THE coal mining industry in Indonesia has not performed at its best these past few years. The price of coal has been plummeting for the past year, down to its lowest point at US$50.92 per ton in February 2016. It improved slightly last March to US$51.62, thanks to an increase in the global oil price.

FISHERIES
Import Taps Opened Slightly

It takes 21 days for Dharma Jaya to import beef from Australia. Since receiving a letter of approval to import on May 20, the first supply of frozen meat imports for the Jakarta government-owned enterprise reached Tanjung Priok Port last Friday night. A total of two containers of 20 tons of frozen beef arrived.

LAST Tuesday, a state administrative court judge ruled the license held by Muara Wisesa for the reclamation of Samudra G Island to be null and void. The judge ordered a halt to all reclamation activities until a ruling is delivered by the Supreme Court.

Right of Reply from the President's Press Office

It is tragic when police officials set bad examples in enforcing the law. An aide and three bodyguards of Supreme Court Secretary Agung Nurhadi Abdurrachman, who has twice ignored the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) summons, are actually smearing the image of the police corps, adding more names to the already long list of law enforcement officials who violate the law.

In the past two weeks, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama twice visited the home of Megawati Soekarnoputri, chairperson of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), to discuss his plan to run in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election. Basuki-popularly known as Ahok-said Megawati had bluntly asked him again to pick Djarot Saiful Hidayat, a PDI-P politician who is also the incumbent deputy governor of Jakarta, as his running mate. "Bu Mega said, 'You two do well together'," he recounted.

KPK Issues Ultimatum to Nurhadi's Aides

A new study blames the domestic pet industry for threatening the survival of 13 bird species in Indonesia.

A heated discussion took place in the second-floor sitting room at Tong Hu Li's house in mid-April. The 53-year-old farmer had been relocated because his village in Fengdu, China, was drowned following the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. Fengdu sits on the banks of the Yangtze River.

The Birkenhead is a tough bullet to chew." If one had ever read that story about a crusty, straight-talking sea captain somewhere in the annals of time and then met Sabam Siagian for the first time, that sentence would immediately spring to mind.

GAMAL Nasir has more than 30 years of experience working with the government's agricultural department. A graduate in agricultural economics from Padjajaran University, he believes that Indonesia produces many valuable commodities that can do well in the international market, and cocoa is one with the most potential among them.

INDONESIA is like gold wrapped in old newspapers. Our goal is to discard the newspapers and show the world what we are capable of doing." Listening to the passion in Latif Gau's voice, it is hard to believe that he was still suffering from jetlag, given his arrival in Indonesia from a long overseas trip the previous day. "I travel back and forth to Indonesia about once a month."

Setya Novanto announced his support for the government of President Joko Widodo right after he was elected chairman of the Golkar Party for the 2016-2019 term. He made the announcement at the Golkar national convention in Nusa Dua, Bali, last May, saying that his party was oriented towards development for the people, a vision that was in line with the development programs espoused by Jokowi. "In order to achieve our mission, Golkar must work with the government," asserted 60-year-old Setya, who hails from Bandung, West Java.

Without being aware of it, in our heads there often arises something powerful, called Right. It is not moved by everything that changes, flows, blooms, shrivels or declines. It is steady. It might make us feel secure, yet it seems we cannot go on living with that.

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.