Indonesia to import 2 mln tons of rice against impending drought

STORY: Indonesia to import 2 mln tons of rice against impending drought DATELINE: April 8, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:39 LOCATION: Jakarta CATEGORY: AGRICULTURE SHOTLIST: 1. various of Indonesian President Joko Widodo planting rice with locals in East Java Province (courtesy of BPMI) 2. various of Indonesian President Joko Widodo inspecting rice stocks at Beran Market, Ngawi, East Java Province (courtesy of BPMI) STORYLINE: Indonesia will import 2 million tons of rice by the end of this year to deal with the impending drought caused by El Nino, said Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Thursday. Rice imports aim to keep the State Logistics Agency's stockpiles and stabilize domestic prices because El Nino will cause a protracted drought and affect the country's rice production, Widodo said after planting rice in East Java Province. Head of the National Food Agency, Arief Prasetyo, said the first batch of rice imports will be up to 500,000 tons and be sent as soon as feasible. The harvest of rice from March to May

Indonesia invites navies of 47 countries to join exercise

STORY: Indonesia invites navies of 47 countries to join exercise DATELINE: Dec. 22, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:41 LOCATION: Jakarta CATEGORY: MILITARY SHOTLIST: 1. various of conference 2. SOUNDBITE (English): DENY PRASETYO, Commander of MNEK 2023 task force STORYLINE: The Indonesian navy hosted the Initial Planning Conference of the Fourth Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo on Wednesday in Jakarta. The conference discussed the plans for the Fourth Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo in which navies from 47 countries were invited, including China, the United States, Russia, Canada, and South Korea. The biennial exercise will be held in Makassar, south Sulawesi, in June 2023. The exercise also plans to test the standard operating procedure for joint disaster relief of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. The Indonesian navy itself has prepared 17 ships, including the newest hospital vessel, for the exercise. SOUNDBITE (English): DENY PRASETYO, Commander of MNEK 2023 task force "It is im

Japanese men win 1st Asian Games gold in beach volleyball

Japanese men win 1st Asian Games gold in beach volleyball

PUSAN, South Korea - Katsuhiro Shiratori (L) and Satoshi Watanabe celebrate after winning in straight sets over Indonesia's Agus Salim and Koko Prasetyo Darkuncoro to snare Japan's first Asian Games gold medal in men's beach volleyball at Haeundae Beach on Oct. 4. (Asian Games)

Japanese men win 1st Asian Games gold in beach volleyball

Japanese men win 1st Asian Games gold in beach volleyball

PUSAN, South Korea - Katsuhiro Shiratori (L) and Satoshi Watanabe celebrate after winning in straight sets over Indonesia's Agus Salim and Koko Prasetyo Darkuncoro to snare Japan's first Asian Games gold medal in men's beach volleyball at Haeundae Beach on Oct. 4. (Asian Games) (Kyodo)