Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 15 September 2004

79 articles found

Telekom Malaysia raises $500m

Telekom Malaysia raises $500m KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's largest telecommunications company, Telekom Malaysia Bhd., raised US$500 million from the sale of 10- year bonds with the funds going to refinance existing debt and for working capital, a top official said on Tuesday. "This transaction marks Telekom Malaysia's re-emergence in the international debt capital markets since our last $300 million bond issue in 2000," Abdul Wahid Omar, Telekom's group chief executive said in a statement.

Rupiah ends up on optimism of growth

Rupiah ends up on optimism of growth Dow Jones Jakarta The rupiah ended higher on Tuesday, on buying fueled by optimism that a powerful blast in Jakarta last week likely will not hurt the country's overall economy or disrupt next week's presidential election, dealers said. The dollar ended at Rp 9,110, down from its close of 9,280 on Friday. Tuesday's closing level was the U.S. unit's lowest since July 27, when it ended at 9,095.

City plans to erect Diponegoro statue

City plans to erect Diponegoro statue JAKARTA: After erecting a statue of Gen. Sudirman, which proved controversial, the city administration is now planning another, of national hero Diponegoro, an official said on Tuesday. The statue is to be located on the median strip in front of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) office, on Jl. Diponegoro, Menteng, City Parks Agency head Sarwo Handhayani said. Sarwo and said property giant Ciputra would finance the construction.

Police name 3 suspects, offer Rp 1b for tip-offs

Police name 3 suspects, offer Rp 1b for tip-offs Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Police named on Tuesday three suspects in Thursday's bomb attack in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta and confirmed the last two of the nine dead, who had been identified as Armansyah Putra and Martinus Sitania, were not the bombers. National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen.

JP/07/media

JP/07/media Verdict on 'Tempo' and a lesson from it Indonesia can't afford inaction on threat on the press or Tempo case a litmus test for press freedom and democracy Ardimas Sasdi Jakarta Thursday's court verdict on Tempo magazine, which has been in a long and costly legal battle with businessman Tomy Winata, will set the tone and direction of the development of the magazine and the Indonesian press in the future.

Be prepared to become a good loser next Monday

Be prepared to become a good loser next Monday Leng C. Tan, Jakarta Quentin Tarantino, the director of movies like Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, once said that the most interesting time in Hollywood is when they do not know what works anymore. That is when directors take chances. And taking a chance is what a substantial number of Indonesian voters seem to be doing, as reflected in the continued appeal and popularity of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Underpass work leads to detours

Underpass work leads to detours The Jakarta Post, Jakarta After the long weekend, Jakartans passing through Pondok Indah, South Jakarta, will have to get used to heavy congestion due to the ongoing construction of an underpass in the area. The Jakarta Transportation Agency said in a release that it would also build two more underpasses on Jl. Raya Pasar Minggu, connecting it with Jl. Tanjung Barat and Jl. Ragunan Raya respectively.

(Spotlight ad column. Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004)

(Spotlight ad column. Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004) WTC SUPPORTS INDONESIAN TOURISM: World Trade Center (WTC) Jakarta supports Indonesian tourism with the 2004 Indonesia Golf & Resorts Expo held in its Atrium hall. This annual event, held for the past three years, ran from Sept. 7 through Sept. 10. The Indonesian tourism industry has been actively promoting golfing tour packages to the world. There are currently 87 golf courses throughout the country.

Business unaffected by blast, focus still on election

Business unaffected by blast, focus still on election Zakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Business leaders said that the impact on the economy of last week's bomb blast outside the Australian embassy would be minimal, with business players continuing to focus on the Sept. 20 presidential election.

Preventing Australia-Indonesia tension post the Sept. 9 blast

Preventing Australia-Indonesia tension post the Sept. 9 blast Begi Hersutanto, Jakarta The bombing at the Australian Embassy on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2004, was horrific, to say the least. Following the terrorist attack, the embassy has allowed any staff who so choose to return to Australia for security reasons, while the embassy will be closed until further notice (The Jakarta Post, Sept. 10).

House OKs law on economic planning

House OKs law on economic planning Dadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta A law on national development planning was endorsed at a plenary session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, outlining the role of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) in formulating the nation's economic development programs.

Credit card criminals get four years in jail

Credit card criminals get four years in jail Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post/Bandung A judge at the Bandung District Court sentenced on Tuesday two men, one of them a repeat offender, to four years in prison for credit card fraud. In the previous court session three weeks ago, the prosecutor recommended the district court sentence the two defendants, Frans Harry Theosa, 47 and Arief Rusmawan, 37, to four years in prison for their crimes.

1. Bapena (4x10)

1. Bapena (4x10) House OKs law on economic planning 2. Opec (2x31) Oil ministers gather in Vienna, oppose high price of oil 3. Phone (2x19) Cellular firms plan huge investment 4. Bisnis (1x54) Business unaffected by blast, focus still on election

Policeman still on critical list, others OK

Policeman still on critical list, others OK Leony Aurora , The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The condition of a policeman injured in last week's bombing at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta has taken a turn for the worse, but there have been improvements in 12 other bombing victims being treated at hospitals in the capital. Since Monday, Second Brig.

Australia election rivals even after Jakarta bomb

Australia election rivals even after Jakarta bomb Michelle Nichols Reuters/Melbourne, Australia Support for Australia's main political parties remains even ahead of an Oct. 9 election despite predictions the government would receive a boost after a deadly car bomb attack on the country's embassy in Indonesia.

Students fight pitched battle

Students fight pitched battle JAKARTA: For the third time this month, students from the Christian University of Indonesia (UKI) and YAI Persada University fought a pitched street battle near their campuses in Central Jakarta on Tuesday. Students from both universities began throwing stones at each other on Jl. Diponegoro at about 3:30 p.m. Some students reportedly suffered from head wounds. The reason for the altercation was not known.

Gale destroys 1,100 houses

Gale destroys 1,100 houses Andi Hajramurni, Makassar About 1,100 houses in seven villages in South Sulawesi were destroyed by two days of strong winds, officials and residents said on Tuesday. No deaths were reported after the incident on Sunday and Monday in the districts of Barru and Taneteriaja in Barru regency, some 100 kilometers north of the provincial capital of Makassar.

Rupiah Rates

Rupiah Rates Sept. 14 Banknote rates TT rates Selling Buying Selling Buying Australian dollar 1 6,772.88 6,069.44 6,455.49 6,386.60 Brunei dollar 1 5,721.37 5,127.78 5,453.26 5,395.74 Canadian dollar 1 7,448.30 6,676.91 7,099.25 7,025.82 Swiss franc 1 7,703.56 6,905.65 7,342.56 7,266.51 Danish krone 1 1,599.00 1,432.76 1,524.06 1,507.64 Euro 1 11,891.05 10,659.31 11,333.81 11,216.32 Poundsterling 1 17,432.59 15,628.84 16,615.66 16,445.54 Hong Kong dollar 1 1,242.16 1,113.87 1,183.95 1,172.08...

No excuses needed for Scusa Sunday brunch

No excuses needed for Scusa Sunday brunch Jim Read, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta What's in a name? Quite a lot, by all accounts. While taxi drivers may struggle to pinpoint your destination when you ask to be taken to the Hotel InterContinental MidPlaza -- formerly the Kempinski -- Scusa, the eatery that nestles within, has already made its mark on the foodie map of Italian restaurants in Jakarta, amid some stiff competition.

Java remains dominant force at PON

Java remains dominant force at PON Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post/Palembang The 16th National Games officially came to close here on Tuesday with Vice President Hamzah Haz calling for teams outside Java to pursue their efforts to catch up with their Java's rivals. "Congratulation to South Sumatra which has been successful to hold this National Games," Hamzah said during the closing ceremony at the Sriwijaya Stadium inside the Jakabaring sports compound.

Verdict on 'Tempo' and a lesson from it

Verdict on 'Tempo' and a lesson from it Ardimas Sasdi, Jakarta Thursday's court verdict on Tempo magazine, which has been in a long and costly legal battle with businessman Tomy Winata, will set the tone and direction of the development of the magazine and the Indonesian press in the future.

* Condition of police officers injured in blast worsens Page 2

* Condition of police officers injured in blast worsens Page 2 * New Supreme Court justices sworn in Page 4 * Javanese transmigrants left in limbo in Aceh Page 5 * Be prepared to become a good loser next Monday Page 6 * Work plan idea mooted to improve performance Page 8 * Russia, RI and Australia seek greater cooperation to identify al-Qaeda terrorists Page 10 * Beckham set to come out fighting in Bayer rematch Page 11 * House endorses law on economic development planning Page 13 * How some...

The art of life

The art of life For the next four weeks Indonesians, especially Jakartans, will be treated to a plethora of performing and visual arts as part of the 4th Art Summit Indonesia 2004. The start of the month-long festival is a welcome respite for residents of the bustling city, which was again recently terrorized by a bombing.

S'pore firm plans low-cost carrier

S'pore firm plans low-cost carrier SINGAPORE: Singapore aerospace component supplier A-Sonic Aerospace Ltd. said Tuesday it had tied up with two Chinese companies to start a low-cost airline based in China's southern Guangdong province. A-Sonic said in a statement the joint venture hopes to ride on a projected boom in air travel in the world's most populous nation. The partnership will be between A-Sonic's wholly-owned subsidiary JANCO International Pte. Ltd.

Telkomvision service

Telkomvision service On Oct. 14 last year, I wrote The Jakarta Post a letter discussing the poor customer service provided by the various television signal providers. Almost one year later nothing much has changed. Last year, I did get an immediate response from Telkomvision after the letter was published. I was actually contacted by the director/vice president of sales and marketing to ensure that my problems were resolved, and they were.

Russian delegation visits Indonesia

Russian delegation visits Indonesia JAKARTA: A Russian delegation, led by the first deputy director of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, Sergei M Smirnov, is visiting Indonesia from Sept. 13 to Sept. 17. A statement from the Russian Embassy said on Tuesday that during the visit, Smirnov would sign an intergovernmental agreement on the mutual protection of classified information.

5,000 migrants from Java left in limbo in Aceh

5,000 migrants from Java left in limbo in Aceh Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post/Banda Aceh Some 5,000 people or 1,300 transmigrant families from Java, who fled Aceh last year following major conflict in the province, have returned to Aceh, as the situation has returned to normal here. Unfortunately, they have no place to stay as their homes were burned down during the conflict in the troubled province last year.

House endorses controversial FTZ bill

House endorses controversial FTZ bill Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta In a controversial move -- the first of its kind in the country's modern history -- the House of Representatives has unilaterally endorsed a bill conferring free trade zone (FTZ) status on Batam Island into law, despite the opposition of the government.

Thousands protest huge fund used for council inauguration

Thousands protest huge fund used for council inauguration Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post/Medan Thousands of people staged a noisy rally here on Tuesday as the new North Sumatra legislative council was inaugurated, with two of its 85 members missing the swearing-in ceremony due to legal problems.

Candidates begin campaign with little fanfare

Candidates begin campaign with little fanfare The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Presidential candidates Megawati Soekarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono began their respective campaigns with little fanfare on Tuesday, spending much of the time preparing for the "dialog" on Tuesday evening that have been sponsored by the General Elections Commission (KPU).

5-year-old Jakarta blast victim wakes up crying

5-year-old Jakarta blast victim wakes up crying Agencies Singapore After days under heavy sedation, a five-year-old girl critically wounded in the Australian Embassy bombing in Indonesia finally opened her eyes on Tuesday and communicated with her stepfather and grandfather. Elisabeth Manuela Bambina Musu's Italian stepfather, Manuel Musu, was at her bedside when she awoke. "She opened her eyes and she looked at me," Musu said.

Shanties destroyed for railway

Shanties destroyed for railway JAKARTA: Around 600 shanties built alongside the railway track in Kebon Melati and Kebon Kacang subdistricts, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, will be demolished after the second phase of the presidential election on Sept. 20, to make way for expansions of a railway track by state railway company PT KAI.

City ups security amid bomb threats

City ups security amid bomb threats Bambang Nurbianto and Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta A wave of bomb threats swept through the capital on Tuesday, five days after a bomb exploded outside the Australian Embassy on Jl. Rasuna Said, Kuningan, South Jakarta. The threats toward two office buildings and a five-star hotel caused only a slight commotion as police bomb squads found out that the threats were hoaxes.

Concerned by councillors

Concerned by councillors From Koran Tempo Compared to the news of the presidential runoff on Sept. 20, the recent news of the swearing-in of both provincial and regional councillors might not seem that interesting. Yet, we have to pay serious attention to these new councillors. We should be concerned because some of them have committed crimes. There is one councillor who was reported to the police for document forgery, and others are involved in corruption.

TV Program: Wednesday, September 15, 2004

TV Program: Wednesday, September 15, 2004 .TB.30" 1.00" TVRI .TB.30" .90" 6:00 a.m. News: Berita Pagi 6:30 Talk Show 7:30 Music 8:00 Health: Sehat dengan Doa 8:30 Music: Asyik-Asyik 10:00 Battle of Wits 11:00 Singing Contest: Konteswara 12:00 p.m.

Vulgar TV after 10

Vulgar TV after 10 From Republika Today's TV programs, particularly those after 10 p.m., are still loaded with sexual behavior and problems presented in a vulgar way, such as reality shows about promiscuous women and female students seeking money, the use of aphrodisiacs, the life of prostitutes and other indecent fragments.

New Supreme Court justices sworn in

New Supreme Court justices sworn in Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Chief Justice Bagir Manan installed on Tuesday 14 new Supreme Court justices, who are expected to give the highest judicial body new blood to deal with the mounting backlog of cases, which this year exceed 19,000. The court now has 51 justices. All the new-installed justices are career judges who have held key positions in the Supreme Court's bureaucracy. Most of them are in their early 60s.

Medal Tally

Medal Tally The final medal table after the closing of the the 16th National Games (PON) in Palembang on Tuesday: Province G S B T 1 Jakarta 141 111 114 366 2 E. Java 76 81 111 268 3 W. Java 76 79 94 249 4 C. Java 56 58 64 178 5 S. Sumatra 30 41 40 111 6 Jambi 27 28 15 70 7 Lampung 22 21 21 64 8 Papua 22 13 19 54 9 E. Kalimantan 19 28 33 80 10 S. Sulawesi 17 22 19 58 11 Riau 16 14 20 50 12 N. Sumatra 15 15 26 56 13 N. Sulawesi 14 14 13 41 14 Bali 11 12 18 41 15 Yogyakarta 10 13 21 44 16 S.

'Any of us could be a victim of terror'

'Any of us could be a victim of terror' Less than a week after a bomb exploded outside the Australian Embassy on Jl. Rasuna Said in Kuningan, South Jakarta, President Megawati Soekarnoputri announced that Indonesia was on full alert for terrorist activities. Following the embassy bombing, the authorities also stepped up security in public areas. The Jakarta Post discussed the issue of terrorism with residents. Wanto, 24, is a student at Trisakti University in Grogol, West Jakarta.

Bonuses, permanent jobs promised to athletes

Bonuses, permanent jobs promised to athletes Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post/Palembang For some athletes at the 16th National Games, which concluded on Tuesday, winning a gold medal gave them not only honor and pride but hopes for a better life. Not only were athletes promised cash bonuses, but also the chance of permanent employment in a bid to motivate the teams to win as many gold medals as possible. A number of provincial administrations promised millions of bonuses.

Candidates begin campaign with little fanfare

Candidates begin campaign with little fanfare The Jakarta Post Jakarta Presidential candidates Megawati Soekarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono began their respective campaigns with little fanfare on Tuesday, spending much of the time preparing for the "dialog" on Tuesday evening that have been sponsored by the General Elections Commission (KPU).

National Library to go online

National Library to go online JAKARTA: The National Library plans to open an Electronic Library to facilitate information and data searches by the public. "The service aims to make it easier for library users to access data and information," Fadli of the National Library was quoted by Antara as saying on Tuesday. The service, which will be available beginning Oct. 1, will be found at the Internet address http://www.pnri.go.id.

Notaries must have post-graduate education

Notaries must have post-graduate education Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta People pursuing a career as notaries will now need to have university degrees in law and a master's degree in the notarial profession, according to the newly endorsed notarial profession bill. To obtain their licenses, however, law graduates and notary certificate holders must also join a compulsory one-year apprenticeship at a notary office.

* Condition of police officers injured in blast worsens Page 2

* Condition of police officers injured in blast worsens Page 2 * New Supreme Court justices sworn in Page 4 * Javanese transmigrants left in limbo in Aceh Page 5 * Be prepared to become a good loser next Monday Page 6 * Work plan idea mooted to improve performance Page 8 * Russia, RI and Australia seek greater cooperation to identify al-Qaeda terrorists Page 10 * Beckham set to come out fighting in Bayer rematch Page 11 * House endorses law on economic development planning Page 13 * How some...

Work plan mooted to improve performance

Work plan mooted to improve performance Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The fact that some regional councillors have been investigated by the police for their alleged involvement in graft cases is a good reason for Jakarta councillors to prepare an annual work plan, which would enable the public to monitor their performance.

Games over

Games over The 16th National Games (PON) officially closed in Palembang, South Sumatra, in a triumphant fashion last night, as athletes and spectators celebrated two weeks of the best sporting competition the country has to offer. What was on offer varied from the excellent to the mediocre, the average to the farcical.

Candidates dialog receives cool response

Candidates dialog receives cool response Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The much-awaited dialog involving the presidential candidates and their running mates failed to draw much public interest on Tuesday, with less than half of the around 600 seats available being occupied by the supporters of the two camps.

Judges told to use Press Law

Judges told to use Press Law Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Chief Justice Bagir Manan told senior judges on Tuesday to consider using the Press Law in settling all disputes involving the press instead of the Criminal Code. In his remarks marking the installation of 14 Supreme Court justices and 14 high court presidents across the country, Bagir said that judges must be careful in handling cases involving the press as it may hamper freedom of the press.

Filipinos in HK told to learn Cantonese

Filipinos in HK told to learn Cantonese Deutsche Presse-Agentur Hong Kong Filipino maids in Hong Kong have been told to learn Cantonese or lose out on jobs to Indonesians, a news report said on Tuesday. The number of Indonesian maids working in Hong Kong has grown by 25 percent to nearly 86,000 over the past 30 months while the number of Filipinos has fallen by 21 percent to 122,000.

House passes much-awaited domestic violence bill

House passes much-awaited domestic violence bill Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta TV soap stars Fivevy Rahmawati and Novia Ardhana may well have breathed a deep sigh of relief after the House of Representatives endorsed the long-awaited domestic violence bill on Tuesday.

Indonesians tried for fraud in Australia

Indonesians tried for fraud in Australia JAKARTA: Six Indonesians are currently on trial in Melbourne, Australia, for credit card fraud, an official from the Indonesian consulate, Kamapradipta, said on Tuesday, dismissing suggestions they were being tried for involvement in terrorism. "They were arrested on Sept. 8 for credit card fraud and are also being tried for overstaying their visas and for using fake passports to enter Australia," Kamapradipta told The Jakarta Post.

Insensitive picture

Insensitive picture I am one of the people who was injured in the bombing attack outside of the Australian Embassy on Thursday, Sept. 9. I am writing to express my disappointment with your decision to run a picture of two pageant queens on page two of The Jakarta Post's Sept. 11 edition. This picture and the caption played up a visit of the two women to an unfortunate victim of the blast. I feel that it was a very insensitive editorial judgment.

Twenty fires in Palu in past nine months

Twenty fires in Palu in past nine months PALU, Central Sulawesi: Twenty fires were reported in the past nine months in the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu, the municipal fire department says. The fires, which mostly razed houses in residential areas, had cost local residents billions of rupiah. None of the fires resulted in fatalities, the department said.

Clean-up fraud

Clean-up fraud From Warta Kota In connection with the claim by certain parties -- Indonesia Asri, Jakarta Asri and the Indonesia-Australia Action Committee (IACT) -- that the Clean Up Indonesia/Indonesia Bersih program is part of their activities, I must clarify the matter as follows. Clean Up Indonesia/Indonesia Bersih is fully under the auspices of Yayasan Indonesia Bersih (the Clean Up Indonesia Foundation) and has no relationship whatsoever with the other parties.

SIA to outsource some IT functions

SIA to outsource some IT functions SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) said on Tuesday it will outsource some functions performed by its information technology (IT) infrastructure department in a bid to trim costs. "Singapore Airlines operates in a highly competitive industry where costs can be a major differential between us and our competitors," the airline said in a statement. "As an airline, we must work to bring our costs down to be competitive.

JP/18/PASIR

JP/18/PASIR People turn unfriendly as sand quarrying rampant Sand quarrying endangers riverine villagers Indra Harsaputra The Jakarta Post/Surabaya Bambang, a resident of Mlirip hamlet in the East Java town of Mojokerto, can only sit still watching how sand quarrying machines are operated in Brantas River. "It's really appalling because despite frequent warnings from locals, sand quarrying machines continue to operate," Bambang told The Jakarta Post several weeks ago.

Boarding houses must be monitored

Boarding houses must be monitored Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta In a bid to beef up security in the city, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso reiterated his call to local leaders to intensify local body efforts to monitor the use of boarding houses and rented buildings. Sutiyoso met with five Jakarta mayors and the Kepulauan Seribu regent on Tuesday.

EU donates Rp 100b for RI elections

EU donates Rp 100b for RI elections JAYAPURA: The European Union (EU) has donated 7 million euros (Rp 100 billion) to assist Indonesia in holding its presidential and legislative elections, the chief of the EU Election Observation Mission to Indonesia, Glyn Ford, said on Tuesday. "We have donated some funds to support the organization of the legislative election last April 5 and the presidential election last July 5 and on Sept. 20," Ford said.

Online article reveals hacker's ID

Online article reveals hacker's ID Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Witness Affan Basalamah, a member of the General Elections Committee (KPU) information technology (IT) team, told the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday that he had obtained the name of the KPU website hacker through an article he found on the Internet.

AGO approves case file against Adrian

AGO approves case file against Adrian Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The Attorney General's Office has approved the case file of Adrian Waworuntu, the main suspect in the Rp 1.7 trillion (US$184.7 million) scam involving state bank BNI, moving prosecutors closer to bringing him to justice.

Cellular firms plan huge investment

Cellular firms plan huge investment Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Investment in the country's cellular industry is estimated to reach more than US$1 billion in 2005, as operators move to capitalize on growing market demand due to the relatively low penetration of fixed-line telephones.

1. DIALOG: 1 LINE, 30 COUNTS

1. DIALOG: 1 LINE, 30 COUNTS Candidates dialog gets cool response 2, BLAST: 2 LINE, 20 COUNTS Police name 3 suspects, offer Rp 1b for tip-offs 3. PON: 1 LINE, 32 COUNTS Jakarta comes home with 141 golds 4. ART: 2 LINES, 18 COUNTS New burst of life: Masks, fabrics and destinies

Taxi boat pilots want promise kept

Taxi boat pilots want promise kept AMBON, Maluku: About 70 water taxi pilots staged a protest on Tuesday in front of the office of Maluku Governor, demanding the government keep its promise to provide them with soft loans. The pilots complained their earnings had dropped significantly after the situation in Maluku had returned to normal, following sectarian conflict in the province in 1999 and 2000.

House endorses new law on fishery

House endorses new law on fishery Dadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The House of Representatives endorsed on Tuesday a new law on fisheries, which not only stipulates a more sustainable way of exploiting sea resources, but also stern punishments, including jail terms and heavy fines for illegal fishing activities.

RI, Russia and Australia call for unity to fight al-Qaeda groups

RI, Russia and Australia call for unity to fight al-Qaeda groups Edith M. Lederer Associated Press/United Nations The latest terrorist targets - Indonesia, Russia and Australia -- called on Monday for greater international cooperation to identify al-Qaeda supporters and halt their activities. Two days after the third anniversary of the Sept.

Masks, fabrics and destinies

Masks, fabrics and destinies The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The second day of a two-day performance by the El Hanager theater company, as part of Art Summit Indonesia 2004, will be staged on Wednesday at Graha Bhakti Budaya, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Central Jakarta. Aqnea, Aqmesha, wa Massaer (Masks, Fabrics and Destinies) is a piece written by Kassem Muhammad, an expatriate Iraqi artist living in the United Arab Emirates and directed by HaniEl-Mettenawi.

Blast has mixed impact on concert

Blast has mixed impact on concert Although a concert featuring Alicia Keys, scheduled for Oct. 5, has already been canceled on security concerns, other acts due to appear soon will be going ahead. Tommy Pratama of Original Production confirmed on Tuesday that The Scorpions would perform at Senayan Indoor Tennis Stadium on Thursday. "They have just arrived.

Airport closed due to volcanic ash

Airport closed due to volcanic ash Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post/Kupang The Sikka regency administration has been forced to close Waioty Airport in the town of Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara, due to last week's eruption of Mount Egon, officials said on Tuesday. The closure was announced on Monday and all domestic flights from Denpasar in Bali and the East Nusa Tenggara capital of Kupang to Maumere have been halted for the time being.

Shanties destroyed for railway

Shanties destroyed for railway JAKARTA: Around 600 shanties built alongside the railway track in Kebon Melati and Kebon Kacang subdistricts, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, will be demolished after the second phase of the presidential election on Sept. 20, to make way for expansions of a railway track by state railway company PT KAI.

JP/19/SCUSA

JP/19/SCUSA No excuses needed for Scusa Sunday brunch Jim Read The Jakarta Post Jakarta What's in a name? Quite a lot, by all accounts. While taxi drivers may struggle to pinpoint your destination when you ask to be taken to the Hotel InterContinental MidPlaza -- formerly the Kempinski -- Scusa, the eatery that nestles within, has already made its mark on the foodie map of Italian restaurants in Jakarta, amid some stiff competition.

Vento-Kabchi upset by Cho at Wismilak tennis tournament

Vento-Kabchi upset by Cho at Wismilak tennis tournament Eva C. Komandjaja and Wahyoe Boedhiwardhana, The Jakarta Post/Nusa Dua, Bali Sixth seed Maria Vento-Kabchi of Venezuela went down in a surprise defeat to unseeded South Korea's Cho Yoon-jeong 7-5, 6-1 in the opening round of the US$225,000 Wismilak International WTA Tennis Tournament here on Tuesday. "I have to admit that my strategy did not work against (Chu).

Terror-risk insurance still costly

Terror-risk insurance still costly Dadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The recent bombing in front of the Australian Embassy should highlight the fact that Indonesia has become a high-risk place when it comes to terrorism -- a reality that may increase the demand from businesses for specialized insurance protection.

Juwono in town for a reception?

Juwono in town for a reception? JAKARTA: The presence of Indonesian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Juwono Sudarsono in Jakarta in recent weeks has raised questions among diplomats, officials and politicians. The question, "what is he doing in town?" has often popped up among the chattering classes, especially ahead of the election runoff due on Sept.20.

Deputy regent resigns to take council post

Deputy regent resigns to take council post PEKANBARU, Riau: Riza Pahlevi has tendered his resignation as Bengkalis deputy regent, choosing instead to become a councillor with the Bengkalis legislative council. Riza said he sent his resignation to Riau Governor Rusli Zainal on Sept. 8. His decision was in compliance with regional law, which rules elected members of government must avoid dual roles, he said on Tuesday.

Last victims's remain s given to families

Last victims's remain s given to families Tiarma Siboro and Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The remains of two victims of the bomb blast outside the Australian Embassy last week were handed over to their families on Tuesday, ending days of speculation that they were involved in the latest terror attack to rock the country.

Prosecution urged for 45 councillors

Prosecution urged for 45 councillors PALU, Central Sulawesi: Ten non-governmental organizations (NGOs) reported on Tuesday 45 former members of the Donggala legislative council to the Central Sulawesi Prosecutor's Office for alleged graft. At a meeting between NGO representatives and office chief I Made Yasa, the activists accused the councillors of improperly using Rp 7.4 billion (US$787,234) from the 2003 Donggala budget.

LOGO: Movement to oppose criminalization of the press

LOGO: Movement to oppose criminalization of the press Safeguarding freedom of expression Information is the key to the movement to combat corruption and militarism, the two greatest threats to Indonesia's budding democracy. However the public's right to know is now being scrapped through the practice of silencing the media and suppressing freedom of expression. Criminalization of the media is not the problem of the press alone, but is one that affects us all in our efforts to uphold democracy.

Candidates focuses on cecurity, corruption fight

Candidates focuses on cecurity, corruption fight Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Security and corruption were two crucial issues that have been given serious attention by Megawati Soekarnoputri and Hasyim Muzadi and their rivals Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla ahead of the Sept. 20 presidential runoff.

[b]Given the political forces amassed by Megawati's PDI-P with

Given the political forces amassed by Megawati's PDI-P with Golkar et al., this juggernaut has meant that a Susilo victory is no longer a forgone conclusion.