesia. We look forward to continuing our collaboration and support of Inpex as the Joint Venture aims to develop a competitive project.”

The Project is the first large-scale integrated LNG development project operated by Inpex in Indonesia and follows on from the Inpex-operated Ichthys LNG Project in Australia. The Project is expected to produce approximately 9.5 million tons of LNG per year.

The Abadi gas field features excellent reservoir productivity and has one of the world’s largest reserves, raising expectations of efficient development and stable LNG production operations over the long-term.

The Project will provide significant contributions to the Republic of Indonesia and bring multiplier effects to Indonesia particularly in the eastern region. The impact of this matter on the company’s consolidated financial results for the year ending December, 2019 is nil.

Inpex Corporation is Japan’s largest exploration and production (E&P) company, and a mid-tier E&P player just behind the world’s oil majors. Inpex is currently involved in approximately 70 projects across more than 20 countries, including the Ichthys LNG Project in Australia as Operator.

Through sustainably growing its oil and gas development business, developing a global gas value chain business and reinforcing its renewable energy initiatives, Inpex aims to become a leading energy company and continue providing a stable and efficient supply of energy to its customers. (Inpex)

OSAKA, LELEMUKU.COM - A police officer in Osaka Prefecture, Japan was found stabbed in front of a police box in the city of Suita early Sunday (16/06/2019) morning.

Police say the officer's gun, loaded with several bullets, was stolen. Police are searching for the attacker and are calling on people in the area to stay indoors and lock up the house.

The 26-year-old officer is in serious condition in hospital.

Another police officer found the stabbed colleague with a knife in his left chest at the Senriyama police box at about 5:30 a.m.

Police say there is information that the attacker was a man around his 30s and between 170 and 180 centimeters tall, and that he was wearing a dark jumper jacket.

They are investigating the case as a robbery and attempted murder. (NHK)

SURAKARTA, LELEMUKU.COM - To celebrate Eid Day this year, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and First Lady Ibu Iriana on Wednesday (05/06/2019) headed to their hometown Solo, Central Java Province.

The President and his entourage departed from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base Jakarta at 14.07 Western Indonesian Time.

Arriving at Adi Soemarmo Air Force Base at 15:00 Western Indonesian Time, the President and Ibu Iriana met with the locals at Grha Sabha Buana before heading to their private residence in Solo area.

Accompanying the President and the First Lady on a flight to Central Java was Minister of State Secretary Pratikno. (Setkab)

KARANGANYAR, LELEMUKU.COM - President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo on Thursday (2/5) inaugurated the Gondang Dam located in Karanganyar Regency, Central Java Province.

The dam will irrigate approximately 4,680 hectares of rice fields, both in Karanganyar Regency and Sragen Regency.

According to President Jokowi, the Government will build another dam in Karanganyar area. “Next, we will build the Jlantah Dam here,” he said.

Furthermore, the President expressed hope that the Gondang Dam can also be a power plant to produce electricity and as a source of raw water in Karanganyar Regency and its surroundings and potentially a very good tourist attraction in the future.

“Hopefully it will give a good economic impact for Karanganyar Regency and its surroundings,” he added.

Also attending the inauguration were First Lady Ibu Iriana, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, and Deputy Governor of Central Java Taj Yasin Maimoen. (Setkab)

COLOMBO, LELEMUKU.COM - In the deadliest violence in Sri Lanka in a decade, multiple explosions ripped through churches and luxury hotels on Easter Sunday, leaving more than 200 dead and more than 400 others wounded.

The first six blasts, which began around 8:45 a.m. local time, were coordinated and claimed most of the fatalities, while two smaller blasts took place several hours later. The targets of the bombings were tourists and Catholic worshippers attending Easter prayers at churches in three cities.

The blasts shocked the island nation, which has been relatively peaceful since a bloody civil war ended 10 years ago.

Thirteen people have been arrested in connection with the attacks, for which no one has claimed responsibility.

Colombo hardest hit

The capital Colombo, where three major hotels and one church were targeted, bore the brunt of the mayhem. Ambulances wailed through its streets and hundreds of people turned out to donate blood as the injured were rushed to hospital. Thousands of police were posted in the streets while the army stood guard outside state buildings.

The two other churches to suffer the attacks were in Negombo, a Catholic-majority town just north of Colombo, and in the eastern district of Batticaloa.

The Gothic-style St. Sebastian's church in Negombo appeared to have taken the worst hit. Photos posted on Facebook by church authorities, who issued appeals for help in the aftermath of the bombing, showed a shattered roof, blood-stained pews and bodies on the floor. Witnesses said they saw smoke billowing out of the targeted churches.

The blasts in the afternoon took place at a small hotel close to the national zoo near Colombo and another at a house in the capital city.

About 30 foreigners, including Americans, British, Chinese and Portuguese nationals, were among those dead and injured in the attacks. Located in the Indian Ocean on India's southern tip, Sri Lanka's sandy, tropical beaches are a popular tourist destination in South Asia. The hotels hit were the Shangri La, Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury Hotel.

"Horrible scenes, I saw many body parts strewn all over," Sri Lanka Minister of Economic Reforms Harsha de Silva said after visiting a church and a hotel in Colombo.

Police say they are investigating whether suicide bombers were involved in the attacks.

'Misinformation and rumors'

Authorities ordered a nighttime curfew and blocked access to major social media and messaging sites, including Facebook and WhatsApp, in a bid to stem the flow of "misinformation and rumors." Schools have been closed until Tuesday and police were advising people to stay indoors.

As rumors about the possibility of more attacks spread rapidly, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe appealed to people to stay "united and strong." Condemning the "cowardly" attacks, he said in a Twitter post, "Please avoid propagating unverified reports and speculation. The government is taking immediate steps to contain this situation."

Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardene blamed extremists for what he called the "unfortunate terrorist incident."

Statements of condemnation came in from top officials. Minister of Finance Mangala Samaraweera said the blasts appeared to be a "well-coordinated attempt to create murder, mayhem and anarchy."

President Maithripala Sirisena said he has ordered a special police task force and the military to investigate who was behind the attacks and their agenda.

Christians make up about 7.5% of the mostly Buddhist nation of 21 million.

Past history

Sri Lanka witnessed nearly a quarter-century of violence, bombings and terror attacks that often hit high-profile targets during a bloody civil war led by Tamil guerrillas for an independent homeland for the ethnic community, but the insurgency was crushed in 2009.

Since then, the tiny country has witnessed some political instability and sporadic incidents of religious and ethnic violence, but no violence of the kind that shattered its calm on Sunday.

Christian groups have said they face increasing intimidation from hard-line Buddhist monks in recent years. Such harassment, however, is on a relatively minor level, says Jehan Perera, who heads the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, in Colombo.

Pointing out that churches were hit, he asked, "Who would target Catholics? There has been anti-Christian sentiment, but on a very small scale with regard to conversions that are happening in different localities but not to the extent that people would be killed. Sometimes there were stones thrown, sometimes a pastor were chased away, but not massive bloodletting."

World Leaders React to Sri Lanka Explosions

Condemnation of the deadly bombings poured in from leaders across the world, including U.S. President Donald Trump. The head of Sri Lanka's biggest neighbor, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said, "There is no place for such barbarism in our region."

Pope Francis condemned the attacks during his Easter Sunday address in Rome and offered condolences to "the victims of such cruel violence."

In an interview to a local television network, Colombo's Archbishop, Malcolm Ranjith, called on people to remain calm. He has also asked authorities to conduct an impartial inquiry and to punish those responsible "mercilessly" because "only animals can behave like that." (VOA)

BANGKOK, LELEMUKU.COM - A dog found swimming more than 220 kilometers (135 miles) from shore by workers on an oil rig crew in the Gulf of Thailand has been returned safely to land.

A worker on the rig belonging to Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production, Vitisak Payalaw, said on his Facebook page that the dog was sighted last Friday swimming toward the platform.

The crew managed to rescue the dog by putting a rope around its neck and hauling it up. He said the crew speculated it might have fallen off a fishing trawler, and dubbed him “Boon Rod,” or “Survivor.”

The dog landed Monday at the southern port of Songkhla and was declared in good shape after being delivered to the animal protection group Watchdog Thailand. (AP-VOAnews)

JAKARTA, LELEMUKU.COM - Indonesia has recorded a trade balance surplus of US$540 million in March this year, according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS).

The total value of exports in March this year was recorded at US$14.03 billion, an 11.71% increase compared to that of last month.

Meanwhile, the total value of imports in March reached US$13.49 billion, rose by 10.31 percent compared to that of last month or declined by 6.76 percent compared to that of the same month last year, BPS Head Suhariyanto said in a press conference at the BPS office, Jakarta.

Suhariyanto went on to say that the increase in exports was driven by an increase in non-oil and gas exports by 13 percent to US$12.93 billion. Meanwhile, oil and gas exports fell 1.57 percent from US$1,110.2 million to US$1,092.8 million.

“The decline in oil and gas exports was driven by the decline in oil output exports of 10.44 percent to US$82.4 million and crude oil exports of 23.37 percent to US$120.3 million, while gas exports rose by 3.35 percent to US$890.1 million,” Suhariyanto said.

The biggest increase in non-oil and gas exports in March 2019 against last month, according to Suhariyanto, was recorded in mineral fuels at 24.21 percent or amounting to US$401.3 million, while the biggest decline was in jewelry/gems at 4.84 percent or amounting to US$31.8 million.

Other commodities whose export value also increased include iron and steel amounting to US$186.7 million (40.38 percent); ore, crust and metal ash amounting to US$162.9 million (110.41 percent); paper/cardboard amounting to US$69.9 million (21.32 percent); and organic chemicals amounting to US$69.9 million (33.41 percent).

In addition to jewelry/gems, others commodities also declined including pulp/leftovers from food industry amounting to US$27.3 million (38.12 percent); iron and steel objects amounting to US$9.6 million (9.81 percent); locomotives and railroad equipment amounting to US$8.2 million (76.55 percent); and salt, sulfur, lime amounting to US$6.2 million (18.30 percent).

The increase in non-oil and gas exports in March 2019 compared to that of last month, Suhariyanto added, occurred in all main export destination countries, namely China (28.47 percent); Japan (13.52 percent); Taiwan (55.77 percent); the United States (8.47 percent); (10.37 percent); South Korea (8.21 percent); Thailand (5.73 percent); Malaysia (3.98 percent); Italy (17.56 percent); the Netherlands (5.24 percent); Australia (8.51 percent); Germany (6.54 percent) and Singapore (0.72 percent).

“Of the total figure, non-oil and gas imports in March 2019 reached USD11.95 billion, increasing by 12.24 percent compared to that of last month and fell by 2.29 percent compared to that of the same month last year. Oil and gas imports in March 2019 reached US$1.54 billion or declined by 2.70 percent compared to that of last month,” said Suhariyanto.

The biggest increase in non-oil and gas imports in March 2019 compared to that of last month, according to Suhariyanto, was machinery and electrical equipment amounting to US$11.2 million (17.04 percent), while the biggest decline was marine vessels and floating buildings of US$47.8 million (67.32 percent).

The decline in oil and gas imports, Suhariyanto added, was driven by the decline in the value of oil and gas imports of USD72.2 million (6.68 percent) and USD51.8 million (27.05 percent) respectively. Meanwhile, the value of crude oil imports increased to US$81.2 million (26.03 percent).

In the meantime, the three largest non-oil and gas import goods suppliers from January to March 2019 were China with a value of US$10.42 billion (29.01 percent), Japan of US$3.97 billion (11.05 percent), and Thailand of US$2.42 billion (6.75 percent). Non-oil and gas imports from ASEAN countries were recorded at 19.21 percent, while those of the European Union were at 8.37 percent. (Setkab)

JAKARTA, LELEMUKU.COM - Indonesia has entered the final stage of a three-day cooling down period before Wednesday’s national election, with officials removing political billboards across the archipelago amid a ban on election broadcasts after months of rowdy campaigning.

The incumbent, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, made a brief trip to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, where he performed the umrah, or minor haj, with his wife and two sons, while his rival, Prabowo Subianto, made a pilgrimage to the grave of his father, Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, a renowned economist.

The pair had squared off in five nationally televised debates, with most political pundits judging the contest about even, although Prabowo remains up to 20 percentage points behind in opinion polls.

The Prabowo camp has already complained about “ghost voters” and the potential for rigging.

But National Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian told The Jakarta Post he had not received reports about incidents impeding the electoral process.

“Two days to go; we are convinced that we have security measures under control,” he said.

Kevin O’Rourke, an analyst with PT Reformasi Info Sastra, said there were still major issues with voter registration, despite this election being the fifth ballot since democratic reforms were instituted, following the downfall of President Suharto in 1998 and the outbreak of deadly protests.

“Theoretically the system could be susceptible to people voting multiple times, but in practice it really hasn’t been a problem in past polls and I really wouldn’t expect it to be so this year,” he said.

O’Rourke said Prabowo, following his defeat to Jokowi at elections in 2013, had launched a legal campaign challenging the result when he lost by six percent of the overall vote.

“I think it’s an attempt by the Prabowo campaign to justify a basis for making an electoral dispute, but I think that’s only going to be feasible for them if the margin of victory for Widodo is more narrow than expected,” he said.

That puts pressure on Jokowi to secure a comfortable victory with a margin of around eight to 10 percent. Of Indonesia’s 264 million people, about 190 million are expected to vote, with 60 million under the age of 30.

Low turnout

Surveys indicate a large number will not turn out, known as “golput,” a term that first emerged in 1971 from protesting students opposed to an election they considered undemocratic. Now the term has been adopted to describe voters who abstain or deliberately spoil their ballots.

While Jokowi has delivered on infrastructure growth and national security, he has failed to deliver on promises of finding justice for the victims of Suharto’s regime, the mass killings of communists in 1965, guaranteeing freedom of religion and reducing sexual violence against women.

According to the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, sexual violence against women rose 76 percent from 2016 to 2017, while, as president, he has not been shy in pushing a more conservative brand of Islam.

Nevertheless, he remains the favorite to win a second term. He will have to stand down in 2024 as mandated by the constitution.

Analysts expect a more confident and conservative Jokowi during the coming five years. Marcus Mietzner, an Indonesian specialist and senior fellow with Australian National University, said he expected Indonesia to emerge as a more socially conservative and a “religiously marked” society from Jokowi’s second term, assuming he wins.

The pattern was established by Jokowi’s predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who Mietzner said had the opportunity to introduce social and political reforms in his second term, but did not, and he expects that pattern to continue.

“I think he is a very careful politician, a very cautious politician, he will want to continue balancing political forces," he said. "He will continue to integrate retired military officers into his state apparatus as he will integrate more pious Muslim figures like his vice president.”

Jokowi chose Ma’ruf Amin, a Muslim cleric who is popular among fundamentalists, as his running mate, which some analysts have said was a deliberate move to win support from the conservative Islamic elements in Indonesian society.

However, others have said he was pushed into accepting Ma’ruf as part of a broader political play and positioning for the next election in 2024.

But on the streets of the capital those arguments remain in the distant future. As the political signs came down, there was no shortage of voters on the streets, who were preparing to vote Wednesday, a national holiday.

“I like elections. I want Indonesia to be a democracy, a democracy like the United States, like Canada, Australia and in Europe,” Masi, a 26-year-old computer programmer said.

“Indonesia is maturing,” he added. (Luke Hunt-VOAnews)

JAKARTA, LELEMUKU.COM - Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto dismissed a rumor saying that there would be chaos and riots during the upcoming general elections, which provoked an exodus of Indonesian citizens abroad.

“The weekly graph shows that there is no surge of Indonesian people going or coming from abroad,” the Minister said after leading a video conference of Final Preparedness Coordination Meeting of the 2019 General Elections Security at Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Jakarta, Monday (15/04/2019).

According to him, there are a total of approximately 70 thousand Indonesian citizens who are going abroad and there are 74 thousand Indonesian citizens who return to the country. This means, the people are eager and enthusiastic to cast their votes in the election.

“The public does not need to be afraid and worried because the police, assisted by the TNI (Indonesian National Defense Forces), will guard the elections,” Wiranto said.

Furthermore, the Minister stated that the lack of electoral equipment due to unexpected things—such as flooding and due to the increase in polling stations—had been overcome by sending the intended equipment this morning.

On that occasion, he also asked the public not to immediately celebrate victory of presidential and vice-presidential candidate in a parade after the quick count is carried out. “It is better not to do this because it can spark a commotion,” he added.

Regarding the discrepancy ratio on the allocated time and the voters abroad that resulting dismissal of queuing voters, the Minister emphasized that even though the time is up but if there are still registered voters who are present, they will be given time to cast their vote. “So, it is not limited to 13:00 local time,” he said.

Also attending the meeting were Commander of the TNI Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, Chief of the Indonesian National Police General Tito Karnavian, Chairman of the General Election Commission (KPU) Arief Budiman, Chairman of the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) Abhan, Chairman of the Election Organization Ethics Council (DKPP) Harjono, Minister of Home Affairs Tjahjo Kumolo, Minister of Communication and Informatics Rudiantara, the Attorney General H.M. Prasetyo, Chief of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Budi Gunawan, Chairman of the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN) Djoko Setiadi, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs A.M. Fachir, and representatives of related ministries and agencies. (Setkab)

DUBAI, LELEMUKU.COM - A Bahraini court has issued verdicts in a mass trial, sentencing 69 people to life in prison and revoking the citizenship of 138 defendants on terrorism-related charges.

The public prosecutor's office said on Tuesday that 70 others were sentenced to between 3 years and 10 years imprisonment. Close to 100 suspects were fined roughly $265,000 each.

The defendants, of which 109 are in custody and 60 were tried in absentia, can appeal.

Charges against the group include forming a terrorist cell inside Bahrain with help from Iran and launching terrorist attacks. The group was labeled as "Hezbollah Bahrain."

The Europe-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy says this brings to total 990 people ordered stripped of their nationality since 2012, including political activists speaking out about human rights abuses. (VOANews)

RIYADH, LELEMUKU.COM - The Indonesian Ministry of Religion Affairs has pledged to be ‘all out’ to add newly granted 10,000 hajj quota given by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Hajj season this year.

The statement was delivered by Minister of Religion Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin following the decision of King of Saudi Arabia King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud to grant an additional 10 thousand hajj quota for Indonesia during his meeting with President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday (14/04/2019).

“This is the second time that King Salman has agreed to our request for additional hajj quotas,” he said, adding that it shows the Saudi Arabian Government gives a special attention for Indonesia.

Furthermore, Lukman stated that the additional quota was included in the Saudi e-Hajj system and the Ministry would immediately arrange a discussion with the House of Representative (DPR) and the Hajj Fund Management Agency (BPKH).

According to the Minister, the discussion needs to be done immediately because the additional quota brings implications for a number of complex matters such as extra costs for organizing hajj and the provision of hajj services both at home and abroad.

“Together with the DPR, we have agreed on the cost of the 2019 Hajj using optimization funds of Rp7,039 trillion to 204,000 pilgrims. For the 10,000 new pilgrims from the additional quota, additional costs of no less than Rp346 billion are needed,” he said, adding that there would be an additional 25 flight groups and 125 new flight group attendants due to the addition of this hajj quota.

Furthermore, the addition of quotas, he added, will also affect the process of preparing pilgrimage documents in the country and the current visa issuance process requires biometric records that are currently running and are almost complete in several regions.

Almost all procurement services, Lukman continued, will also be affected. He cited the example of accommodation in Madinah that in the Markaziah area—the closest distance to the Prophet’s Mosque— that are almost full.

In addition to accommodation, other matters that must also be prepared concern transportation buses and baggage charges. “All of it needs costs, either direct costs or indirect costs,” he added. (Setkab)

SHANGHAI, LELEMUKU.COM - Automakers are showcasing electric SUVs and sedans with more driving range and luxury features at the Shanghai auto show, trying to appeal to Chinese buyers in their biggest market as Beijing slashes subsidies that have propelled demand.

Communist leaders wanting China to lead in electric vehicles have imposed sales targets. That requires brands to pour money into creating models to compete with gasoline-powered vehicles on price, looks and performance at a time when they are struggling with a Chinese sales slump.

General Motors, Volkswagen, China's Geely and other brands on Tuesday displayed dozens of models, from luxury SUVs to compacts priced under $10,000, at Auto Shanghai 2019. The show, the global industry's biggest marketing event of the year, opens to the public Saturday following a preview for reporters.

On Monday, GM unveiled Buick's first all-electric model for China. GM says the four-door Velite 6 can travel 301 kilometers (185 miles) before the battery needs charging.

VW showed off a concept electric SUV, the whimsically named ID. ROOMZZ, designed to travel 450 kilometers (280 miles) on one charge. Features include seats that rotate 25 degrees to create a lounge-like atmosphere.

Communist leaders have promoted "new energy vehicles'' for 15 years with subsidies to developers and buyers. That, along with support including orders to state-owned utilities to blanket China with charging stations, is helping to transform the technology into a mainstream product.

"People's mindset and governmental policies are more encouraging toward e-cars than in any other country,'' said VW CEO Herbert Diess.

Electric vehicles play a key role in the ruling Communist Party's plans for government-led development of Chinese global competitors in technologies from robotics to biotech.

Those ambitions set off Beijing's tariff war with President Donald Trump. Washington, Europe and other trading partners complain Chinese subsidies to technology developers and pressure on foreign companies to share know-how violate its market-opening commitments.

Electric car subsidies end next year, replaced by sales quotas. Automakers that fall short can buy credits from competitors that exceed their targets or face possible fines.

"Most of the traditional car makers are under huge pressure to launch NEVs,'' said industry analyst John Zeng of LMC Automotive.

Last year's Chinese sales of pure-electric and hybrid sedans and SUVs soared 60% over 2017 to 1.3 million, or half the global total. At the same time, industry revenue was squeezed by a 4.1% fall in total Chinese auto sales to 23.7 million vehicles.

That skid that worsened this year. First-quarter sales fell 13.7% from a year ago.

Still, China is a top market for global automakers, giving them an incentive to go along with Beijing's electric ambitions. Total annual sales are expected eventually to reach 30 million, nearly double last year's U.S. level of 17 million.

Under Beijing's new rules, automakers must earn credits for sales of electrics equal to at least 10% of purchases this year and 12% in 2020. Longer-range vehicles can earn double credits. That means some brands can fill their quota if electrics make up as little as 5% of sales.

Also Tuesday, Nissan Motor Co. and its Chinese partner displayed the Sylphy Zero Emission, an all-electric model designed for China. Based on Nissan's Leaf, the lower-priced Sylphy went on sale in August.

Mercedes Benz displayed its first all-electric model in China, the EQC 400 SUV. The Germany automaker says it can travel 400 kilometers (280 miles) on one charge and can go from zero to 100 kph (62 mph) in 5.2 seconds.

Mercedes plans to release 10 electrified models worldwide, with most built in China, according to Hubertus Troska, its board member for China.

Some Chinese rivals have been selling low-priced electrics for a decade or more.

China's BYD Auto, the biggest global electric brand by sales volume, unveiled three new pure-electric models last month. All promise ranges of more than 400 kilometers (280 miles) on one charge.

Last week, Geely Auto unveiled a sedan under its new electric brand, Geometry, with an advertised range of up to 500 kilometers (320 miles) on one charge.

Geely's parent, Geely Holding, launched a joint venture with Mercedes parent Daimler AG in March to develop electrics under the smart brand. Geely Holding is Daimler's biggest shareholder and also owns Sweden's Volvo Cars.

Beijing wants to force automakers to speed up innovation and squeeze out producers that rely too heavily on subsidies. But the technology minister acknowledged in January that China faces a difficult transition as that spending is ending.

Keeping development on track "will be a challenge,'' said Miao Wei, according to a transcript on his ministry's website.

The shift creates an opportunity for fledgling Chinese automakers that lag global rivals in gasoline technology. They have just 10% of the global market for gasoline-powered vehicles but account for 50% of electric sales.

The end of subsidies should lead to dramatic changes, said Zeng of LMC Automotive. He said longer-range, feature-rich models from global majors will replace small producers that cannot survive without subsidies.

Electric vehicles "will be much more competitive,'' said Zeng.

As the cost of batteries and other components falls, industry analysts say electrics in China could match gasoline vehicles in price and become profitable for manufacturers in less than five years.

EVs carry a higher sticker price in China than gasoline models. But industry analysts say owners who drive at least 16,000 kilometers (10,000 miles) a year save money in the long run, because maintenance and charging cost less. (AP-VOANews)

SEOUL, LELEMUKU.COM - Since emerging from his international isolation just over a year ago, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been a busy man.

Kim has met twice with U.S. President Donald Trump, three times with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, four times with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and once with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong.

One name missing from that list: Russian President Vladimir Putin. That could soon change.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Monday that preparations for a long-rumored Kim-Putin summit are underway. The meeting could happen as soon as next week, according to South Korea’s semi-official Yonhap news agency.

Pyongyang and Moscow have clear motivations for the meeting.

Kim, whose government is being squeezed by international sanctions, is likely to push Putin for economic aid that would give him more leverage in nuclear talks with the United States.

Putin may use the meeting to boost his influence in North Korea and ensure Moscow is not sidelined in negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

Putin as spoiler? Maybe not.

Under Putin, Russia has attempted to disrupt U.S. interests around the world, in areas as diverse as Syria, Ukraine, and Venezuela.

But Putin is not likely to play the role of spoiler in the North Korea-U.S. talks, in part because he doesn’t have much leverage over Pyongyang, says Andrei Lankov, a professor at Seoul’s Kookmin University.

“And in this case, Russia’s interests are not that different from that of the United States. Both sides want to preserve the status quo and want denuclearization,” Lankov says.

Russia may also be reluctant to upset South Korea, an important trading partner, whose progressive government is heavily invested in engagement with the North.

Russia has carried out a balancing act in its approach toward Korea.

After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russian leaders decided to prioritize relations with South Korea over the North.

But since the mid-1990s, Moscow’s policy has been based on “equidistance,” or balanced relations toward both Seoul and Pyongyang, says Anthony Rinna, a North Korea-Russia relations specialist at the Sino-NK research group.

“The Kremlin is trying to reverse the post-Cold War decline of its influence in East Asia,” Rinna says. “In order to do that, Moscow needs to strengthen its ties with the DPRK.”

Though Moscow supported intensified U.S.-led international sanctions on North Korea following missile and nuclear tests in 2016 and 2017, it later called for them to be eased. Russian companies have since supplied oil to North Korea, in violation of those sanctions.

Another factor: Russia sees North Korea as a buffer against the U.S. military presence in the region, including the 28,000 U.S. troops in South Korea.

But for now, Russia’s biggest priority may be preventing a return to the provocations of 2017, when Kim and Trump regularly exchanged threats of nuclear war.

“Preserving the status quo is the major goal,” says Leonid Petrov, a Korean studies expert at the Australian National University. “That means slow-motion conflict without major shifts or changes.”

What does North Korea want?

Kim’s goals, too, are diverse. At the top of his list is economic aid to relieve the pressure of sanctions and expand his leverage in stalled talks with Trump.

At a February summit in Hanoi, Trump pushed for a “big deal” in which North Korea commits to completely giving up its nuclear weapons in exchange for the United States lifting sanctions. North Korea countered with a gradual approach, offering to dismantle a key nuclear complex in exchange for partial U.S. sanctions relief.

By meeting with Putin, Kim may be trying to show Trump that he has other options for economic help. But it’s not clear how much Russia can offer, in part because of Russia’s struggling economy and also because such help could violate sanctions.

For example, North Korea has expressed interest in buying new Russian civilian aircraft to replace its aging fleet, according to Russian state media. However, a 2017 U.N. Security Council resolution prohibits the sale of transportation vehicles to North Korea.

Besides economic aid, Kim could also ask Putin for a commitment to military assistance in the event North Korea is attacked, as well as continued diplomatic support at the United Nations, Petrov says.

“It’s a shopping list, and we don’t know what’s going to materialize,” Petrov says.

In any case, Putin will not likely offer enough to fundamentally change North Korea’s calculation for the nuclear talks, says Kim Heung-kyu, a political science professor at Seoul’s Ajou University.

“Considering its internal circumstances, Russia is not capable of focusing very much on issues in East Asia,” Kim says. “It's also not willing to have regional conflicts.” (William Gallo-VOA)

HO CHI MINH, LELEMUKU.COM - If a basic tenet of communism is equality, including based on gender, then from some points of view the Socialist Republic of Vietnam would seem to be faring well on its founding ideology.

Women are visible everywhere across the country of 100 million people, whether they are running iconic companies, government ministries, or single-parent households. Female Vietnamese also show up in jobs stereotypically associated with males, such as construction workers, taxi drivers, and police officers.

But when considering all of the data that indicate Vietnam is ahead of most other countries in gender equality - like the percentage of women who are in the labor force or who are chief executive officers - it is easy to overlook the fact that men still have an edge in so many areas.

The average income of women in the Southeast Asian country is $224 (5.2 million Vietnam dong) a month, according to figures released in March by Adecco Vietnam, a firm that sells staffing services. That pay level amounts to just 81% of the average income of men.

In addition to the wage gap, there is the matter of unpaid labor. Beyond the official work day, Vietnamese women spend another five hours daily on tasks like cleaning the house or looking after a sick relative.

“Every day has just 24 hours, to be divided among work, family, and oneself,” said Nguyen Hong Phuong, the director of finance at Adecco Vietnam. “It will not always be divided evenly, but balance and prioritizing will always be the key.”

While men are starting to pick up the slack, they still enjoy pride of place in the household. For a man, the advantage begins even before birth, when parents prefer to bear a boy rather than a girl, through a childhood without the expectation he will help with domestic chores, until adulthood, when the man switches from having his mother care for him to having his wife take on the burden.

​The rate of men who have indefinite term work contracts with foreign invested companies is 73.9%, compared with 67.7% for women, according to Adecco Vietnam. It also said that in job interviews, employers tend to ask female candidates not about their work experience or their professional goals, but about their marriage and family plans, as it would cost money for them to hire someone who eventually gets pregnant and goes on leave.

In an indication of the responsibility that still falls on women in Vietnam, one of the key priorities for female employees when they are seeking out an employer is that the company has a suitable parental leave policy, according to a study released March 8 by the United States Agency for International Development. That is in contrast to the Philippines, where women who were polled said they want diversity in the workplace, and in contrast to Singapore, where women said they want flexible work arrangements, like working from home. The research was conducted jointly by USAID Green Invest Asia and Moxie Future, which both advocate sustainable development.

As in so many countries, women in Vietnam bear the brunt of poverty and the repercussions of natural disasters. That is why there are programs like Technologies for Equality, a competition overseen by the Women’s Initiative for Startups and Entrepreneurship.

Contestants submit inventions that can improve the lives of women in the countryside for a chance to win up to $7,000. So far there have been innovations like Safe Journey, a mobile app that helps migrant workers find jobs and housing, since many rural women move to urban areas to find employment and send money back to their hometowns.

Another is a facility where ethnic minority tea farmers can process their crops for higher value-added products. Ireland and Australia, which are funding the project, will announce the winners later this month.

“This aims to unearth and support innovative solutions to ensure rural women and girls can fully participate and prosper in the workforce and the economy,” Vice Minister Bui The Duy at the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam said at the event launching the competition.

There is plenty that is going right in Vietnam. With its 71% female workforce participation, and the 25% of CEOs who are women, Vietnam probably has some insight for the rest of the world on equality. Local women generally have maternity leave, workplace protections relating to pregnancy and childcare, low rates of sex based violence, and overall freedom and respect in society.

At the same time, some of Vietnam’s metrics look good because other countries’ do not. Even in a socialist society there is still a ways to go for complete gender equality. (VOA)

TAIPEI, LELEMUKU.COM - Taiwan is not intimidated by China's military drills this week, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Tuesday, after the latest Chinese military maneuvers were denounced by a senior U.S. official as "coercion" and a threat to stability in the region.

China's People's Liberation Army said its warships, bombers and reconnaissance aircraft had conducted "necessary drills" around Taiwan on Monday, although it described them as routine.

Tsai said Taiwan was not intimidated by the drills.

"As you may be aware, China's armed forces yesterday sent a large number of military aircraft and naval vessels into our vicinity. Their actions threaten Taiwan and other-like minded countries in the region," Tsai said.

"These actions only serve to strengthen our resolve. Our military forces have the capacity, determination, and commitment to defend Taiwan and not allow coercion to dictate our own future," she said.

Tsai also said the Trump administration had notified Taipei of its third arms sale to Taiwan, the training of pilots at the Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.

"It enhances their abilities to defend our air space. I want to express my appreciation to the U.S. government for the announcement," she said.

Tsai was speaking at a forum co-hosted by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to mark the 40th anniversary of Taiwan-U.S. ties under the Taiwan Relations Act, following Washington's decision to ditch formal recognition of Taiwan in favor of China in 1979.

The event was attended by a delegation led by Paul Ryan, the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Taiwan scrambled jets and ships to monitor the Chinese forces on Monday, its defense ministry said, accusing Beijing of "trying to change the status quo of the Taiwan Strait."

'Encirclement patrols'

The goal of the drills was to practice a "combined firepower assault" that included electronic jamming from aircraft under the protection of fighter jets, the People's Liberation Army Daily reported on Tuesday.

Bombers "screamed" towards the area and carried out "sudden attacks" while warships occupied assault positions and conducted attacks on "enemy" fire points, the official paper of China's military said. Landing forces reached specified waters, which were circled by helicopters at low altitude.

The paper cited a Chinese military representative as saying the drills were annual, planned exercises that were "completely within the normal legal rights of a sovereign country."

China has repeatedly carried out what it calls "island encirclement patrols" in the past few years.

Ryan said the United States considers any military threat to Taiwan a concern and urged China to stop, saying the moves were counterproductive.

The United States has no formal ties with Taiwan but is bound by law to help provide the island with the means to defend itself and is its main source of arms.

China has stepped up pressure on Taiwan and suspects Tsai is pushing for the island's formal independence. That is a red line for China, which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.

Tsai says she wants to maintain the status quo with China but will defend Taiwan's security and democracy.

The visit by U.S. officials comes just weeks after Tsai said the United States was responding positively to Taipei's requests for new arms sales to bolster its defenses in the face of growing pressure from China.

Washington sent Navy and Coast Guard ships through the narrow strait separating the island from the mainland last month, part of an increase in the frequency of U.S. movement through the strategic waterway to show support for Taipei. (VOA)

ANKARA, LELEMUKU.COM - Thousands of state employees accused of supporting the Kurdish insurgency in their war against Turkey have lost their jobs — a mass crackdown that has forced many to make radical career changes.

The largest number of firings have occurred in Diyarbakir, the largest city in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast, and have included teachers, civil servants and local municipality workers.

Some of those dismissed workers are now employed at the Emekciler restaurant, founded by former court official Mustafa Ozer, who opened the restaurant with 22 of his fellow fired workers.

"Of course, it is not that simple to be sacked from your job of 23 years,” Ozer said. “Suddenly one night, your whole life’s effort is taken from you. You are being marginalized, and you are denied the bread that you bring to your home."

Ozer claims his dismissal had more to do with trade union activism than his support of Kurdish insurgents, and called his firing a release in many ways.

“There were daily, weekly lists of people who were sacked,” he said. “We were checking those lists every day to see if our name is on it. Every day, we had the panic. Our nerves were really stretched to the edge during this period. And eventually, our names appeared on the list, and our employment got terminated.”

Ozer and his partners contributed 11,000 lira (about $2,000) to start the restaurant.

“Some of us have a master's degree. Some are two-year college graduates,” said Ozer. “Some headed departments. Some were branch chiefs. Here is my colleague, Seyhmus. He used to work at the state employment agency,” added Ozer.

Seyhmus, who only wanted to be identified by his first name, modestly admits he has few skills to offer.

"I can't really cook, but I help with the running of the place. I don’t have such talent, unfortunately,” he said.

Seyhmus admits adjusting to the loss of a career in which he devoted his life was difficult, but the camaraderie he discovered at Emekciler restaurant helped.

“I am OK now because I saw the true value of friendship. We are like a family here,” he said.

Many of Emekciler's customers are former colleagues. Ozer said they visit, risking trouble at work for eating at a restaurant run by fired workers.

Ankara defends the crackdown, claiming supporters of the Kurdish insurgency have deeply infiltrated the state across the region.

Local and international human rights groups have sharply criticized the firings, claiming most are arbitrary with little or no evidence to justify the dismissal. The government created an appeals process, but so far, less than 5% of applicants were successful.

Zeki Kanay, an academic at Diyarbakir’s Dicle University, lost his job after signing a petition calling for an end to the decades-long war with Kurdish insurgents.

Kanay turned to organic farming on a small plot of land outside city walls. He works the farm with other purged workers and has not yet made a profit. But he said there are other rewards.

"If we didn't have that (the farm), life would be even harder, because this system pushes you to be alone, alienated,” he said. “It (the state) tries to instill fear and break us apart. However, on the contrary, we try to get closer to each other, and that’s how we all can stand on our feet now.”

Bishar Ilci helped Kanay set up the farm. He is working to reintroduce native seeds to the region.

Ilci worked for Diyarbakir’s municipality until Mayor Gultan Kisanak of the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) was removed from office and jailed, accused of supporting terrorism.

“I worked in the municipality for 10 years and managed good projects,” said Ilci. “There were various social projects. My last 2.5 years in the municipality was devoted to the (Syrian) Yazidi refugees. We initiated educational projects, vegetable gardens for each family, and ran activities, especially with women. We had done serious work on farming.“

Ilci said he has little hope of getting his job back.

“It feels like the state is trying to discipline us with hunger. We have to learn how to stand on our feet,” he said. “We have given a good struggle for Kurdish rights for many years in this region, and now we say, 'Why can't we do the same with the land, with animals? And why not help your people with healthy food?’” (VOA)

NEW YORK, LELEMUKU.COM - The United Nations said Monday that the five-year-old conflict in Yemen has taken a "devastating toll" on the country's children, with thousands killed, maimed and recruited to fight since the war began.

"The impact of this conflict on children is horrific," Virginia Gamba, U.N. special representative for children and armed conflict, told a meeting of the Security Council. "All parties to the conflict have acted and reacted militarily to events resulting in the use and abuse of children in multiple ways."

Since monitoring began in Yemen in April 2013 (before the conflict fully erupted) until the end of the 2018, Gamba said more than 7,500 children have been killed or maimed and more than 3,000 have been verified as recruited or used, and there have been more than 800 documented cases of denial of humanitarian access to children.

Gamba said children reportedly have been forcibly recruited from schools, orphanages and communities to fight on the front lines, man checkpoints, deliver supplies or gather intelligence.

Last year, over half of the children recruited were under the age of 15. During that period, the U.N. says more than 200 were killed or maimed while being used by the warring parties.

Gamba called out the Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels for recruiting the majority of the children, followed by the Popular Resistance, Yemen Armed Forces and al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.

"The numbers I present to you today represent a mere fraction of violations committed against children in Yemen," she told council members.

In addition to harm to child soldiers, Gamba said of the more than 7,500 children killed or maimed between 2013 and 2018, nearly half of the casualties were caused by Saudi-coalition airstrikes.

Another 40 percent of such casualties came in ground fighting, including shelling and mortars. Gamba said Houthi rebels were largely to blame, followed by Yemeni government forces, among others.

It is not the first time the U.N. has called out the Saudi-led coalition or the Houthis for harming Yemeni children. But while both sides say they avoid harming civilians, the toll continues to rise.

Redeployment of forces

The U.N. has been working to end the conflict. On Monday, special envoy Martin Griffiths offered a glimmer of hope that the parties might be ready to take a first step away from the battlefield.

He told council members that both the Saudi coalition-backed Yemeni government and the Houthis have accepted a detailed redeployment plan to begin moving their fighters away from the crucial Red Sea port city of Hodeida.

"We will now move with all speed toward resolving the final outstanding issues related to the operational plans for phase two, redeployments and also the issue of the status of local security forces," Griffiths told the council in a video briefing from Amman, Jordan.

The parties committed to the plan at talks in Stockholm in December, but efforts to implement the agreement have failed. Griffiths expressed some confidence that they would go forward now.

"When — and I hope it is when and not if — these redeploys happen, they will be the first ones in this long conflict," he said.

Griffiths acknowledged that the "the war in Yemen … shows no sign of abating," and said there needs to be real progress on the military redeployments before the focus can shift back to the political track.

U.S. Acting U.N. Ambassador Jonathan Cohen welcomed Houthi acceptance to phase one of the withdrawal plan and said Washington would be "watching closely to see if they make good on that agreement."

Funds urgently needed

Meanwhile, U.N. humanitarian operations in Yemen are at risk of running out of money in the coming weeks.

In February, international donors pledged $2.6 billion for Yemen relief operations. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — who are prosecuting the war against the Houthis — pledged an additional $1 billion.

But U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock said that nearly four months into 2019, the response plan has received only $267 million in actual funding.

"U.N. agencies are rapidly running out of money for essential relief activities," he warned.

The country, which is facing a cholera epidemic, could see 60% of its diarrhea treatment centers close in the coming weeks if money is not received. U.N. food programs, which provide emergency food assistance to more than 9 million people every month, would also be impacted.

"Closing or scaling back such programs — at a time when we are struggling to prevent widespread famine and roll back cholera and other killer diseases — would be catastrophic," Lowcock said.

He also warned that a potential environmental disaster is brewing off of Yemen's Red Sea coast.

Lowcock said that an oil tanker used as a floating storage and offloading facility, and which is 8 kilometers off the coast at the Ras Isa terminal, is old and has not received any maintenance since 2015. It has about 1.1 million barrels of oil on board.

"Without maintenance, we fear that it will rupture or even explode, unleashing an environmental disaster in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes," Lowcock said.

A Saudi Arabian-led coalition began bombing Houthi rebels in support of Yemen's government in March 2015. Since then, the U.N. estimates more than 10,000 people have been killed, mostly due to coalition airstrikes. (VOA)

WASHINGTON, LELEMUKU.COM - The number of measles cases worldwide nearly quadrupled in the first three months of the year compared to last year, the World Health Organization reported Monday.

The United Nations agency, citing preliminary data, said that more than 112,000 cases of the preventable but highly contagious disease have been reported across the globe in the January-to-March period.

WHO called for better vaccination coverage against measles, which can kill or leave a child disabled for life.

Over recent months, WHO said spikes in the disease have occurred "in countries with high overall vaccination coverage, including the United States ... as well as Israel, Thailand, and Tunisia, as the disease has spread fast among clusters of unvaccinated people."

"While this data is provisional and not yet complete, it indicates a clear trend," WHO said. "Many countries are in the midst of sizeable measles outbreaks, with all regions of the world experiencing sustained rises in cases."

The agency said the reported number of cases often lags behind the number of actual cases, meaning that the number of documented cases likely does not reflect the actual severity of the measles outbreaks.

For three weeks in a row, U.S. health authorities have added dozens of new reports of measles to its yearly total, now at 555, the biggest figure in five years. Twenty of the 50 U.S. states have now reported measles cases.

More than half of the U.S. total — 285 cases — have been reported in New York City. Officials in the country's largest city last week ordered mandatory measles vaccinations to halt the outbreak that has been concentrated among ultra-Orthodox Jews in the city's Brooklyn borough.

City health department officials blamed anti-vaccine propagandists for distributing misinformation in the community. (VOA)