Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Apparently without a hint of shame, the 85 already wealthy city councillors have proposed an additional allowance for themselves of Rp 985 million (US$115,882), Rp 434.78 million will be used to buy their clothes and other "souvenirs" before their tenures end next year.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) decided on Tuesday that an electoral district for the regional legislative councils (DPRDs) in regencies and provinces would have on average six to 12 seats.

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Denpasar – Around 700 people staged a protest here on Tuesday to demand that the Bali legislative council and the central government postpone swearing in the reelected governor of the resort island, following allegations of bribery during the gubernatorial election.

Maryadi, Jakarta – A class action by the People's Lawyers Union (Serikat Pengacara Rakyat, SPR) against President Megawati Sukarnoputri over the declaration of a military emergency in Aceh has been adjourned again. The adjournment, the second one [since the action was launched], was because neither the defendant or their legal council were present.

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – Despite some progress, the top security minister warned on Tuesday against the reform movement's excesses, saying the poor management of reform could lead to separatism, social disorder and political instability.

Andrew Burrell – So that's it. Indonesia has decided that a grand total of three military men were responsible for the killing spree and destruction in East Timor that captured the world's attention in 1999.

Indonesia's army chief today welcomed Australian plans to resume links with an Indonesian special forces unit which has been implicated in abuses in East Timor and elsewhere.

General Ryamizard Ryacudu described the restoration of links between the Kopassus special forces and Australian troops as "important," the state Antara news agency reported.

Canberra's moves to resume military cooperation with Jakarta, especially with the quasi-state-terror gang Kopassus, in the name of the "war on terror", should strongly be opposed by all those who support the democratic rights of the workers and peasants of Indonesia.

Kurniawan Hari and A'an Suryana, Jakarta – Major factions in the House of Representatives (DPR) are backing moves by the government to revise the anti-terrorism law, despite strong opposition from religious leaders and rights activists.

They also called for an informal meeting with the National Police and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) to discuss the planned revision.

Dan Eaton, Jakarta – When Wiranto, the former head of Indonesia's powerful armed forces, lost a senior cabinet job three years ago it was seen by some as a clear signal the military was being eased out of politics.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Police said here yesterday that suspected terror mastermind Hambali had sent US$45,000 to fellow militants in Indonesia to finance bombings in the country.

Jakarta/Bandung – The government has finally decided to dismiss some 6,000 employees of state-owned aerospace company PT Dirgantara Indonesia as part of a restructuring program designed to help lift the ailing company out of years of financial difficulties. The decision was made at a shareholders meeting on Tuesday.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – A solidarity group for Papua demanded on Tuesday that the central government call off its plan to divide the province and keep its promise by immediately establishing the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP).

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The arrest of JW Marriott Hotel bombing suspects has not automatically made Jakarta a safer place, as the National Police admitted on Tuesday that they have been unable to track down explosives and other bombing devices smuggled into the capital from Semarang.

Four separatist rebels including a suspected senior figure have been killed in Indonesia's Aceh province, the army said, as a military campaign to crush the guerrillas entered its fourth month.

Troops shot dead three of the suspected members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on the outskirts of Lhokseumawe town on Monday, said military spokesman Ahmad Yani Basuki.

John Aglionby, Matang Peusangan – The several thousand people gathering in glorious sunshine on the main road in Matang Peusangan to celebrate Indonesia's independence day last Sunday were expecting a chance to relax with their friends and family.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Papua Indonesia integrated Papua into its sovereign territory 40 years ago, but most Papuans are still living in a state of poverty in remote areas, even though the province is rich in natural resources.

Anna Fifield – Amid the rubble of Jakarta's shattered JW Marriott hotel, Indonesian and Australian police and forensic experts are working side-by-side sifting for evidence.

Dili – Civil and military officials in East Timor have recently exhumed the bodies of over 250 people who died during new nation's quarter-century independence struggle against occupying Indonesian forces.

Richard S Ehrlich, Jakarta – Former Indonesian president Suharto, safe from prosecution for allegedly embezzling millions of dollars during his 32-year-long, US-backed regime, has decided to give something away for free.

A move that began with pressure from several reformists within the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to replace party functionaries allegedly involved in vote buying is also being seen as a move to weaken and eventually oust President and party chair Megawati Sukarnoputri from the party leadership.

As the noose tightens around the alleged masterminds of the Jemaah Islamiyah terror network, Jakarta is coming under increasing pressure to close one of its most influential Islamic schools. The Al Mukim Islamic school in Solo in Central Java is headed by detained Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir. And the school's alumni reads like a terrorists who's who.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – President Megawati Soekarnoputri installed on Saturday nine judges to the bench of the newly created Constitutional Court.

In a ceremony attended by high-level officials at the State Palace, the nine judges, all prominent figures in the field of law, were sworn in by the President.

Indonesia on Sunday marked the 58th anniversary of its freedom from Dutch rule under tight security after a warning of a possible attack to coincide with the celebrations.

Shirts carrying the face of Osama bin Laden, have disappeared from markets in the Indonesian garnment-producing city of Bandung as the country steps up its anti-terror efforts.

The t-shirts had been a popular item in Indonesia, world's largest Muslim-populated nation, along with those featuring former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

Richard S Ehrlich, Jakarta – Washington has linked al-Qaeda to the bomb attacks on Bali and the JW Marriott Hotel, but Muslim extremists' demands for a strict Islamic society are not popular in Indonesia. Many Indonesian Muslims prefer to meld religious tradition with modern lifestyles and have overwhelmingly rejected fundamentalist candidates in local and national elections.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – This is fiction. The October 12 Bali bombings and the attack on the JW Marriott Hotel here last week were the work of the CIA.

The spy outfit recruited and trained Indonesians to be terrorists for an organisation called Jemaah Islamiah (JI) that had the seal of approval from President George W. Bush.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – Australian Federal Police were given none of the lists of potential bombing targets in Jakarta that Indonesian police say they obtained last month in a raid on a Jemaah Islamiah hideout in Semarang in Central Java.

Gary LaMoshi, Denpasar – If you worried about the economic impact of the bombing of the JW Marriott in Jakarta on August 5, you're behind the times. Enlightened investors saw the bomb as a buying opportunity and jumped into the local stock market.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Tight security is still in place at former president Soeharto's residence on Jl. Cendana 8, Central Jakarta, as was observed upon the arrival of Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso on Thursday.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – In a response to the rampant terror attacks plaguing the country in the past year, the government has decided to give the Indonesian Military (TNI) some of its pre-reform era powers back.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – Indonesia should not be obliged to meet international standards in prosecuting the human rights abuse cases in East Timor, because the trial of perpetrators was conducted in mostly in accordance with the local law, says a government official.

William J. Furney – Spare a thought for the judges who heard cases of atrocities at Indonesia's special crimes tribunal for the former East Timor: With almost every major international human rights group slamming the trials of 18 former officials as an unabashed "whitewash", these are put-upon, mercurial justices of the law.

Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund Friday praised Indonesia's 2004 budget proposal, which aims to reduce the budget deficit to 1.2% of the gross domestic product from 1.8% this year. "It's a good budget policy," David Nellor, the IMF'srepresentative in Indonesia, told reporters.

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – After a two-week investigation, Navy investigators have apparently found the culprits in the assassination of PT Asaba computer firm president director Budi Hartono Angsono and his Army bodyguard Second. Sgt. Edi Siyep.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Former president Soeharto may have lost power but he is still important enough for Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso to be willing to visit him for a pair of his footprints.

Sutiyoso is scheduled to meet the former strongman, who led the country for 32 years, at Soeharto's residence at Jl. Cendana No. 8, Central Jakarta.

Jakarta – President Megawati Soekarnoputri endorsed the Constitutional Court Law on Wednesday, to enable the establishment of the court before August 17 as stipulated by the amended 1945 Constitution.

Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra said after meeting the President that the law came into force immediately after the signing.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The central government is set to revise Law No. 22/1999 on regional administration, known also as the regional autonomy law, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said, citing its ineffective implementation over the past three years.

Leslie Lau – The captain and two crew members of a Malaysian-owned tanker have been kidnapped – the latest victims in a recent spate of pirate attacks being blamed on Aceh separatist rebels.

Australia would do its best to ensure Kopassus troops who trained East Timor militias would not be involved in joint activities when military links were re-established, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.

Damien Kingsbury – The push by the Australian Government to renew its association with the Indonesian military's feared Kopassus special forces is perhaps the most doubtful proposition in what has been a history of questionable arrangements.

Padang – Dozens of farmers from Kapa village in West Sumatra filed a police report on Wednesday, complaining about alleged intimidation against them by security personnel. The farmers say they were victims of intimidation when asked to move from their ancestral lands.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – The current drought will not create a rice supply problem at home, but could potentially send millions of farmers into poverty, experts said.

Jakarta – Amid criticism of poor coordination among security agencies and their failure to prevent the latest bombing in Jakarta, the government is considering revising the 2003 antiterrorism law to give the security agencies more powers to thwart further terrorist attacks.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The Indonesian government yesterday called on Muslims in the country to stop talking about conspiracy theories against the religion and start uniting in the fight against terrorism.

Jakarta – Economists and labor analysts warned the nation of a possible higher unemployment rate in 2004, due to the heightened security issue and the upcoming general elections.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The military offensive to curb the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has resulted in rampant violations of the Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians in times of war, experts say.

They called on the government on Tuesday to halt the security operation in the country's westernmost province.

Jakarta – Investment activity in the country remains in the doldrums with the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) revealing a bleak picture of investment during the first seven months of this year.

The Indonesian Forum for the Environment-Friends of the Earth Indonesia (WALHI) has called for protests against major banks around the world with investments in PT London Sumatera Indonesia Tbk (Lonsum).

Jakarta – After completing its 10th review of Indonesia's economic reform program, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) praised the stable performance of the country's financial markets despite the recent bombing at a Jakarta hotel.