Evi Mariani and Dewi Santoso, Jakarta – The Jakarta police chief has revealed that his officers charged into and severely beat dozens of protesting students in front of the Supreme Court building on Thursday because a single bottle tossed toward the police line made them lose control and deviate from procedures.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Flowers and congratulatory notes yesterday flooded the Jakarta house of Indonesian parliament Speaker Akbar Tandjung, whose corruption conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court on Thursday.

Tiarma Siboro and M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The acquittal of Golkar Party leader Akbar Tandjung will make it difficult to put corrupt officials or former officials behind bars, a legal expert says.

Wimar Witoelar, Jakarta – The main message conveyed by the Supreme Court's decision on Akbar Tandjung is that crime pays in today's Indonesia ... as long as you have common interests with those who hold political power. The verdict effectively legitimizes corruption as an accessory of power.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – Something unusual happened in Jakarta's Supreme Court on Thursday, and it wasn't the decision to overturn parliamentary Speaker Akbar Tanjung's conviction for embezzling money meant for the poor.

Everyone was expecting Indonesia's justice system would do that and maintain its perfect record of never jailing any big name politician.

Malang - The visit by President Megawati Sukarnoputri to the city of Malang in East Java on Saturday February 14, was greeted with a demonstration by students from the University of Brawijaya (Unibraw) Student Executive Council (BEM) and the Indonesian Muslim Student United Action Front (KAMMI) in front of the Unibraw campus.

Nani Farida, Lhokseumawe – Sawang district, Aceh province, is determined to see political parties campaigning for the upcoming general election, despite the fact that it is still classified as a "black zone" by the Indonesian Military (TNI).

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – A week ago every one of the 50 waterfront rooms in Lombok's swish Oberoi Hotel was empty. And with a host of new visa regulations for Indonesia-bound tourists taking effect from the start of this month, the hotel's manager, John Halpin, reckons the island's tourism future looks as bleak as it ever has.

Gary LaMoshi, Denpasar – The Supreme Court decision overturning the conviction of House Speaker Akbar Tanjung landed with the thud of a police baton on the future of reform in Indonesia. The ruling will have its most direct impact on the July 5 presidential election, but ripples will be felt throughout society.

Gary LaMoshi, Denpasar – A group of 35 Indonesian economists launched a campaign against privatization of state-owned companies on Tuesday in Jakarta. The group calls itself Indonesia Bangkit (Indonesia Awakens), but the group seems to have slept through the sad history of state businesses and banks during the past six years.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Employers and workers joined forces on Thursday to oppose the bill on national social security (SJSN) which they said would cause legal uncertainty and confusion among the public.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – In the end, it was not to be.

Rivals of Golkar leader Akbar Tandjung had long hoped that a guilty verdict against him would have barred the party chief from entering the presidential race.

The Supreme Court's ruling yesterday to acquit Akbar Tandjung of all charges of corruption, thereby overturning two earlier lower court verdicts sentencing the House of Representatives speaker to three years in prison, is certain to have serious consequences for this country for a long time to come.

Jakarta – The Supreme Court's decision to acquit Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung of corruption charges paves the way for his candidacy for the presidency and boosts the party's ambition to return to power.

Political analyst Denny JA said on Thursday that Akbar would likely win the party's presidential convention as many party leaders considered him a hero.

Sari P. Setiogi and Multa Fidrus, Jakarta/Tangerang – After millions of chickens have been killed due to bird flu and other diseases over the past several months, poultry farmers are now anticipating greater losses caused by the decline in demand for Indonesian poultry products.

Jakarta – Former Republican Senate majority leader Bob Dole wants to help Indonesia in Washington but has not been hired as a lobbyist, the foreign ministry said Friday.

"It is not correct that Bob Dole has been appointed as an Indonesian lobbyist," spokesman Marty Natalegawa told a press conference. "There is no type of blanket contract."

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – In the two weeks of full operation, the busway has seen an increase in passengers each day, but their total number is only a third of the 60,000 commuters that previously traveled between Blok M in South Jakarta and Kota in West Jakarta on the regular buses.

Haidir Anwar Tanjung, Pekanbaru – Thousands of protesting teachers and students clashed with police on Thursday in Kampar regency, some 60 kilometers west of Pekanbaru, leaving eight students injured.

Medan-Solo-Surabaya-Malang – There have been more demonstrations by students over the Supreme Court's verdict in the appeal by [Golkar Party chief] Akbar Tanjung [against corruption charges].

Dili – Production has begun at an offshore gasfield which is expected to earn impoverished East Timor more than $US100 million a year, a government statement said.

The Timor Sea Office said operator ConocoPhillips confirmed a regular flow of "wet gas" from the wells of the Bayu-Undan field in the Timor Sea.

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – Demands can be put forward though a demonstration, they can also be sent by letter. That was what was done by demonstrators who were holding a demonstration at the central post office on Jalan Senapati in Yogyakarta on Friday February 13. They were protesting the Supreme Court's decision to release [Golkar Party chief] Akbar Tanjung.

John Roberts – Long-running disagreements between Australia and East Timor over their maritime border and therefore control of Timor Sea oil and gas erupted again late last year, focusing on revenues from the Laminaria-Corallina fields.

Michael Casey, Jakarta – Indonesia's Supreme Court overturned a graft conviction against the parliamentary speaker on Thursday, a ruling that cleared the way for his presidential bid – and dismayed those looking for signs of anti-corruption reform.

Jakarta – The announcement of the Supreme Court verdict on Thursday in the graft case involving House of Representatives speaker Akbar Tandjung was marred by violent protests nationwide, with at least 60 protesting students in Jakarta injured in an ugly melee with riot police.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – People are certainly losing confidence in the judiciary system and in the ongoing battle against corruption in the country following the Supreme Court's decision to accept House Speaker Akbar Tandjung's appeal against a three-year sentence over a graft conviction.

Jakarta – "At a time when the country was sinking in the crisis, the actions of the defendant truly violated one's sense of justice." Akbar abused his power, said Abdurrahman Saleh, the only justice with a dissenting opinion on the panel of five justices of the Supreme Court that finally acquitted Golkar leader Akbar Tandjung on charges of misusing Rp 40 billion in funds belonging t

Kurniawan Hari and A. Junaidi, Jakarta – Criticism greeted the official support from the country's second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah for Amien Rais' presidential bid on Wednesday, with a political observer expressing fear that the move would jeopardize the moderate orientation of the organization.

Jakarta – The police recorded 15 cases of election violations in Jakarta, Tangerang, Bekasi and Depok, most of which were early campaigning. The latest figures showed an addition of seven cases within the last two weeks.

Moch. N. Kurniawan and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) assured the public on Wednesday that despite technical and logistical problems, the upcoming general election would run smoothly and on schedule.

Jakarta – The Indonesian military (TNI) is keen to improve ties with the US military without being disturbed by political issues, the top military commander said here Thursday.

Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto held talks with visiting United States Pacific Commander Adm. Thomas B. Fargo at the TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Wednesday.

Kuala Lumpur – Malaysian ports are turning a blind eye to the passage of illegally logged timber, fuelling a trade that is wrecking Indonesian forests, environmental campaign groups said on Thursday.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Lawmakers' hopes of endorsing the presidency bill during their term dimmed after the government rejected on Wednesday the draft unless it is overhauled.

Claiming that almost 70 percent of the draft contents are outdated and contradict the amended 1945 Constitution, the government said the bill should be dropped.

Haidir Anwar Tanjung, Pekanbaru – Thousands of teachers and students in Kampar regency, some 60 kilometers west of the Riau capital of Pekanbaru, took to the streets again on Wednesday, forcing schools in the regency to close for a second day.

Jakarta – Chaos erupted at a demonstration by the Greater Jakarta and Greater Bandung Student Executive Councils while they were waiting for the Supreme Court's verdict in the case of [Golkar Party chief] Akbar Tanjung in front of the Supreme Court building at 3.40pm.

Jakarta – According to the action coordinator from the University of Indonesia Student Executive Council, Ahmad Nur Hidayat, 15 of his friends were injured in a clash with police.

Surabaya – Around 100 students held a demonstration in front of the Grahadi State building in Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday February 12. They were demanding that the Supreme Court reject the appeal by [Golkar Party chief] Akbar Tanjung in the corruption case involving 40 billion rupiah of Bulog (State Logistics Agency) non-budgetary funds.

Fedhly Averouss Bey, Jakarta – A clash with police has resulted in 10 students being wounded. The victims were seen to be bleeding. Meanwhile around 30 students were arrested by police.

Tomi Soetjipto and Olivia Rondonuwo, Jakarta – Indonesia's Supreme Court quashed parliament speaker Akbar Tandjung's graft conviction on Thursday, clearing the way for him to seek the presidency later this year.

Australia – East Timor's neighboring nation, which East Timor has known since the Second World War, the Australian political position during the Indonesian invasion is still in East Timor's memory, finally Australia's most recent clear position in leading InterFET to quickly enter East Timor, in order to have a successful international force in East Timor.

Jakarta – The Indoenisan government on Thursday decided to allow foreigners to observe the conduct of general elections in troubled Aceh province under supervision of the local authorities.

The decision was taken at a cabinet session led by President Megawati Soekarnoputri here.

Tiarma Siboro and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) urged on Wednesday the two warring parties in Aceh to allow humanitarian workers to move around freely when carrying out their duties there.

Thalif Deen, New York – The United Nations plans to withdraw its 3,500 peacekeepers from East Timor in May, despite calls from the government in Dili and civil-society groups that the body's work in the world's newest country is not finished.

Jakarta – Although the struggle was not fully completed, the reform movement which was put into motion by student activists in 1998 was not in vain. Although it is still sporadic in character, a [new popular] resistance against the misuse of power has emerged. The people have begun to be more radical in struggling for their interests than the student movement itself.

Just possibly, a former general in Indonesia's military could become the next president of the country. But if former armed-forces chief Wiranto is elected leader of this key country in the war on terrorism, and decides to pay a visit to Washington – which would not only be likely, but inevitable – it could create a diplomatic embarrassment for the US.

Richard Norton-Taylor – Human rights campaigners have accused the government of relaxing demands on Indonesia over the use of British military equipment in the country.

Depok – Some 500 students from the University of Indonesia staged a rally on Monday to protest the university's plan to increase tuition.

The students said that although the increase was not yet official, a report in circulation stated that the rector's office had proposed a 300 percent hike to the university's board of trustees.

Tiarma Siboro and A. Junaidi – Rampant corruption, including price markups, at the Ministry of Religious Affairs involved many officials, businesspeople, politicians and foreigners, a respected Muslim leader alleged on Monday.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has gathered a new medical team to examine former president Soeharto's health to determine whether or not it could resume investigations into his alleged corruption.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – As if the contrast between high-rise buildings and riverbank slums were not enough to indicate the social gap among Jakartans, different kinds of movie theater across the capital provide more than just favorite flicks.