More new records set in interclub swimming c'ships YOGYAKARTA (JP): Eighteen more meet records were broken at the second day of the 19th national interclub swimming championships (KRAPNAS) here yesterday. Donny Budiarto Utomo of Purwokerto's Bina Taruna Club broke the KRAPNAS record in the men's senior 1,500m freestyle with a time of 17 minutes 28.57 seconds. He broke his own record of 17:53:88 he made last year in Semarang.

Animals on wild flying safari MOSCOW (Reuters): Like a modern-day Noah of the skies, a Russian airline needed the world's largest cargo plane to carry a menagerie of animals including four giraffes from Prague to Indonesia, an official said on Friday.

Peace be with us 1997 A year to remember for its assault of terrible happenings Forest fires which blinded our view of the trees The cry of a little girl whose innocence was bargained for Rp 2 million Babies, their existence denied and their right to live extinguished by those who claim they know what is best Tears of grief from families who lost their loved ones in a plane crash Hunger and pain stinging Irian Jaya The rupiah plummeting in value Our hearts scream with fear and fury We try to...

SilkAir plane's black box found JAKARTA (JP): Investigators found yesterday the flight data recorder, or black box, of the ill-fated SilkAir airplane which plunged into the Musi river last week with 104 people on board. Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto said in Palembang, South Sumatra, that divers had discovered the flight data recorder at the bottom of the Musi river near the crash site.

Costly 'Titanic' a horrible tale of love and disaster By Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): Can we ever forget the Titanic, the ship which suffered a horrific end in the North Atlantic ocean after crashing into an iceberg on her maiden voyage and taking almost all her 1,500 passengers to their death in the icy waters?

Phang Nga Bay canoeing is a tourist draw PHUKET, Thailand (JP): Swiss Ana Maria and her companion Phillip Marti had weighed the options on where to vacation in Southeast Asia. "We talked about vacationing in Thailand or Bali, and we chose Thailand, because Phillip had been to Bali before," Ana, a first- time visitor to Thailand, explained while resting on the ferry after a half day's canoeing in Phang Nga Bay. But Marti, a businessman, had been to Thailand before.

Amazing Thailand 1998/1999 is a image makeover for tourism Text and photos by Sirikit Syah Thai International recently invited several journalists to inspect tourism projects in Thailand. The following two articles are the result of that visit. The Jakarta Post and four other media representatives met Pradech Phayakvichien at Prince Palace Restaurant in Bangkok's Chinatown.

TV stations to drop Indonesian dubbed programs By Yogita Tahil Ramani JAKARTA (JP): Beginning Thursday, television viewers will no longer find characters speaking in Indonesian in Indian films, Latin melodramas and Chinese action movies. Instead, their TV heroes and heroines will all speak in English, or worse, they will be taken off the air completely.

Soldiers for debt collectors BANGKOK (AP): Thailand's army commander in chief will investigate reports that a colonel and 50 military policemen were hired to collect a 100 million baht ($2.1 million) debt from a wealthy businessman. Gen. Chetta Thanajaro said he had appointed a panel to investigate the incident and its findings would be submitted to Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, who is also defense minister, the Bangkok Post reported.

A paradise found: The Gili islands between Bali and Lombok By Soenke Krueger PEMENANG, Lombok (DPA): Every backpacker in Indonesia knows them, and now the Gili islands are described in better-quality travel guides too. Yet the local people, when asked about the tiny islands off-shore, just shrug. After all gili in their language simply means "island" - and Indonesia has more than 13,000 of those. The map is more helpful.

Photos place local architecture in space and time By Maria Sandra JAKARTA (JP): The 50-year-old building stands firmly in contrast to a neighboring modern building in Kota, Jakarta. The new building is constructed of iron, concrete and walls of green reflecting glass. The older building seems only to be a foundation of sand, walls of wooden planks and wrought-iron work.

Strange legal cases In Indonesia guru means a school teacher but in America a guru is a person who gives religious or spiritual guidance to his or her many followers. The Dec. 15 edition of Newsweek reported that such a guru in America had a relationship with a girl, who was later found dead in the guru's apartment. He fled to France and subsequently married a Swedish woman. Naturally, the United States requested the French government to extradite the guru. But the unbelievable happened.

Rumors, the main enemy of the rupiah JAKARTA (JP): Judging by his voice, my cousin Tony was certainly in panic when he called me. In low tones he said: "Be careful, don't tell anybody what I'm going to tell you, but the 'bald man' is dead." "Which bald man?" I asked, not understanding his anxiety. "The one and only," he answered, "You know, Oom Liem. I know that you have your money in his bank, so you'd better withdraw everything." "Everything?" I couldn't believe my ears. "Why?

What lies in your horoscope for the upcoming year? JAKARTA (JP): Whether you are the scales, bull or scorpion among signs of the Zodiac, some things in life are predetermined, says astrologer Anton Rudolph Nico. Other mysteries of our lives, like financial affairs, health and romance, can be predicted in general terms based on the movement of the stars. Anton who writes regular horoscope columns for several publications, drew up the following horoscope for 1998: I. CAPRICORN (Dec.

Tanah Abang is one of the capital's meanest districts Text and photos by P.J. Leo JAKARTA (JP): Ugly tales about Tanah Abang market have been splashed across newspapers in recent months. A wholesale center for textiles and garments, Tanah Abang is often associated with violence, general chaos and prostitution, a dubious distinction it owns among the city's often rough collection of markets. Unrest erupted several times at the market in the past year.

Soothsayers see gloom and hope in 1998 By Stevie Emilia and Endy M. Bayuni With three days to go, most people are wondering what 1998 has in store for them. For Indonesia, 1997 will not go down as one of its best years. Some people have described it as a horrible year with the natural and man-made disasters that have struck this nation in the last 12 months. The economic crisis made the suffering complete; everyone, rich and poor, were affected. Will 1998 be better or worse?

Austerity measures in RP MANILA (AFP): President Fidel Ramos yesterday ordered government agencies to implement austerity measures to help the Philippines weather the Asian financial crisis, the presidential palace said. The measures include the suspension of "new capital/infrastructure projects, except those which have already been contracted out," and halts to tax subsidies to government- controlled corporations and local government units, Ramos said in an administrative order.

Adventure to Krakatau: A journey of pleasure By Sona V. Blessing ANAK KRAKATAU, On Sunda Strait (JP): It is surrounded by azure, blue waters, an open, unending sky punctuated with fluffy white clouds. It has verdant green foliage on its slopes and looks mystical with a veil of willowy, wispy mist floating around its summit. More than a panorama, the scene is a snapshot of paradise -- graced by serenity and tranquility. Could this really be Krakatau?

Rupiah crisis tops list of public figures' regrets JAKARTA (JP): What has been your single biggest regret this year? The economic crisis appears to top the list for most people because it spared almost no one. Many people are now regretting that they did not join in the rush to buy dollars when the rupiah's value began its free fall. Those few who did, have made more than 100 percent profit from the situation.

TV today 6:00 a.m. TVRI News 6:25 Morning News 6:45 Religious Teachings: Hikmah Pagi 7:15 Healthy and Fit 7:30 Children's Program: Arena Kami 8:00 Brudy and Family 8:30 Cartoon Film 9:00 People and Event 9:30 Documentary: Disekitar Kita 10:00 TVRI News 10:30 Music: Album Minggu 11:30 Teenager's Program: Temu Remaja 12:15 p.m.

Yermo wins '97 United States Open By Kristianus Liem JAKARTA (JP): The 1997 United States Open, the 98th in the series, was won by GM Alex Yermolinsky with an impressive, undefeated score of 10.5 points from twelve rounds Swiss system. Yermo picked up the US$7,000 first prize in Orlando in workmanlike fashion and continued a run of successes in the United States Chess Federation's premier open event. Tying for second in the 540-player field held from Aug. 3 to Aug.