RI-Australia museum exchange: A genuine good news story Rob Goodfellow, Visiting Fellow, Centre for Asia Pacific Social Transformation Studies, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, sujoko@ozemail.com.au In The Jakarta Post article A Rosier Account of RI-Australia Relations, Jan. 25, 2004, Dewi Anggraeni, reviewed the publication, Australia and Indonesia, Partners in Development, ACFOA, Melbourne.

Terrorists 'have the will to use dirty bomb' Steven Gutkin, Associated Press, Jakarta Terrorists have the will and "a reasonable amount" of expertise to employ a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapon and will do so if they acquire the necessary materials, the U.S. State Department's top antiterror official said. J. Cofer Black, U.S.

Supreme Court to take over judge supervisory role Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Supreme Court will soon take over the promotion and supervision of judges as lawmakers are close to completing amendments to both the public court and state administrative court laws. Legislators said on Sunday that they had agreed on virtually all the revisions to Law No. 2/1986 on public court and Law No. 5/1986 on the state administrative court.

Reciprocity: What Reciprocity? For a family of four Belgians as mine, the tourist visa will cost US$200 to visit Indonesia for 30 days (compared to a free visa for 60 days before). And we will need to go twice to the Indonesian Embassy of BrusseIs to process it. Under such conditions, many tourists may favor other destinations such as Thailand and new destinations such as Vietnam and Laos. That will result in a severe loss for the Indonesian families living from the tourism industry.

Shimada, Terachi put Japan 2-1 up over RI Zakki Hakim The Jakarta Post Jakarta Japan took a 2-1 lead in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group I tie against Indonesia when world No. 74 Thomas Shimada paired with Takahiro Terachi to win the doubles in straight sets here, on Saturday. The Japanese were too strong for the host pairing of Suwandi and Hendri Susilo Pramono, winning 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 in just two hours at the Bung Karno Tennis Open Stadium in Senayan.

Asian nations to sign trade deal despite Bangladesh pullout Sarah Stewart, Agence France-Presse, Phuket, Thailand Asian foreign ministers on Sunday salvaged a free trade deal jeopardized by Bangladesh's sudden withdrawal, pledging to throw open their markets by abolishing tariffs before 2017, officials said.

Islands proposed as heritage sites JAKARTA: The Kakaban and Derawan Islands in Berau district, East Kalimantan, are being proposed as a world heritage site due to their uniqueness, Kehati Foundation chairwoman Erna Witoelar said. "We are trying to win the status for the islands together with the government and the local people. Pak Rokhmin Dahuri (fisheries and marine resources minister) has agreed to the initiative," she said on Friday.

S. Sumatra gets US$6m from tourism PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: More than US$6 million in foreign exchange entered into the province of South Sumatra last year through the tourism sector, strengthening the budget of the administration, an official said on Saturday. M. Jhonson, the head of the South Sumatra Tourism and Culture Office, said that the tourists spent US$108 per day, on average.

China-ASEAN trade records new high in 2003: report Agence-France Presse Beijing China's trade with Southeast Asian countries hit a record high of US$78.25 billion in 2003, surging by 42.8 percent year-on- year, according to Chinese customs statistics released on Sunday. Trade between China and the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was tipped in ASEAN's favor, according to the statistics of the General Administration of Customs, the Xinhua news agency said.

Franky tells it like it is in song T. Sima Gunawan, Contributor, Jakarta, tabita@cbn.net.id Franky Sahilatua's definitely not just following the trend of local celebs plunging into politics. It is his anger and concerns that have pushed the musician to get in invovled in politics.

Automo parts export to decline in 2004 Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Indonesian automotive component exports are likely to decline this year as Indonesia's competitiveness in the sector will keep weakening due to the lack of tax incentives and the strengthening of the rupiah against the dollar, says an association.

Artificial reef restores village fishing grouns in Bunaken Mark Erdmann Contributor Bunaken, North Sulawesi Throughout this country and Southeast Asia, the illegal practice of blast fishing has destroyed vast areas of once productive coral reef areas. Homemade explosives are effective in killing large schools of fish with a single blast, but unfortunately also destroy the delicate coral framework that serves as shelter for coral reef fishes.

City agencies to widen main roads, sidewalks The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Jakarta Public Works Agency and Jakarta Park Agency will jointly redesign Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta by widening the roads and sidewalks. Head of the public works agency Fodly Misbach said on Sunday that the roads would be redesigned to overcome traffic problems compounded by the busway, which was launched on Jan. 15. The Rp 15 billion (US$1.79 million) project aims to widen the fast lane of Jl.

Motomura upsets RI, brings Japan to 3-2 win in Davis Cup Zakki Hakim and M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Gouichi Motomura showed the meaning of perseverance when he upset Prima Simpatiaji 5-7, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3, and scored a 3-2 win for Japan against Indonesia here on Sunday in the first round of the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I tie.

ONE OF STORIES FOR FOCUS ISSUE (Cafe and Restaurant) -- Feb.8 ;JP; ANPAc..r.. Dining-Valentine-day Valentine's menu Express your love with a romantic dinner Debbie A. Lubis Contributor Jakarta Love colors our lives with tenderness and passion; sometimes making our hearts beat faster or making us laugh more often. And Valentine's Day always reminds us to share a little romance with someone who cares about us and makes us feel special.

'Cap Go Meh' brightens Jakarta's streets Dewi Santoso The Jakarta Post Jakarta Thousands of Jakartans flocked the streets in Kota area, West Jakarta, on Sunday morning to witness the colorful celebration of Cap Go Meh, the 15th day after Imlek or Chinese New Year. The celebration was the second such event staged openly after the government declared Imlek an official national holiday in 2002. The parade started at the 500-year-old temple Vihara Dharma Jaya, locally known as Toa Se Bio, on Jl.

More love children in Poe's closet Agence France Presse, Manila Philippines presidential frontrunner Fernando Poe has fathered more children out of wedlock than he acknowledged, his campaign spokesman said over the weekend, while the movie icon shed tears in public. Poe publicly admitted earlier this week that he had a 22 year- old son by a 1980s movie starlet, dealing a blow to his public image as a model husband and family man.

KL hosts UN meet on ecosystem protection Associated Press, Kuala Lumpur More than 2,000 government officials, scientists and environmental watchdogs will gather in Malaysia for a UN-backed meeting to promote protection for threatened ecosystems and help developing countries share in the wealth created by their native species.

Sri Lanka in turmoil as parliament dissolved Agencies, Colombo Sri Lanka's fragile peace bid and reconstruction from war were plunged into uncertainty on Sunday after the president sacked parliament and called elections nearly four years ahead of schedule. President Chandrika Kumaratunga dissolved the legislature and set April 2 polls on Saturday after months of wrangling with the prime minister over how to end ethnic strife that has claimed over 60,000 lives since 1972.

;JP; ANPAc..r.. Office-service-market Serviced office: The right choice for good and bad times Rudijanto Contributor Jakarta Although the outlook for the overall office market remains gloomy, serviced office providers are upbeat that business will continue to flourish despite an expected drop in foreign direct investment (FDI) and the political uncertainty of the upcoming general election.

Rare animal trade out of control DENPASAR, Bali: Inter-island trading in rare animals in Indonesia is getting out of hand, therefore law-enforcement agencies need to step up efforts to fight the illegal trade, local conservationist I Wayan Wiradnyana said here on Saturday. Wayan said hundreds of rare animals such as orangutans, gibbons, sloths, eagles and cockatoos were sent every week from the island of Sumatra to Java.

Politically connected figures to dominate top audit agency Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The House of Representatives will start considering candidates for the new chairman and board members of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) on Monday, with politically connected figures said to top the list. The deputy chairman of House Commission IX for finance, Faisal Baasyir, told The Jakarta Post over the weekend that the commission would try to choose the best candidates for BPK chairman.

More outlets to open as retailers confident of market potential Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta While many industries are taking a wait-and-see stance due to fears of the possibility of trouble during the general election, retailers are determined to go ahead with their expansion plans this year.