The Untouchables charm audiences at Chequers Bar By Fitha Wiyanti Dahana JAKARTA (JP): It was 12:45 p.m. at the Chequers Bar, Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The Untouchables had invited the audience to make requests. Someone in the audience asked for Missing by Everything but the Girl, a song which has been on at many discos throughout Jakarta. Tony, Darrell, Chad, Morris and Red looked at each other, confused, as the song requested is totally unlike the songs they usually perform.

How ASEAN's newest member is coping Not all has been smooth sailing for Vietnam in its first year in ASEAN. Pham Cao Phong explains why. Vietnam became the seventh member of ASEAN in July 1995. This marked a new development in the country's integration within the region. It was the first time in the 50 years of its existence that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam enjoyed good relations with all South-east Asian countries.

Hickl takes over BNI chess meet JAKARTA (JP): German grandmaster Jrg Hickl beat Indonesian grandmaster Ardiansyah at the 37th move to top the provisional ranking table of the BNI international chess tournament here yesterday with 4.5 points. Hickl pushed English grandmaster Julian Hodgson into second place in the ranking. Hodgson also collected 4.5 points after a draw with Indonesia's Ruben Gunawan, but he played five games, one more than Hickl.

Highlights of East Timor's history DILI, East Timor (JP): Long before East Timor became a Portuguese colony, the island was part of various kingdoms that ruled the region, the Sriwijaya and later the Majapahit kingdom. The Portuguese came to the island in 1512, following their conquest of Maluku. Initially, the Portuguese came as traders as Timor was rich with sandalwood, spices and other crops. Only later on did the Portuguese decide to colonize the region.

East Timor is not as frightening as it seems Text by T. Sima Gunawan and photos by Arief Suhardiman DILI, East Timor (JP): "What's East Timor like? Is it really scary as often portrayed in the media?" These are the frequently asked questions by people outside of East Timor. People's concerns are understandable given all the "scary" stories coming out of the province.

Intro to cover story This coming Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of East Timor's integration into Indonesia. On July 17, 1976, President Soeharto signed into law a legislation enacted by the House of Representatives a day earlier which accepted an East Timorese petition to join the republic.

Ubud inspires Mary Northmore's female artists By Sarah Murray UBUD, Bali (JP): "Welcome to Ubud, the global village." No one actually says this to you as you make your way into Ubud, a village nestled in the mountains of south central Bali and long known as the cultural center of the area. As you pass through the cement gapura which flanks the main road and marks your official entry into desa adat Ubud, (the traditional village of Ubud) you are more likely to get calls of "Transport?

Correction: The story titled "Activists told to leave Yogyakarta" which appeared on this page yesterday, erroneously identified retired general Bambang Triantoro as one of the participants in the pilgrimage to the tomb of Gen. Soedirman. The person should have been identified as Bambang Rahardjo, a retired brigadier general. We apologize for the error and any inconvenience it caused. -- Editor

Mexican girl and talking dog capture primetime Philippine TV MANILA (AFP): A Mexican girl named Mari Mar and her talking dog out to avenge her humiliation by her rich relatives rule primetime Philippine television, reports said Tuesday. Mari Mar, a Mexican television series dubbed into Filipino, and aired five nights a week on a government station, has taken the country by storm, prompting private networks to change their programming to compete.

Notes from a maid convention JAKARTA (JP): It was an unusual gathering: A convention of maids, motto: The Good Mistress, is she out there somewhere?" The chair called the meeting to order. "Thank you for coming. This is not a rally. Remember that you need your mistress more than she needs you. So, no outbursts or histrionics. The question is clear. Find the answer." The hubbub died down when three were selected to speak. The first one took the floor. "My name is Rose.

Close discos selling Ecstasy From Berita Buana Over this week the mass media has been running news items about the seizure of Ecstasy pills by the authorities during raids on Jakarta discos, where the drug was reportedly sold. Disco-goers have long been users of Ecstasy, albeit not in such an extravagant way as today. It can be said that the majority of certain disco-goers are on this designer drug. Ecstasy is easily available in those places. Visitors will be readily served in covert ways.

Dili is not as scary as it sounds Text by T. Sima Gunawan Photos by Arief Suhardiman DILI, East Timor (JP): "What's East Timor like? Is it really scary as often portrayed in the media?" These are the frequently asked questions by people outside of East Timor. People's concerns are understandable given all the "scary" stories coming out of the province.

Indonesians level at 1-1 with Swiss in Fed cup match JAKARTA (JP): Yayuk Basuki of Indonesia and Martina Hingis of Switzerland both won their opening singles matches yesterday to leave the score at 1-1 in the Fed Cup second-round playoff between the two countries. Home favorite and world number 26 Yayuk combined experience and confidence to blunt world number 90 Patty Schnyder's excellent forehands. Yayuk graced Senayan indoor tennis stadium with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph.

Schneider growing steadily in Indonesia Schneider Indonesia provides its customers with dependable services. Its network of after sales service and maintenance teams, based in Jakarta and Surabaya, is ready to give quick responses on calls for installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting. Schneider organizes its trading activities based on its customers' specific needs.

It's mind over matter for Hingis By Arif Suryobuwono JAKARTA (JP): If the world number one female tennis player Steffi Graf, at the start of her phenomenal career, was dubbed "Frulein Vorhand" because of her excellent forehand, what should the youngest Wimbledon champion in history Martina Hingis be called? "Frulein Kopf" (literally Miss Head), her mother and coach Melanie Hingis said spontaneously, referring to her daughter's smartness.

The Untouchables rock the Chequers By Fitha Wiyanti Dahana JAKARTA (JP): It was 12:45 p.m. at the Chequers Bar, Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The Untouchables had invited the audience to make requests. Someone in the audience asked for Missing by Everything but the Girl, a song which has been on at many discos throughout Jakarta. Tony, Darrell, Chad, Morris and Red looked at each other, confused, as the song requested is totally unlike the songs they usually perform.

Kemal Idris, soldiering on with renewed determination By Sabam Siagian JAKARTA (JP): Some time in early 1945 the Netherlands East Indies government in exile, which was based outside Brisbane, prepared a memorandum for the Royal Netherlands government in exile in London. Lt. Governor-General Hubertus Jan van Mook wrote from Brisbane that when the Dutch East Indies administration returned to Java, the natives would certainly welcome them back.

Soeharto arrives home JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto arrived home visibly happy yesterday from a medical checkup in Germany where doctors found his heart and kidneys are functioning well for his age. He smiled and waved at the well-wishers, consisting of his relatives and senior military and government officials, as he left the Garuda MSD-11 airliner at Halim Perdana Kusuma airport at 8:05 a.m.

The Untouchables rock the Chequers By Fitha Wiyanti Dahana JAKARTA (JP): It was 12:45 p.m. at the Chequers Bar, Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The Untouchables had invited the audience to make requests. Someone in the audience asked for Missing by Everything but the Girl, a song which has been on at many discos throughout Jakarta. Tony, Darrell, Chad, Morris and Red looked at each other, confused, as the song requested is totally unlike the songs they usually perform.

ABRI has its hands full in East Timor By T. Sima Gunawan DILI, East Timor (JP): The presence of the Armed Forces (ABRI) in East Timor is often misunderstood, if not misrepresented, by people outside the area, according to their commander Col. Mahidin Simbolon. The military chief of East Timor says that besides maintaining security, his troops have also been involved in helping with the economic development of the province.

Japan's relationship with enlarged ASEAN to change By Lee Poh Ping Japan's relationship with South-east Asia will change when ASEAN expands to include all 10 of the region's states. One of the major problems that confronted Japanese diplomacy in South-east Asia in the Cold War period was the division of the region into a non-communist ASEAN, and a communist-dominated Indochina and an autarkic Burma.

E. Timorese reflect on integration This coming Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of East Timor's integration into Indonesia. On July 17, 1976, President Soeharto signed into law a legislation enacted by the House of Representatives a day earlier which accepted an East Timorese petition to join the republic.

A tale of two former Fretilin rebels DILI, East Timor (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) is slowly winning its battle against those East Timorese still opposed to integration with Indonesia and engaged in protracted guerrilla warfare from their jungle hideouts. The Army scored its biggest success in 1992 with the arrest of Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao, the leader of Fretilin, an armed rebel organization.

Indonesians tie 1-1 with Swiss in Fed Cup match JAKARTA (JP): Yayuk Basuki and Martina Hingis tied 1-1 in the Fed Cup second-round playoff between Indonesia and Switzerland here yesterday. Home favorite and world number 26 Yayuk combined experience and confidence to blunt world number 90 Patty Schnyder's excellent forehands. Yayuk graced Senayan indoor tennis stadium with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph.

Shopping holidays From Media Indonesia Alarming deliberations of deficit-prone transactions threaten to engulf our country and financial experts worry about our country's economic prospects. Therefore, I am perplexed to note the blatant retail ads from Singapore which aim to lure thousands of Indonesians to spend the school holidays there while retail outlets are holding annual jumbo sales.

TV today TVRI 6:00 a.m. Religious Teachings: Hikmah Pagi 6:25 Morning Focus 6:45 Healthy and Fit 7:00 Morning News 7:30 TV Series: Grandizer 8:00 Children's Program: Panggung Gembira Anak 9:00 English News Service 9:30 Focus: People and Event 10:00 Music: Album Minggu Ini 11:00 Children's Stories 11:30 Comedy: Ria Jenaka 11:45 Sports: Dari Gelanggang Ke Gelanggang 12:45 p.m.

Unemployment remains a major problem in East Timor By T. Sima Gunawan DILI, East Timor (JP): A young man collects a sack of 10 cement bricks and puts the heavy load on his head. He takes a deep breath and starts to climb the Fatucama hill carefully. The bricks are being used as paving surrounding the enthralling statue of Kristus Raja, or Christ the King -- a spectacular government project in East Timor.

Guess What? Some people learn by doing but East Timor's police chief, Silvanus Yulian Wenas, learns by singing. Wenas, who was transferred from his post as the Central Jakarta police chief in May, started learning the Tetum language of East Timor by memorizing songs. "Bonita is my favorite song," he told The Jakarta Post last week in a hotel lobby in Dili. Bonita, which means "beautiful", tells the story of a young man in love with a beautiful woman, he explained.

Seniwati Gallery for Women finds place in global village By Sarah Murray UBUD, Bali (JP): "Welcome to Ubud, the global village." No one actually says this to you as you make your way into Ubud, a village nestled in the mountains of south central Bali and long known as the cultural center of the area. As you pass through the cement gapura which flanks the main road and marks your official entry into desa adat Ubud, (the traditional village of Ubud) you are more likely to get calls of "Transport?