UN Strongly Condemns North Korea's Latest Missile Launch

The Security Council on Thursday strongly condemned North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch and demanded a halt to all missile tests, stressing again that they violate UN sanctions and "are significantly increasing tension in the region and beyond." A press statement agreed to by all 15 members expresses "utmost concern" at North Korea's "highly destabilizing behavior and flagrant and provocative defiance of the Security Council" by conducting the latest launch less than three weeks after the previous test. Council members said they "deplore" all North Korean ballistic missile activity, stressing that it contributes to the country's development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and diverts resources from the needs of its people. Tensions have escalated over North Korean moves to accelerate its weapons development. The North conducted two nuclear tests and 24 ballistic missile tests last year, defying six Security Council sanctions resolutions banning any testing. The constant testing has deepened concern especially in nearby Japan and neighboring South Korea — and also in Washington over fears that Pyongyang could soon develop a nuclear-armed missile capable of reaching the US mainland. A US official said Wednesday's missile test ended in failure when the rocket spun out of control and plunged into the ocean in a fiery crash. The council the failed test followed a missile launch on March 21 and two additional rounds of launches and an engine test in February and March. The council statement was issued hours before US President Donald Trump meets China's President Xi Jinping at his Florida resort, where North Korea will be at the top of the agenda. US Ambassador Nikki Haley said Monday that "the United States has seen China for 25 plus years say that they're concerned about North Korea, but we haven't seen them act like they're concerned about North Korea." "This administration wants to see them act, and I think they're going to pressure them to do that," she said.

Weekly Reflection

Hello! I am back. Thank God I'm still capable to write on this blog. As I said before, I will come back after a month, and ta-raaa I am back. I am going to serve you the best, the hot, the latest news from this world. I am not going to give you only the news from politics because literally it's too hard for me to understand what is happening in the world of the politician even though I have read it so many times and secondly maybe you have the same feeling with me. :)

I am going to give you random news. It may comes from entertainment world, animal world, sport maybe, politic also (but believe it will be few of them).

Well, stay tune my friend!

Freeport Won’t Reach For Arbitration Option

The government has said PT Freeport Indonesia will not bring it to the international arbitration tribunal as both parties are in the process of negotiation to seek solutions to their differences. "No, they will not do it," Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry's mineral and coal director general Bambang Gatot Ariyono told The Jakarta Post in Jakarta on Thursday. Bambang’s statement was confirmed by Freeport McMoRan Inc. chief executive officer Richard Adkerson, who said, as reported by Bloomberg, that “the arbitration wouldn’t happen if talks are proceeding well”. Bambang said the government had issued a special mining license (IUPK) to Freeport, which automatically allowed the company to export concentrates. However, he added, Freeport had eight months to adapt itself to the IUPK requirements, if not, it would have to revert back to a contract of work (CoW). "It is not a 'temporary contract', we’ve already issued the IUPK for Freeport, but it has eight months to adapt, if it fails it must to go back to a CoW and cannot export concentrates," he said. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan said if Freeport chose to revert to a CoW, it would still be allowed to sell to the domestic market. "It will be allowed to revert to the CoW, but with consequences of not exporting anymore," he said.

Indonesia Launches First Catholic State Institute

Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin inaugurated on Thursday the Pontianak State Catholic Institute (STAKatN) in Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan, saying the institute would hopefully support the spirit of unity in the diverse nation of Indonesia. He acknowledged that it had taken quite a long time to award STAKatN Pontianak the status of a state institute because of bureaucratic procedures at the local level. “I was once feeling guilty when I saw that all religions in our country, except Catholics, had state institutes. It made me feel quite concerned,” said Lukman. The minister said he hoped the inauguration of STAKatN Pontianak would be followed with the development of similar institutions in other areas across Indonesia. This was because religious education was important to help Indonesia maintain unity among its diverse population. “Religion is not something we should debate in the public sphere. It is its values that we must implement,” said Lukman. Earlier, STAKatN Pontianak was a private institute called the Santo Agustinus Pastoral Institute (STP), which began to operate in 2006. Former STP Santo Agustinus head Andreas Muhrotien said the presence of the institute was initially a solution to fulfill a shortage of teachers for Catholic religious education. “We have taken a long journey in our process to make it a state institute. Thank God, it was realized today and this is a historic moment because this is the first Catholic state institute in Indonesia,” said Andreas. In the last 10 years, STAKatN Pontianak has produced 1,250 bachelors and 31 masters while 703 people have participated in a program to make their school degrees equal to a bachelor degree.

Indonesia, Russia Vow Stronger Cooperation Against Terrorism

Russia's bestowing of an international police cooperation award to National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian, a former top antiterrorism official, was amplified in meaning given that the event came soon in the aftermath of a fatal terrorist attack in St. Petersburg earlier this week. The ceremony in Jakarta on Thursday saw Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Mikhail Y. Galuzin place a pin on the police chief's uniform in token of the commemorative medal of "100 years of international police cooperation" from the Russian Interior Affairs Ministry, which oversees Russia’s national police force. Tito, who has an established background in counterterrorism as he previously led the National Police's counterterrorism unit, was recognized for his contribution for progressing the development of the National Police’s partnership with their Russian counterparts. "The relations between our police services are really close. The representatives of the National Police of Indonesia participate actively in interagency consultations between Russia and Indonesia in the format of a special working group to counter international terrorism and organized crime," Galuzin said. The ambassador further praised Tito's contribution to the deepening of global police cooperation, noting the gathering of 167 countries at the Interpol General Assembly in Bali in November as a significant achievement. Tito in turn conveyed his "highest appreciation" to Russia and "deepest and heartfelt" condolences on Monday’s suicide bombing on the St. Petersburg metro that reportedly killed 14 people. "This is again, our common problem that we should look after and deal with hand-in-hand," Tito added.

Compulsory Evening Study For Schoolkids In Thousand Islands

Schoolchildren on Untung Jawa Island in Thousand Islands face compulsory study hours at home under the supervision of neighborhood and community unit (RT and RW) heads. Untung Jawa subdistrict head Ade Slamet said the authorities had made evening study hours compulsory between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. starting on Wednesday, while the operational hours of free wifi would also be limited. “Neighborhood and community unit heads will monitor [the students]," Ade said, adding that local officials had disseminated the evening study hours through banners at strategic locations. "We also call on parents to take part in monitoring their children," he added. The officials have also limited the operation of free wifi to only between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. The wifi service previously operated from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. before eventually the residents requested the officials cut the operational hours, he added.

Bojonegoro May Be Listed As National Geoheritage Site

The Bandung Geology Agency in West Java expects that Bojonegoro regency, East Java, along with Yogyakarta, will get a national geoheritage certificate from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry in 2017. Andiani, the head of the Bojonegoro geopark verification team from the agency, said Bojonegoro’s geoheritage documents were almost complete. “It’s about 80 percent. I still have to visit locations, which have geoheritage potential in Bojonegoro,” she said as quoted by Antara on Wednesday. Andiani said that if Bojonegoro and Yogyakarta were determined as geological cultural preserves, they would become Indonesia’s first two cities granted such status after the issuance of Energy and Mineral Resources Ministerial Regulation No.32/ 2016 on Geological Cultural Preservation. “This year, we are also aiming to rank the national geoheritage potential,” she said. A proposal to grant geoheritage status to Bojonegoro was conveyed to the Bandung Geology Agency on March 3. However, the proposal, which has been signed by Bojonegoro regent Suyoto, must be accompanied by an approval letter from East Java Governor Soekarwo. “The governor’s approval letter can be directly conveyed to the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry,” said Andiani. Hanang Samudra, the head of the geoheritage verification team from the Bandung Geology Agency, said Bojonegoro’s geological potential met 100 percent of qualifications to be included in the national geoheritage rank. These include fossils, rock formations and other natural richness. “To get international geoheritage status from UNESCO, it should be first granted national geoheritage status,” said Hanang.