Latest news with #Indonesian
Nikkei Asia
an hour ago
- Business
- Nikkei Asia
Indonesia, Malaysia seek engagement with Russia as Putin eyes allies
JAKARTA/KUALA LUMPUR -- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed to deepen bilateral ties, expand cooperation and establish a joint investment platform when they met in St Petersburg on Thursday. The meeting, held on the sidelines of the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, came a month after Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met Putin in Moscow. Analysts said the visits highlight how both Russia and the Southeast Asian nations are seeking to strengthen relations with as many nations as possible amid heightened global tension and shifting alliances.
West Australian
2 hours ago
- Business
- West Australian
Ben Harvey: Foreign ownership of oil and gas assets is nothing new
The United Arab Emirates has more oil than a Sean Combs freak-off, so why is it sniffing around Australian energy company Santos? And why would the UAE offer to pay such an astonishing premium (a full 28 per cent above Santos' then market value) to acquire a business that's 10,000km from home and in a different hemisphere to boot? Anyone who doubts the world's ongoing dependence on fossil fuel should think about the logic of this takeover bid. Abu Dhabi's ruling Nahyan family didn't become billionaires 300 times over by writing cheques. They aren't fools and they don't part with their money readily. This week's $36b bid for the Kevin Gallagher-led LNG and domestic gas business isn't chump change, even for the Arabs. So, what do they know about this 'legacy' business that we don't? It's got to be a hedge against the turmoil in the Middle East, right? The wide-open sea lanes of the Indian and Pacific oceans must look like a cake walk compared with the Strait of Hormuz. The most dangerous thing an LNG tanker will run into around Australia will be an Indonesian fishing vessel that's drifted off course. There's no chance of being targeted by Houthi rebels or accidentally strafed by aircraft launching from the USS Nimitz carrier strike group. Geographical diversification seems a logical reason for the UAE play but the geo-political imperative doesn't explain the timing. Sure, Tehran and Tel Aviv have spiced things up of late, but when was the Middle East not engulfed by turmoil? It's been a war zone pretty much every day since the first kibbutz was established in 1948. Yet in all that time — through the Arab-Israeli war, Egyptian revolution, Suez crisis, the Lebanese civil war, Iran-Iraq war, the Iranian revolution, Gulf War 1, Gulf War 2 and countless other skirmishes and crises — the oil-rich provinces rarely looked outside their own backyard for investment opportunities in the fossil fuel game. Certainly not this far outside their backyard. Take risk-defraying out of the value equation and you are left with one upside: the UAE reckons the world is going to be dependent on hydrocarbons, and natural gas in particular, for a long, long time. Santos shareholders, including dominant stockowner L1 Capital, clearly aren't as confident in a CO2-soaked future because they were falling over themselves to accept the bid. The only thing standing in the way of shareholders and a fat profit is the Foreign Investment Review Board, which has to tick off on the sale to foreign entities of Australian assets that are economically or politically sensitive. The deal will give the FIRB pause for thought because Santos owns some important stuff. The company runs the Darwin LNG plant, supplies one sixth of WA's domestic gas and owns and fills the pipelines that feeds the east coast energy system. It is also Australia's most aggressive oil and gas play. At a time when fossil fuel executives are desperately trying to pass themselves off as windfarm manufacturers, Gallagher stands out as a 'drill, baby, drill' kind of guy. Billy Bob Thornton could well have had an eye on Gallagher when he got into character in the TV series Landman. Drill, make as much money as possible, spud and move on to the next prospective patch of the outback or sea floor. Rinse and repeat. He is Greta Thunberg's worst nightmare and he cares not one jot about that. Gallagher's solution to the current supply crunch is simple: more exploration permits. His insistence that Australia can drill its way out of trouble is relevant to the UAE takeover because Gallagher has spent the past few years bagging the Federal Government's 'soviet' energy policy. With $50m on the table (at the $8.89 offer price that's the value of the Santos stock he has in his family trust, employee equity scheme and short-term incentives) Gallagher's likely trying to bleach those remarks from the internet, lest Jim Chalmers chances upon them whilst considering the impending FIRB recommendation. Shareholders will also be hoping the Treasurer doesn't make this decision personal. Chalmers will almost certainly feign concern about foreign ownership, especially by a State-run entity. XRG, which is the name of the bidder, is a subsidiary of a national oil company owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi, which trades under the imaginative name Abu Dhabi National Oil Company The word 'feign' is used advisedly because the reality is foreign ownership of Australian oil and gas assets is nothing new. Only 43 per cent of Santos is owned by local shareholders; the Americans have the rest. It may be headquartered in Adelaide, but Santos' financial heart is in the US. Australia's most important energy asset — the North West Shelf — might be operated by Woodside but it is owned by London-headquartered BP and Shell, Californian supermajor Chevron, Beijing's China National Offshore Oil Corporation and Japan Australia LNG. Woodside itself is only 55 per cent Australian owned, with almost half its stockholders residing in the US and the UK. The Dampier-to-Bunbury pipeline, which brings gas from the NW Shelf to southern WA, is owned by a Hong Kong national — billionaire Li Ka-Shing. The Ichthys project in water off Broome is run by Japan's INPEX and the Gladstone LNG plant is a joint venture between Santos, Malaysia's Petronas and South Korea's KOGAS. What difference will another flag make?
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Chinese tourist drowns off Indonesia's pink beach after skipping life jacket to pose for camera
Famous for its pink sand, Long Beach is a popular dive site located in the Padar Island within the national park. - Komodo Tour Boat website via ST/ANN JAKARTA: A Chinese tourist drowned while swimming off Long Beach at Indonesia's Komodo National Park on June 18, after reportedly ignoring safety advice to wear a life jacket. The victim, identified by local media as Qiu Yan, 30, had been part of a tour group visiting the national park — a cluster of islands in East Nusa Tenggara province, known for its rugged beauty and its population of Komodo dragons. Long Beach is a popular dive site located in the Padar Island within the national park. It is famous for its pink sand that gets its unique colour from red marine microscopic organisms called foraminifera. According to a statement from the West Manggarai police, Qiu entered the sea without a life jacket despite being cautioned by her guide. 'She was reminded to use one before going into the water, but she refused,' said police spokesman Hery Suryana in comments shared with an Indonesian news site, on June 19. Qiu had been travelling with ten others on a liveaboard tour. Her tour guide Anselmus Raden, 24, recounted that she wanted to take pictures before putting on the life jacket. 'We had told her to wear it, but she said she just wanted to pose for photos first,' he said. Moments later, others in the group raised the alarm that she had gone under. 'There was foam and blood coming from her mouth and nose,' said Hery. Qiu was transported to the Komodo Health Centre, but despite efforts by medical staff to resuscitate her, she was pronounced dead. Police said the cause of death was likely due to significant water entering her lungs. A rescue team later transported her body to Komodo Regional General Hospital in Labuan Bajo - the main entry point to Komodo National Park - using a rigid inflatable boat and a fast boat provided by the local port authority. Qiu had been on a three-day tour, which had set off from Nusantara Port on June 17. Authorities have since reiterated the need for strict adherence to safety protocols during marine tourism activities in the park. - The Straits Times/ANN
The Star
2 hours ago
- Health
- The Star
Indonesia mobilises cross-border efforts to combat malaria in Papua
Papua New Guinea accounts for 26.4 percent of all malaria cases in the Asia Pacific. - Antara via The Jakarta Post/ANN JAKARTA: Amid the geographical and social complexities of Papua, new hope emerges through the formation of the Papua Malaria Consortium, a cross-sector strategic alliance born from the commitment of governors and the support of stakeholders to accelerate malaria elimination. "If we want Indonesia to be malaria-free, Papua is the key," said Indonesian Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin during a press conference on Tuesday (June 17), held on the sidelines of the 9th Asia Pacific Leaders' Summit on Malaria Elimination in Bali, which brought together over 250 participants from 23 countries and regions and international organisations. He and Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Ribka Haluk led a meeting with six governors from across Papua to develop a more targeted, cross-sector strategy. Papua, the easternmost region of Indonesia, accounts for over 93 per cent of the country's total malaria cases and has now become the epicentre of Indonesia's fight to eliminate the disease. According to Budi, elimination in Papua is not only a health target but also a step toward achieving social justice and strengthening an inclusive health system. Sarthak Das, chief executive officer of the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance, expressed support for Indonesia's move to prioritise Papua in malaria elimination efforts. "Strong local leadership and cross-country collaboration are key to achieving the Asia Pacific region's malaria-free target by 2030," he said. This local commitment is also reinforced by the Bilateral Joint Action Plan signed between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea on Monday. The cross-border cooperation framework aims to ensure that malaria control efforts are carried out in an integrated and equitable manner in areas that are geographically and epidemiologically interconnected. Papua New Guinea accounts for 26.4 percent of all malaria cases in the Asia Pacific. Therefore, Das added, Indonesia's ability to gain control in Papua would be a vital signal that similar success is possible in Papua New Guinea. The Global Fund, one of the key funding partners, affirmed its commitment to supporting Indonesia's efforts focused on malaria elimination in Papua. "I acknowledge the significant progress made by Indonesia in its fight against malaria, and the Global Fund is fully committed to supporting its partners in the region to combat and eliminate malaria across the Asia Pacific," said Peter Sands, executive director of the Global Fund. Sands also welcomed the launch of "Indonesia's Call to End Malaria" at the high-level forum, a national initiative to push for comprehensive malaria elimination. Indonesia's efforts go beyond commitment. The government is expanding the distribution of bed nets, strengthening surveillance systems, increasing the number and capacity of local health workers, and implementing community-based approaches that respect local Papuan wisdom, alongside treatment and vaccine development. Although challenges remain, especially in terms of geographical access, climate change, and population mobility, these joint efforts show that malaria elimination is no longer a distant dream. With strong political will, international support, and data-driven strategies, Papua could become an inspiring malaria elimination success story for the region. - Xinhua
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Chinese tourist drowns during tour at Indonesia's Komodo National Park after skipping life jacket
Famous for its pink sand, Long Beach is a popular dive site located in the Padar Island within the national park. PHOTO: KOMODO TOUR BOAT WEBSITE Chinese tourist drowns off Indonesia's pink beach after skipping life jacket to pose for camera A Chinese tourist drowned while swimming off Long Beach at Indonesia's Komodo National Park on June 18 , after reportedly ignoring safety advice to wear a life jacket. The victim, identified by local media as Ms Qiu Yan, 30, had been part of a tour group visiting the national park — a cluster of islands in East Nusa Tenggara province, known for its rugged beauty and its population of Komodo dragons. Long Beach is a popular dive site located in the Padar Island within the national park. It is famous for its pink sand that gets its unique colour from red marine microscopic organisms called foraminifera. According to a statement from the West Manggarai police, Ms Qiu entered the sea without a life jacket despite being cautioned by her guide. 'She was reminded to use one before going into the water, but she refused,' said police spokesman Hery Suryana in comments shared with an Indonesian news site, on June 19. Ms Qiu had been travelling with 10 others on a liveaboard tour. Her tour guide M r Anselmus Rade n, 24, recounted that she wanted to take pictures before putting on the life jacket. Ms Qiu Yan was told to put on a live jacket, but she refused to, a local tour guide says. PHOTO: WEST MANGGARAI POLICE DEPARTMENT 'We had told her to wear it, but she said she just wanted to pose for photos first,' he said. Moments later, others in the group raised the alarm that she had gone under. She was pulled from the water unconscious at about 9.30am local time (10.30am Singapore time) and given immediate first aid on shore. Mr Anselmus attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR. 'There was foam and blood coming from her mouth and nose,' said Mr Hery. Ms Qiu was transported to the Komodo Health Centre, but despite efforts by medical staff to resuscitate her, she was pronounced dead. Police said the cause of death was likely due to significant water entering her lungs. A rescue team later transported her body to Komodo Regional General Hospital in Labuan Bajo - the main entry point to Komodo National Park - using a rigid inflatable boat and a fast boat provided by the local port authority. Ms Qiu had been on a three-day tour , which had set off from Nusantara Port on June 17. Authorities have since reiterated the need for strict adherence to safety protocols during marine tourism activities in the park. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
