From his youth, Mayakovsky was an activist for the Bolsheviks, the outlawed communist organization. He once helped female political prisoners escape from prison. He was arrested and sentenced by the tsarist government to 11 months imprisonment. But this is where Mayakovsky the poet was born. In his cell, he wrote poems-and from then on he never stopped. Over time, his poems, as well as his works of graphic art, theater and film, became increasingly fascinating and brilliant.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Muhammad Hatta Ali feels the current negative media reports about the court system are excessive and unjustified. "When it comes to reports about our justice system, they tend to be exaggerated," said Hatta during a recent interview.

Daisy Hadmoko, journalist and veteran travel writer, is in a quandary. Now that most of her books have been given away, she wants to ensure that the important large books she still has get a readership. In other words, she wants to donate them to a repository. "But I no longer know anyone," she said with a sigh.

President Joko Widodo has turned down license applications from 61 palm oil firms seeking to expand their estates, sparing some 851,000 hectares of forest from conversion, according to the environment and forestry ministry.

As on most days, last Monday around 3pm Janner Purba could be seen striding to his car at the parking lot behind Kepahiang District Court in Bengkulu.

Ahead of President Joko Widodo's visit to Russia two weeks ago, the Indonesian embassy in Moscow hosted frequent visits from top Rosoboronexport officials. The Russian company, which is the nation's sales agent for defense equipment, sent seven representatives to meet Ambassador Wahid Supriyadi and bring him an important message.

Touring the world's capitals, President Joko Widodo clearly has little taste for the sort of diplomacy enjoyed by predecessor Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in his single-minded pursuit of foreign investment.

The government's policies in the agriculture sector are usually reactive. It never gets down to the bottom of problems, hence the problems' frequent recurrence. The recent surge in onion price is a glaring example. The price of the kitchen staple consumed by millions of people from all walks of life has jumped from Rp20,000 to Rp40,000 per kilogram.

A COMEDY. This seems to be the proper way to describe the recent Golkar Party chairman election.

Asian Agri's Response

Indonesia is endowed with a rich biodiversity that offers the country huge potential to develop a tourism industry based on an environmentally responsible program. Compared to conventional tourism, ecotourism offers extra benefits. Besides generating revenue, it is an effective medium for education and environmental conservation. Take the biodiversity park in Bangka-Belitung, developed by a group of local environmentalists. They succeeded not only in revitalizing the local economy badly affected by the collapse of the tin industry, they have also proven that through ecotourism, both local residents and tourists can be taught to conserve nature.

This year, Indonesia and India mark 75 years of diplomatic relations. However, the ties between the two nations have existed much longer, predating the establishment of the Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of India. These connections span social, cultural, religious, economic, and trade aspects. But do those close ties of the past have any bearing on the present relationship? Why is there no direct flight between the capitals of the two countries?

Indian Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste, Sandeep Chakravorty, shares his views on this matter at TEMPO TALKS.