True love or chauvinism? MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara (JP): Local government officials in East Lombok have a come up with a new policy designed to keep local women faithful: deny them contraception. Women are not allowed to ask for birth control devices while their husbands are working overseas. Officials say that the men here fear that their wives might "misuse" their intrauterine devices, or IUDs, while they are working in places like Malaysia.

Govt agencies reject land lawsuit JAKARTA (JP): Three government agencies yesterday asked the South Jakarta District Court to dismiss a Rp 1.3 billion ($550,000) lawsuit filed against them by a small scale trader evicted from his land in 1989. Lawyers representing the three defendants -- the Jakarta governor, the South Jakarta mayor and the director general of highways at the Ministry of Public Works -- said separately that the lawsuit is in the domain of the State Administrative Court.

City not to revoke discotheque's permit JAKARTA (JP): The city administration has decided not to revoke the permit of Hailai discotheque in Ancol, North Jakarta, as closing it down for good would be against the law, an official said on Monday. The head of the city public order office, Kusaeni Budiantoro, said that there is no regulation allowing authorities to close down the disco. Its boss was found guilty of possession of marijuana.