Rupiah Opened Weakened To Rp14,078 per US Dollar

The rupiah exchange rate was recorded at the position of Rp14,078 per US dollar (US) in spot market trading Friday (2/22) morning. That figure was slightly weaker at 0.05 percent compared to the closing on Thursday (21/2), namely Rp14,072 per US dollar.

This morning, most of the major Asian currencies registered weakening against the US dollar. The Japanese yen weakened 0.03 percent while the Singapore dollar and Malaysian ringgit slipped 0.03 percent and 0.05 percent. Finally, the Philippine peso dropped 0.07 percent.

However, there are also several Asian currencies that have strengthened, such as the South Korean won and the Thai baht which rose 0.04 percent respectively.

Meanwhile, the currencies of developed countries rose against the US dollar, such as the Euro and the Australian dollar which rose 0.05 percent and 0.22 percent respectively. On the other hand, the British pound showed no movement at all against the US dollar.

Head of Monex Investindo Research Ariston Tjendra said the rupiah today was still affected by the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) team on Wednesday night (21/2). At the meeting, US Federal Reserve officials were still assessing whether or not the Fed Rate benchmark interest rate should be increased this year.

Whereas before, Fed Governor Jerome Powell said the Fed would be more patient in carrying out monetary policy this year. In the end, this again opens the potential for a Fed rate increase at least once this year which is likely to occur at the end of the year.

In addition, market participants are also starting to worry about global developments after some research shows this potential. Thus, there is still the potential for the rupiah to weaken again today.

“Everything is fixated on the weakening of global economic growth, so maybe today the rupiah will consolidate like yesterday, which is in the range of Rp14,030 to Rp.14,100 per US dollar,” Ariston told CNNIndonesia.com, Friday (2/22).

Venezuelan President closes border with Brazil

Venezuela continues to roar. On Friday (22/2) it was reported that President Nicolas Maduro ordered the closure of the border with Brazil since Thursday (21/2) until an undetermined time.

Maduro also said he was considering closing the border with Colombia which is located west of Venezuela. He has ordered the military to blockade the main border bridges to prevent supplies from Cucuta, Colombia, where tons of humanitarian aid mostly comes from America, for the Venezuelan people to be placed.

The consideration was allegedly born after a provocation from Colombian President Ivan Duque and American President Donald Trump.

“I consider Mr. Duque personally responsible for violence at the border,” Maduro said after meeting with generals at the military headquarters in Caracas.

Juan Guaido, who is recognized as a temporary leader by 50 countries, was said to be heading to the Colombian border on Thursday (21/2) with his supporters, to gather the aid buried there.

The opposition leader said he and hundreds of thousands of volunteers were ready to bring humanitarian aid blocked by Maduro. He claimed 300 thousand people could die if the blockade continued.

The ISIS Sympathizer Teen Asks England for Compassion

A British teenager who joined ISIS when she was 15 years old, Shamima Begum, begged for the mercy of her country’s government on Thursday (21/2). He requested that the government reconsider the decision to revoke his citizenship.

“I ask that they be willing to reconsider my case with more compassion,” Begum said.

In 2015, Begum fled to join ISIS with two of his school friends. Now, 19 years old, he separated from his husband, a Dutch ISIS fighter, being a refugee with only the baby he had just born last week, while ISIS faced defeat. He has lost two previous children in the past few months, and only wants to go home.

Calling that he would submit a request to become a Dutch citizen, Begum also has a slight possibility because of the strict regulations there.

The lawyer for his family, Akunjee’s Tasnime, sees the British decision as too risky because Begum is now threatened with no citizenship. The Guardian newspaper said Akunjee would fly to a refugee camp in Syria to meet Begum and ask permission to bring his son back to England, while the case went on.

“I hope I can give him an option, explain some things to him. We want his agreement and agreement,” Akunjee said.

But Begum has said he would not allow his third son to leave Syria without him. The teenager who was called did not show the slightest sign of remorse with his decision to join ISIS, has now changed his mind.

“I am willing to change,” he said.

The Begum family actually came from Bangladesh, but on Wednesday (20/2) the country stated that it did not have Bangladeshi citizenship.

Along with the fall of ISIS and worsening conditions in Syria, European countries face a dilemma with their citizens who sympathize with ISIS, such as the Begum case.

Trump and Kim Jong-un Will Speak Four Eyes at the Vietnam Summit

President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un will speak privately at the summit of the two United States and North Korea in Vietnam on February 27-28.

A US official said that the format of the summit in Hanoi was “similar to what was done in Singapore in June. There will be a chance for the two leaders to meet each other” before continuing the meeting with the team.

US special envoy to Pyongyang, Stephen Biegun, is now in Hanoi and will meet with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Hyok-chol, to discuss preparations for the summit.

Until now, it is not yet known the details of the topics to be discussed at the face-to-face meeting.

However, before Trump again praised Kim. However, he continued to stress that Kim must show “meaningful” steps regarding nuclear disarmament if he wants the US to lift sanctions on his country.

Trump has continued to be under pressure since his inaugural meeting with Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June 2018.

During the meeting, Trump and Kim produced a joint document related to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

However, many parties consider the document not clear enough to measure the extent to which denuclearization must be done technically.

In addition, the US-North Korea is also still at loggerheads regarding the denuclearization process. The United States insists on continuing to impose sanctions on North Korea until the country completely disarms its nuclear weapons.

On the other hand, North Korea wants the US to lift sanctions as the country carries out the denuclearization process.

Sued the Presidential Candidate Debate Without Attacks and Fear of Moderators

The statement of President and presidential candidate number 01 Joko Widodo about land ownership of presidential candidate number 02 Prabowo Subianto, in the second debate in the 2019 presidential election, became a polemic.

Jokowi was assessed by the National Winning Body (BPN) Prabowo-Sandi carrying out a personal attack on Prabowo. The debate arena was hot when the National Land Agency launched a protest to the General Election Commission (KPU) during inter-segment breaks.

Prabowo immediately clarified Jokowi’s statement about land ownership in Central and East Kalimantan, which each covers 120 thousand hectares and 220 thousand hectares.

Prabowo acknowledged that the land was owned by the state with a Land Use Right (HGU) scheme.

The aftermath of a statement about the land when Jokowi’s debate was immediately reported to the Election Oversight Body (Bawaslu), Tuesday (2/19).

Jokowi was surprised he was reported because he conveyed the matter of land ownership when dabat. According to him, if the debate is reported, it is better not to have a debate.

“Yes, my previous debate was reported. If the debate is reported, there is no need to debate. The debate is reported, how do I do it?” Jokowi said.

The Coordinator of the Indonesian Voter Committee (TePi), Jerry Sumampouw, considers that attacking each other in debates is natural. Jerry said that attacking each other between the prospective candidates actually turned the debate on.

However, said Jerry, the attacks carried out were not personal, as in the order that was delivered before the debate was opened.

“Attacking the debate should actually be suggested but it remains objective, rational and factual. So don’t attack this attack in the debate, it will be more monotonous,” Jerry told CNNIndonesia.com, Thursday (2/21).

Jerry said that the attacks could be carried out by each candidate during the debate while still related to the theme and related to the interests of the wider community.

“If there is no connection with the public, that is not allowed,” he said.

Before the debate, the KPU always conveyed the rules that were prohibited for each candidate and the success team. For candidates, one of the prohibited rules is to attack the person and bring cheating.

However, the KPU did not specify what was meant by personal attacks.

Jerry said if one of the candidates for president and vice president objected to the statements and questions raised, they could immediately protest at that time.

“Actually, if the objections at the forum can be immediately disclosed. The objections immediately expressed,” he said.

On the other hand, Jerry said the moderator must also be more assertive if the candidates were judged to make statements or questions that attacked the opponents’ personalities. According to him, the moderator does not need to be afraid because it has become his duty to be a ‘referee’ debate.

“You don’t need to be afraid. He is indeed assigned to regulate conversation traffic and he has the authority to enforce the rules,” he said.

Furthermore, Jerry said for the next debating session the KPU must be more explicit in telling each candidate about the rules of debate and the limitations of personal attacks.

In addition, Jerry said, the success team did not suggest personal attacks. “If we attack the attack side or we can not as if it is allowed, it is monotonous,” he said.

Abu Bakar Bashir should renounce ideology before unleash, says Indonesia

Indonesia’s president says the alleged mastermind behind the Bali bombings won’t be discharged from jail unless he renounces ideology, backing down from plans to free him while not conditions.

President Joko Widodo aforesaid on Tues that Abu Bakar Bashir should fulfil conditions like loyalty to the state and also the national ideology to be eligible for unleash.

Bashir is taken into account the leader of Islamist cluster Jemaah Islamiah, that was involved within the 2002 Bali bombings, within which quite two hundred individuals were killed, eighty eight of whom were Australian.

The radical Muslim man of the cloth was guilty of terrorist act charges in 2010 over links to militant coaching camps in Aceh province and captive for fifteen years.

The 80-year-old insists he’s answerable solely to God which Indonesia ought to be ruled by Islamic instead of civil law.

Widodo said: “There area unit legal mechanisms that we have a tendency to should bear. this can be parole, not pure unleash, however conditional unleash, therefore the conditions should be consummated 1st.”

Widodo on Friday aforesaid he had in agreement to Bashir’s unleash on humanitarian grounds.

On Monday, the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, voiced his considerations, saying: “Australians died horrifically thereon night, and that i suppose Australians everyplace would expect that this matter was treated with the utmost seriousness by our government, that it’s.

“But additionally that the Indonesian government would show nice respect for Australia in however they manage this issue.”

Bashir’s family had requested his unleash since 2017 due to his age and deteriorating health.

Thousands of Muslims gather in Monas Jakarta to pray for Indonesia

Thousands of Muslim worshipers gathered within the monument (Monas) sq. here on weekday evening to hunt the mercy of almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata`ala for Dutch East Indies sooner than this year`s general elections.

They came from capital of Indonesia and different cities to attend the event, that was organized by the Indonesian body Council (MUI)-Jakarta Chapter together with many different Moslem organizations, by lightness the theme of “212 Evening of Prayer.”

The Muslim men and girls flocked to the Monas sq. in Central capital of Indonesia a number of hours before the Maghrib prayer was performed in congregation.

With the steerage of ulemas sitting on a stage, the group started the event`s agenda by activity mandatory Maghrib (sunset) followed by Isha (evening) prayers in congregation, still as singing praises to Allah.

They additionally recited and herbaceous plant “Shalawat” (religious chants for complimentary Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) in a shot to “knock the gates of sky.” This spiritual gathering was additionally stuffed with prayer for the security of Habib Rizieq Shihab.

Shihab is wide referred to as a revered body and also the founding father of the Moslem Defenders Front (FPI). he’s presently staying within the Heavenly City of Mecca together with his family, and also the crowds of attendees prayed for his come back to Dutch East Indies.

The gathering wasn’t solely attended by normal Muslim worshipers however additionally by several important figures within the country, together with Amien Rais (one of the front leaders), Fahri Hamzah, and Fadli Zon (outspoken legislators).

Speaker of the People`s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Zulkifli Hasan, MPR`s former speaker Hidayat Nur Wahid, FPI leader Sobri Lubis, and the daughter of Indonesia`s second president Soeharto, Titiek Soeharto were also seen among the attendees.

In his brief speech, Lubis asked the crowd to pray for the safety of several Muslim figures who remained in prison, including Buni Yani and Ahmad Dhani.

He also criticized what he called an act of injustice in law enforcement, as observed in the Habib Bahar bin Smith case.

Meanwhile, MPR Speaker Zulkifli Hasan underlined the importance of conducting fair, peaceful, and democratic parliamentary and presidential elections for Indonesia`s better future.

In securing the gathering, at least 12 thousand security personnel were deployed. They consisted of those from the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Indonesian Military, and the Jakarta Provincial Government.

Palestinians pray outside Aqsa to protest gate closure

By same Amouri

Al-Quds, Feb. twenty one (Antara/Anadolu-OANA) – Dozens of Palestinian worshippers on Wed performed prayers outside Jerusalem?s flashpoint Al-Aqsa place of worship advanced to protest the continued closure by Israel of the of Al-Rahma Gate.

Earlier Wed, Israeli forces were deployed close to the gate — set on the side of the place of worship compound — amid mounting tensions with Palestinian worshippers.

On Monday, the Israeli authorities sealed the gate, preventing many Muslim worshippers from getting into Al-Aqsa, and detained many Palestinians within the place of worship advanced.

The following day, the Israeli authorities reportedly reopened the gate quickly.

(U.C003)

Indonesia formally applies to host 2032 Olympic Games

Indonesia formally appointive itself because the 2032 Olympic Games host, with a letter signed by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) conferred to Thomas Bach, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President within the IOC Secretariat in Lausanne, Svizzera.

The letter was bimanual over by Indonesian Ambassador to Svizzera Muliaman D. Hadad on Gregorian calendar month eleven, 2019, the Indonesian Embassy in Bern noted in an exceedingly statement on Tues.

Jokowi had expressed verbally and in writing the intent to host the Olympic Games in 2032 once Bach visited country in 2018.

He received a positive response following Indonesia’s success in organizing the 2018 Asian Games and Para Games.

At a gathering with Ambassador Hadad, Christophe Dubi, the IOC decision maker, gave a positive response to the countryn application and secure to stay Indonesia up on concerning the Olympic host choice method.

“The IOC has recognized Indonesia’s capability whereas organizing the 2018 Asian Games and Para Games that were successful . i feel this is often quite sturdy foundation,” Hadad noted.

Indonesia’s application to host the 2032 Olympic Games may be a decent chance to showcase the economic capability of the country, that is that the world`s fourth most inhabited nation and a member of the G20, he distinguished.

The selection method of the 2032 Olympic Host can begin in 2024 at the most recent.

Tokyo, Paris, and la square measure severally the Olympic Games hosts for 2020, 2024, and 2028.

Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia to go to land to debate economic cooperation

Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman al-Saud can visit land on February 18-19, 2019, with discussions to be targeted on enhancive economic cooperation.

During his official work visit to the mother country, the prince and Deputy Prime Minister and Saudi Defense Minister Mohammad bin Salman area unit scheduled to satisfy with President Joko Widodo for a gallery speak at the Bogor Palace on Tuesday (Feb 19).

“Furthermore, a bilateral meeting are going to be control during a comprehensive format within which the president are going to be in the middle of relevant ministers,” Director of Asia-Pacific and Africa of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Desra Percaya abreast of reporters on weekday.

The bilateral meeting can finish with the linguistic communication of over 2 agreements, one amongst that is within the energy sector.

Information on the memo of understanding to be inked by the Republic of land and Saudi had nevertheless to be disclosed intimately since it’s still being negotiated.

“What is for certain is that the specialise in increasing economic cooperation and therefore the interests of the Islam Nation. it’s doable that the 2 leaders also will discuss regional and international problems,” Desra noted.

After meeting with President Jokowi, the Saudi prince can attend a business forum with Indonesian and Saudi businesspersons in Jakarta.

The Saudi prince has conjointly planned to satisfy with vice chairman Jusuf Kalla. prince Mohammad bin Salman`s visit to land is a component of his trip to Asia, wherever he also will visit China, Malaysia, Pakistan, and India.