May 17, 2016 edition
A special meeting held in President Joko Widodo's office at the Merdeka Palace last Monday ended with Vice President Jusuf Kalla venting his frustration on the Golkar Party's recently begun extraordinary national congress.
He complained to the President of the steps Luhut was taking to help Setya Novanto in his bid to be party chairman. Kalla took exception to Luhut's claims that Setya had won the government's support.
Read More
More National articles in other editions
May 3, 2016 edition
When Joko Widodo entered the State Palace 18 months ago, he did so with less than a decade of political experience, and with little knowledge of world affairs.
This inexperience, combined with the urgent need to rejuvenate a flagging economy, led many to worry Jokowi would tether Indonesia's foreign affairs to a domestic reform agenda, backpedaling from his predecessor's committed internationalism.
Read More
April 26, 2016 edition
THIRTY Islamic scholars crowded into the front room of former Deputy Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin's residence in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, on Friday three weeks ago. His guests included K.H. Abdul Rashid Abdullah Shafi, leader of the As-Syafi'iyah Islamic Studies Center; the former chair of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Jakarta Regional Advisory Board, K.H. Maulana Kamal Yusuf; as well as the head of Husnayain Islamic Boarding School, K.H. A. Cholil Ridwan. Also present were Head of the Crescent Star Party's (PBB) Advisory Board M. S. Kaban; one-time Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) advisor Abdullah Hehamahua; and KPK's former Deputy Chief Chandra M. Hamzah.
The men sat in a circle sampling fresh fruits and sipping on mineral water. The conversation centered on the theme of nostalgia, with scholars reminiscing about their time with Sjafrie when he was Jayakarta Military Command chief from 1997 to 1998. For three hours, they took turns expressing grievances about the problems facing Jakarta.
Read More
April 19, 2016 edition
THE 10 Indonesians kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group have yet to be released nearly a month since their capture. As of last Friday, the hostages were still hidden in the southern Philippines, with the armed group demanding a 50 million peso ransom, about Rp15 billion. Cabinet Secretary Pramono Agung said the government had decided to negotiate for their releasea resolution through 'soft diplomacy', as he put it.
The 10 hostages were taken from the Brahma 12 tugboat and the Anand 12 barge, on which all worked as crew members. They were intercepted in Tambulian waters near Tapul Island, an area close to the Indonesian-Filipino border and near Malaysian territorial waters.
Read More
April 12, 2016 edition
TO be honest, I still love all party members," Fahri Hamzah wrote in a brief message to a WhatsApp group called 'Info PKS' last Wednesday.
The group consists of top party officials, most of whomlike Refrizal, Tubagus Soenmandjaja and Hidayat Nur Wahidare sitting members in the House of Representatives (DPR). In response, several in the group sent Fahri emojis like raised thumbs and hearts. Others sent Arabic prayers.
Read More
April 5, 2016 edition
The town of Tarakan in North Kalimantan was abuzz over the arrival of two military aircrafta Hercules C-130 and a CN-235at Juwata airfield in Ampana, Central Sulawesi, on Tuesday last week.
Juwata authorities said little about the new aircraft, with Tarakan airport chief Syamsul Bandri saying only that he had been asked to provide 'parking space' for the TNI aircraft.
Read More
March 29, 2016 edition