Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Poverty has not stopped the poor from smoking – the latest market research shows they have just switched to cheaper non-branded cigarettes, which is giving the country's traditional tobacco giants a proverbial kick in the butt.

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia is asking the government to carefully consider the timing of its plan to raise domestic fuel prices next year, so as to keep its effect on the country's inflation rate within manageable limits.

Jakarta – A number of Japanese investors complained to the Minister of Industry Andung A. Nitimihardja over obstacles in investing in the country, which led to a high cost economy and turned away potential investors.

State-owned Bank Mandiri, the nation's largest bank in terms of assets, estimates that lending may grow by at least 20 percent next year on the back of rising business confidence and improving security and political conditions.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – A Working Group for Aceh called for a revision of the special autonomy for the troubled province, arguing that it had failed to address the roots of the problems.

Banda Aceh – In the lead up to the anniversary of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) security forces in Aceh have forbidden people from joining in the celebrations. If any civilians or GAM members are seen raising the Red Crescent Moon flag, GAM's symbol, they will be shot on sight. Journalists have who cover such activities will not be tolerated.

Jakarta – Despite the prolonged arms embargo imposed by the United States on Indonesia, the militaries of the two countries are attempting to maintain their cooperation.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Violence erupted in the capital of Indonesia's troubled province of West Papua on Wednesday as security forces moved to break up a flag-raising ceremony by independence supporters who had gathered to celebrate West Papua Day, according to a Sydney-based human rights monitor.

Jakarta – The Jakarta administration turned a deaf ear to workers' pleas for a revision to the minimum wage for 2005 of Rp 711,843 (US$79) to Rp 759,532, the estimated minimum cost of living in the capital.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The House of Representatives's defense commission held a hearing with Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto Thursday, the first since the controversy surrounding the replacement of the TNI chief.

Jakarta – The bombing last year of the JW Marriott hotel in Indonesia's capital was inspired by Osama bin Laden, a militant who was convicted in the attack and who claims to have met the Al-Qaeda leader said yesterday."I met Osama frequently in Afghanistan and heard him speak about waging war against America and its allies," said Mohammad Rais, giving testimony in the trial of alleg

Jakarta – Five witnesses testifying in the Abu Bakar Ba'asyir trial said on Thursday that they had met with the cleric either in Malaysia, Afghanistan or Philippines, but ruled out his having a hand in the J.W. Marriot Hotel bombing in August 2003.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – A confessed member of the Jemaah Islamiah terrorist network says he personally delivered an invitation from Osama bin Laden to Abu Bakar Bashir offering the militant cleric refuge in Afghanistan.

Nigel Wilson – John McCarthy, Australia's ambassador to Indonesia at the time of the Australian-led peacekeeping mission in 1999, yesterday confirmed Indonesia was critical of Australia's argument on maritime boundaries.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Around 52 activists have declared the formation of the Volunteers for Democratic Struggle (Relawan Perjuangan Demokrasi, RPD) and say they have decided to join with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). One of them is the former chairperson of the People's Democratic Party (PRD), Budiman Sudjatmiko.

Surakarta/Surabaya – Nahdlatul Ulama head Hasyim Muzadi stared down an attack by a rival faction on Thursday, winning reelection as NU chairman for another five years.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Over 270 people, who were deported from East Timor, were moved into a dormitory belonging to East Nusa Tenggara's Manpower and Transmigration Office in Kupang on Thursday.

Jakarta – The weapon systems belonging to the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) is a cause for concern. Compared with the systems belonging to the armed forces in other South-East Asian countries the TNI's is among the worst, only ahead of Cambodia and Laos.

Sari P. Setiogi and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Indonesian teachers marked the 36th anniversary of their organization on Thursday with a demand for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration to pay more respect to their achievements.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – The death of thousands of fish and clams in waters off Ancol Beach on Tuesday was likely caused by pollution in the city's toxic rivers, the Environmental Management Agency said.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The close alignment between religion and politics has resulted in a decline in tolerance among the adherents of different religious over the past few years, aggravating the problems facing the country.

We are quite apprehensive about the real objective behind the government's plan to grant a tax amnesty.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Despite improving interest rates and a peaceful election year, legal uncertainties remain the main obstacle for Indonesian firms in obtaining business finance, a report from global rating agency Standard and Poor's (S&P) said.

Dili – East Timor's human rights court has sentenced a senior member of a pro-Jakarta militia to 15 years in prison for organizing an attack on the house of an independence leader's house which left a dozen people dead.

Jakarta – The government aims to boost growth in the country's manufacturing sector – the largest contributor to gross domestic product (GDP) – to an average of 8 percent per year in the next five years, from about 5 percent currently.

Pekanbaru-RoL – The Minister of Forestry, H. MS Kaban, says that level of illegal logging in Indonesia is resulting in financial losses to the state amounting to 60 trillion rupiah per year

Jakarta – A member of the House of Representatives urged on Thursday the Indonesian Military (TNI) to empower Indonesia's weapons-related industries, to relieve its dependency on the United States in procuring weaponry.

Muhammad Nafik, Surakarta – Paying money to officials or brokers in order to obtain posts in governmental agencies that require a civil service exam is considered a bribe, which is forbidden, or haram, under Islamic law, according to a regulatory commission of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

Jakarta – Exports in October jumped by 46 percent from the same period last year, defying earlier concerns that the country was losing its share in the export market due to tougher competition from more efficient economies.

Reporter: Anne Barker

Mark Colvin: A court in East Timor has jailed a former pro-Indonesia militia leader to 15 years jail for murder and crimes against humanity.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – Fourteen police officers have been found guilty of using unnecessary disciplinary methods to restore order during the November 22 protest at Bojong waste treatment facility in Bogor, while two others were declared guilty of violating the Criminal Code, for causing serious injuries to others.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Legislators implied on Wednesday that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held them back in bill deliberations by deferring the issuance of a decree on coordination between the House of Representatives and the government in the lawmaking process.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has sent its third warning letters to former president Megawati Soekarnoputri and her Cabinet members as the December 21 deadline for wealth reports looms.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – The city administration has requested the West Jakarta Prosecutor's Office to release two of its officials following their detention by the prosecutors over their alleged involvement in scams worth Rp 1.4 billion (US$155,555.56).

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – A woman produced her identity card and Rp 15,000 (US$1.67), and handed them over to the prison guard at the entrance to the Cipinang penitentiary in East Jakarta.

The identity card she would get back later after seeing her son, but she still had to cough up Rp 15,000 a go at each of the three subsequent gates.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Now that a three-month grace period has expired, the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) is set to crack down hard against radio or television stations violating government-dictated broadcasting guidelines.

The KPI issued the guidelines on August 30 and gave the broadcasting stations three months to adjust.

Agencies – Police personnel clashed on Wednesday with pro-independence Papuans in Trikora field, Jayapura, after the independence supporters hoisted in the area the Bintang Kejora flag, the symbol of the Papua independence movement. Several people were injured after the clash, but no fatalities were reported in the incident.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) here Wednesday condemned the expulsion of 253 Moslems from East Timor, saying the action was a violation of the Moslems' human rights.

Jakarta – Two out of three Indonesian employees say they would move to a different company even if the position, field of work and remuneration were the same as in their current company.

Bandung – At least 3,000 workers in Cimahi regency staged a protest on Tuesday outside the regent's office, demanding that he raise the minimum wage in the regency.

The workers said the minimum wage in Cimahi had to equal the minimum wage in Bandung municipality, as the cost of living in the two regions was the same.

Violence has flared in the capital of Indonesia's troubled province of West Papua as security forces moved to break up a flag-raising ceremony by independence supporters, a Sydney-based human rights monitor said today.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that causes it, may be contributing to the extinction of some of Papua's 250 tribes. With a population of 2.4 million, 15,000 people in the province have developed the disease, while 660,000 are HIV positive.

James Balowski, Jakarta – The new government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has barely been in office one month but has already broken a key election promises – to seek a peaceful solution to the prolonged conflict in Indonesia's northern-most province of Aceh.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – After five hours of immigration checks in Motaain, on the border of East Timor and Indonesia, 62 people were deported from the neighboring country, finally arriving on Monday evening in Atambua, the capital of Belu regency in East Nusa Tenggara.

The government has set itself a target of raising exports of agricultural products to US$9 billion in 2009, or more than double this year's estimate of $3.7 billion, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Delight and relief after the successful elections lifted the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) by 6.2 percent to a 37-month high of 105.8 in October, Danareksa Research Institute (DRI) announced on Tuesday.

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – Two Malaysian militants testifying in the trial of Abu Bakar Ba'asyir acknowledged on Tuesday that the elderly cleric was the spiritual leader of the regional terrorist group, Jamaah Islamiyah (JI).

Dadan Wijaksana, Jakarta – The public will pay up to 40 percent more for fuel by early next year, as the government insists on raising the price of the commodity in order to lower subsidy costs, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Tuesday.

The government has been facing increasingly higher subsidy costs, which has been soaring due to red-hot global oil prices.

Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – The country's retail sector is projected to continue enjoying strong sales growth of between 25 percent and 30 percent next year on the back of robust consumer consumption and increased purchasing power of households as economic growth accelerates, according to an industry association.

Jean-Pierre Catry – Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary general, told the Security Council this year that: "Limited revenue and widespread poverty within the country continue to pose severe constraints on Timor-Leste's social and economic development.