Manggi Habir

President Jokowi's second cabinet reshuffle was expected, but not changes to his ministerial line up. The big surprise was the appointment of former finance minister, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who returned to her previous post, after a six-year stint as managing director of the World Bank. Sri Mulyani is a well-known and well-regarded economist, both locally and abroad. Market sentiment responded positively to the cabinet changes, with the rupiah stable at the Rp13,100 per US dollar level, while the Jakarta Composite Index (CSPI) climbed up to 5,350. With the rupiah stable and the July year-to-year inflation below market expectations at 3.2 percent, the market expected another 25 basis point cut in interest rates, but Bank Indonesia decided to keep its rate at 6.5 percent.

Comr. Gen. Syafruddin was in Parapat, a North Sumatera town by the Lake Toba, Friday two weeks ago when he received a phone call from his boss, National Police chief Gen. Tito Kurnavian. Sent by Tito, the chief of the Police Education Institution was there to attend the Batak Indigenous Congress. But soon after his arrival in Parapat around midnight, Tito gave him a new order. "Pak, please handle the Tanjungbalai riot," Syafruddin said quoting Tito's instruction last Wednesday.

Religion, anxiety and prejudice, all are semi-mute on the old Prague clock. Built over 600 years ago, the Orloj timekeeper gradually became a sign of distrust; there was something that had to be rejected, something called 'the Turk'. Affixed to the tower on the southern wall of the ancient City Hall in Staromstak Nmst, the Orloj bears a message conveyed with symbols.

On July 20, President Joko Widodo appointed Pol. Comr. Gen. Suhardi Alius to head the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) to replace Tito Karnavian, who was recently appointed as National Police chief. He flew straight to Poso in Central Sulawesi, following his swearing-in ceremony to observe the location where the Tinombala joint task force had shot and killed terrorist suspect Santoso on July 18.

PRESIDENT Joko Widodo and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak held a meeting at the State Palace in Jakarta last week to discuss three challenges facing the two countries.

The four-story brick house was built in 1900. It is one of a series of buildings protected by a security fence in London's exclusive Belgravia neighborhood, located near the Malaysian embassy. The house's owner is officially listed as Qentas Holdings Ltd., a company based in the British Virgin Islands.

Publishing the 'confession' of recently executed drug dealer Freddy Budiman is not a crime. Written down by Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) coordinator Haris Azhar, the account that subsequently spread via social media is a criticism of our law enforcement authorities. Instead of gratitude, however, the response from the authorities was one of repression. Haris was reported to the police for defamation and breaking the Electronic Information and Transactions Law.

STAGE-two restructuring of the cabinet has been greeted with applause. Expectations are high, especially because a familiar figure, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, has returned from abroad.

Lion Air Dissappoints

ON June 9, 2016, my mother bought Lion Air tickets online at Traveloka.com for a July 17, 2016, Makassar-Semarang flight. The ticket was for two persons and cost Rp2.4 million.

TERESA was surprised when she arrived at Penglipuran. The Spanish tourist did not expect the village had an empty land called Karang Memadu for expelled residents who practice polygamy. Enjoying the cool atmosphere of the rural area, Teresa was amazed at the layout of the residents' settlement at 700 meters above the sea level. The bamboo arboretum as large as 45 hectares was another charm that attracted Teresa to visit.

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.