Noodles sold in traditional markets in the West Java capital of

Noodles sold in traditional markets in the West Java capital of
Bandung contains formaldehyde, a banned preservative substance
for food, a recent study shows.

And in a shocking admission, the West Java Food and Medicine
Controlling Board (BPOM) says it has known that two-thirds of
noodles sold contain the deadly substance but is powerless to do
anything about it.

The survey, conducted by Pasundan University student Mutia
Softie as part of her bachelor degree in food engineering, found
that 60 samples of wet noodle taken from 31 traditional markets
contained between 10.3 parts per million (ppm) and 117.7 ppm of
formaldehyde.

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Landslide victims sue
forestry firm, govt

The families of at least 26 people who were killed in a landslide
that hit the East Java town of Pacet in December last year sued
state forestry firm Perhutani and the local regent for causing
the tragedy and demanded Rp 781 billion (about US$87 million) in
compensation.

In Bandung, families of victims also filed a lawsuit worth Rp
50.41 billion against Perhutani and the government over a
landslide that killed 21 people in the West Java town of Garut in
January 2002.

The first class action suit was filed at the Surabaya district
court on Wednesday, said Eko Sasmito, who heads a team of 20
lawyers representing the families.

"We have sued Perhutani and the Mojokerto regent head,
Achmady, because the two are most responsible for the Mojokerto
tragedy," said Eko.

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Govt to lift
emergency
status in
North Maluku

The government is preparing a presidential decree that will lift
the civil emergency status in North Maluku, which has been in
place for three years due to sectarian violence.

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said the government
considered that security in the province had improved to normal
levels.

"The situation in North Maluku is relatively conducive and it
deserves a normal status," Hari said after a ministerial meeting
on political and security affairs in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The government, however, has no plan to lift the emergency
status in the neighboring province of Maluku, despite the
improvement in security there.

Sectarian conflict between Christians and Muslims first broke
out in the Maluku capital of Ambon on Jan. 19, 1999 and spread to
the northern part of the province, which was eventually separated
as a new province. Thousands were killed during the violence.