A string of meetings with members of his inner circle occupied President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo until late Thursday, as he continues to mull a response to demands from political elites to appoint graft suspect Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan as the next chief of the National Police. a string – serangkaian, serentetan occupy – menyibukkan mull …
Budi’s case exposes rivalry within police
Irregularities surrounding the naming of Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan as a candidate for the role of National Police chief have prompted observers to suggest that the move was related to an ongoing rivalry involving the force’s high-ranking generals, centering on the competition for the force’s top job. A number of retired police generals acknowledged that …
Jakarta to cancel monorail construction
The Jakarta administration has decided to cancel its contract with monorail project operator PT Jakarta Monorail (JM) to develop the monorail routes proposed by the firm. The problematic monorail project began in 2004 under then governor Sutiyoso. The construction resumed in October 2013, with JM as contractor. However, its construction has not progressed following disagreements …
Egypt Muslim authority slams new Charlie Hebdo Muhammad cartoon
Egypt’s state sponsored Islamic authority on Tuesday denounced as a provocation the planned publication of another cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad in the new issue of French magazine Charlie Hebdo. slam – menghantam denounce – mencela, mengadukan, melaporkan “This action is an unjustified provocation against the feelings of 1.5 billion Muslims,” the Dar al-Ifta said …
Terror in the Cemetery
I like to bet on anything that is exciting, so when my friends tried to tempt me with an offer, I took it. The idea was for me to spend a frigid December night in a cemetery, all alone, in order to win twenty dollars. Little did I realize that they would use dirty trick …
Persib to meet Persipura in ISL final
Persib Bandung soccer club secured a spot in the Indonesian Super League (ISL) final after defeating Arema Indonesia 3-1 in the semifinal at Jakabaring Stadium in Palembang, South Sumatra, on Tuesday. Arema’s Alberto Goncalves scored in the 46th minute, Antara news agency reported, but Vladimir Vujovic of Persib equalized in the 83rd minute as normal …
The End of an Empire
The Machiavellian Pizarro held the captured Atahualpa for ransom. He was adamant about receiving a room filled with gold to the height of a man’s shoulder. This was taken as hyperbole at first, but Pizarro knew the gullible Incas would be munificent when it came to rescuing their sacred ruler. They did not procrastinate, and …
A Perfidious Conqueror
The feuding between two rival sons reached its pinnacle in 1532; at that moment Francisco Pizarro came onto the scene. A native of Spain, he was sojourning in Panama when he heard of the riches to be found in that far off land. Overwhelmed with cupidity, but still a tyro when it came to wresting …
A Battle for Power
The Inca emperor derived his prodigious power and authority from the gods. The paramount god was the sun god. It was from him the ruler passed on his prerogative to rule to his most astute son. This nepotism had worked with great efficacy for centuries. The land holdings were immense, there were rich farmlands and …
A Mighty Empire
One of the anomalies of our approach to history is the propensity to study the venerable empire of Europe, but we do not feel it incumbent upon us to ascertain anything about the civilizations in our own hemisphere. We deprecate the history of this part of the world as though progress lay dormant and the …