JP/5/acros01

Police warn to shoot criminals

JEMBER, East Java: Police here on Friday issued an order for their personnel to shoot on the spot thieves targeting vehicles during Ramadhan in Jember regency, East Java.

"Stealing vehicles during the time of worship cannot be justified legally and morally. Therefore, criminals should be firmly dealt with," said Jember Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Setyo Prihadi.

The shooting order must be carried out in compliance with prevailing procedures and that the move is not to kill but immobilize criminals he said.

Prihadi said the car thefts in Jember have been organized well in a quite tidy network, involving informants, perpetrators and brokers.

In an anticipation of the thefts, he said his office are imposing "closed and open security measures" at mosques and other places of worship prone to crimes.

The closed security measures will use plainclothes police officers, he explained. --Antara

Newspaper lays off workers

SURABAYA: The Surabaya Pagi (morning) newspaper decided on Thursday to lay off at least 29 of 97 workers, including its journalists in a move to revamp the company.

One of the Surabaya-based newspaper's reporters confirmed the layoffs would affect 29 workers from the editorial and business divisions.

The layoffs followed an annual assessment of the company, which resulted in the replacement of its president director, he said.

"After that, the new management is formed with the old president director being appointed as a commissioner and Cipto Hadi as his successor," added the reporter, who declined to be named.

He said Cipto's appointment was made by Tauhid Islam, the newspaper's patron board chairman.

"As employees, we consider the layoffs are not objective because the decision has been taken for revamping reasons, while the workers' rights are ignored," the journalist said.

He also criticized the decision made was less than one month of the Idul Fitri holidays, during which the company, like others should have provided annual bonuses to its employees. --Antara

Hot springs emerge from volcano

KUNINGAN, West Java: An unspecified number of hot springs have emerged in several locations in Mount Ciremai, following a series of tectonic and volcanic earthquakes in Kuningan regency, West Java province, early this month, an official has said.

The hot springs' water was more than 55 degrees Celsius, spokesman of the office for volcanology and geology Didi Supriadi said here on Thursday evening.

Didi said that increasing activities in Mt. Ciremai have probably caused the appearance of the thermal springs.

He said his office has declared the 3,078-meter-tall Mt. Ciremai active, after several earthquakes last Oct. 13.

Seismographs have recorded five and 13 tectonic and volcanic earthquakes respectively during the past week, he said. --Antara