JP/1/IBRA

IBRA to sell assets: The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) announced late on Friday it would sell assets worth US$2.5 billion and Rp 18.6 trillion. The assets are in the form of bank non-performing loans owed by four business entities -- the Texmaco Group, the Chandra Asri Group, Nirwana Bali Resort and Pabrik Gula Rajawali III. -- JP

Malaysia plans new satellite TV station: Malaysia plans to set up a satellite television network and form an international media team to counter biased reporting in the Western media, reports said on Friday. Information Ministry Khalil Yaakob was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times that the government had long wanted a news set-up similar to the Arabic Al-Jazeera television or the U.S.-based Cable News Network (CNN). The move came after the government last month sent 30 local journalists to cover the war in Iraq following complaints of biased reporting by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and CNN. --AFP

RP negotiator with Moro rebels quits: The Philippine government's chief negotiator with the country's biggest Moro rebel group quit on Friday, dealing another blow to the difficult quest to reach a peace deal. The government of the Roman Catholic nation and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have held talks for years to end three decades of violence on the southern island of Mindanao but two deadly bombings blamed on the rebels quashed hopes of any progress. The latest round of talks brokered by Malaysia were scrapped this week as Manila stepped up military operations and offered a reward of nearly $1 million for the capture of key MILF leaders. --Reuters

Armitage says U.S. will not forget Afghanistan: U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage visited Kabul on Friday on the second leg of an Asian tour to stress that events in Iraq will not distract Washington from its responsibilities in Afghanistan. Armitage said Washington did not support an appeal by UN special representative to Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi for international peacekeepers to be deployed outside Kabul. But, in response to a question, he said U.S. combat troops would not leave the country until the Afghan government and its people felt secure. -- Reuters

Venezuelan govt says ready to sign referendum deal: Venezuela's government said on Thursday it was ready to sign an agreement with opponents for a referendum on President Hugo Chavez's rule, but did not want international mediators supervising such a vote. "We're in favor of signing an agreement," Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel told reporters. He spoke after meeting envoys from six nations who are pressing for a negotiated solution to the long-running political feud between left-wing Chavez and his foes in the world's No. 5 oil exporter. -- Reuters

US would slash Iraqi contribution to Kuwait Compensation Fund: The United States proposed on Friday that the UN Security Council cut from 25 percent to 5 percent the proportion of Iraq's oil sales set aside to compensate Kuwait for the 1990 invasion. --AFP

'Economist' stirs Italy with attack on Berlusconi: Britain's Economist magazine stirred Italy's troubled political waters on Friday by saying Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was unfit to lead Europe during the upcoming Italian presidency of the European Union. Opposition politicians said the hard-hitting article showed that Berlusconi, who is standing trial for corruption, was damaging Italy's international reputation and should resign. --Reuters