AFP to help probe airport blast

JAKARTA: National Police Headquarters confirmed on Tuesday the Australian Federal Police (AFP) would assist in the investigation of the bombing at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Zainuri Lubis said two forensic experts from the AFP, who have also been helping investigate Thursday's blast near the United Nations office in Central Jakarta, would assist Indonesian police in the airport bombing investigation.

"Hopefully, the cooperation will speed up the investigation," Zainuri said.

Australian police, who have been involved in the probe into last year's bombings in Bali, also helped investigate two bombings in the North Sumatra capital of Medan about a month ago.

The Bali blasts on Oct. 12, 2002, killed 202 people, 89 of them Australians. Indonesian police have arrested most of the suspects in that case and their trials are expected to start next month. -- JP

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Wealth auditors quiz Miranda

JAKARTA: The Public Servants Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) questioned on Tuesday the deputy governor of Bank Indonesia, Miranda S. Goeltom.

The questioning was in response to a report about an alleged transaction of the bank's promissory notes by one of her daughters and a company reportedly owned by Miranda that she failed to report to the commission.

Miranda, one of three candidates to become the central bank's governor, refused to comment on the questioning.

Her former husband, Erwin Siregar, who told the KPKPN about Miranda's alleged ownership of the company, arrived earlier at the commission's office.

KPKPN official Muchayat said the questioning was aimed at seeking clarification of the report from Miranda.

Miranda reportedly formed the company in cooperation with Oloan Siahaan, who is now her husband, before she joined the central bank.

KPKPN recorded that Miranda owns property and savings worth Rp 5.6 billion and has another US$56,000 in savings. -- JP

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Japanese speech contest to be held

JAKARTA: Students from 12 high schools in eight provinces will take part in a Japanese speech contest at the Japan Foundation (TJF) here on May 10.

The contest will take place at the TJF in the Summitmas I building on Jl. Sudirman in South Jakarta between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Participants won speech contests held previously in North Sumatra, Greater Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, Bali and North Sulawesi.

The winners of the contest will be nominated for the Japanese- Language Program for High School Students and the Japanese Speech Award.

TJF, in cooperation with the Ministry of National Education, has held the contest since 2001. --JP

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KAI and ITB open master's program

BANDARLAMPUNG, Lampung: State railway operator PT KAI is cooperating with the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) to open a master's program for rail transportation.

KAI president director Omar Berto said the new program was expected to help the company improve its human resources.

"Currently, hundreds of our employees are participating in the master's program," he said at the University of Lampung here on Tuesday.

He said the program was only open to KAI employees in its initial year.

Of the company's 40,000 employees, 44.76 percent are elementary school graduates and only 1.69 percent are university graduates. -- Antara

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RI to attend UN habitat forum

SEMARANG: An Indonesian delegation will propose a housing concept for victims of wars and conflict during the United Nations Habitat Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, from May 5 to May 9.

"We will also present a paper on a housing concept for victims of natural disasters and on housing as an instrument to create sociocultural solidarity among urban people," a member of the 11- members delegation, Eko Budihardjo, said on Tuesday.

Eko, who is also the rector of Diponegoro University in Semarang, said the forum would discuss strategic development for urban areas and housing strategies for the poor. -- Antara