Indonesia Revised Version of its Negative Investment List

Jakarta. Indonesia plans to introduce the revised version of its negative investment list to international businesses at the Asean-US Summit as part of a wider effort to lure foreign investment and boost capital inflows into the country, a senior official said on Monday (15/02).

"Featured sectors in the new list, which include the film industry, e-commerce, marketplaces and pharmaceutical businesses, will be the main attraction to invite foreign investment from the United States," Franky Sibarani, Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) chairman, said in a statement.

Franky is part of President Joko Widodo's entourage who flew to the United States on Sunday to attend Association of Southeast Asian Nations-US Summit in Sunnylands, California.

The government released last week a new negative investment list, or DNI, which loosened the cap on foreign ownership in various sectors. The DNI previously used as a regulatory barrier to protect local players in a number of sectors against foreign-controlled companies.
Franky is scheduled to hold one-on-one meetings with companies planning to invest in Indonesia on the sidelines of the summit.
The United States, according to the BKPM, is one of Indonesia's major investment sources. Last year, investors from the US invested $893 million in Indonesia and promised to invest an addition $4.8 billion over the course of several years. That compared to a total of $29.28 billion foreign direct investment to Indonesia in 2015.
On the other hand, Indonesia is also ready to formally introduce its growing digital economy at the Asean-US Summit, Trade Minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong said.
"In the first day of this Summit, country leaders will be focused on issues related to the economy, especially the access to technology and digital economies, which will help improve the ability and competitiveness of Asean's small and medium enterprises," Thomas said in a statement on Monday.
"For Indonesia, this is part of our focus to improve the contribution of SMEs to gross domestic product," he added.
According to Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Joko and his Asean counterparts will have a chance to interact with business leaders from global technology companies during the summit, such as IBM, Microsoft and Sisco.

Santoso was shot dead by the National Police's anti-terrorism unit Densus 88

Jakarta. A terrorist fugitive linked to Santoso, Indonesia's most wanted terror fugitive, was shot dead by the National Police's anti-terrorism unit Densus 88 during a counter-terrorism operation in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, on Monday (15/02), a police source confirmed.

The purported terrorist was identified as Fajar, who was killed during a shootout with the police in the Penatoi subdistrict.

The source confirmed that the deceased fugitive is a member of Santoso's terror group, also known as the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT).

The police also claim that Fajar was involved in several terrorism attacks in Poso, Central Sulawesi, and West Nusa Tenggara.
Around 2,000 military and police personnel are on the search for Santoso and his fighters, who have been on the run for more than three years in the jungles of Central Sulawesi, as part of Operation Tinombola 2016.
Police earlier said they have found evidence indicating that the group has received regular funding from the Islamic State movement.
A police officer was also injured during the raid.

Double trade Indonesia-Vietnam by 2018

Indonesia and Vietnam have agreed to boost bilateral trade to US$10 billion by 2018; the target is almost twice the current trade value between the two countries, which stands at $5.3 billion.

The agreement was concluded in a bilateral meeting between President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in the US on Monday. The meeting was preliminary to the ASEAN-US Summit.

“Prime Minister Nguyen Tang Dung welcomed the invitation to boost cooperation in trade and investment. Vietnamese investors have expressed their interest in investing in Indonesia’s oil and gas sector, as well as agriculture,” read a press statement issued by the State Secretariat.

In addition, the two leaders discussed the maritime boundaries between the two countries. Jokowi said he expected immediate consultations to resolve boundary issues between the two countries, following a technical meeting on exclusive economic zones (ZEE) held between the two countries in December.

Jokowi reiterated that Indonesia was often disadvantaged by illegal fishing, and said he hoped sharper maritime delimitation would reduce the uncertainty regarding maritime boundaries. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/02/16/indonesia-vietnam-aim-double-trade-2018.html#sthash.zo41FmVa.dpuf

Airstrikes blamed on Russia hit at least two hospitals and a school

Beirut-Airstrikes blamed on Russia hit at least two hospitals and a school in northern Syria on Monday, February 15, killing and wounding dozens of civilians and further dimming hopes for a temporary truce, as government troops backed by Russian warplanes pressed a major offensive north of Aleppo.

The raids came days after Russia and other world powers agreed to bring about a pause in fighting that would allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the revival of peace talks.

The projected truce agreed on Friday in Munich was to begin in a week, but there was no sign that would happen.

On Monday, Syrian state TV reported that pro-government forces have entered the northern town of Tel Rifaat, where they were fighting "fierce battles" against insurgents. Tel Rifaat is a major stronghold of militants fighting to overthrow President Bashar Assad.

Capturing Tel Rifaat would bring government forces closer to their target of Azaz, near the Turkish border.

In Idlib province, an airstrike destroyed a makeshift clinic supported by Doctors Without Borders. The international charity, also known by its French acronym MSF, said the hospital in the town of Maaret al-Numan was hit four times in attacks that were minutes apart. It said seven people were killed and eight others were "missing, presumed dead."

"The destruction of the hospital leaves the local population of around 40,000 people without access to medical services in an active zone of conflict," said MSF mission chief Massimiliano Rebaudengo.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Russian warplanes targeted the hospital, destroying it and killing nine people. The opposition group, which tracks both sides of the conflict through sources on the ground, said dozens were wounded in the attack.

"The entire building has collapsed on the ground," said opposition activist Yahya al-Sobeih, speaking by phone from Maaret al-Numan. He said five people were killed near the MSF clinic and "all members of the medical team inside are believed to be dead."

The Observatory and other opposition activists said another hospital in Maaret al-Numan was also hit Monday, most likely by a Syrian government airstrike.

In the neighboring Aleppo province, a missile struck a children's hospital in the town of Azaz, killing five people, including three children and a pregnant woman, according to the Observatory. A third air raid hit a school in a nearby village, killing seven and wounding others.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said close to 50 civilians were killed and many more wounded in missile attacks on at least five medical facilities and two schools in northern Syria.

Ban called the attacks "blatant violations of international laws" that "are further degrading an already devastated health care system and preventing access to education in Syria," according to U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq.

Activists posted amateur video that showed civil defense workers pulling bodies from the rubble of the MSF-supported structure in Idlib, which collapsed into a heap of rubble and was tilting to one side.

Others showed a huge crater next to a building that purportedly housed the child and maternal hospital in Azaz. Incubators could be seen in a ward littered with broken glass and toppled medical equipment.

Russia says its airstrikes are targeting militants and denies hitting hospitals or civilians. But rights groups and activists have repeatedly accused Moscow of killing civilians.

Those accusations have increased recently as Russia intensified its airstrikes to provide cover to Syrian troops advancing in the north. Troops are trying to cut rebel supply lines to Turkey and surround rebel-held parts of Aleppo city, once Syria's largest.

Daragh McDowell, the head Russia analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, a British risk analysis firm, said Russian and Syrian tactics "strongly suggest a deliberate effort to further exacerbate the refugee crisis, as a means of destabilizing Europe and pressuring the West to agree to a settlement in Syria on Moscow and Damascus' terms."

Abdulrahman Al-Hassan, chief liaison officer at the Syrian Civil Defense, a group of first responders known as the "White Helmets," said the women's hospital in Azaz was hit by two surface-to-surface missiles. He said some 10 people were killed and many were wounded.

"We think it is Russia because the photos of the missiles have Russian language (and) because we haven't seen this kind (of missile) before the Russian intervention," he said.

Russia has been a key ally of Assad throughout the five-year uprising and civil war, and began launching airstrikes on Sept. 30.

The U.N.'s special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, arrived in Damascus on Monday for talks with Syrian officials.

2.1 M Chinese Tourists Will Come To Indonesia in 2016

Jakarta-I Gde Pitana, Deputi of Foreign Tourism Marketing Development of Tourism Ministry, has targeted 2.1 million of Chinese tourists visits in 2016. The number is higher than Singaporean and Malaysian tourist visits target of 2 million and 1.8 million.

“Chinese market is more interested in new destinations and new experiences,” Pitana said in a media gathering at the office of Tourism Ministry Jakarta, Monday, February 15, 2016.

Pitana said that he has made a strategy to introduce tourism in Chinese market, such as cooperation with Chinese online media. Other regions could be introduced as new destinations via online media. “All this time, they only know Bali and Jakarta. We want to introduce other regions.”

In addition, Tourism Ministry has also developed cooperation program with other countries y promoting ‘one package for two destinations’ program. For example, Pitana said, cooperation with Singapore travel agencies to bring tourists to Singapore before visiting Indonesia. “We have enough budget to implement it,” he said.

The government is also working closely with the media in the form of coverage, advertorial, advertisement and inviting foreign media to travel to Indonesia.

However, tour guides numbers for Chinese tourists are limited since not many could speak Mandarin. Tourism Ministry plans to hold training and give certification to Mandarin speaking tour guides. “We are targeting at least 1000 Mandarin speaking tour guides to be certified this year,” said Pitana.

The Tourism Ministry is hoping to achieve 12 million of foreign tourist visits in 2016. The target is in line with 20 million of foreign tourist visits target set for 2019. Last year, Singapore could reach 16 million, Malaysia 26 million and Thailand 28 million. “Indonesia should be able to reach 20 million because Indonesia has more potential," said Pitana.

More Halal Restaurant in Japan

Japan is aiming to charm Muslim tourists by opening more halal restaurants. The director of economic policy division at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tetsuya Otsuru says the thriving number of Japan restaurant in Indonesia reflects Indonesians enthusiasm toward Japanese cuisines. It is also in line with the increase of Indonesian tourists visit to Japan.

It is said that the number of Japanese restaurants in the whole world has reached more than 34,000 and 20,000 in Asia. As the country is set to host Olympic in 2020, the availability of halal restaurants is believed to be important.

“This is going to be huge market for Japan,” Tetsuya said as quoted by Bisnis.com.

Tetsuya admitted that the expensive cost to get halal certificate becomes one of the challenge to open more halal restaurants. However, he believes that the prime minister will support the halal label program.

Indian Air Base again attacked Militant

NEW DELHI - The sound of gunfire and explosions broke out again in the Indian Air Force base, Sunday (01/03/2015), after previously being attacked by militants.

Local television channels reported two armed attackers military base adjacent to Pakistan is still at large.

Reuters reports local news channel, the Punjab provincial police said that two gunmen were still hiding in Pathankot air base, one day after a dawn raid yesterday.

An official at India's Home Ministry said that several explosions were heard in Pathankot air base in Punjab. But he could not confirm the reports related to the gunman is still at large.

Meanwhile, the death toll from militant attack that occurred the previous day rose to 10 people. The death toll of four attackers and six military personnel of India.