KPU vows ballot papers to be on time The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The General Elections Commission (KPU) assured a worried public on Saturday that all ballot papers were ready and that they would arrive in the country's 32 provinces within two days at the latest. "Tonight (Saturday night) we are making the final distribution of papers to the provinces, including the Riau islands, Banten, West Java and also the capital, Jakarta. "All the papers will reach the provinces in about one or two days.

Opening up: Crafting an open interior in a home Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The exterior of this sharply defined, rigid-looking house in Tanah Kusir, South Jakarta, may trick you into assuming its interior is similarly spartan. Once inside the house, however, people get a totally different experience as they enter the "open" concept for the interior.

Surabaya's Majapahit hotel the best thing in town Peter Janssen Deutsche Presse-Agentur Surabaya Surabaya, the country's second largest metropolis, is a classic example of modern Asian urban ugliness. With its estimated 3.5 million people, Surabaya offers visitors horrendous traffic, plenty of concrete office buildings, a plethora of shopping malls and a collection of the international chain hotels that can be found in just about any other bustling Asian city.

Too close for comfort: An Indonesian amid depilation culture Rahayu Ratnaningsih Contributor Los Angeles, California Being Asian and smooth-skinned, I am lucky not to be confronted with the need for waxing. It's an alien concept to me. I do shave my legs, or my shin to be precise (there is not much hair there), my underarms and trim my you-know-what every few days. So naturally I was intrigued to know what bikini waxing actually entailed.

PPP not set on Islamic state: Hamzah The Jakarta Post, Jakarta United Development Party (PPP) leader Hamzah Haz asserted on Saturday his party did not want to turn Indonesia into an Islamic state. "The first principle (of Pancasila is belief in) one God, which is a declaration that Indonesia is a religious nation," he told thousands of supporters during a campaign rally at the Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

KAMMI to sue PDI-P over brutal attack SURABAYA: The United Front of Indonesian Muslim Students (KAMMI) plans to sue the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and its supporters who attacked four KAMMI members on Friday in Malang, leaving one in a coma. "We are collecting information on the case," Tulus Wahyono, one of KAMMI's lawyers, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday. The four KAMMI members were still being treated at the Syaiful Anwar Hospital in the East Java municipality of Malang.

Scientist Ines forges ahead in her career Kunang Helmi-Picard, Contributor, Paris The International Women's Day on March 8 this year means more for Dr. Ines Atmosukarto since it's the day when the 32-year-old scientist was awarded one of 15 Unesco-L'Oreal scientific fellowships in Paris.

The march to purity of body and soul For Balinese, the ocean is a powerful place, capable of washing clean not only man's soiled physical being but also purifying his sordid soul. The ocean, in Hindu mythology, is the source of Amrta, the Elixir of Life. Toward the end of each Saka year, thousands of Balinese Hindus conduct a religious march to the beach.

Rescue teams halt search for landslide victims in Sulawesi The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Using shovels and hoes, rescue workers dug through tons of mud on Saturday for victims of a landslide that killed at least one person and left 32 others missing in Gowa regency, South Sulawesi.

WEBSITE: TOLONG PAKAI YANG INI Hobbit forming: Exhibitions pay homage to 'Lord of the Rings' Stevie Emilia The Jakarta Post Singapore After countless viewings of The Lord of the Rings movies, there was no hesitation when I got the chance to visit an exhibition showcasing hundreds of props -- including armory and costumes, as well as demonstrations of behind-the-scenes technology -- from the trilogy of movies.

Online networking service an attention getter Hera Diani , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Suddenly, it feels like being back in high school. Everyone is competing in a full-on popularity contest: The numbers of friends you have, how cool your personal taste is, what your friends say about you. Except that it is not high school, nor college, it is not even the real world.

Three held for bringing weapons YOGYAKARTA: Yogyakarta Police detained on Saturday three supporters of the United Development Party (PPP) for bringing sharp weapons, including machetes and arrows, to rallies. They were arrested while traveling by motorcycle on Jl. Katamso in Mergangsan, Yogyakarta. Police found the weapons in a random inspection on motorists campaigning for the PPP.

Too close for comfort: An Indonesian amid depilation culture Rahayu Ratnaningsih, Contributor, Los Angeles, California Being Asian and smooth-skinned, I am lucky not to be confronted with the need for waxing. It's an alien concept to me. I do shave my legs, or my shin to be precise (there is not much hair there), my underarms and trim my you-know-what every few days. So naturally I was intrigued to know what bikini waxing actually entailed.

Ballot papers to reach destination ahead of April 5: KPU The Jakarta Post Jakarta The General Elections Commission (KPU) assured a worried public on Saturday that all ballot papers were ready and that they would arrive in the country's 32 provinces within two days at the latest. "Tonight (Saturday night) we are making the final distribution of papers to the provinces, including the Riau islands, Banten, West Java and also the capital, Jakarta.

Tiny village's embroidery goes global Kasparman Piliang, The Jakarta Post, Padang, West Sumatra The hand skillfully moved the pencil along the piece of cloth, effortlessly producing a variety of motifs. Accompanied by one of her daughters, the 57-year-old woman skillfully produced a picture on the cloth. Behind her stood two old sewing machines. When she finished making the pattern with her hands, she would turn to the machines.

Parties try new ways to attract voters SEMARANG: As the final days of campaigning draw near, political parties in Semarang held a variety of different activities to woo voters on Saturday. The Freedom Bull National Party (PNBK) held a mass prayer in the suburb of Gemah in order to ask God for safety and victory in the upcoming election. Meanwhile, the National Mandate Party (PAN) held an indoor meeting -- to announce details of more campaigning.

PBSI, coaches row is over, says Chairul The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The row over payments emanating from the Yonex contract, which has involved the national badminton authority PBSI and coaches, is over, according to PBSI chairman Chairul Tanjung. "There's no ill-feeling on my part, no ill-will toward certain people. That's unlike me. I declare the problem over," Chairul said, as quoted by Antara after a closed meeting with the coaches at the Cipayung Training Center here on Saturday.

Italian jeweler puts silver out for Asia's young Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta When it comes to running his jewelry business, Roberto Perlini likes to do everything, literally, his way. Ever since he started Perlini's Silver in 1989, the Singapore- based Italian has been responsible for the creative direction, production and communication by himself. "I have a team, I discuss with them, but at the end of the day it is about what I feel, what I like.