U.S. Marines march on Tikrit; Iraqi cities calmer Agencies, Baghdad U.S. Marines dashed north on Sunday towards the northern town of Tikrit, the birthplace of deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and the last major prize yet to fall to the invading forces. Television pictures suggested that dug-in defenses on the approaches to Tikrit, 175 km (110 miles) north of Baghdad, had been abandoned.

Rapid deforestation threatens botanical gardens M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Anyone who has ever traveled to Puncak resort can easily observe the presence of vegetables farms and luxurious houses on the hills along the road that lead to the Cibodas Botanical Garden in Cianjur Regency, West Java. Some of the houses and vegetable farms can be found along the riverbanks and on steep hills where, in the event of torrential rain, they are vulnerable to landslides.

1. ACEH: 1 x 30 Fear reigns in troubled Aceh 2. GAM: 1 x 40 'GAM mulls attendance at proposed meeting' 3. IRAQ: 1 x 50 U.S. Marines march on Tikrit; Iraqi cities calmer 4. UN: 3 x 14 RI requests UN meeting on postwar Iraq

Megawati's Russian trip important: Minister Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Indonesia's foreign minister stressed the importance of President Megawati's planned visit to Russia to forge bilateral ties between the two countries in an attempt to counterbalance the dominating role of the United States in the world.

Indonesians shine in Jessup contest NEW YORK: Indonesia, represented by the University of Indonesia's law school, improved its ranking in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (The Jessup Competition) in the United States capital of Washington D.C. recently. Dede Fikry, Haghia Sophia Lubis, Leonardo Bernard, Sari Aziz and Dewi Savitri Reni were ranked 24th out of hundreds of participants worldwide.

Over 60 hotels in W. Java bankrupt BANDUNG: More than 60 star-rated hotels and motels across West Java have gone bankrupt in the past two years due to excessive tax burdens, a hotel and restaurant association official said.

Hamzah denies early campaign BONE, South Sulawesi: Vice President Hamzah Haz denied on Saturday allegations that he had already started to campaign for the 2004 election, as shown by his frequent appearances at outdoor events organized by his United Development Party (PPP) across the country. "No, what I have been doing is not campaigning," he said in his capacity as chairman of the Muslim-based PPP during a rally to mark its 30th anniversary here.

RI requests UN meeting on postwar Iraq Berni K. Moestafa and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Following the fall of Baghdad to coalition forces, Indonesia has made a request to the United Nations through the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to convene a General Assembly meeting as soon as possible to discuss postwar Iraq.

PATA set to adopt strategies to tackle tourism crisis Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali The high-profile meeting of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in Bali is expected to come up with a set of strategies and recommendations to help the tourism industry get through the current crisis. PATA President Peter de Jong said that he hoped that the recommendations could become a roadmap for the region to get past the gloomy situation in the industry caused by the Sept.

Jakarta Post journalist wins IHRA Award 2003 The Jakarta Post Jakarta The Jakarta Post's reporter I Wayan Juniartha won the International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA) Media Award 2003 for his honest and courageous reporting of issues related to the reduction in the use of illegal drugs.

Political platform decisive factor for party coalitions Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Political parties should form coalitions based on common political platforms, instead of short-term political interests, and do it well before the election as a good start to forming a strong government, according to several political experts.

EU, ASEAN agree to set up trade pact Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Association of Southeast of Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union have agreed to establish a trade pact in a bid to boost trade between the two regions, a senior official at the Ministry of Industry and Trade said. The agreement was reached during a meeting between EU trade commissioner Pascal Lamy and ASEAN economic ministers in Laos last week.

Corruption in customs offices It is staggering to hear that corruption is widespread within the Customs, Excise and Tax Directorate General, Ministry of Finance. The Jakarta Post revealed on March 31 the modus operandi of corrupt retired officials connected to the more than 1,500 "phantom" import companies, whose licenses were recently suspended by the government. State revenue lost due to unpaid customs duties and import taxes amounts to Rp 8 trillion per year.

No interruption, please From Warta Kota Classical music has gained recognition in Indonesia, particularly after the regular early morning broadcasts by Metro TV. I believe this music is very inspiring. Sadly, the station's round-the-clock running texts can disturb the concentration of the classical music audience.

Sutiyoso proposes a public debate on land reclamation Benget Simbolon Tnb., The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso has proposed to hold a public debate on the project to reclaim land along the coastal areas in northern Jakarta before deciding to go ahead with the venture. "We want a public debate to discuss the project thoroughly.

East Asian economies in shock after SARS alert Agence France-Presse, Singapore One month after the world was first alerted to a baffling viral outbreak, key East Asian economies are in shock as travel, retail and other industries are being sapped dry by the elusive disease.