Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto meets Chinese foreign minister

Indonesia's President-elect Prabowo Subianto Thursday met in Jakarta with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who arrived to a rousing welcome as the Indonesian military band played a famous Chinese melody.

Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, is currently on a six-day visit to Indonesia, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea, which started on Thursday.

During his meeting with Prabowo, Wang conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings to Prabowo and extended congratulations on Prabowo's victory in the presidential election, while expressing the confidence that the president-elect will lead Indonesia to a brighter future.

Prabowo's decision to prioritize China for his first official visit after being elected demonstrates his friendly sentiments towards the Chinese people and the high importance he places on China-Indonesia relations, Wang said.

China has always regarded Indonesia as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy and a reliable partner in global affairs, the foreign minister said.

The unity and cooperation between China and Indonesia enhance global development, contribute to peace and stability, and drive the process of global multipolarization, Wang said.

China is committed to building higher levels of strategic mutual trust with Indonesia, fostering comprehensive cooperation, supporting each other's modernization efforts, and elevating their comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights, Wang said.

Noting that China supports Indonesia in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs, the foreign minister emphasized that China is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Indonesia to jointly uphold the hard-won peace and stability of the region.

Both countries will promote equitable and orderly multipolarization worldwide, leading the way in building a community with a shared future for mankind, Wang added.

For his part, Prabowo thanked the Chinese side for the warm and thoughtful arrangements for his visit to China, which he said was short but impressive and beneficial.

China is a good friend of Indonesia, Prabowo said, adding that he hopes to continuously push forward bilateral strategic cooperation at a higher level and upgrade the bilateral relations.

Prabowo said that China has always upheld justice in international and regional affairs, providing selfless assistance to developing countries.

Strengthening coordination between Indonesia and China will certainly have a positive impact on the stability and prosperity of the region and the world at large, said the president-elect.

Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto meets Chinese foreign minister

Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto meets Chinese foreign minister

Kenya has suddenly decided to postpone the re-opening of schools by one week due to the floods that have threatened the safety of students.

Kenya's Ministry of Education issued a notice shortly after 1:00 on Monday to postpone the reopening of all primary and secondary schools due to the floods. The dates were changed from the 29th of April to the 6th of May.

The decision has come as a relief to many parents, but some are frustrated with the timing of the announcement.

Monday seemed to be just like any other school re-opening day after the holidays. Some students and their parents were about to board a bus when they received news that altered their plans for the whole week.

"This inconvenience has affected all of our plans," said Titus Githenji, a parent.

And it wasn't just parents. Frustrated transport operators were forced to refund their passengers, impacting their business.

It was seen to be a practical decision by the government, as some schools are housing displaced people from the local community due to the recent heavy rain. Meanwhile, the government said a significant number of schools have been adversely affected by the deluge. And until the safety of the students and school communities can be assured, they will remain shut.

Regina Otiende, a mother of eight, is among more than three hundred people who sought shelter at the Valley Bridge Primary School.

Six days ago, her home was inundated by a heavy downpour.

"All the houses were submerged. People were on the rooftops waiting to be rescued," said Otiende.

She said she has lost her livelihood and her children's school things, and she cannot afford to replace them.

"What we want to know is how the children will go back to school, uniforms and books were all destroyed," she said.

Heavy rainfall pounding several parts of Kenya and devastating flash floods have left 169 people dead, a government official said on Monday evening.

The East African nation is currently experiencing El Nino-induced above-average rainfall. The Kenya Meteorological Department has said that heavy rain will continue this week, with potential for flooding and landslides in some areas.

The recent heavy rainfall has resulted in major flash floods in Nairobi, Makueni, West Pokot, and Machakos counties, with loss of life and properties. The inundations have also cut off main roads, and disrupted business across the country.

Heavy rain in Kenya forces postponement of school reopening