Jakarta – Golkar has the shakiest presidential campaign team of the three tickets, political experts said Thursday, a major factor that could severely hamper party chairman Jusuf Kalla's ambitions of winning the presidency.

Nurdin Hasan, Banda Aceh – Fifty-five Sri Lankans who had been housed in a warehouse since they drifted ashore in Aceh last week went on a hunger strike after being been moved to a prison, an immigration official said on Thursday.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Women should be more actively involved in politics and should utilize their right to vote in July's presidential election, the state minister for women's empowerment said on Thursday.

Meuthia Hatta, who is also chairwoman of the Indonesia Justice and Unity Party (PKPI), said women must use politics to channel their aspirations.

Nurfika Osman – This conclusion was drawn when Muslim clerics from Islamic boarding schools, or pesantren, from across Java and Madura islands convened on Thursday.

Heru Andriyanto – Human rights groups are blasting an Attorney General's Office plan to limit the window of time inmates facing the firing squad would be allowed to lodge a final case review – to 30 days.

Under Indonesian law, condemned inmates may request a case review once the Supreme Court rejects their appeal, but they must present new evidence.

Rachmadin Ismail, Jakarta – Hundreds of demonstrators from the Workers Challenge Alliance (ABM) held an protest action on May 21 opposing the candidates running for the July 8 presidential elections because none of the candidates are pro-people.

James Van Zorge – In 1998, Indonesian campuses were a beehive of political activism and, literally speaking, served as the vanguard for pushing Suharto out of the palace.

Febriamy Hutapea – In the latest sign of a split within the Golkar Party ahead of the July presidential poll, news emerged on Tuesday of a secret meeting of dozens of senior national and district-level party officials.

Slamet Susanto – Presidential hopeful Jusuf Kalla criticized Monday's potentially rebellious meeting of a group of Golkar Party elite figures as unethical, saying he was against any speeding up of the next party congress.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Cracks appear to be forming in the coalition of 23 political parties backing incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and running mate Boediono, despite initial displays of unity.

Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – Recent asset verifications show the fortunes of presidential and vice presidential candidates have grown.

Eko Tjiptadi, the Coruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) director of prevention, said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was among those whose wealth had increased.

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – An alliance of civil society groups staged a demonstration at the Corruption Eradication Commission in Jakarta on Tuesday, demanding the new bill on the corruption court be processed faster.

Christian Motte, Jayapura – Papua Police Chief Insp. Gen. Bagus Ekodanto said on Tuesday that suspected separatists had occupied an airport in the isolated village of Kasepo, Mambramo Raya, some 300 kilometers from the provincial capital Jayapura.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Jakarta – Women and children were among at least 97 people killed when an Indonesian Air Force Hercules transport plane crashed in East Java this morning.

Indonesia has sent crack paramilitary police to retake a remote jungle airstrip seized by armed separatists in eastern Papua province.

A 40-member police contingent was sent on Wednesday to end the occupation of the airstrip by about 150 villagers, who are armed with automatic weapons and bows and arrows, Papua police spokesman Nurhabri told AFP.

Sunanda Creagh – Almost 40 human rights groups combined on Tuesday to claim Indonesia's reputation was being tarnished by the inclusion as vice presidential candidates of two former generals accused of rights abuses during the era of former strongman President Suharto.

Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – The state secrecy bill being deliberated at the House of Representatives will prove to be nothing but a major setback for democracy in the country, by preventing citizens from monitoring the administration on a daily basis, activists say.

Panca Nugraha, Central Lombok – Nearly 2,000 impoverished farmers living in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, have recently begun improving their livelihoods while protecting natural forest areas, through a community-based forest management program (HK).

Andra Wisnu, Jakarta – The global financial crisis has reared its ugly head as 46 companies in Central Jakarta have reported their plans to lay off more than a hundred workers, an official said Monday.

Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – A local party, founded by former rebels of the Aceh Free Movement, was officially announced Monday as the winner of the 9 April legislative election, but no celebrations marked their victory.

No street convoys were conducted by supporters of the Aceh Party which secured 33 seats out of 69 seats in the Aceh Legislative Council (DPRA).

Markus Junianto Silaholo & Ismira Lutfia – The National Human Rights Commission has demanded the House of Representatives halt drafting the controversial state secrecy bill because of fears it could lead to government abuse of power.

Jakarta – Presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla is selling a line on economic nationalism to top business people, despite his family's close business ties with Japan.

Robin McDowell, Jakarta – One of the world's largest paper companies plans to clear a large swath of unprotected forest in Indonesia being used as a sanctuary for critically endangered orangutans, according to environmental groups working in the area.

Jakarta – The palm oil industry has sparked controversy over environmental issues, as well as concerns over security.

The National Commission on Human Rights has received 10 cases of conflict related to oil palm plantations this year, while the environment ministry has received 56 environmental cases in 2009.

Jakarta – While a handful of oil palm plantations are raking in a fortune from their activities, many villagers are reeling at the loss of the source of much of their livelihoods.

The expanding plantations have also seen wildlife driven from their habitat, put on the verge of extinction or forced to compete with villagers for food.

Jakarta – A group of movie stars, soap opera personalities and celebrities took a break from their busy agendas Monday to join Greenpeace to demand an end to logging activities in Indonesia.

Greenpeace submitted a petition, signed by around 60,000 "forest defenders", to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, urging he put a moratorium on logging.

Yuli Tri Suwarni and Suherdjoko, Bandung, Semarang – Unsupportive regulations and culture have not prevented the increasing representation of women in local legislative councils, election results revealed Monday.

Jakarta – The murder of businessman Nasruddin Zulkarnaen may have been set up to remove Antasari Azhar from the Corruption Eradication Comission (KPK), as both men had many "enemies", lawyers say.

Jakarta – Indonesia's palm oil business, already hit by lower prices, risks an overseas buyers boycott, with NGOs saying government plans for huge plantations in Kalimantan may mean big environmental damage.

Nograhany Widhi K., Jakarta – On Monday May 18, 10 separate demonstrations will 'besiege' Jakarta. Five of the demonstrations will be held at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout in Central Jakarta at 9am, so pay close attention to your route so as not to get caught in traffic.

Jakarta – Political experts are not sure if the presidential elections will get to a second round, but say incumbent SBY will almost certainly win.

"It's going to be a close race with the three pairs of candidates. The race will end in two rounds with the winner leading by a thin margin," University of Indonesia lecturer Boni Hargens said Sunday.

Jakarta – The Democratic Party and its 22 coalition partners signed in Cikeas, West Java, on Saturday what they call as a "coalition contract". The contract, says Democratic Party deputy chairman Anas Urbaningrum, represents cooperation ties between the parties.

Lilian Budianto, Jakarta – Indonesia may come under international scrutiny as two former generals alleged to be implicated in past human rights infringements are nominated to contest presidential elections.

Jakarta – Recent moves by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) may have carved deeper scars into the already tarnished image of Indonesia's Islamic-based political parties, experts say.

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has been accused of softening its approach toward combating graft and state officials, particularly lawmakers, linked to crime.

Ed Davies & Sunanda Creagh – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is a clear favorite to win a second term in office in a July election, helped by the resilient performance of Southeast Asia's largest economy during the global crisis.

The pen is sharper than a blade. This was an adagium used by social observer and woman activist Debra H. Yatim to describe the struggle of the Javanese lady aristocrat Kartini in breaking the old customs that barred women from access to education and the right to self-determination.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Camelia Pasandaran & Febriamy Hutapea – After confusing and at times dizzying maneuvers by nine top political parties in forming coalitions and tickets for the July 8 presidential election, the chosen ones have emerged.

Febriamy Hutapea – The National Mandate Party continued its flip-flopping over the weekend as rifts again emerged over President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's decision to name Boediono as his running mate.

Dicky Christanto and Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – All three presidential tickets registered themselves for the July 8 polls with the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Saturday, which is expected to be a neck-and-neck affair.

Hotli Simanjuntak and Rizal Harahap, Banda Aceh, Pekanbaru – Fifty-five boat people allegedly escaping political unrest in Sri Lanka reportedly arrived at a beach in Babah Leung village, Banda Aceh, on Friday.

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – Lower-income residents of Makassar municipality in South Sulawesi are protesting against what they claim is the administration's "half-hearted" implementation of a free healthcare program.

Aditya Suharmoko, Jakarta – The number of jobs created rose by 1.94 million from August 2008 to February 2009, despite the country suffering impacts of the global downturn, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) announced Friday.

Jakarta – The bill outlining the guidelines for the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), House of Representatives, Regional Representatives and provincial and regency legislatures has maintained but restricted the ruling on recalling party members, so leaders can no longer arbitrarily replace party representatives they believe are acting out of line in parliament.

Nivell Rayda & Fidelis E. Satriastanti, Manado – A district court on Friday sentenced two activists from the country's leading environmental watchdog to one month in prison each for having staged a rival forum parallel to this week's World Ocean Conference and Coral Triangle Initiative in the capital of North Sulawesi.

Dozens of Bali environmental activists Friday stood in front of the Bali Provincial Prosecutor's Office and Denpasar District Court on Jl. Sudirman, protesting the detention of two members from the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) in Manado, North Sulawesi.

Katherine Demopoulos, Jakarta – Indonesia's presidential hopefuls must announce their intention to run for election in July by this Saturday, and only incumbent Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has made the fight against corruption a cornerstone of his political agenda.

Rizal Harahap, Pekanbaru, Riau – The NGO Riau Forest Rescue Working Network (Jikalahari) is urging the central government to reform forestry policies and end land disputes to slow the pace of deforestation in the province.

Febriamy Hutapea & Markus Junianto Sihaloho – On the eve of the deadline for candidates to register for the July 8 presidential election, certainty finally came that the upcoming poll will see three pairs vying for the nation's top jobs.

Erwida Maulia and Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Friday declared his bid for a second term in office and officially named Bank Indonesia Governor Boediono as his running mate to contest the election on July 8.