Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 31 October 2005

94 articles found

Banks prepare ATMs for extended Idul Fitri break

Banks prepare ATMs for extended Idul Fitri breakUrip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post. Jakarta With Idul Fitri arriving this week, people are advised to wrap up all of their banking business by Tuesday before the banks -- along with most other businesses -- close up shop for the long holiday.

Advocates in great need of a better image

Advocates in great need of a better imageYufiter Sitepu, Jakarta The arrest of Harini Wijoso by the Corruption Eradication Court (KPK), the lawyer of Soeharto's half-brother Probosutedjo, following an alleged attempt to bribe Supreme Court chief justice Bagir Manan, again strengthens public...

More holiday travelers opt for motorbikes

More holiday travelers opt for motorbikesSuherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang Higher fuel prices have not discouraged people from traveling to their hometowns to celebrate Idul Fitri with loved ones -- even if it means making the entire trip on a motorcycle to cut down on fuel costs.

1. Balinese pray for purification after Oct. 1 bombing Page 4

1. Balinese pray for purification after Oct. 1 bombing Page 42. Giant drum being positioned in Ancol ahead of Idul Fitri Page 83. Divers toil to recover survivors, dead from derailed train Page 12

Singapore Air Force helps to find missing helicopter

Singapore Air Force helps to find missing helicopterNethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura The Singapore Air Force has sent a special team and an unmanned aircraft to help Indonesia find a helicopter that went missing near Jayapura, Papua, on Oct.

Anthropologists uncover jawbone of another ancient "Hobbit" on Indonesian island

Anthropologists uncover jawbone of another ancient "Hobbit" on Indonesian islandJoseph B. Verrengia, Associated Press/DenverScientists digging in a remote Indonesian cave have uncovered a jaw bone that they say adds more evidence that a tiny prehistoric Hobbit-like species once existed.

Questioning govt commitment on agricultural development

Questioning govt commitment on agricultural development Hyginus Hardoyo Jakarta At the start of his presidential term a year ago, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono promised to put the agricultural sector on top of his government policy agenda with the aim of increasing rural household incomes from both farm...

Consumer foundation to open help kiosks

Consumer foundation to open help kiosks JAKARTA: The Indonesia Consumers Foundation (YLKI) will erect five help kiosks at major bus terminals, railway stations and airports to help solve problems related to transportation services for holidaymakers.

Weightlifting looks to lift two SEAG golds

Weightlifting looks to lift two SEAG golds Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta With several weight classes dropped from the roster and new athletes yet to reach their peak, national weightlifters are unlikely to bring back the five golds of two years ago from this November's Southeast...

Passengers fall unconscious

Passengers fall unconscious SAMPIT, Central Kalimantan: Dozens of people passed out in thronging crowds pushing to leave the Dharma Kencana commercial ferry at Sampit Port on Friday.Police and seaport officials quickly separated them from the crowd pushing its way through the gate leading into the...

Tsunami survivors feel forgotten

Tsunami survivors feel forgottenRidwan Max Sijabat The Jakarta Post/JakartaTen months after the devastating tsunami that claimed more than 210,000 human lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of others last December, the public living in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam is still in trouble.

China's market not impenetrable, say businesspeople

China's market not impenetrable, say businesspeople Consumer goods from China have penetrated all over the world market, giving the impression that its market is inaccessible. However, a handful of Indonesian businesspeople are beginning to find business opportunities in the country.

Hotel bomb convict to get remission

Hotel bomb convict to get remissionThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta Sardona Siliwangi, a 24-year-old man convicted of storing explosives used to bomb Jakarta's JW Marriott Hotel in 2003, was reported to be among the thousands of prisoners across the country to get jail cuts in observance of Idul Fitri.

Indonesian deserves death, mufti says

Indonesian deserves death, mufti says An Egyptian religious leader has refused to intervene on behalf of Indonesian Ali Darman Agustri, who faces the death penalty in Egypt for multiple murder and robbery.

Police beef up security patrols in tense Poso

Police beef up security patrols in tense PosoRuslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu Police have beefed up security patrols in Poso, Central Sulawesi,following the beheading of three female students in the vicinity of the town on Saturday.

Airport operator to build terminal

Airport operator to build terminalIndra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya An Australian tourist, upon hearing the news that the operator of Juanda Airport would build a mall in the vicinity of the airport, was pleased, saying it would make last-minute souvenir shopping a breeze.

Jamsostek to invest Rp 4t in equity

Jamsostek to invest Rp 4t in equityRendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta State-owned social security firm PT Jamsostek plans to invest at least Rp 4 trillion (US$399.2 million) in the equity market next year, in a bid to aggressively tap higher yields from its investments.

checked -- JSR

checked -- JSR World voyagers find Indonesia the toughest challengeEvi Mariani The Jakarta Post/JakartaBriton Jason Lewis, 38, has been bicycling, rollerblading, boat- pedaling and paddling canoes intermittently for the last 11 years during his human-powered, round-the-world expedition.

Why not a monument of peace in Aceh?

Why not a monument of peace in Aceh? I have watched TV shows and read news articles on the surrender of fire arms used by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the destruction of the arms and other paraphernalia. This is indeed a pitiful phenomenon.

Excelcom's 9-month loss widens

Excelcom's 9-month loss widens JAKARTA: PT Excelcomindo Pratama, Indonesia's third-biggest mobile phone company, said its losses this year until September widened on a bigger currency loss.Losses widened to Rp 276.5 billion (US$27.6 million), or Rp 49 a share, from Rp 18.

Tsunami refugees criticize NGOs

Tsunami refugees criticize NGOs BANDA ACEH: People made homeless by the Dec. 26 tsunami in Aceh Singkil regency have criticized several non-governmental organizations for failing to make good on their promise to build the refugees new houses.

Bali governor visits Japan

Bali governor visits Japan DENPASAR: Governor of Bali Dewa Beratha and a number of local tourist industry players flew to Japan on Saturday for a three- day visit in a bid to convince Japanese tourists that the people of Bali and security authorities were working hard to ensure that Bali is a safe...

Rental rates continue upward trend

Rental rates continue upward trend The average asking gross rent of mid-up leased apartment units continued to climb upwards in the second quarter of this year, partly due to the increase in the oil price in the first three months.

NGOs demand independent probe into Mahdi case

NGOs demand independent probe into Mahdi caseTb. Arie Rukmantara, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) urged the National Commission of Human Rights to set up an independent team to investigate possible human rights violations that may have occurred during the recent...

Hotel bombing convict to receive remission

Hotel bombing convict to receive remissionThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta Sardona Siliwangi, a 24-year-old man convicted of storing explosives used to bomb Jakarta's JW Marriott Hotel in 2003, was reported to be among the thousands of prisoners across the country to get jail cuts in observance of Idul...

Consuls urge more visible security

Consuls urge more visible security DENPASAR: Foreign consuls here have asked for assurance from Badung regent Anak Agung Gde Agung on the efforts to maintain security in the regency, particularly in the aftermath of Oct. 1 bombing in its tourism magnets of Kuta and Jimbaran.R.

Mahdi shot but remains at large

Mahdi shot but remains at large PALU, Central Sulawesi: Mahdi, a little-known Islamic sect leader, was shot in the leg during last week's deadly clash that killed five people, and may now be hiding on Mount Panggero in Donggala regency, Central Sulawesi, his followers told police on Sunday.

China, the world's largest telecom market

China, the world's largest telecom marketHuawei Technologies Co. Ltd, China's largest producer of telecommunications equipment, invited journalists from India, Malaysia and Indonesia, including Vincent Lingga from The Jakarta Post, to observe its operations in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen from...

checked --JSR

checked --JSRPhoto caption A JP/Evi MarianiVoyagers Chris Tipper (left) and Jason Lewis at a guesthouse in Central Jakarta, after finishing half of the Indonesian leg from Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara to West Java, one part of their human-powered, round-the-world expedition. Photo caption B www.

Qantas cuts Bali flights after attack

Qantas cuts Bali flights after attack SYDNEY: Qantas Airways Ltd., Australia's biggest airline, will suspend some flights to the Indonesian resort island of Bali from next month after demand dropped following the Oct. 1 suicide bombings that killed 23 people.

Religious leaders call for calm

Religious leaders call for calmTiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The killing of three schoolgirls in the Central Sulawesi town of Poso has raised concern among Christian and Muslim leaders, who called on their followers to remain calm so as to prevent a cycle of revenge from setting in.

Supreme Court

Supreme Court trading RI women? We refer to the news item Want to marry RI woman? Pay Rp 500m in deposit (The Jakarta Post, Oct. 10, page 2).We are outraged and disturbed when reading the subject article.

Many Acehnese still in tents as holiday approaches

Many Acehnese still in tents as holiday approachesNani Afrida The Jakarta Post/Banda AcehIt was almost dusk on Sunday, but a group of children at the refugee camp were still playing outside despite the mud after a heavy downpour in Banda Aceh.

JP/7/IGOR3

JP/7/IGOR3 Igor O'Neill, Jakarta Vice President Jusuf Kalla on Oct. 7 announced the government's plan to spend Rp 150 billion (US$15 million) to buy 10 million coal stoves as a part of the government efforts to diversify energy resources and to reduce the costly subsidy for kerosene.

Good deeds during Ramadhan

Good deeds during Ramadhan? It is amazing to see that recently another hardliner Muslim group targeting shops and restaurants during this Ramadhan period. ? As I understand that they are supposed to be fasting and when they are fasting they are supposed to do good deeds during this season.

Indonesian, two Filipinos get death penalty for Valentine's Day

Indonesian, two Filipinos get death penalty for Valentine's Day bombing Agence France-Presse ManilaA Philippine court sentenced on Friday an Indonesian Islamic militant and two Filipinos to death for the Valentines' Day bombing of a bus in Manila that killed four people.

Bali summons Japanese tourists

Bali summons Japanese tourists DENPASAR: Bali is calling out to Japanese tourists to visit the island, citing improved security after the Oct. 1 bombing.Balinese Governor Dewa Made Beratha went on a three-day visit to Japan starting on Saturday to promote a safe and secure Bali to Japanese...

Govt drafts incentives for exploration

Govt drafts incentives for explorationLeony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta In a bid to attract exploration efforts in the country's eastern frontier, the government is drafting new incentives, which may involve a shorter commitment period for exploration.

UNTUK EDISI SENIN, 31 OCTOBER

UNTUK EDISI SENIN, 31 OCTOBERTougher tests await Irene in bid for international gloryMusthofid The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Teen chess prodigy Irene Kharisma lived up to the huge expectations of her last week by taking a major step toward becoming the country's first women's grand master.

Health agency erects 38 posts for travelers

Health agency erects 38 posts for travelersDamar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The City Health Agency has established 38 health kiosks at locations frequented by domestic travelers, such as bus terminals, train stations, ports and the airport to monitor any health problems affecting people...

Scroll of Honor for Jakarta

Scroll of Honor for Jakarta We refer to the article Activists slam habitat award for Jakarta, published in The Jakarta Post on Oct. 4. The city of Jakarta is a megacity with more than 10 million inhabitants. About 20 percent, or two million, are living in kampongs or slums.

Riau Police move against illegal loggers

Riau Police move against illegal loggersThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Riau Police confiscated on Saturday more than 1,600 cubic meters of illegally felled logs from Gaung River in Indragiri Hilir regency, during a raid against illegal logging in the province.Provincial police chief S.

Don't cry Bali

Don't cry BaliGlan Iswara Christchurch, New Zealand "Why did they bomb Bali? Why Bali?" For the tourism-reliant Balinese these questions are significant. For example, a taxi driver who usually waits for passengers at Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali, sadly said: "After the bombs in October 2002, tourism...

Operators to double parking fees

Operators to double parking feesDamar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta On the back of the fuel price increases, motorists will soon have to pay double the current fees for off-street parking.The operators of parking businesses here have started seeking approval for the increase, which would be...

Lee keeps lead, Sorenstam struggles

Lee keeps lead, Sorenstam struggles JEJU, South Korea: South Korea's Lee Jee-young remained three strokes clear in the LPGAs CJ Nine Bridges Classic despite two double bogeys late on Saturday in the second round.

Guard dog deployed at int'l airport

Guard dog deployed at int'l airport TANGERANG: Police have deployed a guard dog to help with security at the domestic departure terminal of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport as a precautionary measure during the Idul Fitri holiday, Antara reported on Saturday.

Korean Lee secures first LPGA victory at home

Korean Lee secures first LPGA victory at homeAssociated Press, Jeju, South Korea South Korea's Lee Jee-young won her first LPGA tournament Sunday, closing with a 1-over-par 73 for a wire-to-wire, three- stroke win over compatriot Kim Mi-hyun and Carin Koch of Sweden at the Nine Bridges Classic.

Sutiyoso to help pro-bono lawyers

Sutiyoso to help pro-bono lawyers JAKARTA: Governor Sutiyoso pledged funds from the city budget on Saturday to help renovate the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute's (YLBHI) building on Jl. Dponegoro, Central Jakarta."I hope the fund needed (for the renovation) is less than Rp 10 billion ...

English relegated at China biz expo

English relegated at China biz expo "What is being displayed here?""Sorry, I don't know," came the polite answer from an exhibition hall staff member at the China-ASEAN Expo. Of course, she knew what was being asked, the problem was that she could not explain it in English.

CDM projects 'vital for Indonesia'

CDM projects 'vital for Indonesia'Tb. Arie Rukmantara, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Environmentalists and economists welcomed the government's move to establish the National Commission on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), a national authority to promote Indonesian CDM projects to the world.

Indonesian experience helps to get better idea of the market

Indonesian experience helps to get better idea of the market Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor Corp. has made Indonesia and Thailand its bases for IMV (Innovative International Multi- purpose Vehicle) production in Southeast Asia.

Antam's 9-month profit rises 32%

Antam's 9-month profit rises 32% JAKARTA: PT Aneka Tambang (Antam), a mining company 65 percent owned by the government, said its profit rose 32 percent in the first nine months of this year on increased sales of higher grade nickel ore, gold and silver.Net income rose to Rp 711.

Homes remain elusive for Acehnese on Idul Fitri

Homes remain elusive for Acehnese on Idul FitriNani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh It was almost dusk on Sunday, but a group of children at the refugee camp were still playing outside despite the mud after a heavy downpour in Banda Aceh.

Balinese Hindus cleanse bombing site

Balinese Hindus cleanse bombing siteI Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Kuta, Bali The whole area of Kuta Square Arcade, one of the sites targeted by terrorists in the Oct. 1 Bali bombings, was transformed into a sacred space on Sunday, when hundreds of Balinese Hindus held a ceremony to purify...

Residents block only road to Bojong dump site

Residents block only road to Bojong dump siteAbdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Consistent with their firm objection to the operation of a waste treatment plant in their area, hundreds of residents of Bojong in Klapanunggal district, Bogor, West Java, erected on Sunday a wall to block the only...

Toward a virtual caliphate

Toward a virtual caliphate Peter Mandaville Yale Center for the Study of Globalization Arlington, Virginia The recent Zawahiri- Zarqawi Letter -- purportedly a missive on strategy and tactics from al-Qaeda's to their man in Iraq -- once again raises the question of bin Laden's capacity to inspire...

China utilizes Nanning for trade with ASEAN

China utilizes Nanning for trade with ASEAN The following is the first article in the second series on the Second China-ASEAN Expo held from Oct. 19 to Oct. 22 in Nanning in the southwestern autonomous region of Guangxi, China.

1. Madi ----- 3x16

1. Madi ----- 3x16 NGOs demand independent probe into Mahdi case 2. Mudik ---- 1x28 More holiday travelers opt for motorbikes 3. Bird ----- 1x36 Asian firms bracing for bird flu catastrophe 4. Da'i ----- 1x36 Da'i pledges support for police bribery probe

Legislative oversight and the war on terror

Legislative oversight and the war on terrorBantarto Bandoro Jakarta "The proper office of a representative assembly is to watch and control the government." (John Stuart Mill, 1861) "Terrorism, like war, is too important to be left to the generals and the government intelligence agencies.

Commission put on hold

Commission put on hold JAKARTA: Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh said over the weekend the Prosecutor's Commission, which was supposed to be up and running by October, had been put on hold indefinitely.

New Hankam-Cikunir route eases traffic

New Hankam-Cikunir route eases trafficAbdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Suparjo, a resident of a housing complex in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, is thankful that during this year's rush to get out of town for the Idul Fitri holiday, the new Hankam-Cikunir toll road will let him and his family...

Airport terminal confusion

Airport terminal confusionFrom KompasTerminal I of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport apparently receives less serious attention from Angkasa Pura, the country's airport management association.There has always been a state of confusion in the terminal's front parking area, resulting from car...

SBY's 1.8 million hectare disaster?

SBY's 1.8 million hectare disaster? We all remember Soeharto's disastrous 1 million hectare sawah (rice field) project in Central Kalimantan, the consequences of which still affect the province.Will President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) attach his name to an even bigger ecological, sociological,...

Students ready for bird flu fight

Students ready for bird flu fight BOGOR: At least 400 Indonesian university students are ready to go house-to-house to check for bird flu in chickens that people keep in their backyards, university officials said on Saturday.

Communal conflicts and terrorism

Communal conflicts and terrorismRiwanto Tirtosudarmo, Jakarta The intention of the Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto to revive the territorial command is not a surprise at all. It is only a reflection of a long established self image of the military as the nation's sole...

Judicial corruption not only rampant but also shameful

Judicial corruption not only rampant but also shamefulFrans H. Winarta, Jakarta In the midst of the anticorruption campaign introduced by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in his first year term of office, an incident occurred at the Supreme Court recently in which a lawyer and five staff members...

Depok to build new bus terminal

Depok to build new bus terminal DEPOK: The Depok administration will build a new bus terminal for city, inter-city and inter-province public buses in the Jatijajar area in Cimanggis in 2006, Tempo Interaktif reported on Sunday.

BRI posts 8 percent drop in profit

BRI posts 8 percent drop in profit State-run Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), the nation's fourth largest bank, announced that net profit dropped by 8 percent in the first nine months of the year, following a decline in its proceeds from recapitalization bonds.

Parades banned along main roads

Parades banned along main roads JAKARTA: Those wishing to participate in takbiran parades on the eve of Idul Fitri should avoid the main thoroughfares of Jl. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta, Jakarta Police warned.

Sutiyoso to help pro-bono lawyers

Sutiyoso to help pro-bono lawyers JAKARTA: Governor Sutiyoso pledged funds from the city budget on Saturday to help renovate the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute's (YLBHI) building on Jl. Dponegoro, Central Jakarta."I hope the fund needed (for the renovation) is less than Rp 10 billion ...

The evil among us

The evil among us Barbaric! No other word describes the anger and exasperation many of us feel at hearing the news of the killing and beheading of three teenage girls in the Central Sulawesi district of Poso on Saturday. No decent human being could have done such a sadistic thing.

Lombok tourism 'recovering' after Bali bomb attacks

Lombok tourism 'recovering' after Bali bomb attacksThe hotel occupancy rate on Lombok island, West Nusa Tenggara, has improved after being badly affected by the Bali bombings on Oct. 1, a senior hotelier said on Saturday.

Forgive convicted Australians

Forgive convicted Australians Indonesia should have mercy on the nine Australians arrested for attempting to traffic heroin from Bali to Australia.These young people have made a mistake in their lives and now they face the consequences of their deed. However, these young lives should be spared.

Companies organize exodus for workers

Companies organize exodus for workersDamar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Poyo, 30, a stone mason, who works for a small developer in East Jakarta, is unhappy he cannot celebrate Idul Fitri in his hometown in Purwodadi, Central Java, this year."I am broke.

City streets deserted as residents head for their hometowns

City streets deserted as residents head for their hometownsTantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Traveling through the city on Sunday afternoon, one was immediately struck by how empty the streets were. The roads looked almost naked without the usual knots of honking cars and buses.

Christians shorten service in face of threats

Christians shorten service in face of threatsAbdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta About 500 members of the HKBP, Gekindo and GPDI churches in the Jati Mulya housing complex in Bekasi, West Java, were forced to cut short their Sunday services after some 200 Muslim residents surrounded them.

1. POSO: 3 x 15

1. POSO: 3 x 15 Police beef up security in tense Poso 2. REAX: 2 X 15 Religious leaders call for calm 3. CHURCH: 2 X 20 Christians shorten services in face of Muslim threats 4. VATICAN: 1 X 30 Vatican condemns Poso beheadings 5. QUAKE: 1 X 32 Pakistan, India to open Kashmir border

Foreign company complains over court's handling of case

Foreign company complains over court's handling of caseUrip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Amid the government's efforts to improve Indonesia's investment climate, another commercial dispute involving a foreign company has been dealt with by the courts in a way that could once again cause...

Govt plans to merge ship makers

Govt plans to merge ship makersIndra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya Following its plan to merge state enterprises in several industries -- including mining, plantations and port operators -- the government will also merge several state-owned ship makers by 2009.

Presidental office budget

Presidental office budgetPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he was "surprised" to read in the media that his government had formally proposed to the legislature a sharp increase in the 2006 budget of his office. This news would have been funny had it not been so depressing.

National bridge team second after Senior Bowl qualifying session

National bridge team second after Senior Bowl qualifying sessionThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Indonesian contract bridge team finished second on Saturday after the qualifying matches of the Senior Bowl in Estoril, Portugal, a spokesman of the Indonesian Contract Bridge Association (Gabsi) said on...

'This Idul Fitri is really tough financially'

'This Idul Fitri is really tough financially' Muslims will celebrate the Idul Fitri festivities on Nov. 3 and Nov. 4. The Jakarta Post talked to a few people about the meaning of the celebration amid tougher economic times following the rising price of basic commodities due to the Oct.

Number of bus passengers drops

Number of bus passengers drops BANDUNG: The number of bus passengers traveling through Cicaheum bus terminal in Bandung is down by almost half compared to the same period last year, the station head says.

Da'i pledges support for police bribery probe

Da'i pledges support for police bribery probeThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta Former National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar says he will support the ongoing investigation into allegations of high-level police corruption that allegedly occurred during his tenure.

checked -- JSR

checked -- JSR World voyagers find Indonesia the toughest challengeEvi Mariani The Jakarta Post/JakartaBriton Jason Lewis, 38, has been bicycling, rollerblading, boat- pedaling and paddling canoes intermittently for the last 11 years during his human-powered, round-the-world expedition.

Mars won't be spotted thru TIM

Mars won't be spotted thru TIMTantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta It's not going to reoccur for another 13 years at least, but if you're hoping to catch a glimpse of the planet Mars as it passes closest to Earth from the Jakarta Planetarium at Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) in Central Jakarta...

On artificial sweeteners

On artificial sweeteners I refer to the letter of Sunarto Prawirosujanto published in The Jakarta Post on Oct. 20 urging Indonesians to use more and more artificial sweeteners to avoid the importation of sugar.

Over 4,000 convicts get reduced sentences

Over 4,000 convicts get reduced sentences MEDAN, North Sumatra: A total 4,378 Muslim convicts currently being jailed in prisons across North Sumatra will get their sentences reduced during Idul Fitri, a senior government official said on Saturday.

Bending the law to save lives: Avian flu in Indonesia

Bending the law to save lives: Avian flu in IndonesiaMaya Lestari Jakarta Drug patents give to an inventor for a term of years the exclusive right to make, use or sell their invention -- meaning that other companies cannot make or market the drug until the patent expires.

PT PAL launches cargo vessel

PT PAL launches cargo vessel SURABAYA: State-owned shipmaker PT PAL Indonesia launched a dry cargo vessel, with 18,500 dead weight tons, in its plant here on Friday. The vessel, ordered by Italian company Cube SpA, will be handed over in February. The contract was made on June 24, 2004.

Vatican condemns beheadings

Vatican condemns beheadings The Vatican called on Sunday the beheading of three Indonesian schoolgirls from a Christian high school a "barbaric" attack and said Pope Benedict XVI was praying for renewed peace between the region's people.

Parades banned along main roads

Parades banned along main roads JAKARTA: Those wishing to participate in takbiran parades on the eve of Idul Fitri should avoid the main thoroughfares of Jl. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta, Jakarta Police warned.

Tougher tests await Irene in bid for international glory

Tougher tests await Irene in bid for international gloryMusthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Teen chess prodigy Irene Kharisma lived up to the huge expectations of her last week by taking a major step toward becoming the country's first women's grand master.

checked -- JSR

checked -- JSR Cultural Heritage exhibition sees few visitors Evi Mariani The Jakarta Post/JakartaOn a typical Wednesday morning at the National Museum, fewer than 10 people were seen strolling around the three-month Shared Cultural Heritage exhibition, which is displaying hundreds of ethnographic...