Say no to drugs, Asian youths pledge Hundreds of youths from 19 Asia Pacific countries gathered in Bali to attend the first Asian Youth Congress on Drug Abuse Prevention from Aug. 26 through Aug. 29. The magnitude of drug- related problems has joined together these young people to combat the menace of drugs. The Jakarta Post's Rita A. Widiadana and I Wayan Juniarta report in the following articles.

Location remains key factor to lure new tenants I. Christianto, Contributor, Jakarta Apartments generally offer similar facilities and services such as ample living areas, large bedrooms and luxurious bathrooms in addition to a good security system. But the location remains the main reason why tenants choose them to stay in.

Recovery trend continues amid increasing demand Rikza Abdullah, Contributor, Jakarta Jakarta's rental apartment market, severely hit by the economic crisis in 1997, continues its recovery amid a steady increase in new demand. The demand has grown steadily as more and more expatriates prefer to live in apartments instead of houses, due to economic, security and personal safety concerns.

The phenomenon of Garin Lei Hua, Contributor, Jakarta Membaca Film Garin (Reading Garin's Films); Team of Editors: Philip Cheah, Taufik Rahzen, Ong Hari Wahyu and Tonny Trimansanto; Pustaka Pelajar, March 2002; 208 pp Garin Nugroho is an extraordinary phenomenon in Indonesia's film world. He emerged with his first full-length feature film, Cinta dalam Sepotong Roti (Love on a Piece of Bread) in 1991, when Indonesia's film world was already at its ebb.

Dream becomes nightmare for workers Fitri Wulandari and Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Nunukan, East Kalimantan Rustan was dreaming of streets paved in gold when he took the offer to work in Malaysia last year. He left his hometown of Rappang in South Sulawesi, bringing with him his wife Pasah and their two-month-old son, Ruslan. To reach the land of his dreams, the young family ran the risk of getting locked up for not having legal travel documents.

Vanness entertains girls, for sure Hera Diani The Jakarta Post Jakarta Never before was covering a foreign artist as tiring or as irritating as it was on Wednesday, when Taiwanese Vanness Wu performed here in a charity concert. Unless you have been living in a cave for the past several months, you'd have to recognize him as one of Taiwan's acting- singing sensations of F4, which has taken Asia by storm since appearing on last year's TV series Meteor Garden. No?

JP/2/HIGH Officer shoots three, kills himself INDONESIA: A police officer in the Central Java town of Salatiga shot three people, reportedly out of jealousy, before finally killing himself on Saturday. Chief Brig. Alex Suwondo, 47, a widower, shot the three people identified as Maria Tuti Maryaningsih, 35, Supriyanto, 34, and Maria's husband, Agus Eko Supriyanto, 36. The first two died of gunshot wounds to their heads. The incident took place at a cafe and karaoke house in Argomulyo district.

'Drugs affect not only users but also families' Thomas More Adhika Prabhaswara, Member of ASEAN Law Students' Association, Sanur, Bali Illegal drugs have been around for thousands of years but only in recent times have they become a worldwide scourge that is irreverent of place, age or status. Every year thousands of individuals are lost to drugs. The majority of people who are affected by drugs are youths. There is no greater asset to any country than its young generation.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION PLAN At the conclusion of the Asian Youth Congress on Drug Abuse Prevention, held in Sanur, Bali, from Aug. 26 to Aug. 29, hundreds of young participants pledged to adopt and uphold the following recommendations and action plan: 1. We, as the young generation, pledge to be united against drugs, despite our differences in culture. 2. We are committed to avoiding gateway drugs and stand firm in our decision to say "no" to drugs. 3.

Megawati lashes out at foreign trip critics The Jakarta Post, Jakarta President Megawati Soekarnoputri, now in Algeria, defended her much-criticized foreign visit to several countries, saying that she would go ahead with the trip despite the controversy at home.

Catch the cultural vibes at WOMAD 2002 Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Singapore It was damp and a bit hot sitting on the hill in Fort Canning Park, which is located at Cox Terrace, some two kilometers to the south of the oh-so-famous Orchard Road. Tall big trees lined the perimeters of the area and the botanical garden somehow compensated for the hot weather. "Nice park, isn't it? Kuala Lumpur doesn't have this, neither does Jakarta, does it?" asked a fellow journalist from Malaysia.

1. Nunukan -- 1x32 Dream becomes nightmare for workers 2. Akbar ---- 2x28 Legislators object to convicted Akbar's travel to Vietnam Legislators disappointed over convicted Akbar's Vietnam trip 3. Byway ---- 1x26 The logic of air travel security 4. Pope/Susul -- 2x22 Pope reminds world leaders of challenges of terrorism Pope warns of challenges posed by terrorism

Legislators disappointed over convicted Akbar's Vietnam trip The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The nation's dignity is at stake as disgraced Akbar Tandjung has insisted on leading an Indonesian delegation of legislators to the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) conference in Hanoi, legislators have said.

Mentawai offers a taste of Eden Christina Schott, Contributor, Padang This must be how it looks in paradise. A perfect white sand beach and a transparent turquoise sea. The shadows of palm trees offer a shelter from the sun while waiting for fallen coconuts. Further out, the waves break in perfect and constant curves. No signs of civilization, no trash, no artificial noise. But we are not the first human beings in paradise: Somebody discovered it already.

Newly opened Curves offers affordable Indian food Bill Blade, Contributor, Jakarta Not so many moons ago, Jl. Wahid Hasyim in Central Jakarta was a pretty dismal, nondescript sort of place, traversed mostly by backpackers on their way to and from McDonald's in Sarinah and their home-away-from-home on Jl. Jaksa. It boasted a couple of reasonable restaurants, a few basic, low-life hotels, and one or two seedy bars. Take a stroll along Jl. Wahid Hasyim from Sarinah to Jl.

Apartemen Golf : Advertorial Focus Edition : Sunday -- Sept. 06 Approval : Monday -- Aug. 30 Apartemen Golf Pondok Indah's Tower 2 opens this month with special rates From the front gardens, inside the building to the back gardens, Apartemen Golf Pondok Indah in Jakarta provides the comforts of home, in a spacious setting. In the center of the building, for instance, there is an open courtyard allowing sunlight to penetrate the building, creating a natural atmosphere.

On the Shelves Jejak Tanah (Traces on Soil) - 2002 Kompas Selected Short Stories; Edited by Kenedi Nurhan; Published by Kompas, 2002; xxiii + 165 pp. Since 1992, Kompas has made it a tradition to publish a number of the best short stories it has published in a year. This year, 15 stories have come out in a book titled Jejak Tanah (Traces of Soil).

Colonial and modern flair combine at Hotel Batang Arau Swallows' nests have long been known as sources of income, as they are part an ingredient in some Chinese soups. These little black oscine birds (family Hirundinidae) often productively make their nests in big, dark spaces with some cooling water nearby. Those spaces are usually available at old colonial houses, which are very expensive to preserve. Besides, their style does not correspond to the taste of many Indonesians.

APEC unveils plan to sever terror funds Glenn Somerville, Reuters, Los Cabos, Mexico Finance ministers from around the world unveiled a plan on Friday to cut off funds to extremists, pledging to boost efforts to investigate money launderers and the financing of terror. The ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum also said the global economic recovery was under way, but acknowledged that doubts about the strength and speed of the recovery remained.

IBS can be reduced by balanced diet and stress management Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Are you anxious, depressed or stressed out lately? Are you also experiencing an altered bowel movement to either diarrhea or constipation or both alternately? Such bowel irregularities, popularly known as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), may be exacerbated by your current psychological state.

1. Vannes --- 1x36 Girls swoon over singer-actor Vanness Wu or Girls crazy about singer-actor Vanness Wu or Asian sensation Vanness Wu woos Jakarta fans 2. Score --- 2x21 Film scores of all time that ought to be remembered 3. Safri --- 2x25 Denmark's bang-it-up Safri Duo entertains Jakarta clubbers or Denmark's Safri Duo gives an interesting show for clubbers

Vanness entertains girls, for sure Hera Diani The Jakarta Post Jakarta Never before was covering a foreign artist as tiring or as irritating as it was on Wednesday, when Taiwanese Vanness Wu performed here in a charity concert. Unless you have been living in a cave for the past several months, you'd have to recognize him as one of Taiwan's acting- singing sensations of F4, which has taken Asia by storm since appearing on last year's TV series Meteor Garden. No?

More people love Taiwan's bubble tea Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta It is spreading so quickly that it is resembling an epidemic, but this one is healthy and trendy. It is tea, but not the usual brown, plain-looking kind. It's bubble tea and you can find it at most malls or other business centers here. You can often spot children or adults in some business centers and big malls in Jakarta slurping down the colorful and delicious drinks from huge fat straws. They are drinking bubble tea.

Some 300 students from 19 Asia Pacific countries gathered in Bali recently to attend the first Asian Youth Congress on Drug Abuse Prevention. They strongly pledged to fight against drugs and move forward as proponents in their own communities to create a "clean, healthy and drug-free" society. Page 10 Culture venture Catch the cultural vibes from around the globe at the recent World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) Singapore 2002.

Denmark's bang-it-up Safri Duo entertains Jakarta clubbers Joseph Mangga, Contributor, Jakarta Surveying the massive array of lighting and musical equipment crowding Embassy's dance floor, it truly looked as if we were all in for one hell of a show. Not just some inanimate DJ this time, cloistered away in a shadowy DJ booth over a mixer and a couple of barely visible turntables. This was a huge stage with real instruments and real musicians playing real live music!

Where to go in Jakarta: Sunday, September 8, 2002 Exhibitions * Painting Excellence in Small by Mas Dibyo, lobby level, Club Rasuna Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. C22, Kuningan, South Jakarta, until Sept. 14. * Fine Arts Read! Exhibition, The British Council, S. Widjojo Center, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 71, South Jakarta, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., until Sept. 27. * Painting: West Sumatra Landscape, Sriyanto Gallery, Jl. Gedung Hijau Raya 36, South Jakarta (Tel.

Surf-Aid provides health care for local people Ben Gordon is the ultimate beach boy. He has shining bright eyes, an always smiling, tanned face, a muscular build and a beaded necklace hanging around his neck. But this sunny Australian boy is much more than just an ordinary surfer. Even though he lives on the Mentawai Islands -- one of the most desired destinations for surfers -- Gordon is not into tourism as most of his compatriots there.

checked by Melinda revised by agpi Apartemen Golf : Advertorial Focus Edition : Sunday -- Sept. 06 Approval : Monday -- Aug. 30 AGPI will soon open its 2nd tower offering spacious family rooms with fascinating view From the front gardens, inside the building to the back gardens, Apartemen Golf Pondok Indah in Jakarta provides the comforts of home, in a spacious setting.