RI's Olympic champ Taufik advances to world semis Agencies, Anaheim, California Reigning Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat staged a stirring comeback to defeat second-seed Kenneth Jonassen in a men's singles quarterfinal at the world badminton championships on Friday. The Indonesian number six seed lost the first game 15-3 to the Dane and made a slow start to the second before rallying to clinch it 15-10. He won the decisive third game 15-7.

Families of GAM guerrillas waiting for reunion Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Aceh Besar Families of Free Aceh Movement (GAM) guerrillas are hopeful they will soon be reunited with their sons, husbands and fathers after the signing of a peace deal between the government and the rebel group. But some are worried about the safety of their loves ones once they come down from the mountains and surrender their weapons, or after they are released from prison.

Lunches jazz up business meetings Meetings will no longer a stressful occasion for businesspeople -- the Sukoharjo Brasserie and Grill at the Hotel Sahid Jaya in downtown Jakarta are promoting a lunch special, providing a break from the rat-race. During "Jazz up your Lunch", businesspeople can enjoy a live jazz performance by the Elegant Band while replenishing their energy for the rest of the day. The promotion runs from August through September, Mondays to Thursdays between 12 a.m. and 3 p.m.

~Tutor Time International Preschool and Kindergarten Nurturing children's unique potential All children come into this world with multiple intelligences and unique potential. However, without an environment conducive to learning, those gifts could not be properly recognized and nurtured.

Technology, telephones and the Two Mangoes This week, in the kinky booted tradition of Star Trek's Captain Kirk, I decided to boldly venture forth into the future and checkout what cool, high-tech items are available in Jakarta's increasingly techno savvy marketplace. The first stop was West Jakarta's Roxy Mas Plaza which contains about eight floors dedicated entirely to mobile phones.

JP/20/image2 Celebrating with paint To celebrate the country's 60th Independence Day, Malang, a town in East Java, held a mural and graffiti festival. As many as 61 groups, comprising about 600 artists from across the country participated in the festival. Artists were required to paint the 400-meter-long wall at Gajayana stadium in six hours. Thousands of Malang residents had fun watching the event at the stadium, which is also the home base of popular soccer team Arema.

Better late than never: Exhibit Talented young artist Eko Nugroho will display his distinctive creations at a solo exhibition titled "Sorry I am Too Late to Celebrate" from Aug. 20 through Sept. 15 at the Arnivora Gallery in Kemang, South Jakarta. Eko is known for his comical and satirical works in the forms of comics, caricatures, paintings, murals, installations and videos. Most of his works, he has often said, are inspired from everyday objects, be it street graffiti or daily comics.

TV Program: Sunday, August 21, 2005 .TB.30" .90" TVRI 5:00 a.m. Religious Teachings 6:00 Morning News 7:30 Hero Classic 8:00 Children Show: Arena 123 8:30 Lenong Modern 9:00 Music: Delta 10:00 Sports: Antar Gelanggang 11:30 English for Fun 12:30 p.m.

Thousands of students to retake exams Dyah Apsari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Hundreds of thousands of high school students nationwide are to sit their repeat final examinations from Monday through Wednesday.

Where to go in Jakarta: Sunday, August 21, 2005 Exhibitions * Fine Arts Kekejaman Manusia by Gunther Uecker at Bentara Budaya Jakarta, Jl. Palmerah Selatan no. 17, Central Jakarta (Tel. 5483008), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., until Aug. 21 * Photo Understanding Independence by Keke Tumbuan and Jacqueline Gilbert at Gallery Lontar Jl. Utan Kayu 68H, East Jakarta (Tel. 8573388), until Aug. 30 * Painting by Ipe Ma'roef and Ipung Gozali, at Galeri Cipta II, Taman Ismail Marzuki Jl.

If not properly taught, early education can be harmful T. Sima Gunawan, Contributor, Jakarta If you ask anyone which they prefer to buy: books or food, most would likely prefer the latter. Maybe it's because they're hungry; but another reason is that they don't have a strong reading habit. Developing a reading habit is actually something that can be taught, and this should be introduced to children from a very young age. Stimulating the reading habit is more than just teaching children to read.

60 years ago, RI revolution was backed by puppets Sebastien Blanc, Agence France-Presse/Jakarta There was no CNN, no Internet and a high level of illiteracy when revolutionary ferment swept through Indonesia 60 years ago. The occupying Japanese had surrendered but the Dutch colonialists refused to loosen their grip when on Aug. 17, 1945, the nationalists Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaimed the country's independence.

Number of preschools constantly increasing Sudibyo M. Wiradji, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The number of preschools in Indonesia has grown rapidly over the last several years as more and more parents become aware of the importance of early childhood education for their children. But, in fact, the provision of informal education programs for children at an early age started a long time ago.

Alatas meets Myanmar rulers MYANMAR: Constitutional talks suspended by Myanmar's military rulers and designed as the first step on the junta's "road map" to democracy, are due to resume by December, a visiting UN envoy said on Saturday. Former Indonesian foreign minister Ali Alatas on Friday held a rare meeting with the junta's top five leaders to discuss reforms at the United Nations, and later met organisers of a national convention charged with drafting a new constitution.

Students hit books ahead of repeat exam ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya Dust flies up from the chair as Gusti Ayu, wearing a T-shirt and old jeans, sits down. She looks exhausted. "I am really tired because I have to take private lessons every day," she told The Jakarta Post at her house on Saturday. Gusti Ayu Netty Christina is among 31,000 high school students who failed the national exam in June.

ASEAN plans forum for 'neglected' education Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Bangkok Education ministers in the region are planning to form a forum to discuss education as a part of concerted efforts to make the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) a more integrated society.

RI arrests 17 Thai fishermen INDONESIA: Indonesian authorities have arrested 17 Thai fishermen and seized their five boats in the latest operation targeting illegal fishing in the vast archipelago nation, a navy officer said on Saturday. The boats were seized last Saturday for catching large hauls of fish without proper licenses in the eastern province of Maluku, said Ronald, an officer from the navy's eastern fleet headquarters. He said 17 crew members were also arrested.

1. Wayang (1 x 45) 60 years ago, RI revolution was backed by puppets

Celebrating with paint To celebrate the country's 60th Independence Day, Malang, a town in East Java, held a mural and graffiti festival. As many as 61 groups, comprising about 600 artists from across the country participated in the festival. Artists were required to paint the 400-meter-long wall at Gajayana stadium in six hours. Thousands of Malang residents had fun watching the event at the stadium, which is also the home base of popular soccer team Arema.

Nelwan makes fashion statement through indigenous fiber Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post/Kuta,Bali It was a memorable experience for Nelwan Anwar to dress President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife and several Cabinet members in white shirts and kebaya (traditional blouses) made from haramay fiber, locally known as ramie Garut.

Int'l preschools offer exciting learning environment Debbie A. Lubis, Contributor, Jakarta Going to school for the first time can be a scary thing for preschoolers, but with a good educational system, the school can become a center of fun and excitement for young children. Providing a comfortable and exciting learning environment is something that is emphasized in many international schools, in addition to their world-class curriculum.

Cooking and food bazaar What's cooking? The "Jali Jali Jajanan Jakarta" food bazaar will be held at Ciputra Mall from Aug. 4 through Aug. 21. During the bazaar, visitors can polish up their culinary skills under the tutelage of acclaimed Chef Sugianto from the Ciputra Hotel. Afterward, visitors can take a walk through the bazaar and taste the various indigenous dishes on display.

Aceh's tsunami recovery hits snags over relocation Koh Gui Qing, Reuters/Ujung Karang, Aceh After a month scavenging planks from ruined villages in Indonesia's tsunami-hit Aceh province, former truck driver Muhari built a shack that he has turned into a coffee shop. Business in the 4-square-metre (13-square-foot) shop by the beach has been brisk. Muhari said he earns about Rp 600,000 ($61) on weekdays and up to one million rupiah on weekends, an impressive sum by local standards.

~Tutor Time International Preschool and Kindergarten Nurturing children's unique potential All children come into this world with multiple intelligences and unique potential. However, without an environment conducive to learning, those gifts could not be properly recognized and nurtured.

Plastic packaging reaches new levels of impenetrability Here's a simple message to critics of Indonesian manufactured goods: Shut up! OK, we all know of polycarbonate chairs that crumple after a season in the sun, electric kettles that short circuit on the third boil and greenstick furniture that warps. But there's one local product that has achieved international standards for toughness and can serve as a fine advertisement for home-grown industrial skills.

JP/14/Nelwan Nelwan uses haramay for fashionable outfits Rita A. Widiadana The Jakarta Post/Kuta,Bali It was a memorable experience for Nelwan Anwar to dress President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife and several Cabinet members in white shirts and kebaya (traditional blouses) made from haramay fiber, locally known as ramie Garut.