Alistair Speirs
Covid-19 and The Indonesian Economy
Alistair Speirs turned to European Chamber of Commerce Chair and President Director of Danone AQUA, Corine Tap, to see how her members are faring and find out her views on the way in which Indonesia has tackled the crisis. We have been under social distancing mode, working from home, office closure, hospitality industry (and most
I Opened The Window and In Flew Enza
There is great confusion here in Indonesia which now, more than ever needs to be resolved. There is the Common Cold, which gives you a cough, a runny nose and probably a heavy nasty headache. Then there is Influenza, which is much more serious, and while it shares some of the same symptoms, it is not
Interview with British Ambassador H.E. Owen Jenkins
H.E. Owen Jenkins, UK Ambassador to Indonesia. Photo by Raditya Fadilla/NOWJAKARTA The UK holds nothing back in aiding the global struggle against the pandemic, while helping Indonesia directly at the same time. Owen Jenkins shared details with NOW! Jakarta. What can Indonesia learn from UK's handling of the Covid-19 Crisis, or vice versa? The UK
British Council: Building Deeper UK-Indonesia Connections
Colm Downes, Interim Country Director of British Council Indonesia. Photos courtesy of Colm Downes/NOWJAKARTA NOW! Jakarta’s Alistair Speirs spoke to Colm Downes, Interim Country Director of British Council Indonesia the council’s progress as it embraces the new normal. Up to the onset of Covid-19, how would you describe the progress of the British Council in Indonesia?
Strengthening Longstanding Connections: In Conversation with H.E. Ishii Masafumi, Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia
H.E. Ishii Masafumi, Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia. Photo by Raditya Fadilla/NOWJAKARTA NOW! Jakarta sat down with H.E. Ishii Masafumi, Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia before the outbreak and talked bilateral happenings and how the two countries continue to develop strong ties. There was a recent meeting between The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and The Coordinating Minister
The Fruits of Readiness
The transition to home learning seems effortless for JIS, but a recent talk with Nicholas Biblis, spokesperson for the school, revealed the sheer hard work and preparation behind it. Photos courtesy of Jakarta Intercultural School/NOWJAKARTA The transition to home learning seems effortless for JIS, but a recent talk with Nicholas Biblis, spokesperson for the school,
Bonded by History, Tied by the Future
Photo by Raditya Fadilla/NOWJAKARTA Just at the onset of the outbreak, NOW! Jakarta spoke to Lambert Grijns, Ambassador of The Netherlands to Indonesia, on the recent royal visit and what the future holds for bilateral relationship. Despite one unfortunate accident, the Royal Visit seemed to go very well. Do you agree? And what, for you,
What is the Potential Liability under Law for Escaped Viruses?
Illustration of law and justice. Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash/NOWJAKARTA As an old insurance hand I had a sudden thought, triggered by this recent spate of accusations of responsibility for the release of the virus between various countries, which shows no sign of going away. What area of law would this kind of incident fall under, and
“You Have Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself”
“You have nothing to fear but fear itself” These are the famous lines from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s inauguration speech before the US Congress in 1933. Here is the full first paragraph. “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning,
Now is the Time for Poetry and Philosophy
Let us take a selected tour of the great philosophers words of wisdom which apply, amazingly, to our age of corona twitterdom. Photo by Alex Block on Unsplash/NOWJAKARTA I know it's all necessary and it's for our good, but aren’t you just getting a little tired of social distancing, constant hand washing, sanitizing, isolation and masking up?
Put Down That Phone, Unplug That Screen! It’s Time to Read!
Based on John Peder Zane's book, here are top 10 books of all time. Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash/NOWJAKARTA Ok, we all have some extra time on our hands and yes, it is a good time to read those books I have always wanted to read, but wait, what were they? Those classics I was always told
The Theory of Evolution and the Corona Virus
Fascinating stuff and provides a good explanation as to where we are today, but also where we are heading, the evolution of SARS to MERS to Covid-19 is certainly only the beginning, somewhere out there is already Covid-Plus virus ready to take the battle to an even higher plain. Darwin told us 250 years ago.
Happy Hearts Indonesia: Building Schools for the Poor
NOW! Jakarta Publisher Alistair Speirs talks to Sylvia Beiwinkler about Happy Hearts Fund (HHF). Photos courtesy of Happy Hearts Fund (HHF)/NOWJAKARTA Happy Hearts Fund (HHF) was founded in 2006 by supermodel Petra Nemcova to help children affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. HHF started rebuilding schools in Yogyakarta after the devastating earthquake in 2006. In 2013, HHF launched
