President Joko Widodo has chosen Army Chief of Staff Gen. Andika Perkasa as the sole candidate for Indonesian TNI Commander. His decision was supported by Defense Minister of Prabowo Subianto and PDI-P Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri.

The government prepares a state budget to rescue the Jakarta-Bandung fast-train project, which is in danger of stalling. There are allegations of poor project planning and inflated construction costs.

Summary of this week’s news. 

But just because the market remained calm, even in Indonesia, it does not mean the storm has passed. The Fed’s policy change for liquidity is certain to have effects on the composition of foreign-owned portfolio investment funds in Indonesia.

Genomik Solidaritas Indonesia’s founder Mohammad Arsjad Rasjid breaks silence about the public polemic surrounding the PCR test business. The chair of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry acknowledges that he is the brains behind the establishment of the swap test service business that he founded with several partners, and sheds light on how Maritime Affairs and Investment Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan became one of the company’s shareholders.

Letters on border settlement, Nobel for Maria Ressa, and a political coup.

Cartoon: Yuyun Nurrachman

There are protests against Glow’s night lights at the Bogor Botanical Gardens due to the absence of assessment on their impacts. The National Research and Innovation Agency insists on performing a study on the impacts of Glow’s artificial lights on site.

In sharp contrast to the situation on the ground, President Jokowi claimed deforestation in Indonesia has slowed down. Meanwhile, the environment minister embarrassed the nation before the international community.

Navid Kermani, the German writer of Iranian descent, calls Fakruddin Attar’s Book of Suffering the “darkest poetry ever written by a human being.”

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.