VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been moved to a new jail with better facilities near the national capital Islamabad after a court order, his lawyer said on Monday.

Khan was jailed in August in connection with a corruption case. A court suspended his prison term weeks later but a prior order for him to be remanded in custody in a case related to charges of leaking state secrets case prevented his release. (Reuters)

VOINews, Jakarta - A total of 62 member countries of the Electronic Navigational Chart Working Group (ENCWG) expressed support for the formulation of Indonesia's new marine electronic navigational chart (ENC) standard, Indonesian Navy's Hydro-Oceanographic Center stated.

In West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on Monday, the center's commander, Vice Admiral Nurhidayat, explained that the formulation of the marine navigational chart standard aims to provide better protection to shipping activities.

"The implementation (of the standard) will begin in 2024. This navigation system will be accessible through smartphones," he remarked during the 8th meeting of the ENCWG.

According to the commander, Indonesia is still referring to an old standard in managing its electronic navigation chart.

Nurhidayat expressed belief that the formulation and implementation of a new standard for Indonesia's ENC would provide convenience to countries in monitoring the situation and condition of seas in Indonesia, especially in the southern waters covering Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, and East Nusa Tenggara provinces.

"Hence, this meeting takes place to formulate a navigational standard that will be inseparable from other countries," he emphasized.

Furthermore, Nurhayat remarked that delegates from ENCWG member countries had been assisting Indonesia in formulating the new standard by providing suggestions and considerations.

"By using the new navigational system, we will also be able to monitor underwater movements. This can also provide complementary data to BMKG (Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency) and the National Research and Innovation Agency," he noted.

The 8th meeting of the ENCWG is being held in Senggigi, West Lombok District, and draws participation from delegates of 62 member countries of the working group, such as France, Australia, the United States, New Zealand, Sweden, Finland, Canada, Denmark, India, the Netherlands, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - The 2023 Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum Summit can result in agreements that lead to improving the quality of coastal and marine ecosystems, a government official said.

"Agreements at the regional and global levels can improve the quality of coastal and marine ecosystems, especially (in preventing) marine pollution by plastic waste," Head of the Jakarta Food Security, Marine, and Agriculture (KPKP) Office Suharini Eliawati told ANTARA here on Monday.

Eliawati noted that the 2023 AIS Forum, which will discuss about marine pollution as one of the issues, can lead to agreements at the regional and global levels.

The AIS Forum Summit will be held on October 10-11, 2023, in Bali, with the theme of "Fostering Collaboration, Enabling Innovation for Our Ocean and Our Future."

She reminded that pollution in the sea does not only come from one source of location but also from various regions in the world, as countries are connected by sea.

According to Eliawati, waste and other pollutants that pollute the Jakarta sea not only come from the Jakarta area but also from other regions or even countries.

She noted that the declining quality of coastal and marine ecosystems can affect ecological, social, and economic aspects, among others.

Eliawati explained that plastic waste in the sea can deteriorate coastal aesthetics and beauty, thereby harming potential marine tourism development.

Speaking in terms of the ecological aspect, she cautioned that plastic waste can harm marine life, and the content of microplastics that enter the body of fish can affect human health.

In terms of the economic aspect, the decreasing environmental quality will lead to low interest in investing and developing maritime-based activities, such as marine tourism, fisheries, and sea transportation.

"Therefore, handling plastic waste in coastal areas is important and needs to be implemented immediately," Eliawati stated. (antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) assessed that the increasingly widespread application of technology can attract the youth to work in the agriculture sector.

Head of the BRIN Food Crop Research Center, Yudhistira Nugraha, stated that digital technology and artificial intelligence-based technology make farming easier and more prestigious, so that farming is no longer considered a traditional job.

"The application of technology attracts the younger generation to engage more in the agricultural sector," Nugraha noted during a dialogue event on artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the agricultural sector monitored here on Monday.

One of the technologies applied in agriculture is drone that has brought significant transformation in the management of soil and land to boost plant productivity.

Drones have sensors, such as multispectral red edge cameras, which enable them to conduct real-time, accurate, and quick monitoring of plants and detect changes in plant conditions, such as lack of water or stress in plants, the dynamics of pest attacks, and even disease emergence.

Nugraha explained that through the information obtained by drones, farmers can take timely action, such as managing water provision that is more efficient, fertilization that is on target, targeted application of pesticides, and special treatment for certain plants.

In addition, drones can map out agricultural land in a high level of detail, thereby enabling better planning for planting, fertilizing, and maintenance.

Various benefits that the technology offers help all parties, not only farmers but also policymakers in increasing crop yields, reducing production costs, and contributing to agricultural sustainability.

He noted that several startups in the field of agriculture use drones to support cultivation.

He assessed that the integration of AI with drones and sensors has a significant impact on the process of monitoring, supervision, and decision-making that is smarter and more accurate.

Meanwhile, manager of research at drone service provider Quadron Teknologi Indonesia, Try Surya Harapan, stated that automation sensors in drones enable farmers to manage which plants must be sprayed.

"Drones can fly to precise coordinate points and then spray (plants)," he explained.

He remarked that the combination of drones and sensors can provide myriad benefits to farmers, such as for aerial photography, topography and land boundary surveys, soil health monitoring, livestock movement and counting, irrigation monitoring, pesticide spraying, and soil and water samples' collection. (antaranews)