International brand names attract more shoppers Debbie A. Lubis, Contributor, Jakarta As the holiday season draws closer and the festive atmosphere fills the air, many international brand outlets have started luring shoppers by offering discount on selected items of up to 50 percent. This strategy normally receives a great response from shoppers, especially those with discerning tastes.

Resailing ancient mariners' wake from Indonesia to Madagascar Chisato Hara The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The Phantom Voyagers: Evidence of Indonesian Settlement in Africa in Ancient Times Robert Dick-Read Thurlton Publishing, 2005 252 pp.

Karate looking to land gold on opening day Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Cebu City, the Philippines A favorable draw has beefed up the national karate team's gold medal hopes, but the dancesport team is keeping a conservative target of landing one spot in the finals. Karate team manager Madju Dharyanto said on Saturday his athletes were in with a strong chance in the men's and women's team kumite competition as well as the individual kata events on Sunday.

Dim Sum Extravaganza at Lai Ching The Lai Ching Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jakarta, is serving dim sum in many varieties at the affordable price of Rp 88,000 per person. Offering Cantonese style of cooking, Lai Ching also has specialities of dim sum, such as steamed vegetable dumpling with fungus and bamboo shoots, bamboo and black mushrooms and steamed ha gao with shark's fin.

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Manila Wynne Prakusya and Romana Tedjakusuma came through intermittent rain and a spat over player eligibility to brush aside the Philippines in the women's team tennis semifinals on Saturday. With only five teams competing in the event, Indonesia and the host nation were drawn in the last four, while Thailand, which received a bye, was to play Vietnam. The latter stopped Myanmar 2-0 on Saturday.

Southeast Asian Games Medals Table Medal standings on Saturday after the completion of water polo on Friday. Nation G S B Tot Singapore 1 0 0 1 Philippines 0 1 0 1 Malaysia 0 0 1 1 Brunei 0 0 0 0 Cambodia 0 0 0 0 East Timor 0 0 0 0 Indonesia 0 0 0 0 Laos 0 0 0 0 Myanmar 0 0 0 0 Thailand 0 0 0 0 Vietnam 0 0 0 0

Fire kills one at narcotics penitentiary The Jakarta Post, Jakarta An exploding gas stove caused a fire at the Cipinang Narcotics Penitentiary in East Jakarta on Saturday, causing the death of one inmate and injuring four others. The fire is believed to have started at 8:40 a.m. in the jail's kitchen and was only extinguished some 45 minutes later.

Putting male reality back on the runway Syahmedi Dean, Contributor, Jakarta When one talks about fashion, there is not much in the way of choice in Jakarta for men. It seems that Indonesia's designers are much more at home creating clothes for women. Why is it that fashion designs for men are not as popular as those for women in Jakarta? Many beautiful dresses created by Indonesian fashion designers have been hits. They are popular and get into the local mainstream.

Resailing ancient mariners' wake from Indonesia to Madagascar Chisato Hara, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Phantom Voyagers: Evidence of Indonesian Settlement in Africa in Ancient Times Robert Dick-Read Thurlton Publishing, 2005 252 pp.

Sunday's program Schedule of events for Dec. 27, with events held at different locations around the Philippine archipelago.

Gold rush set to begin in Manila Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Manila Amid a final push to complete competition venues and heightened security, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is set to open the 23rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games on Sunday. The ceremony for the 10-day Games is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. local time at Quirino Grandstand in Luneta Park.

Water polo team get marching orders MANILA: There will be no opening ceremony march for the national water polo team, which narrowly lost the bronze medal in its final game on Friday. Kusnan Ismukanto, Indonesia's delegation chief in charge of activities in Metro Manila, originally said the team would march along with the rest of the team at Rizal Memorial Stadium. A few hours later on Saturday, chef de mission Djoko Pramono changed the plan. "No, they won't (participate).

Soul.Id: The Soul of Hip Hop Tari Danawidjaja, Contributor, Jakarta Rating: *** out of ***** Artist: Soul.Id Album: Soulfidelis Recording Company : PT EMI Indonesia Featured Single: Idola For a country like Indonesia where hip hop is as well known as pop, it would be a tough job to make this type of music known. In the last ten years, the rap/hip hop scene in Indonesia hasn't grown that well. Indeed, it would take a great effort to bring it alive.

JP/ / Terrorism fear Noted music promoter Adrie Subono is very much afraid of terrorism, as he was almost killed in the JW Marriot Hotel bomb blast Page 4 Coming Soon Korean stage group Cookin' Nanta, which will perform in Jakarta soon, drew a large crowd during their recent performance in Malaysia Page 16

Best of Spanish film to hit town Kenny Santana, Contributor, Jakarta, qnoy2k@yahoo.com Pedro Almodovar, Javier Bardem, the Goya awards: these are probably the most familiar names among the vocabulary of Spanish cinema. In the upcoming Spanish Film Week due to open next Tuesday, these trademarks of Spanish cinema -- along with a few other surprises -- will be in town to greet local moviegoers on celluloid.

Urban Myth: Believe me, this really happened Have you heard the one about the Indonesian driver taking a call on his cell phone at a gas station in Jakarta? The phone fired off sparks, the fuel exploded and the man was incinerated, which is why Australian gas stations prohibit the use of cellular phones on their forecourts. True? Well the first part isn't, but the second is.

Nothing lasts forever The beauty of butterflies in Bantimurung, Maros, South Sulawesi was renowned as far back as hundreds of years ago. English naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace called Bantimurung National Park the Kingdom of Butterflies. Aside from their beauty, the butterflies in the park are also known for their variety. Visitors to the park today are mesmerized by the butterflies as they flit from tree to tree.

Can your child read in English? Aulia Rachmat, Contributor, Jakarta Many parents think that their children have possessed the adequate reading skills after spending a number of years attending international curriculum schools, particularly those that started in elementary school. How are the reading skills of their children?

Men's soccer team overcomes Vietnam BACOLOD CITY: After two goalless draws, the national soccer team redeemed itself with a 1-0 win over Vietnam on Saturday, keeping alive its hopes of reaching the semifinals. PSMS Medan striker Saktiawan Sinaga scored after Vietnam's goalkeeper Bui Quang Huy blocked Mahyadi Panggabean's shot in the 68th minute, Antara news service reported.

Four Indonesians killed in Malaysia MALAYSIA: Four Indonesian workers were killed when a giant crane collapsed at a construction site just outside the Malaysian capital on Saturday, police said. Puchong district police chief Mohamad Fuad Talib said the accident happened early Saturday at the construction site for a 23-storey apartment block. Three of the victims were resting when the crane fell on them, Bernama news agency said, adding the fourth victim was the crane operator.

Adrie Subono on terrorism, showbiz A. Junaidi and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Thanks to his macho look, strong physical appearance, earring, should-length hair, music promoter Adrie Subono should be afraid of nothing. In fact, he is very much afraid of something: terrorism.

A case of the host with the mostest? Agencies, Manila It helps to be the host in winning the overall medal standings. Vietnam won its first overall title at the last Games in 2003, with Malaysia accomplishing the same feat on home soil in 2001. The Philippines -- powered by foreign athletes of Filipino descent -- is also expected to do well and might end up on top of the heap for the first time in the 46-year history of the Games.

Kris a cut above on heritage list The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Stephen Hill, director of the Jakarta office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is one of a few expatriates who attended in 2002 the celebration of 1 Syuro or the Javanese New Year at the Surakarta Palace. As special guests, Hill and other expatriates were given royal treatment.

Not much to shout about for RI public Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The imminent opening of the 23rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games was news to marketing consultant Farid. "I didn't know that the SEA Games was being held ...

TV Program: Sunday, November 27, 2005 .TB.30" .90" TVRI 5:00 a.m. Koran Recital 6:00 Morning News 9:00 Music: Delta 10:00 Sports: Antar Gelanggang 11:00 News: Berita Nusantara 11:30 Music 1:00 p.m. News: Berita Siang 1:30 Survivors 3:00 English News Service 3:30 Robocon 5:00 Student Band Show 6:00 Pesona Fisika 7:00 News: Berita Nasional 7:30 Music: Dian Rana 9:00 News: Dunia Dalam Berita 9:30 Music: Musik Tempo Dulu 11:00 Wayang Orang: Pandawa Dadu TPI 5:00 a.m.

Gold rush set to begin in Manila Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Manila Amid a final push to complete competition venues and heightened security, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is set to open the 23rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games on Sunday. The ceremony for the 10-day Games is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. local time at Quirino Grandstand in Luneta Park.

'Al Jazeera' to challenge 'CNN', 'BBC' from KL Chan Tien Hin, Bloomberg/Singapore Al Jazeera, an Arabic broadcaster accused by U.S. officials of biased reporting in Iraq, will begin airing an English-language television channel from Malaysia next year to win over viewers in Asia. The English-language channel is an "attempt to gain credibility among" Western and Asian audiences, said Bruce Gale, a political risk analyst at Hill & Associates Ltd. in Singapore.

JW Marriott's Santa House JW Marriott Jakarta and Sogo, two premium brands in the hospitality and retail industries, are collaborating to present the exclusive Santa House in Jakarta. Anyone looking for a beautiful Christmas gift for your friends or business partners, may stop by at the hotel's Santa House and buy homemade Christmas goodies; including cookies, cakes and Christmas baskets, as well as the beautiful, renowned Sogo Christmas tree decorations. Santa House will be open from Nov.

New designs, colors offered to brides Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Some brides might prefer off-the-shoulder gowns with layers, while others may choose those with halters or V-necks or payets to cast a spell over their wedding reception. There was plenty of choices for would-be brides at the Wedding Inspiration II bridal exhibition in the Diamond Ballroom of the Nikko Hotel recently, with the gowns on show expected to become the trends for the next four or five years.

Soeharto misses Golkar ceremony Senior Golkar figures attend an award presentation ceremony during a reception at Jakarta's Balai Kartini hall to celebrate the party's 41st anniversary. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was also present at the reception. At the event on Saturday night, Golkar leader and Vice President Jusuf Kalla conferred the "Anugerah Bhakti Pratama" or Dedicated Service Award on five of the party's six most senior figures including former president B.J. Habibie.

New designs, colors offered to brides Kurniawan Hari The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Some brides might prefer off-the-shoulder gowns with layers, while others may choose those with halters or V-necks or payets to cast a spell over their wedding reception. There was plenty of choices for would-be brides at the Wedding Inspiration II bridal exhibition in the Diamond Ballroom of the Nikko Hotel recently, with the gowns on show expected to become the trends for the next four or five years.

PKS to reassess support for government Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) is set to announce on Sunday whether it will continue supporting the current government in response to growing calls from the party's grassroots to withdraw its backing. The board of patrons of the Islamic-oriented party began a two-day meeting in Jakarta on Saturday to discuss this strategic issue, as well as a number of other matters.

Borobudur has new pastry chef Promising more delicacies, Borobudur Hotel has announced the appointment of Sheriff Mohideen as pastry chef of the luxurious five-star hotel. A Sri Lankan, Mohideen started his career at the Hotel Lanka Oberoi before moving overseas to work at the Meridien Hotel in Jeddah, Ramada Al Salam Hotel in Jeddah, Al Khzama in Saudi Arabia and the Munster Germany Movenpick Hotel. His last position was assistant pastry chef at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Dubai.