• Bill Clinton Visits Indonesia’s Aceh Province almost Decade after Tsunami

    Bill Clinton, the former president of the USA (1993-2001), visited the Indonesian province of Aceh (on the northern tip of Sumatra) on Saturday (19/07) to see recent developments in the region. Clinton was joined by several US college students as well as members of the Clinton Foundation. Apparently Aceh is a special region for the former president as this is his fourth visit to the region after two visits in 2005 (in the aftermath of the vicious 2004 tsunami) and one in 2006.

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  • Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Prabowo Subianto & Joko Widodo Will Meet

    Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who will end his second and final five-year term in October 2014, announced to meet both presidential candidates (Prabowo Subianto and Joko Widodo) in the country’s State Palace on Sunday (20/07). In this meeting, president Yudhoyono will emphasize the importance of a peaceful and orderly transition to the next government. Currently, it remains unknown who of the two candidates won the presidential election (held on 9 July 2014). Due to the tight race, chances of social unrest increase.

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  • Andi Mallarangeng Convicted to 4 Years in Jail for Hambalang Corruption Case

    Two days after the sentencing of central banker Budi Mulya, the next high profile verdict has been delivered in Indonesia. Andi Mallarangeng, the country’s former Youth and Sport Affairs minister, was sentenced to four years imprisonment and a fine of IDR 200 million on Friday (18/07) by the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court for his role in the construction of the Hambalang sports complex in Bogor (West Java). This sentence is much lighter than the prosecutors' demand for ten years imprisonment.

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  • Global Markets Down on Geopolitical Tensions & Malaysia Airlines Crash

    Geopolitical tensions between Israel and Palestine as well as the Malaysia Airlines Boeing that was shot down above eastern Ukraine territory yesterday (17/07) amid hostilities between Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists, have had a significant impact on global markets. Global stock indices have fallen, led by indices on Wall Street, while the US dollar and prices of gold and other precious metals appreciate as investors are in search of safe havens. The higher oil prices contribute to weaker emerging currencies.

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