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ICA-CEPA completion one of president's priorities: Minister Hartarto

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 Jakarta (ANTARA) - The completion of Indonesia-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (ICA-CEPA) negotiations is one of Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s (Jokowi’s) priorities, Coordinating Minister for the Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said. "The completion of the ICA-CEPA is one of the president's priorities, in addition to encouraging the implementation of Indonesia - Canada halal certificate cooperation," he said, according to a press release issued by the Coordinating Ministry for the Economic Affairs on Saturday (May 27). According to the press release, he made the statement in a bilateral meeting with Canadian International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business, and Economic Development Minister Mary Ng in Detroit, the United States, on Friday (May 26). The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting as well as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) Ministe...

Look: Bollywood director Anurag Kashyap's daughter Aaliyah Kashyap gets engaged, flaunts her diamond ring

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Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap known for films like 'Gangs of Wasseypur', 'Gulaal', 'Dev.D', 'Ugly' and several others, is on cloud nine as his daughter Aaliyah is now engaged to her longtime partner Shane Gregoire. She took to her Instagram to share pictures. The pictures shared by Aaliyah are from Bali, Indonesia. Sharing her engagement ring on instagram she captioned the post: "Sooo this happened. To my best friend, my partner, my soulmate and now my fiance. You are the love of my life. Thank you for showing me what real and unconditional love feels like. Saying yes to you was the easiest thing I've ever done and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, my love. I love you forever and always fiance (still can't believe I get to call you that AAHHHH)." Anurag, who is currently attending the Cannes Film Festival with his film 'Kennedy' set for the midnight screening section at the prestigious film fest, also shared the...

ASEAN Leaders Declare War Against Human Trafficking, Promote Local Currency Transaction

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  The Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, for the 42nd ASEAN Summit produced a number of documents, including the declaration on combatting human trafficking due to technology abuse and promoting transactions using local currency settlement (LCS). Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who is this year's ASEAN chair, called for unity in his opening speech of the high-level meeting at Meruorah Komodo, Labuan Bajo, today, May 10. He highlighted the global economy that has not yet fully recovered and rivalries and various challenges to global dynamics that are increasingly unpredictable. The declaration documents stated cooperation and coordination against trafficking in persons (TIP) caused by misuse of technology through various regional mechanisms and ASEAN initiatives, including by increasing the capacity of law enforcement and related institutions of each member. ASEAN leaders also agreed to advance regional payment connectivity by taki...

Encounter a stunning spring in the sea of rapeseed flowers in southwest China's Guizhou Province

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  (Top) The sea of rapeseed flowers in Wawu Township, Bijiang District, Tongren City, Guizhou Province, southwest China; (L) The Sea of rapeseed flowers in Pingba District, Anshun City, Guizhou Province, southwest China; (R) The Sea of rapeseed flowers in Wawu Township, Bijiang District, Tongren City, Guizhou Province, southwest China. Guiyang, China (ANTARA/Xinhua-AsiaNet)- News from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Guizhou Province reveals that a Rapeseed Flower Festival will be held from 11 to 13 March in the northeastern city of Tongren, Guizhou Province, southwest China. Spring is in full bloom everywhere. And farmers in Guizhou Province are not only turning rapeseed into edible oil, but also into paint. In Bijiang District, Tongren City, and Pingba District, Anshun City, farmers have painted the most enthusiastic look of spring with blossoming rapeseed flowers. They even hold a rapeseed flower festival to celebrate spring. Who doesn't love festivals in sprin...

At least 68 killed in Nepal’s worst airplane crash in 30 years

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Kathmandu, Nepal — At least 68 people were killed Sunday when an aircraft went down near the city of Pokhara in central Nepal, a government official said, the country’s deadliest plane crash in more than 30 years. Seventy-two people – four crew members and 68 passengers – were on board the ATR 72 plane operated by Nepal’s Yeti Airlines when it crashed, Yeti Airlines spokesman Sudarshan Bartaula said. Thirty-seven were men, 25 were women, three were children and three were infants, Nepal’s civil aviation authority reported. Search efforts were called off after dark, Army spokesman Krishna Prasad Bhandari said, and will resume Monday morning. Hundreds of first responders had been still working to locate the remaining four individuals before then, Bhandari said. Among the dead is at least one infant, according to the Nepal’s civil aviation authority. Sunday’s incident was the third-deadliest crash in the Himalayan nation’s history, according t...

Russia updates toll on number of service members killed in New Year's Day strike

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 The Russian Defense Ministry said 89 servicemen were killed in the strike in eastern Ukraine that occurred on New Year’s Day. Among them was the regiment's deputy commander, Lt. Col. Bachurin, the ministry said in a statement. The apparent Ukrainian strike took place just after midnight on Sunday at a vocational school housing Russian conscripts in Makiivka in the Donetsk region, according to both Ukrainian and pro-Russian accounts. On Monday, in a rare admission, the Russian Ministry of Defense said 63 servicemen had been killed in Makiivka when Ukraine used HIMARS rockets to attack a building where Russian soldiers were quartering. The Russian Defense Ministry updated the death toll after more bodies were found under the rubble. The Ukrainian military had claimed up to around 400 Russian soldiers were killed and a further 300 wounded, and then said the exact number was “being clarified.” In any case, it would represent one of the deadl...

Thailand warship capsizes leaving 31 sailors missing

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  The Thai navy says 31 sailors are missing after a warship carrying more than 100 crew capsized and sank during a storm in the Gulf of Thailand. The HTMS Sukhothai sank after water flooded its power controls on Sunday night. Images shared by the navy showed some crew who survived in a life raft. On Monday, authorities said they had rescued 75 sailors, but 31 were still missing in rough seas. "We will keep looking," a navy spokesman told the BBC. Search crews worked through the night to find survivors, with the operation continuing on Monday with air force assistance. The navy also announced an investigation into the cause of the disaster. "This has almost never happened in our force's history, especially to a ship that is still in active use," spokesman Admiral Pogkrong Monthardpalin told the BBC. Footage shared by the navy on Twitter showed crew members wrapped in blankets and receiving treatment after they had bee...