Blessed with many friends in this country, my own experience tells me that Indonesian women have a distinctive ability to turn on the charm, changing situations and altering outcomes with a smile, a look and the unsaid word. That's not a generalization, even if it sounds like one. It's an opinion, offered despite the inherent risks in expressing it.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia's competition authority announced Monday that state-linked Singapore investment firm Temasek Holdings has broken the law relating to its ownership of two Indonesian mobile phone carriers. Temasek has until the end of the month to respond to the findings of the Commission for the Supervision of Business Competition, or KPPU, said commission chairman Mohamad Iqbal. The commission handed its findings to Temasek two weeks ago, he was quoted by AFP as saying.

Indonesia forecast that it would miss a target for output of palm oil this year because of dry weather, exacerbating a shortage of the commodity that has helped drive the price to a record. “Last year, our production was around 16 million tons and this year the prediction was 17, but because of weather conditions, it's going to end up about 16.8,” Trade Minister Mari Pangestu said. Still, output this year is still at a record.

Limitless, a real estate arm of Dubai World, is looking to develop a mixed-use project in Jakarta at an estimated development cost of $1.7 billion. The company may invest about Rp2 trillion ($220 million) for a 30% stake in PT Bakrie Swasakti Utama, a unit of property developer PT Bakrieland Development, Bloomberg News reported, citing Bakrieland spokesman Nuzirman Nurdin.

Riau Islands hopes to attract up to $5 billion in new foreign investment over the next five years after parliament passed a bill turning the area into a free trade zone, its governor said Wednesday (17/10/07). The free trade bill offers investors benefits that include exemption from import duties, value-added tax and sales tax on luxury goods in the province’s main industrial islands of Batam, Bintan and Karimun.

Moody's Investors Service upgraded Indonesia's credit ratings on Thursday (18/10/07), citing progress in cutting its debt and ample foreign exchange reserves and trade surplus, which offer buffers against external shocks, Dow Jones Newswires reported. The move brings Moody's rating belatedly into line with rankings of BB- by both Standard & Poor's Ratings Services and Fitch Ratings. Fitch, which has a positive outlook on its Indonesia grade, is still the most upbeat on the country.