Rice import to halve last year's figure JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will import about 2 million metric tons of rice this year, half of the 4.3 million tons imported last calendar year, Minister of Industry and Trade Rahardi Ramelan said on Monday. Rahardi, who is also head of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) said the decrease was due too the better-than-expected rice crop this harvest season.

Bomb hoax scares JSX employees JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) was hit by a bomb threat on Friday and closed about an hour early with hundreds of workers in the two 32-story towers being evacuated. Atik Suwardi, the security head of PT Danareksa Jakarta International which manages the two towers, said the bomb threat was received over the phone by Mia, a receptionist of PT Bursa Efek Jakarta, at 2:20 p.m. and again at 2:25 p.m.

Officer testifies he heard Anwar screaming KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): A Malaysian police officer on Monday said he heard a groan from sacked finance minister Anwar Ibrahim's detention cell in September after the then police chief and another senior officer entered the room.