Police seize 12 firearms
PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: Police in Ogan Komering Ulu district have seized 12 firearms this year from unauthorized hands.
Police precinct chief Lt. Col. Manan Ch. Rahman said that nine of the firearms ranged from home-made rifles to pistols usually used by the armed forces.
The firearms were confiscated from thugs who have long been scaring residents in the area, he said when meeting with officials from the armed forces headquarters in Jakarta.
Very recently, one of the most dreaded thugs was captured by the police. Since then they have been flooded with letters from citizens expressing their gratitude, Antara reported.(pan)
;JP;PAN;ANT; ANPAa..r.. Across-Lumajang-volcano Beware, Semeru lava slides down JP/2/ACROSS
Beware, lava may slide down
LUMAJANG, East Java: Authorities have warned residents of imminent disaster that will befall them should heavy rains wash down the immense deposit of lava on Mount Semeru.
Djoko Sowarno, from an agency monitoring the activity of Mount Semeru, said the sand deposit was "extremely dangerous" for people residing at the foot of the volcano.
He has identified Sumber Urip, Sumber Wuluh and Candipuro hamlets as the most susceptible to such disaster because they are located nearest to the mountain top.
The agency has built four monitoring posts manned by eight people to watch for the lava and it also has readied bulldozers and excavators in anticipation of a worst case scenario, Antara reported.(pan)
JP;PAN;HAR; ANPAa..r.. Across-Semarang-PDI Latief, Gerry's dismissal hailed JP/2/ACROSS
Latief, Gerry's dismissal hailed
SEMARANG, Central Java: The provincial chapter of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) is backing the decision to dismiss two senior party officials for insubordination.
PDI chief Megawati Soekarnoputri has sacked her deputy Gerry Mbatemooy and self-styled chairman of the East Java party chapter Latief Pudjosakti.
Gerry was charged with misusing the party seal to inaugurate Latief, whose re-election by East Java party officials was not recognized by Megawati but endorsed by the government.
Chief of the Central Java PDI chapter Soemario called on party members to be wary of Latief and Gerry's moves designed to create friction within the political organization. (har/pan)
JP;PAN;PET; ANPAa..r.. Across-Bandung-housing Prioritize houses for the poor JP/2/ACROSS
Prioritize housing for the needy
BANDUNG, West Java: State Minister for Public Housing Akbar Tandjung urged realtors yesterday to prioritize development of houses for the poor.
He said realtors now prefer constructing offices, shopping malls, hotels and recreation facilities to building houses for the low-income bracket.
"Development of modest housing for the poor doesn't seem to interest them now," Tandjung said in a seminar on the prospect of the property business.
The minister also called on the banking system to tighten rules on issuance of credits for realtors in order to encourage development of low-income housing. (pet)