Property firms stake claims on west coast The cataclysmic explosion of Krakatau volcano in the Sunda Strait in 1883 caused massive reverberations around the world. An explosion of a different kind is rocking the area today as major property investors vie to develop luxurious tourist projects.

PM Mahathir blames Soros for Asian currency crisis KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad yesterday openly accused U.S. financer George Soros of being behind speculative attacks which have brought down Southeast Asian currencies in recent weeks.

The 'bagan' fishermen and the seaBy K. Basrie LABUAN, West Java (JP): A fisherman wistfully expressed a desire to take his bagan (bamboo fishing platform) to President Soeharto's favorite fishing hole in the Sumur area near Ujung Kulon national park.

Pavarotti shares his life in a book Pavarotti: My WorldBy Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright,Arrow Books, London, 1996345 pagesRp 49,700 JAKARTA (JP): Something funny happened to Luciano Pavarotti, superstar, in his homeland of Italy 10 years ago.

Persebaya to meet Bandung Raya in league soccer final JAKARTA (JP): Persebaya will challenge defending champion Bandung Raya in the national soccer league final tomorrow, one day behind schedule due to a tear gas incidence during a semifinal on Friday.

Has Mike Tyson met his Waterloo? JAKARTA (JP): The recent Tyson-Holyfield bout was expected to be full of nail-biting suspense. Instead, it collapsed in ear biting, a piercing scream and bedlam. Its outcome was a life-term boxing ban on Tyson.

TV todayTVRI 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 123 8:00 TV Series: Brudy and Family 8:30 Performances: Warna Warni 9:00 Cartoon Film 9:30 TV Drama: Di Sekitar Kita 10:00 TVRI News 10:30 Music: Album Minggu...

'The Frighteners' triumphs as well-crafted schtickBy Laksmi Pamuntjak-Djohan JAKARTA (JP): Balance is hardly the word that comes to mind given the Scream meets Ghostbusters theme. Yet, despite its juggernaut of characters, multi-level sub-plots and slam-bang special-effects, The Frighteners comes...

Portuguese patrimony lives on in LarantukaBy Yakob J. Herin LARANTUKA, Flores (JP): As the sun sets in the west and waves batter the coastline, cathedral bells shatter the early evening languor. Just a few hundred meters away, the ascending roar of drums alerts local Moslems to evening prayer.

Megawati supporters defy gathering ban by police JAKARTA (JP): About 5,000 Megawati Soekarnoputri supporters gathered at her residence last night in defiance of a police ban to commemorate the July 27 1996 riot.

Sono Budoyo museum has rooms with a view on historyBy Ahmad Solikhan YOGYAKARTA (JP): The two ancient cannons stand guard to welcome visitors to the Sono Budoyo museum in Yogyakarta, and protect the 48,000 archeological and ethnographic treasures inside.

'Cave man' finds precious water sourcesBy Gin Kurniawan GUNUNGKIDUL, Yogyakarta (JP): Locals here call out "cave man" when Sudiyono passes them on the streets, but it is a term of respect for the 49-year-old.

S'pore raises retirement age SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore has raised the retirement age of employees by two years to 62 to combat a perennial labor shortage and give its rapidly aging population a longer stint in the workplace.

FIFA probes Iraq torture reports ZURICH (AFP): Soccer's ruling body, FIFA, has launched an inquiry into reports that the Iraqi soccer team was tortured by Uday Hussein after failing to qualify for the 1998 World Cup.

'Ampo', edible clay with health benefitsBy Gin Kurniawan BANTUL, Yogyakarta (JP): Snaky tendrils of mist overtly cloud the dawn as a septuagenarian trudges down the Alas Sentong hill that fosters her livelihood back to her sequestered home a kilometer away.

Guess What? Okky Asokawati has been a leading light in the fashion world for many years. Today she is also a regular speaker on psychology and etiquette in seminars, and she will soon be the star of a TV film.Okky, 37, has been filming Senandung (Humming a Tune) in Yogyakarta since July 18.

U.S. respects ASEAN's decision to admit Myanmar PETALING JAYA, Malaysia (JP): The United State said yesterday that it respected ASEAN's decision to admit Myanmar but called on the organization to persuade Yangon to open political dialog.

All-RI finals in women's singles JAKARTA (JP): Wukirasih Sawondari and Irawati Moerid Iskandar will meet at today's All-Indonesia finals of the Governor Cup Women's Satellite championship at the Kemayoran tennis complex.

Some coastal people surrender their land to property frenzy SUNDA STRAIT COAST, West Java (JP): "Looking for a plot of land, sir?" asked the woman in her 40s."What's the price?""Rp 350,000 (US$140) per square meter, and it's located next to a street near the beach," she explained.