Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – As thousands of Acehnese were killed in the most devastating natural disaster in the country's history, Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh went on trial on Monday on corruption charges in Jakarta.

Salim Osman, Jakarta – Aceh governor Abdullah Puteh used funds earmarked for salaries of civil servants to buy a Russian-made helicopter two years ago, Indonesia's anti-corruption court was told yesterday.

Jakarta – Many people in the automotive industry are really happy these days with the handsome bonuses they have received after achieving or even surpassing sales targets and other performance indicators, thanks to cheaper bank loans that fuel demand and help keep the economy humming.

Veeramalla Anjaiah, Jakarta – After a turbulent six-year journey from an authoritarian regime to a full-fledged democracy, Indonesia – which is home to the largest Muslim population in the world – fully regained in 2004 its clout in international politics. The 1997 Asian financial crisis devastated the country's economy and lacerated its sociopolitical set up.

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – The government-sanctioned fact-finding team formed to assist the police investigation into the death of rights activist Munir is ready to begin work, a police officer said on Monday.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – Suta Wijaya ended up in the hospital simply because he wanted a quiet night's rest.

Approaching a car parked in front of his house in Pulogadung, East Jakarta, Suta asked the driver to turn down the music that was blasting out of the vehicle.

Wayne Arnold and Eric Lichtblau, Lhokseumawe – Mulyana, a 24-year-old housewife, had just sat down to a wedding party on Sunday morning when the tsunami struck. She ran and held on to a coconut tree. But the water pulled her away anyway, far out to sea.

In Indonesia's Aceh province the government's figures have passed five thousand but some officials believe that number could well double. The provincial capital, Banda Aceh, has been destroyed.

Presenter/Interviewer: Peter Cave

Speakers: Tim Palmer, Indonesia correspondent

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – With a sorrowful and troubled look in her eyes, Megawati Soekarnoputri pleaded for the lives of two Indonesian maids held hostage by militants in Iraq.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – In the last 10 months of her presidency, Megawati Soekarnoputri tried to do the impossible: make up for the disappointment of her first 28 months in office.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – A year of living dangerously for the press here was signaled early last year when well-connected businessman Tomy Winata filed a criminal complaint with the police against Tempo magazine over an article published in February 2003.

This was the first of a number of attacks on press freedom during the course of the year.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – In 2004, almost six years after the dawn of the reform movement, Indonesia's record on corruption remained shabby as ever.

In the wake of the devastating earthquake off the coast of Sumatra and the ensuing humanitarian crisis, Tapol calls for the region of Aceh to be opened up to international aid agencies.

Jakarta – Indonesia's economy has been given a real boost by recent promises of financial reform. But a controversial ruling barring foreign investors from the country's struggling power sector could short circuit efforts to pull in vital overseas cash.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – During the initial years of the "reform" euphoria, the streets were abuzz with spirited talk about removing the military from politics.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – An Islamic extremist group led by elderly cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, currently standing trial in Jakarta on terror charges, has established dozens of new branches in at least eight provinces across Indonesia.

Sari P. Setiogi, Jakarta – The joy of having a second child proved to be short-lived for Hasan Kesuma, 33, a self-employed resident of Bogor, West Java.

1. In response to the proposition for the establishment of a UN Commission of Experts, on Tuesday, December 21, 2004, the Governments of Indonesia and Timor Leste declared the establishment of bilateral Truth and Friendship Commission (TFC).

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – A high ranking official with the (then) Trade and Industry Ministry was clearly puzzled when a journalist asked for his comment about a number of companies accused of polluting a river in West Java. Seconds later, he laughed and asked the journalist to solicit comments from the State Minister for the Environment instead.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – With less than one week before the December 31 budget deadline, the city administration has been told to fix an error in the draft budget that could cause a deficit of about Rp 1.2 trillion (US$133.33 million) next year.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – When one looks at the evolution of Jakarta one cannot go past Governor Ali Sadikin who was once dubbed the city's "father of development".

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Incidents surrounding garbage disposal opened and closed the year 2004.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The year 2004 was capped by the appointment of Indonesia's senior diplomat, Makarim Wibisono, as head of the United Nation's Human Rights Commission for the next year.

Starting January 17, 2005, Indonesia will officially see its representative at the helm of this prestigious commission.

Bandarlampung – Hundreds of residents of West Telukbetung blocked off access to the local dump over the weekend to protest what they said was pollution caused by the dump.

The residents demanded the city administration relocate the dump away from their neighborhood after a meeting with Mayor Achmad Yulizar on Friday ended without resolving the issue.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government is making a breakthrough in its anticorruption campaign with the drafting of a regulation that will shift the burden of proof to suspects.

Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin said over the weekend that the regulation would consider corruption an extraordinary crime, equivalent to that of terrorism.

Jakarta – The National Police investigators are set to hold a disciplinary hearing, which could spell the dismissal of 16 officers alleged to have received bribes during the Bank BNI scandal investigation.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Regional autonomy, including special autonomy in the conflict-ridden provinces of Aceh and Papua, has made little headway in the years since its introduction, not only due to the government's apparent reluctance to implement the law, but also local leadership problems.

Jakarta – The dream for better legislative representation appeared to have come true when the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) agreed in 2002 to adopt a bicameral legislative system.

Yang Razali Kassim – Indonesia's new President, Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has just demonstrated that while he may be new in his job, he is a political leader not to be trifled with.

A boycott of today's Christmas visit to the capital of the Indonesian province of West Papua is an embarrassing rebuke to newly elected President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Banda Aceh – Indonesian troops killed 18 separatist rebels in a single day in the latest clashes in restive Aceh province, the military said on Saturday.

The rebels were killed in four separate clashes on Friday, Aceh military spokesman Ari Mulya Asnawi said.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – About 8,000 illegal firearms are circulating in North Sumatra, many of which are being used for violent crimes, provincial police chief Insp. Gen. Iwan Pandjiwinata said on Thursday. Iwan did not say how police had arrived at the estimate.

Jakarta – In the era of free competition, it is not necessary for the government to have a controlling stake in "important commodities" to protect the public interest, as it still has political and legal power to prevent market forces from hurting the public, a businessman said on Thursday.

Perhaps no one ever imagined that the citizens of this country would need a police guard to commune with God; yet, this has now become a reality. Is God being held hostage by worldly threats, or is it the people?

Palembang – Some 250 travel drivers from various cities of South Sumatra province visited Palembang Municipal Council on Thursday, to demand that city councillors revoke a bylaw that prevents minivans for hire or travel vans from entering the city.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Most political parties contesting the legislative elections have turned a blind eye to the Election Law requiring them to be financially accountable and have gotten away with failing to submit reports on campaign funds, an international poll watchdog says.

Jakarta – Around 80 per cent of TNI (armed forces) businesses have no definable assets, in other words they are illegal. These undefined types of businesses are those outside of businesses managed by TNI foundations or economic enterprises which have clearly definable assets.

Jakarta – Fears of attacks by Islamic militants are forcing some Christians in Indonesia to abandon traditional churches in favour of more discreet and secure venues this Christmas.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Newmont Mining Corp. has admitted to having put tons of mercury vapors into the air in Buyat Bay, North Sulawesi, but insists that the mercury did not have negative impacts on the bay and its people.

Jakarta – Police have arrested nine businessmen and confiscated trucks, boats, heavy machinery and 107,337 cubic meters of timber worth Rp 600 billion (US$66 million) in a series of raids on illegal logging operators over the past month.

The series of raids took places from Nov. 28 to December 18, in East Kalimantan.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Activists slammed the Rp 13.839 trillion (US$1.483 billion) draft city budget on Thursday, saying would be a gold mine for dodgy deals because it had not been allocated transparently.

Jakarta – Ahead of Christmas and New Year's Eve, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has given two precious gifts to Papuans and the family of the late rights campaigner, Munir.

He signed on Wednesday night presidential regulations on the establishment of the long-awaited Papua People's Assembly and an independent team to probe Munir's death.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Claiming that security threats will remain high in 2005, the Indonesian Military (TNI) is planning to send personnel to conflict-prone areas to engage in what it calls a "non-physical civic missions" (hearts and minds missions).

Jakarta – The head of the Aceh desk at the ministry of politics, legal and security affairs, Police Inspector General Demak Lubis, says that the operation to restore security in Aceh is going well.

Indonesia has rejected UN plans for a commission that would study Jakarta's resolve to punish those responsible for human rights abuses in East Timor in 1999.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announced on Wednesday that all members of the United Indonesia Cabinet have submitted their wealth reports ahead of the December 20 deadline.

Rusman, Tenggarong – Police officers violently broke up a picket inside the Kutai Kartanegara regental administration compound here on Wednesday, beating several picketers who were camping out to protest the appointment of an acting regent.

Medan – Leaders of a union on Wednesday reported alleged arbitrariness by plantation company PT Tolan Tiga Indonesia to Medan councillors.

Jakarta – Hundreds of workers took part in a rally in front of City Hall on Tuesday, demanding the administration to increase the monthly minimum wage to Rp 759,953 (US$81.72) for 2005.

Banda Aceh – At least two separatist rebels were killed and another 30 taken into custody in Indonesia's conflict-hit Aceh province in the past two days, the military said on Thursday.