Japan into Asian Cup quarters as Iran stumbles Reuters, Beijing Holder Japan came from behind to beat Thailand and book its place in the Asian Cup quarterfinals on Saturday as Iran fought back to snatch a controversial draw with Oman. Japan became the second team to reach the last eight after recovering from the shock of an early goal to beat the injury-hit Thais 4-1 before 40,000 fans in punishing heat and humidity at the Chongqing Olympic Sports Center.

SE Asia ahead in terror war: Badawi MALAYSIA: Southeast Asia is winning the war against terror but could not yet declare victory, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi said, a day after his intelligence chief warned of fresh attacks. "I think we are winning that war ... not completely but we are watching very, very carefully and we believe that soon we should see no more threat," Abdullah told the BBC in an interview broadcast on Saturday.

Borobudur temple: An ancient wonder confronts modern ills Wendy Pugh, Reuters, Yogyakarta Borobudur temple rises in an immense dark stone pyramid from a fertile volcanic plain, a spiritual monument at the center of a battle over tourism and commerce. The country's fortunes have waned since the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s and the world's largest Buddhist monument with its tourist pulling power is a cash honey pot in tough times.

Jewelry collection offers variety, versatility and some social good Maria Endah Hulupi, Contributor, Jakarta Behind the story of Island Jewels is a small yet growing social project, involving around 100 people, including stone-cutting artisans in a factory in Cilacap, West Java, and silversmiths. Also among the workers are about 50 prisoners from nearby Nusakambangan penitentiary.

A grand farewell For two months, the people of Ubud had come by the thousands to help the royal family prepare the palebon (grand cremation) of its princess Tjokorda Istri Muter. During the same time, the royal family also spent much energy and funds to finance the elaborate rite.

Oppressed Manggar Maulana Mahabana It was only natural for Tugimin to dream of having educated children. For he himself was unschooled, his parents lacking the funds to put him through school. "The father may be uneducated, but not the children," he would say to his fellow pedicab drivers. "My kids must be office workers, or even company directors. As a bank director, they would be rich.

Indonesia ready for Asian Cup showdown Agence France-Presse, Jinan, China Indonesia has dusted itself off after its 5-0 mauling by China and says it is ready to face Bahrain as the two countries battle for their first ever Asian Cup quarterfinal spot. But the Indonesians, needing only a draw to progress, admit their task will not be easy on Sunday against a Bahrain side ranked 45 places above them. "It's going to be tough," said team manager Andi Darussalam Tabusalla.

Better transportation or avenues for graft? When I heard in mid-June that construction had begun on the Monorail, slated to take two and a half years until completion, I was happy. I imagined that my dream of quick, comfortable, regular and inexpensive transportation would finally be a reality. It would be of great help to me, a young journalist who moved here from Bandung three years ago to find work, and now finds it difficult to get from points A to B.

Political talk brews in Aceh's coffee shops Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh In Aceh, Rp 500 not only pays for a steaming hot cup of coffee, but also a morning full of lively, sometimes quarrelsome conversation. While an international coffee store behemoth (you know the one) touts its unique "experience", men in Aceh have long had their equivalent, beginning their morning at the coffee shop, just as their fathers and grandfathers did before them.

Activist Lily protects and serves the children Hera Diani The Jakarta Post Jakarta When Kahlil Gibran said "your children are not your children", they were not merely the lofty words of an idealistic poet. For it's our unwillingness to take the meaning seriously -- that children belong to society and are thus our collective responsibility -- that has led to the neglect of the country's youngest citizens.

Elfira loses, China assured of girls' singles title at Milo badminton meet Moch. N. Kurniawan, Medan, North Sumatra The Chinese squad has put on a high-flying performance in their first appearance at the US$11,000 Milo Junior Indonesia Open, with the Chinese already assured of the girls' singles title after the semifinal round here on Saturday.

Manual tabulation confirms Susilo's lead Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta The General Elections Commission (KPU) began on Saturday the manual vote count for the presidential election, with Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and running mate Jusuf Kalla still leading the pack. As of 5 p.m. on Saturday, front-runners Susilo and Kalla had 24,118,553 votes from 13 provinces, ahead of Megawati Soekarnoputri and running mate Hasyim Muzadi with 20,411,438 votes.

Buyat Bay fishermen count losses from pollution Jongker Rumteh and A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Manado/Jakarta Fishermen living near Buyat Bay and Ratatotok Bay in North Sulawesi said on Saturday they had suffered major losses following reports of an outbreak of Minamata disease caused by pollution in the area. "Because of the reports we have been unable to sell our fish.

Eight injured in bridge collapse INDONESIA: Seven cars and a motorcycle plunged into the Cipunegara River when the Cipunegara Bridge collapsed. The bridge, which is in Pamanukan district, Subang municipality and was inaugurated in 1980, collapsed on Friday night during heavy traffic. Eight were injured, three seriously. The eight are being treated at Subang Hospital. There were no human fatalities, but eight of 15 cows being transported by truck died in the incident, said Second. Brig.

On the Selves Dari Uang Rakyat Sampai Pasien Politik (From Taxpayer's Money to Political Patient) Baharuddin Aritonang Pustaka Pergaulan, 2004 173 pp How much is the monthly salary of a legislator? Many legislators have shied away from revealing the exact amount of their income. That is except for Baharuddin Aritonang, who said that his salary was the princely sum of Rp 16,129,600.

Nyonya cuisine, a traditional fusion food Maria Endah Hulupi, Contributor, Jakarta The key to authentic Nyonya dishes, said Malaysian chef Amy Koh, is firsthand experience in knowing how to use liberal amounts of ingredients. Like all Nyonya cooks, she learned from the best teachers of all. "I learned from my mother who learned from my grandmother. I feel that without experience you won't get the desired results, because Nyonya cuisine does not know any exact measurements.

TV Program: Sunday, July 25, 2004 .TB.30" .90" TVRI 6:00 a.m. Morning News 7:00 Children Show: Pentas Ceria 9:00 Music: Delta 10:00 Sports 11:00 Comedy 12:30 p.m. English for Fun 1:00 News: Berita Siang 2:00 Music 3:00 English News Service 4:30 Music 5:00 Cartoon: Robocon 6:30 TV Drama 7:00 News: Berita Nasional 7:30 Pop Songs 8:30 TV Drama 9:00 News: Dunia Dalam Berita 9:30 Music 10:00 Music: Dansa Yo Dansa 11:00 TV Drama: Cempala TPI 6:00 a.m.

The spice is right at meradelima in Pondok Indah Stevie Emilia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta A friend's glowing recommendation or good reviews in local newspapers are usually my reason to give a new restaurant a try. But in my most recent culinary outing, it was a glaring red signpost that grabbed my attention to meradelima, a new restaurant that boasts authentic Peranakan cuisine.

TV Program: Sunday, July 25, 2004 .TB.30" .90" TVRI 6:00 a.m. Morning News 7:00 Children Show: Pentas Ceria 9:00 Music: Delta 10:00 Sports 11:00 Comedy 12:30 p.m. English for Fun 1:00 News: Berita Siang 2:00 Music 3:00 English News Service 4:30 Music 5:00 Cartoon: Robocon 6:30 TV Drama 7:00 News: Berita Nasional 7:30 Pop Songs 8:30 TV Drama 9:00 News: Dunia Dalam Berita 9:30 Music 10:00 Music: Dansa Yo Dansa 11:00 TV Drama: Cempala TPI 6:00 a.m.

Makeover madness: When a whole new you really isn't Krabbe K. Piting, Contributor, Jakarta One seemingly normal afternoon, I received a call from an old friend who works as a beauty and fashion editor at a popular women's magazine. We exchanged a few pleasantries; I thought she was going to announce a friend's upcoming wedding. Then she dropped the bomb. "Would you be interested in being a model for our makeover page?" Pause. "Am I that ugly?" I asked her half-jokingly. "No, no, no.

'Mengejar Matahari': No shining example of filmmaking Mengejar Matahari (Chasing the Sun) (Drama, 120 minutes) Starring Winky Wiryawan, Udjo, Fauzi Baadilla, Fedi Nuril, Agni Arkadewi Directed by Rudi Soedjarwo A SinemArt and Kipas Communication production (Indonesian language) ** (out of ****) Hera Diani , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Old habits die hard.

Cargo ship sinks after collision INDONESIA: The Nantai I cargo ship sank in the Madura Strait on Saturday after it was hit by another cargo ship, the Era Baru. No fatalities were reported in the accident. The incident occurred as the Nantai I was preparing to dock at Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya, East Java, while the Era Baru was leaving the port for Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara.

Rock on: Using natural stones for a warm interior Maria Endah Hulupi, Contributor, Jakarta Hard, cold and rough looking: That is how we usually consider the humble stone, which we choose to keep outside the home for rock gardens or patios. But stones can also be used to create a warm living atmosphere, regardless of the interior style of a room.

Activist Lily protects and serves the children Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta When Kahlil Gibran said "your children are not your children", they were not merely the lofty words of an idealistic poet. For it's our unwillingness to take the meaning seriously -- that children belong to society and are thus our collective responsibility -- that has led to the neglect of the country's youngest citizens.

Drive on to help S'pore Muslims SINGAPORE: A major initiative to free needy Moslem families in Singapore from the poverty trap goes into effect this year. The S$1.5 million (US$877,000) set aside by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore will help community groups assess and implement programs tailored to each family's needs, spur mothers and fathers to pick up parenting skills and help groups that run effective empowerment programmes, the council said on Friday.

Lack of information a hurdle in HIV/AIDS fight David Kennedy, Contributor, Jakarta, d_kenn@yahoo.com In the Papuan town of Merauke, near the Indonesian border with Papua New Guinea, a giant billboard shows a grotesque demon engulfed in hellfire. The caption reads: "Be aware! HIV/AIDS is evil. Send it to hell!" Papua has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS infection in the country and some experts believe it is heading for a general epidemic.

Can the twain meet between two cultural opposites? Let me say that I love my wife very much. She is sweet, kind, beautiful and I can't imagine my life without her. That's without question. It is true, however, that we are different in many ways. For example, she is a woman and I am a man. In addition, she is Indonesian and I am Canadian. We haven't been married all that long, but I know we'll be able to rise above our differences.

Bogor student wins reading contest Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta Ten-year-old Rizky Muharom is a regular elementary school student from Bogor, West Java. But he can turn himself into an old man, a woman or even an animal when reading a story. The boy won first prize on Saturday in a story reading contest for elementary school students across Greater Jakarta. The contest was organized by the Language Center of the Ministry of National Education.

Workshop strives to build a sense of community Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Megamendung, Bogor "What is acting?" Stage director/actor Sosiawan Leak threw out the question to open an acting class for some 100 young Buddhists here recently. One by one an answer was thrown back, from a hesitating "mmm...