Crystal clear picture, crisp sound and... 'fantastic' prices Philips, one of the world's main consumer product makers, opened its first Asia Pacific digital video disk (DVD) manufacturing facility in Singapore on March 25.

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TV todayTVRI 6:00 a.m. News 7:00 Ied Prayer 8:00 Children's Program 8:30 Children's Program 9:30 Education Program 10:00 Family's Skill 11:30 Talk Show 12:15 p.m.

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Pick of the FlicksHollywood KC: Shakespeare In Love 14:15 16:55 19:05 21:15 Meet Joe Black 14:30 18:00 21:30 Affliction 14:15 16:55 19:05 21:15 Enemy Of The State 14:15 16:55 19:05 ...

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Indonesia stuns RP, narrows its loss to 1-2 JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia narrowed its loss to 1-2 against the Philippines in the second day of the Davis Cup Group II Asia Oceania zone semifinal thanks to the solid partnership of Edy Kusdaryanto and Hendri Susilo Pramono.

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Employees of closed banks struggling to surviveBy Mehru Jaffer JAKARTA (JP): Until recently. 31-year-old Ingrid Novita seemed to have not a care in the world. Both she and her husband worked in banks.

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Mukminah cried for helpBy Sori Siregar "What I told you was true, not a fabrication," Mukminah said to the foreign journalist through a female interpreter. The journalist nodded repeatedly.

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Ambon must revive spirit of unity Ambon is widely known as a placid land with beautiful scenery and friendly people who used to live in perfect harmony with one another.

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Golkar complains about stone-pelting incident JAKARTA (JP): Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung said on Saturday that his party would lodge a complaint with the General Elections Commission and the Elections Supervisory Committee following acts of stone-pelting against Golkar executives in Central ...

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Three more killed in Maluku riots JAKARTA (JP): Communal clashes in Southeast Maluku continued on Saturday, claiming at least three more lives in Weduarfer, Kei Besar island, a source there said.

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Sorrow shrouds conflict-ridden West KalimantanText and photos By P.J. Leo SAMBAS, West Kalimantan (JP): A deadly ethnic conflict pitting a minority group of Madurese against an alliance of indigenous Malay and Dayak remains smoldering.

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N. Riantiarno's script-book punctuated with humor Opera Sembelit -- Mimpi Jadi Nyeri (Opera Constipation -- From Dream to Pain); By N. Riantiarno; Balai Pustaka, Jakarta, October 1998; xii + 122pp When man and ill health cross paths, it is more interesting than when man meets good health.

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Reforming music education in IndonesiaBy A. Chaedar Alwasilah BANDUNG (JP): Many believe that music is simply a form of entertainment that does not require any thoughtful consideration at all.

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250 drivers compete in Gudang Garam drag race JAKARTA (JP): About 250 drivers will compete in a one-day second-leg Gudang Garam drag race at the Sentul circuit, Bogor, on April 11.Organizer Sigit Hardadi said on Thursday that, so far, 150 drivers have registered for the race.

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Violence leads to violence, but do we have to follow? JAKARTA (JP): A strange feeling struck me at the cinema a few weeks ago. I was watching Spielberg's latest critically acclaimed harrowing war movie Saving Private Ryan and the theater was almost full.

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Money does grow on tree trunksBy Singgir Kartana YOGYAKARTA (JP): A banana plant's stem is garbage for most farmers. In their eyes it has no economic value. Banana trees are grown for their fruit; the trunk is usually discarded.For Maryanto, 53, however, the banana stem is a gold mine.

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A Dam of Tears Whose conscience can remain unmovedwhen it is splashed by the waterfrom this Kedungombo damwhich streamed down from our tearsand that of our wives and childrenwho -- until today -- cannot understandwhy they have been made victimsof the arrogance of the powerholderswho must be the ...

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Schrader's new film 'Affliction' cuts, but only skin-deepBy Tam Notosusanto JAKARTA (JP): The world in Affliction is a gloomy New Hampshire town coated with snow-white somberness. It is a seemingly quiet and still world that camouflages the unhappy lives of its denizens.

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Meditation: An oasis of peace and tranquilityBy Rahayu Ratnaningsih JAKARTA (JP): There is something good about living far away from your workplace. It gives you more opportunities to meditate during the journey to and from the office -- providing you are not the one driving.

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Negative consequences of the art business need to be watchedBy Chandra Johan JAKARTA (JP): The art business involving galleries, artists and art lovers is relatively new to Indonesia. It developed together with an art "boom" at the end of the 1980s up to the middle of the 1990s.

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New art galleries emerge despite crisisBy Amir Sidharta JAKARTA (JP): Three interesting new art galleries have just been opened in South Jakarta.

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German woman at home in local zooBy Lena Rosenthal JAKARTA (JP): Ragunan Zoo in Jakarta is home to more than 4,000 animals of almost 300 different species -- most of them are only found in Indonesia.

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Soccer final moved to Manado JAKARTA (JP): The All-Indonesian Soccer Federation (PSSI) will move the final match of the fifth Indonesian Soccer League playoffs from Senayan sports stadium in Central Jakarta to Klabat sports stadium in Manado, North Sulawesi.

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Boyzbands phenomena fascinating local female fansBy Helly Minarti JAKARTA (JP): Boys who can sing and dance, and if not incredibly good looking, dress and act cool? Yes, it is the boyzbands phenomena luring female fans.

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Now it's art for business' sakeBy Pandaya JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's art business is booming!This news may not surprise anyone if it came during "normal" times, when life is not terrorized by economic hardship, the prospect of mass riots and all that.

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Jakarta's street kids not getting the attention they needBy Lena Rosenthal JAKARTA (JP): When looking out of the tinted window of a car stopping at a traffic light here, one gets used to the sight of street vendors, often children, at work.

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SpotlightPhoto A: BookJP/msaBOOK DISCUSSION: Columnist and talk-show host Wimar Witoelar (right) answers questions from participants of a discussion while social observer Fadjroel Rachman looks on.

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Guess What? Desy Ratnasari It seems there is never enough news about artist Desy Ratnasari in the papers. The first and the most controversial report was about her supposed relationship with former manpower minister Abdul Latief.

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