The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation will tighten aviation safety standards by conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the regulations for low-cost carriers and full service airlines.

"We will evaluate aviation safety regulations for all airlines," Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said in Jakarta on Thursday.

The minister remarked that the evaluation would be adjusted to the report on the results of the investigation of the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT).

The minister will also seek assistance from the United States' Federal Aviation Administration, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the European Union.

"The government will also seek recommendations from the EU, ICAO, and FAA regarding safety standards," he remarked.

A joint diving team earlier managed to retrieve the black box of the crashed Lion Air plane from the waters of North Karawang, West Java, an official stated on Thursday.

"Both the Baruna Jaya boat and KRI Rigel warship located its position, and the joint diving team then dove deep down and pulled out the black box from the water," Col Iswarto, commander of the SAR task force, informed the press.

The black box was found at a depth of 25-35 meters under the sea and was drifted for some 100 meters from the initial estimated location.

The black box was sent to the Tanjung Priok seaport and then handed over to officials of the National Committee for Transportation Safety.

The Lion Air plane JT610 crashed some 15 minutes after taking off from Jakarta and en route to Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung Province, on Monday morning.

The aircraft departed from Jakarta at 6:20 a.m. local time and was scheduled to arrive in Pangkalpinang at 7:05 a.m. local time, according to the Depati Amir Airport authority in Pangkalpinang.

Before it lost contact, the aircraft had sought permission to return to Jakarta due to a problem.

The aircraft carried 178 adult passengers, three infants, six crew members, as well as a pilot of Indian nationality and a co-pilot. (ANTARA)

Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs, Luhut B Panjaitan, remarked that the Manado declaration was a real action taken by Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) to face the threat of climate change.

"The AIS Forum can be a place to share knowledge and to look for smart and creative solutions that can be used by others," Panjaitan said in manado, North Sulawesi, on Thursday.

The minister expected the forum to encourage business involvement and create innovative solutions to fund climate change projects as well as achieve sustainable development goals.

The Manado declaration includes action on climate change mitigation and adaptation, blue economy, sustainable marine resources, and innovative financing mechanisms.

The AIS Forum was initiated by the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs together with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

AIS is a platform for member countries to engage and collaborate with all stakeholders, civil society, and academics.

The minister stated that archipelagic and island countries have optimism and innovation to solve various problems effectively.

As the largest archipelago in the world, Indonesia takes the role of leading and establishing new financing mechanisms to support climate change initiatives and development projects in member countries.

Under the Manado Declaration, AIS members have agreed to strengthen cooperation on climate change mitigation and disaster management.

"AIS members also agree to work together to face economic challenges and opportunities, plastic waste management, and maritime governance," he remarked. (ANTARA)

Director of Indonesian Citizen Protection and Indonesian Legal Entity at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal confirmed in Ta'if, Saudi Arabia on Monday (October 29) that the government of Saudi Arabia had executed a migrant worker from Majalengka, West Java, Tuti Tursilawati. To the media in Jakarta recently, Iqbal said that the execution of Tuti Tursilawati was carried out by the government of Saudi Arabia without prior notification. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi has sent a protest to her Saudi Arabian counterpart, Adel Al-Jubeir and summoned the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Indonesia, Osama bin Mohammed Abdullah Al Shuaibi to be asked for the issue.

“One thing that is really unfortunate by the Indonesian Government is that the execution of Tuti Tursilawati was carried out by the Saudi Government without notification to the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh and the Indonesian Consulate in Jeddah. Therefore, the Indonesian Government has expressed concerns and protests about the way the Saudi Government carried out this execution. The first, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia has spoken directly to the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia in her protest. Then, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Jakarta and delivered a protest directly to the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Jakarta,” said Muhammad Iqbal.

Furthermore, Muhammad Iqbal said that the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had conveyed his condolences directly to the Tuti Tursilawati’s family in Majalengka, West Java. The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made various efforts to free or relieve Tuti Tursilawati from the death penalty. One of them was consular assistance from 2011-2018; The Ministry appointed lawyers and appealed three times, including conveying twice the President's letter to the Saudi King and various non-litigation efforts. Tuti Tursilawati was sentenced to death by a court in Saudi Arabia in June 2011 for allegedly killing her employer in 2010. (VOI/Rezha/RHM)

Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) held   Workshop of National Grand-design Research to Prevent  Stunting at LIPI’s building in Jakarta on Tuesday (30/10). The Workshop is part of National Widyakarya of Food and Nutrition (WNPG), a forum of inter-stakeholders. Deputy of Social Sciences and Humanity of LIPI, Tri Nuke Pudjiastuti on the sidelines of the workshop of stunting prevention to VOI RRI said that National Widyakarya of Food and Nutrition recommend 4 aspects of stunting prevention to Indonesian government namely, regulation and policy, monitoring program and evaluation, institutional, coordination and people empowerment.

“From research, it must be recommended generally and it must have grand-design of research related to stunting preventing well. I said actually it is not only prevention but also decreasing the number of stunting. It becomes responsibility when we give recommendation, so the responsibility must be implemented. This is the first workshop about stunting preventing, to look at how  is the design of Indonesian policy related to handling of stunting, including all currently been run,” said Tri Nuke Pudjiastuti.

Furthermore, Tri Nuke Pudjiastuti also said that in order to create synergy in stunting prevention, this grand design was aligned with the 2017-2045 National Research Master Plan, compiled by the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education. This is a national power in an effort to push the policies that has been outlined in decreasing prevalence and stunting prevention in Indonesia. (VOI/Ahmad Faisal/NT)