August 29, 2022 – Indonesia News Gazette

August 29, 2022

Virtual branded Love island villa: Driving user engagement, in-game purchasing and new experiences in Hotel Hideaway

Azerion partners with ITV Studios‘ Love Island to create a social experience in Hotel Hideaway, opening up opportunities for brands and players

Amsterdam, NL – 29 August 2022 – Azerion, the digital entertainment and media platform, has announced the results of its first virtual branded hangout room in Hotel Hideaway for Love Island and ITV Studios, creating higher user engagement than any of the other rooms since its launch eleven weeks ago. Following the partnership’s immediate success, Azerion and ITV Studios continue to bring new experiences to players and are launching the first of a monthly World of Love Island quiz series.

In the first 15 hours of launching the branded room,135,000 items were sold. This increased to 545,000 after 30 days, with blue and pink caps the most popular items. This exceeded previous campaigns run on Hotel Hideaway, which saw an average of 75,000 items sold in the first 15 hours and 360,000 after the first 30 days. The branded room attracted 3 million visits in 30 days with 46,000 daily visitors on average, spending an average of 52 mins in total over the period.

With the Love Island season drawing to a close, as the reunion in the UK happened on 7 August and in the US season ends on 28 August, Azerion in partnership with ITV Studios will be rolling out new features.

Relive the Love Island magic with the World of Love Island Quiz in Hotel Hideaway!

Azerion and ITV Studios are delighted to announce the first of a monthly World of Love Island quiz series being hosted in Hotel Hideaway on 1 September, as part of their global digital content partnership. Players can now join other beach-body ready avatars in the Love Island Villa as they are shown iconic footage from Love Island shows from around the world to test their knowledge.

With the new immersive World of Love Island quiz experience, players must answer questions such as: What happens next? What colour swim shorts was he wearing? Which country is this Islander from? The game works by stepping on platforms A, B and C until the platform with the right answer lights up. With three rounds, each containing five questions, being broadcasted four times a day (to cover all time zones), players will never miss out on proving who’s the biggest Love Island expert around; with all participants receiving an exclusive pin to show off. A special release of new clothing and furni, plus the extension of the existing Love Island room into the World of Love Island area will guarantee to keep the summer vibes flowing.

Kim Dingler, CCO, Global Entertainment at ITV Studios, comments: “Love Island has such a loyal and engaged fanbase, by bringing the show to Hotel Hideaway players feel actively involved as they experience the life of an Islander in the Love Island villa.”

Jurriaan van Teunenbroek, VP Games and Content at Azerion, comments: “The Love Island experience in Hotel Hideaway has been such a great success, showcasing the many possibilities for brands to engage with consumers in an organic way. This partnership demonstrates the opportunities of in-game advertising and branding, capturing the attention of millions of actively engaged audiences and coupling it with a successful TV show to increase cross-marketing strategies.”

Contact

press@azerion.com

investorrelations@azerion.com

About Hotel Hideaway

With over 17.5 million registered users, Azerion’s Hotel Hideaway is a 3D social virtual community full of opportunities to meet new people and make new friends. The Hotel is a lively and vibrant world full to the brim with social adventures and fun activities! Dress to impress and stand out from the crowd with an abundance of stylish clothing, items and accessories. Customise your room with a variety of furniture items and decorations. Learn secret gestures and dance moves – and then party into the early hours inside unique public rooms. No matter what you like to spend your time doing, Hotel Hideaway is the place to be. There’s oodles of fun to be had and secrets to discover, so jump in and make sure the other guests recognise your name!

About ITV Studios

ITV Studios is a creator, producer and distributor of world-leading programmes and formats that people can’t get enough of. Connecting millions of people every day and shaping and reflecting the world they live in, ITV Studios is More Than TV. Its Brand & Licensing department is responsible for all global commercial activities including sponsorship, brand licensing, consumer products, gaming, and live events. It represents a diverse portfolio including scripted and non-scripted content, game shows and kids titles, which offers a wide range of commercial opportunities. Brands include The Voice, Hell’s Kitchen, Love Island, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, The Chase, Coronation Street, Schitt’s Creek, The Last Unicorn, Thunderbirds, Space: 1999, The Prisoner, and more.

About Azerion

Azerion is a high-growth digital entertainment and media platform. As a content-driven, technology and data company, Azerion serves consumers, digital publishers, advertisers and game creators globally. Azerion’s integrated platform provides technology solutions to automate the purchase and sale of digital advertising for media buyers and sellers, supported by in market sales and campaign management teams. Through our technology, content creators, digital publishers and advertisers work with Azerion to reach the millions of people across the globe that play Azerion’s games and view its distributed entertainment content to increase engagement, loyalty and drive e-commerce. Founded in 2014 by two Dutch entrepreneurs, Azerion has experienced rapid expansion driven by organic growth and strategic acquisitions. Azerion is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and is a publicly traded company listed on Euronext Amsterdam.
For more information visit: www.azerion.com

August 29, 2022

12 countries join first-ever SAI20 Summit in Bali

As many as 12 countries are taking part in the first-ever Supreme Audit Institution G20 (SAI20) Summit 2022 in Bali from August 29 to 30, 2022, Chief of the Indonesian State Audit Board (BPK) Isma Yatun has informed.

This year, the summit was held with the agenda of adopting the rules of procedures and endorsing the SAI20 communique, Yatun informed at the opening of the SAI20 Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Monday.

SAI20 is an engagement group focusing on good and accountable governance through the role of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) under the G20 framework. This engagement group is expected to strengthen and empower their audit engagements through policy dialogue and identification of best practices.

Representatives from 8 countries – Indonesia, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, India, and Russia – are attending the summit in person. Meanwhile, representatives from 4 countries – Mexico, South Africa, China, and Turkey – are joining it virtually.

Once the rules of procedures are in place, various internal processes, including decision-making at the SAI20, will run smoothly and surely, she said. In addition, the rules of procedures will also provide directives for the operational arrangement of SAI20.

Since the environmental dynamics are growing very fast, the rules of procedures are considered to be a document that could grow in a more adaptive and responsive way, she said.

Meanwhile, the SAI20 communique, which is to be endorsed at the summit, seeks to demonstrate joint SAI20 commitment to the public, governments, parliaments, and other stakeholders in G20 member states.

To that end, she said SAI20 is making an effort to conduct effective collaboration involving state audit institutions and governments in the G20 community to ensure that governments can accept SAI20’s commitment, role, and recommendations.

“The SAI20 communique expresses the desire to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders to unite joint efforts along with state audit boards in G20 countries in order to give added value to the world community in facing uncertainty, complexity, and fast changes,” she said.

Source: Antara News

August 29, 2022

Ambassador urges W Sumatra to open Padang restaurant in Norway

Indonesian Ambassador to Norway accredited to Iceland Todung Mulya Lubis has encouraged the West Sumatra provincial authority to establish a Padang restaurant in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.

“There are a lot of Chinese, Indian, Thai, and Vietnamese restaurants here, but there are no Indonesian or Padang food restaurants. I believe our food, particularly rendang, can compete (with other national foods),” Lubis told West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi while observing a send-off ceremony for rendang spices exports via online means here on Monday.

The ambassador advised the governor to get in touch with the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry and seek its support for opening a Padang food restaurant in Oslo, as food would be one of the easiest means to promote Indonesian culture.

“Norwegians are keen to experience new things, including new foods. I believe our foods will be welcomed and (our restaurants) in Oslo will be frequented by customers,” Lubis said.

He also suggested that the government consider promoting the development of Indonesian restaurants in all national capitals to promote Indonesian food and culture.

Meanwhile, Mahyeldi said that the ambassador pointed out opportunities in various aspects. Apart from the benefit in terms of the business aspect, West Sumatra government can also promote local culture by opening a Padang food restaurant in Norway, he said.

“We will discuss this with the Minang diaspora there. If possible, we will open more Padang food restaurants in other countries as it will greatly benefit West Sumatra,” he informed.

West Sumatra is renowned for its delicious food, which complements the province’s rich culture, art, and natural beauty, he added.

In 2011, Minang dish rendang — slow-cooked and braised meat seasoned in rich spices — was named the most delicious food in CNN International’s World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods list.

Rendang again appeared as the 11th most delicious food on the same list in 2021.

Source: Antara News

August 29, 2022

NTT Police personnel selected as UN peacekeepers in Central Africa

As many as 13 personnel of the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Provincial Police will join the UN peacekeeping mission in the conflict-plagued Central African Republic.

Chief of the NTT Provincial Police Inspector General Setyo Budiyanto, here on Monday, expressed pride over his men being chosen as UN peacekeepers.

“Of course, (I) am proud and thankful that personnel of the East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Police have been selected to join the UN peacekeeping mission,” he affirmed.

The 13 members of the ENT Provincial Police are among 154 police personnel from across Indonesia that will depart for Central Africa on September 17-19, 2022.

The 154 police personnel comprise 25 policewomen and 115 policemen. Prior to their departure, they have received the pre-assignment exercise.

Chief of the International Relations Division at the National Police Inspector General Johni Asadoma said several tests were conducted to ensure that the 154 police personnel are healthy.

Budiyanto called on the 13 police personnel to always communicate with their families while joining the UN peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic.

In addition, they should remain vigilant during their assignment in the conflict-plagued country.

They should always respect and appreciate the local customs, he emphasized.

Source: Antara News

August 29, 2022

Foreign women bear the brunt of Malaysia’s harsh drug laws

Malaysia’s strict drug trafficking laws see foreign women disproportionately put on death row.

A video of a 55-year-old single mother crying uncontrollably after being sentenced to death last year for possessing 113.9 grams of methamphetamine ignited heated online discussions about women’s rights and capital punishment in Malaysia.

Under Malaysia’s Dangerous Drugs Act, those found guilty of possessing over 50 grams of methamphetamine face a largely mandatory death sentence. Critics note that the impact of the harsh penalty is often borne by the marginalised, especially vulnerable women.

Of the 1,342 inmates on death row in Malaysia, women make up nearly 10 percent (129 female inmates), nearly twice the global rate of women sentenced to death. In 2019, 95 percent of women on death row had been sentenced to death for drug-related crimes, compared to 70 percent of male inmates. A higher percentage of women facing execution are foreign nationals (86 percent) relative to men (39 percent).

The high ratio of foreign nationals facing death is an established trend. Between 1983 and 2019, 90 percent of the women sentenced to death for drug trafficking in Malaysia were foreign nationals — typically from less affluent countries in Southeast Asia or other states in the global south, such as Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, China, and Iran.

Another pattern: the foreign national women sentenced to death are generally economically precarious, in positions where they were vulnerable to being duped or coerced. They are not major profiteers in the drug market and do not fit the profile of the ‘worst of the worst’ offenders.

Many claimed to have been duped into smuggling drugs. Indeed, 65 percent of the women who were arrested at the international border said they were paid or asked to courier items internationally at someone else’s request or were transporting supplies for their own small businesses, and unbeknownst to them, drugs were concealed among the packages.

The transnational informal trade of goods is known as ‘suitcase trading’ and is dominated by women from the global south who may be excluded from the mainstream economy, leading them to seek informal and entrepreneurial income-generating activities. In other instances, women were caught drug smuggling while they were travelling abroad for work in a female-dominated industry – such as domestic workers or masseuses. Drug syndicates seem to be capitalising on the ‘feminisation of migration’ in the region and exploiting women as unwitting drug couriers.

Women are also subjected to deplorable conditions while incarcerated on death row in Malaysia. They are held in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours per day and without access to programmes or work opportunities in prison. Foreign national inmates may not speak the language of the prison officers and may struggle to receive assistance from their consulate. There is also no access to gender-specific healthcare while on death row.

The Malaysian government confirmed in June 2022 that it would abolish the mandatory death penalty, including for drug trafficking.

In other jurisdictions that have abolished the death penalty, it has been replaced with a term of imprisonment. It is recommended that the prison sentence be assessed on a case-by-case basis and proportional to the crime; sentencing guidelines minimise the risk of arbitrary sentencing.

Gender-sensitive drug policy reform would take into account the socio-economic factors that precipitate women’s involvement in drug trafficking, such as any history of gender-based violence, if they were coerced or influenced, possible drug dependence and/or mental illness, and whether they engaged in drug trafficking to fulfill their responsibilities as a sole breadwinner.

Source: 360Info

August 29, 2022

Govt launches FOLUR project to build food system integration

The government has launched Indonesia’s Food Systems, Land Use, and Restoration (FOLUR) Project to support the transformation of the global food system by promoting integrated and sustainable landscapes and efficient commodity value chains.

“The development of a food security system needs to be carried out by implementing sustainable principles in land, water, and ecosystem management and supported by landscape management so that it will become the main pillar for the realization of sustainable food security,” Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said in a statement in Jakarta on Monday.

Currently, the government is trying to push several important agendas to overcome global challenges.

These include increasing industrial competitiveness and expanding the investment climate, optimizing domestic added value, downstreaming to encourage industrialization, and increasing regional connectivity.

Then, the government is also seeking to encourage the use of the demographic bonus, mitigate the effects of climate change, and strengthen the food and energy security system, he said.

He expects all stakeholders to participate in encouraging the management of the food security system in a sustainable manner so that it can have a concrete impact on the national economy.

“I invite all stakeholders between related ministries/institutions, regional governments, private sector, universities, non-governmental organizations, and farmers to unite, synergize, build, and manage food systems in a sustainable manner to support economic recovery efforts,” he added.

On the same occasion, Deputy for Food and Agribusiness Coordination at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Musdhalifah Machmud said that the implementation of the FOLUR Project is expected to create a value chain sustainability model for four targeted commodities, such as rice, palm oil, coffee, and cocoa.

The sustainability of the value chain can be realized through the application of a comprehensive land use landscape with attention to biodiversity conservation, climate change, restoration, and land degradation.

Machmud said he also hopes that the FOLUR project can provide real support and contribute to integrated landscape management.

“That is by restoring forest functions, restoring the level of biodiversity, and implementing agricultural cultivation,” he added.

Source: Antara News

August 29, 2022

Expect additional social aid to reduce pressure on community: minister

The diversion of Rp24.17 trillion in fuel subsidies to provide additional social assistance is aimed at reducing the pressure on the community amid rising goods prices, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati has said.

“This is expected to reduce poverty and pressure on the community,” she informed after a limited meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on Monday.

However, Indrawati was reluctant to comment on the value of the remaining fuel subsidies in the current year’s state budget after the diversion of fuel subsidies of Rp24.17 trillion.

“I announce today for the addition of social assistance,” she said.

President Jokowi has ordered that social assistance of Rp24.17 trillion from the diversion of fuel subsidies be distributed to the public this week, she informed.

According to Indrawati, out of the total social assistance of Rp24.17 trillion, the community will be provided three types of aid: direct cash assistance of Rp150 thousand will be provided four times for 20.65 million community groups, with the budget totaling Rp12.4 trillion.

Direct cash assistance of Rp300 thousand will be provided by the Ministry of Social Affairs twice through various channels of the Indonesian Post Office.

Second, wage subsidy assistance amounting to Rp600 thousand will be provided once to 16 million workers with a maximum salary of Rp3.5 million per month, with the total budget for the allocation pegged at Rp9.6 trillion.

Third, payments will also be made by local governments using 2 percent of the general transfer funds, specifically the general allocation fund (DAU) and revenue sharing fund (DBH), of Rp2.17 trillion to help the transportation sector, such as public transportation, motorcycle taxis, and even fishermen, as well as provide additional social protection.

The government is preparing a number of schemes in relation to changes in the subsidized fuel price policy, namely for Pertalite and diesel fuel, so that the quota for fuel subsidized by the government can meet the needs of the community until the end of the year while remaining within the 2022 state budget ceiling.

The government has disbursed Rp502.4 trillion in subsidies and compensation so far, comprising Rp208.9 trillion in energy subsidies and Rp293.5 trillion in energy compensation.

It is making every effort to keep the energy subsidy at Rp502 trillion in order to not put pressure on the state budget (APBN), Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif said earlier.

“The government is (working at) keeping the energy subsidy at Rp502 trillion. If we can retrench it, why should we waste it?” he remarked at a press conference at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry in Jakarta on Friday.

He said the government has prepared several schemes to maintain the energy subsidy, ranging from restricting the purchase of subsidized fuel oil, and distributing direct subsidies to low-income people, to raising the prices of Pertalite gasoline and diesel oil.

If the government does not take these measures, the energy subsidy will soar to Rp690 trillion, he explained.

The economic price of Pertalite gasoline is Rp17,200 per liter, while it is currently being sold at Rp7,650 per liter, he highlighted.

Meanwhile, the economic price of diesel oil is Rp17,600 per liter, well above the selling price of Rp5,150 per liter at gas stations. Further, the economic price of Pertamax gasoline is Rp19,900 per liter, while it is being sold at Rp12,500 per liter.

Source: Antara News

August 29, 2022

U20 participants tour Jakarta on MRT, electric buses

Governor of Jakarta Anies Baswedan took several participants of the G20 Urban 20 (U20) Summit on a tour of the city on TransJakarta electric buses and the Jakarta MRT.

“We invite them to see a new side of Jakarta,” the governor remarked in the Dukuh Atas area here on Monday.

The city tour started from Fairmont Hotel in Senayan, the U20 meeting location, with the participants boarding electric buses.

Besides Baswedan, the U20 participants who joined the tour included the Mayor of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Ahmed Aboutaleb; representatives of the Mumbai city government, India; international organizations and institutions; as well as several mayors from Indonesia.

The electric buses traveled through the Senayan area, then Blok M area, and stopped at the Cakra Selaras Wahana (CSW) Bus Stop.

From CSW, the group headed to the ASEAN MRT Station to take the Jakarta MRT to Dukuh Atas MRT Station.

“We are also developing micro and small businesses at the MRT Station,” Baswedan told them when they arrived at the Dukuh Atas MRT Station.

The U20 has been organized under the G20 Sherpa Track to discuss problems and challenges arising in cities, primarily in relation to tackling the global climate crisis and striving for sustainable development.

Jakarta is hosting the meeting of city government leaders or the G20 Urban 20 Mayors Summit in Central Jakarta from August 30–31, 2022.

The U20 Summit is expected to put forward recommendations related to efforts to deal with the challenges of city governments for the G20 Summit, which will be held in Nusa Dua, Bali, on November 15 and 16.

Source: Antara News