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People hold blue balloons during a vigil for MP David Amess, who was stabbed to death during a meeting with constituents, at the Civic Centre in Southend-on-Sea, Britain, on Oct 16, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Tony O'Brien) - 

Britain's interior minister on Sunday (Oct 17) said that security for members of parliament would be beefed up, after a lawmaker was stabbed to death as he held a public meeting with constituents, in the second such attack in five years.

Veteran Conservative MP David Amess, 69, was talking with voters at a church in the small town of Leigh-on-Sea, east of London, when he was killed on Friday.

The attack has spread fear among MPs, coming just over five years after the similar killing of Labour MP Jo Cox in the febrile run-up to the Brexit referendum.

Police have said that they are investigating "a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism". The investigation is being led by Scotland Yard's Counter Terrorism Command.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has ordered a review of security measures for lawmakers and told Sky News that "we need to close any gaps" in security provision for MPs, whose work includes regular meetings with constituents, called "surgeries".

She said that police and parliamentary authorities were implementing "immediate changes and measures that are actively being put in place, and discussed with MPs".

This includes MPs sharing information on their whereabouts with police. Close protection at surgeries was also "in consideration right now", she added.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that uniformed police were guarding some surgeries following the attack, which prompted calls from some MPs for a pause in face-to-face meetings.

Police said late on Saturday that detectives had until Friday to question the suspected attacker after he was detained under the Terrorism Act, which allowed them to extend his detention.

He has not been charged.

British media, citing unnamed official sources, identified the suspect as Ali Harbi Ali.

Reports said that he was a British national of Somali descent who had been referred to Prevent, the United Kingdom's official counterterrorism scheme for those thought to be at risk of radicalisation.

Ali is not believed to have spent a long time on the programme, which is voluntary, and was never formally a "subject of interest" to MI5, the domestic security agency, said the BBC.

The Prevent programme is currently under independent review.

"We want to ensure (the Prevent programme) is fit for purpose, robust, doing the right thing, but importantly, learning lessons," Patel told Sky News.

Detectives said that they have been carrying out searches at three addresses in the London area in a "fast-paced investigation".

Police and security services believe that the suspected attacker acted alone and was "self-radicalised", the Sunday Times reported, while adding that he may have been inspired by Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda-linked Islamists in Somalia.

Ali's father, named as Harbi Ali Kullane and said to be a former adviser to the prime minister of Somalia, confirmed to the Sunday Times that his son was in custody, adding: "I'm feeling very traumatised."

Patel nevertheless stressed to the BBC that: "We have the best security and intelligence agencies in the world."

The government stepped up security for MPs following the 2016 murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, 41, who was shot and stabbed outside her constituency meeting near Leeds in northern England.

House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle wrote in the Observer that "we need to take stock" and review whether security measures introduced after Cox's murder are "adequate to safeguard members, staff and constituents, especially during surgeries".

Tobias Ellwood, a Conservative MP who tried to save a stabbed police officer during a 2017 terror attack near the Houses of Parliament, on Saturday urged a temporary pause in face-to-face meetings with constituents, until the security review is complete//CNA

Head of Lampung's Cooperatives and MSMEs Service Syamsurizal Ari. (ANTARA/Dian Hadiyatna/FR) - 

Digital marketing has enabled many micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Lampung Province to survive, and even book increases in sales in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, a local government official said.

"Several MSMEs that we met are able to increase productions and improve revenues thanks to digital marketing," Head of Lampung's Cooperatives and MSMEs Office Syamsurizal Ari said here Sunday.

According to Ari, during the COVID-19 pandemic, travel and public activity restrictions have been imposed but his office continues to encourage local MSMEs to survive and seek new opportunities through online sales.

To this end, the Lampung administration would continue to empower the institutional and human resources of local MSMEs to enable them to have better performance, and to bolster economic growth during the pandemic.

"We offer several programs, including training of how the MSME actors can utilize digital marketing," he said.

Based on Bank Indonesia's (BI's) survey, around 83 percent of 2,970 MSMEs in Lampung got affected by COVID-19 but some 70 percent of the affected MSMEs managed to survive by utilizing digitalization in their marketing.

He also urged the MSMEs not to be fixated on existing platforms since the definition of digitalization is broad. 

Therefore, they can use such social media platforms as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook to publicize or to market their products.

"Our job with other related organizations is to provide the MSMEs with  mentorship on how to do product marketing, narration, and visualization together so they can be more ready in this digital era," he stated//ANT

Head of Disaster Mitigation National Agency (BNPB) Ganip Warsito while surveying the Ban Village, Kubu Sub-District, Karangasem District, Bali, on Sunday (October 17, 2021). ANTARA/Humas BNPB/FR - 

Disaster Mitigation National Agency (BNPB) Head Ganip Warsito visited Karangasem and Bangli Districts in Bali Island on Sunday to observe the impacts of 4.8-magnitude earthquake that jolted the areas on Saturday. 

The earthquake that struck Bali Province on Saturday at 03:18 p.m. local time caused destruction in several locations. The disaster zones severely  affected by the quake are located in the two districts. 

According to a written statement received here on Sunday, Warsito and his entourage began the visit in Ban Village, Kubu Sub-District, Karangasem District, to observe the readiness of command posts there.

As of Saturday at 06:00 p.m. local time, the earthquake killed three people and wounded 25 others.

During the visit, he expressed his heartfelt sympathies to the villagers who lost their loved ones and suffer the impacts of the quake. He also ensured that basic needs for affected residents are available.  

To expedite the disaster emergency response aid, the BNPB has supplied 443 packages of food, 152 packages of additional nutrition, 60 packages of instant food, and 20 family tents to each of the affected districts.

Warsito also urged locals to stay calm, and regional governments to continue disaster mitigation programs in an endeavor to improve their disaster readiness. 

The residents need to be trained and edified to improve their disaster literacy while night patrols could also be restored to reduce disaster risks of aftershocks, he said.

"Residents themselves must build their alertness and readiness. Regional leaders must be able to encourage their people to get well prepared for facing disaster risks in future," Warsito said//ANT

Children participating in Indonesian traditional dance in Indonesia Pavilion during the World Expo 2020 Dubai. (ANTARA/ Biro Humas Kementerian Perdagangan/FR) - 

The Indonesian Pavilion at the Expo Dubai 2020 has received more than 50 thousand visitors since this one of the world's biggest events commenced on October 1, 2021, according to the Indonesian Trade Ministry. 

Highlighting the theme of "Creating the Future, From Indonesia to the World", the pavilion promotes the country's potency, innovation, and advancement through various weekly themes and business forums.

"We were so excited since our day of arrival here due to the high enthusiasm of visitors," Director General of the National Export Development at the Trade Ministry Didi Sumedi said. 

Within two weeks, the Indonesian Pavilion has been visited by more than 50,000 people, he said in a statement that ANTARA received here Sunday. 

Besides introducing more than 300 export-ready products from micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and holding more than 75 business forums, Indonesia's culture is also promoted through music and dance performances.

Folk songs and traditional dances from various regions in Indonesia, including West Sumatra's Tari Piring (Plate Dance), and East Java's Gandrung, and Ngremo Dances are performed at the event everyday, he said.

"The Indonesian Pavilion has become a cure for the homesickness. My family and I visit Indonesia for vacation every year, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot go," said Benon Patentreger, a visitor.

Patentreger lauded the pavilion partly owing to its vibrant presence as it it shows the beauty of Indonesia's nature and diversity of its cultural richness.

The Indonesian Pavilion at the Expo Dubai 2020 also showcases the nation's diverse array of cultures and arts to the world through Indonesia's National Day on November 4, 2021.

The National Day will be held at Al Wasl Plaza, which is regarded as the most luxurious and strategic location since it was also chosen to be the venue for this event's opening ceremony.

During the National Day, Indonesia will showcase art and cultural shows that highlight the nation's cultural diversity and richness in spices and natural resources. 

After being postponed in 2020 due to the global pandemic of novel coronavirus disease, the Expo Dubai 2020 is finally held from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. 

Apart from the postponement, the expo organizers still retained the 2020 branding of the event that highlights the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future"//ANT