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Showing posts from February, 2025

FM advocates for just, principled human rights approach at HLS meeting

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 Indonesia 's Foreign Minister Sugiono reaffirmed the government's commitment to human rights at the 58th High-Level Segment of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, on February 24. "My presence here underscores Indonesia’s steadfast commitment to human rights under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto, as we continue to champion a just and principled approach amid global challenges," Sugiono stated, as quoted in a press release from the ministry on Tuesday. In his remarks, the minister emphasized Indonesia's dedication to upholding its constitutional mandate to "establish a world order based on independence, lasting peace, and social justice." As the world’s fourth most populous nation and the largest Muslim-majority democracy, Indonesia, he noted, has a responsibility to foster a more just and equitable global order. Amid rising global uncertainty, Sugiono highlighted Indonesia’s increasingly crucial role in addressing unprecedent...

Ministries align to support research projects for food security goal

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 The Ministry of Higher Education , Science, and Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture have agreed to collaborate in supporting research initiatives critical to Indonesia’s pursuit of food self-sufficiency. This partnership was formalized through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) focused on research into ten key agricultural commodities. The signing took place during a food security-themed discussion forum held at the Ministry of Agriculture’s headquarters in Jakarta on Monday (February 24). According to a statement released here on Tuesday, the MoU aims to facilitate research on rice, corn, garlic, sugarcane, cattle, soybeans, fertilizer, cassava, wheat, and potatoes -- commodities whose productivity remains below optimal levels. The research projects will engage teams from 30 higher education institutions with agricultural faculties. During the discussion, Higher Education, Science, and Technology Minister Brian Yuliarto emphasized the importance of enhancin...

Premier League issues Arsenal statement as VAR hands Liverpool huge title boost

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 The Premier League has explained why Arsenal defender Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off in the game against West Ham. Arsenal went into the encounter knowing three points was a must after Liverpool drew with Aston Villa in midweek. The Reds are back in action against Manchester City on Sunday. But Jarrod Bowen fired the visitors in front and Arsenal's task was made harder when Lewis-Skelly saw red. The Arsenal defender felled Mohamed Kudus and despite an initial yellow card being shown, VAR reviewed the incident and advised a red be shown. A statement read: "VAR checked the referee’s call of yellow card to Lewis-Skelly for a challenge on Kudus – deeming it denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity due to the goalkeeper’s position and there being no covering defender, therefore recommended an on-field review. The referee then upgraded the yellow to a red card." Former Arsenal star Paul Merson suggested the incident would have a huge bearing on the title race, insisting...

Mohamed Salah has changed tune on Liverpool future ahead of crunch Man City game

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 Mohamed Salah was the talk of the town when Liverpool last visited Manchester, delivering a stellar performance at Old Trafford in September. The Egyptian king provided two assists for Luis Diaz and netted one himself as Liverpool trounced Manchester United 3-0. Yet, it was his post-match comments that really set the rumour mill into overdrive. With his contract winding down, Salah has repeatedly expressed his desire to stay at Anfield, but after the United clash, he hinted it might have been his final showing there. "To be fair I was coming to the game it could be the last time [playing at Old Trafford]," Salah revealed to Sky Sports. "Nobody in the club has talked to me about contracts. It is not up to me, nobody talked to me from the club but we will see." He echoed this sentiment following a 2-0 victory over Man City in December, saying, "Honestly, it's in my head. Until now this is the last City game I will play for Liverpool so I was just going to e...

MLS moves start time for Miami-NYCFC season opener

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 Inter Miami 's Major League Soccer season opener against New York City FC will now be played on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after originally being scheduled to kick off at 2:30 p.m. ET. The decision to delay the game by five hours comes due to the postponement of the Concacaf Champions Cup match between Inter Miami and Sporting Kansas City. The two teams were set to face each other on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET in Kansas City, but the regional governing body moved the match to Wednesday due to severe weather conditions around the city. Multiple winter storm warnings were issued, stating that Kansas City could see 5-7 inches of snow with temperatures as low as 5 degrees. The first leg of the first round CCC match will now be played on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET with predicted temperatures of 3-5 degrees. "The decision to reschedule the match has been made to prioritize player and fan safety, and in close coordination with the two particip...

Sergio Aguero says Liverpool already have 'complete striker' before Arne Slot transfer plan

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 When the summer arrives, Liverpool has a No. 9 question to answer. And with Arne Slot having only really worked with the attackers he had when he arrived so far, we don't really know what he would look for if he could design his dream striker. Slot has spoken in the past about wanting a player who can link things up and drop deep, plus score goals and provide a finishing touch. But each of his existing options are problematic in one way or another. Luis Diaz has been playing down the middle a lot more than he would have expected and while it has worked in some games, it very much hasn't in others. He looked much more comfortable operating off the left against Wolves, where he scored for the first time in this calendar year. Darwin Nunez has the potential to be a goal machine but has never quite clicked, and his performance off the bench on Sunday was dismal. Diogo Jota is the closest to being what Slot wants, but he tends to pick up injuries and has struggled for regular goal...

Hundreds mourn Hong Kong champion of prisoners' rights Shiu Ka-chun

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 Hundreds filed into a Hong Kong church on Saturday (Feb 15) to pay respects to the city's best-known advocate for prisoners' rights who galvanised the public to support jailed demonstrators. Shiu Ka-chun , a social worker who represented his profession in Hong Kong's legislature, died last month aged 55 after earlier revealing he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Watched by dozens of plainclothes police, people queued to enter the Methodist International Church on Saturday morning to pay their last respects, followed by a closed-door memorial service. "(Shiu) has a unique place in history ... When I think of prisoners' rights, I think of him," said political scientist Ivan Choy outside the church. A social worker and university lecturer, Shiu rose to prominence during Hong Kong's 2014 Umbrella Movement -- a civil disobedience campaign to push for genuine elections -- and was later jailed for it. During the 163 days he spent behind bars, Shiu clashed with...

Alibaba won’t solve all of Apple’s China problems

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 Apple’s China business kicked off the Year of the Snake inauspiciously. Revenue dropped 11 per cent during the December quarter and iPhone sales plunged more than 18 per cent. The Trump administration unveiled fresh tariffs on goods from its biggest manufacturing base, and it’s still unclear if the Cupertino, California-based company can get out of them this time around. Beijing, meanwhile, is reportedly mulling a probe into its app store fees and practices. But it may have notched a much-needed win on Thursday (Feb 13): Alibaba Group confirmed it would be working with the iPhone maker to finally bring Apple Intelligence to China.  The Information previously reported that Apple and the e-commerce giant had submitted a proposal to regulators. The company has launched its much-hyped artificial intelligence features in the United States and other jurisdictions, but has been plagued by delays in finding a local partner in a market where demand for personal generative AI services...

Minister of ICT,Eswatini to qualify 300,000 programmers for digital job market in copperation with UAE

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  Savannah Maziya , Minister of Information, Communications, and Technology of the Kingdom of Eswatini, emphasised that cooperation between the UAE and Eswatini has made remarkable progress in the fields of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and the Internet of Things, as part of both countries’ efforts to enhance digital transformation. Savannah Maziya told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) during the World Government Summit 2025 in Dubai that since September last year, the UAE has successfully trained 50 teachers from Eswatini in these advanced specialisations. Additionally, it has established a framework to qualify 300,000 programmers, a step aimed at empowering young people and opening new opportunities for them in the digital job market. She praised the strategic partnership with the UAE, which has provided her country with the opportunity to exchange expertise in digital policies and regulations. This ensures a balance between digital security and attracting investments whi...

Tips for getting the best airline seats without paying extra

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 Tips for getting the best airline seats without paying extra Is there anything more frustrating than booking flights or a package holiday, only to face yet another decision at check-in: should you hedge your bets and skip “choosing your seats” (i.e. paying extra), or fork out more money to secure your preferred spot? Whether you favor soaking in the sights with a window view, an aisle seat to avoid clambering over fellow passengers for bathroom breaks, or simply sitting next to your travel companions; this blatant money-making tactic is a real pain in the neck.  Resourceful passengers, however, have found a way to work the system, dubbing it “check-in chicken.” Click through the gallery to learn everything you need to know about this nifty, money-saving travel hack. Would you pay extra to sit where you want? Some people will happily pay extra to lock in their favorite seat. But on budget airlines, many prefer to save their cash, rolling the dice on ending up wedged between t...