INDONESIA CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION TO FIGHT HUNGER by Fardah

     Jakarta, Oct 31, 2013 (Antara) - One out of ten people throughout the world do not sleep soundly because their stomachs are empty, and to help end that hunger the world must work together, Indonesia's president said.

         "Every nation in the world must work together to secure the availability of food throughout the world, so there will be no more sleepless night because of hunger," Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in Padang, West Sumatra, during the 33rd World Food Day commemoration held throughout Indonesia on October 31, 2013.    

INDONESIA STRIVES FOR FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY by Fardah

    Jakarta, Oct 30, 2013 (Antara) -  As the commemoration of World Food Day 2013 is approaching, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has announced his determination to secure Indonesia's food supply by boosting domestic food production.   
    The nation's food supply has been adequate, but a plan of action to increase the nation's food production is needed to anticipate an increase in population, which currently stands at some 250 million people, he said.        

INDONESIA SEES BETTER HAJJ PILGRIMAGE ARRANGEMENT THIS YEAR by Fardah

    Jakarta, Oct 25 (Antara) - The 2013 Hajj pilgrimage has just ended and, group by group, more than 170 thousand Indonesians will be returning to Indonesia from October 20 to November 18.

        Most of the pilgrims said they were grateful for the relatively smooth operations of the religious ritual in Saudi Arabia.

         Indonesia, which sends the largest number of pilgrims each year, is also grateful for better services, facilities and infrastructure made available during the pilgrimage.

RAINY SEASON STARTS WITH FLOODS IN PARTS OF INDONESIA by Fardah

     Jakarta, Oct 23, 2013 (Antara) - Although the rainy season has just begun in Indonesia, parts of the country such as North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Jakarta, and Maluku have already witnessed floods.

         Every year, several regions in the country get flooded during the rainy season, which usually begins in August or September. This year, the rains arrived a little late, but they have already wreaked havoc in parts of the country.

PROTECTION OF ORANGUTANS NEEDS HARD WORK, DEDICATION by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 22,2013 (Antara) - Even though the orangutan, literally translated as "Person of the Forest," is one of  humankind's closest relatives in the animal kingdom, sharing some 96.4 percent of human DNA, the animal's existence remains under constant threat.

          Last September, villagers of Pelangsian, Ketapang Subdistrict, East Kotawaringin District, Central Kalimantan Province, were shocked when they came upon a decapitated body in the area. At first, they thought it was a human corpse, but it turned out to be the body of an adult male orangutan that had been beheaded.

RI-EU FORESTRY AGREEMENT BREAKTHROUGH AGAINST ILLEGAL TIMBER by Fardah

     Jakarta, Oct 21, 2013 (Antara) - The Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade - Voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT-VPA) was signed by Indonesia and the European Union (EU) following six years of negotiations involving government officials, civil society, and the private sector.

         Indonesia is the first Asian country and the largest timber exporter to enter into such an agreement, which aims to ensure that all Indonesian timber entering the EU market is produced legally and has passed all legal verification channels with the EU.  

INDONESIA, INDIA TO EXPAND COOPERATION BEYOND ECONOMIC TIES by Fardah

     Jakarta, Oct 14, 2013 (Antara) - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent visit to Indonesia spurred the two countries to commit to expanding their strategic partnership in various fields.

        The two nations have acknowledged the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation not only in relation to the economy but also in fields such as transportation, tourism, information technology, creative economy, defense, security, counter-terrorism, natural disaster handling, anti-corruption, money laundering, drug and human trafficking, cyber crime, and space technology.  

INDONESIA EXPECTED TO PLAY BIGGER ROLE IN HELPING END SYRIAN CRISIS by Fardah

    Jakarta, Oct 12, 2013 (Antara) - The prolonged Syrian crisis became an important topic of discussion when leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies gathered in Bali, in early October.  
    Although the Syrian issue was not on the 21st APEC Summit's agenda, most leaders of APEC economies held bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit and some brought up the Syrian issue during their talks.

        "The Russian President expressed his appreciation for Indonesia's stand on the Syrian crisis," Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said, following a bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Bali on October 7, 2013.

APEC COMMITS TO BOOSTING CONNECTIVITY FOR BETTER ECONOMIC INTEGRATION by Fardah

    Jakarta, Oct 10, 2013 (Antara) - Members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), meeting at their 21st Summit in Bali, reiterated their commitment to strengthening and deepening regional economic integration and eliminating barriers to international trade and investment in the region.  
   APEC has identified regional connectivity, through air and water transportation, as well as electronically, as being crucial in reducing barriers, and set a target for achieving full connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region by the year 2030.

APEC ESTABLISHES NETWORK TO FIGHT CORRUPTION by Fardah

    Jakarta, Oct 9, 2013 (Antara) - Member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) consider corruption a threat to social and economic development.  
  Corruption practices lower public and investors' trust, damage healthy market competition, threaten consumers' safety, and increase the cost of doing business, delivering public services, and infrastructure projects.

        Therefore, to support sustainable and inclusive growth, the 21 member economies of APEC have expressed their commitment to eradicating corruption, bribery, money laundering, and illicit trade.

INDONESIA, CHINA FORGE COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP IN VARIOUS FIELDS By Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 7, 2013 (Antara) - The recent visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Jakarta was a historic one as it has lifted the two countries' bilateral relations to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership in various fields.          Indonesia and China have agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of industry, infrastructure development in the transportation sector, financial services, tourism, education, and the creative industry. China also plans to open a consulate general in Bali to strengthen bilateral ties.

AUSTRALIA PLEDGES TO RESPECT INDONESIA'S SOVEREIGNTY IN HANDLING BOAT PEOPLE By Fardah

    Jakarta, Oct 2, 2013 (Antara) - The recent visit of Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott to Indonesia is believed to have strengthened cooperation between the two countries in handling the issue of the boat people, who use Indonesia as a transit country while making their way to Australia.

         Abbott's first overseas state visit since taking over as Prime Minister on September 7, took place just a few days after a sea tragedy that claimed the lives of at least 31 would-be asylum seekers, whose boat sank off the southern coast of Indonesia while they were trying to sail to Australia.