Tangerang – Nine-year-old Mahmud can only stare at the hospital room ceiling with empty eyes. His head looks bigger than it should be, his rib protrude and his stomach is extended. Bothhis hands and legs are stunted.

Jakarta – One man was killed and 46 other people were arrested following riots in the Kalijodo prostitution complex in North Jakarta on Saturday.

Jakarta – Indonesia's unhusked rice production is forecast to reach 48.65 million tonnes this year, 1.9 percent less than 2001, an Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) official said Monday.

Christopher Hitchens – In a few weeks, East Timor will be able to celebrate both its independence as a country and its status as a democracy. Elections will have produced a government able to seek and receive international recognition.

Jakarta – The protracted economic crisis affecting Indonesia since 1997 has swelled the ranks of the country's poor to around 60 percent of the 215 million-strong population, an official said.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – The government has extended its deadline for 128,000 (sic) Timorese to vacate refugee camps in West Timor until June 20, allowing them more time to decide on their future.

Widjajanto/Dyah Prabandari, Jakarta – The United States offered to facilitate in solving the Acehnese problem. This statement by US Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph L. Boyce caught people's attention.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – The labor union for the state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) demanded on Thursday that the company's newly appointed board of directors immediately step down or the employees would hold a general strike and halt train operations in Java and Sumatra.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – There are about 200 small lakes that function as water catchment areas in Greater Jakarta, but most of them have been damaged and some disappeared.

Jupriadi and Annastashya Emmanuelle, Jakarta/Makassar – The peace accord for Maluku signed in Malino, Central Sulawesi on February 12, 2001 was tested once again as protesters greeted the delegates upon their return in Ambon, the Maluku provincial capital, on Thursday.

Jakarta – A series of blasts rocked Ambon a day after a peace pact was signed by the warring Muslim and Christian camps, drawing condemnation from Indonesian Vice-President Hamzah Haz yesterday.

Jakarta – Indonesia is to establish counter-terrorism units to deal with regional security threats, according to the chief of the nation's armed forces.

Tangerang – Some 300 workers, who were dismissed by PT Koinus Jaya Garment last December, held a rally to protest against their dismissal and ask for severance pay at the Tangerang municipal administration office on Thursday.

Hamish McDonald and Desmond Ball – As an army major with access to the most highly classified intelligence flowing into Canberra, Chris Jones admits he used to feel tempted when he saw protests against the Indonesian occupation of East Timor back in the late 1970s.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Some recent developments suggest that Indonesia's economy is moving on the right track, but observers also warned that there is no light at the end of the tunnel yet given the severity of the problems faced by President Megawati Sukarnoputri's government.

Daniel Nelson – After 25 years of brutal occupation, culminating in Indonesian-organized murder and mayhem against a referendum on independence, the world's newest country is turning the spotlight on home-grown violence by launching a campaign against wife-beating.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Adm. Widodo AS admitted on Thursday that the institution was in the midst of a major reshuffle, while adding that replacements in the level of top brass remained undecided.

jakarta – Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda yesterday played down a report by The Straits Times outlining an apparent aborted terrorist plan to launch bomb explosions in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.

How much did the Australian Government know about plans for an attack by Indonesian forces which would result in the death of five Australian-based newsmen? Hamish McDonald and Desmond Ball analyse new evidence concerning the affair.

Indonesia's armed forces (TNI) need foreign military cooperation in intelligence exchanges and joint exercises to help fight terrorism, the military chief said.

On Thursday, Amed Forces Chief Admiral Widodo Adisucipto said in enhancing the capabilities of its anti-terrorism units the military would prefer "exchange of information and intelligence" with foreign countries.

Asip A. Hasani, Yogyakarta – Dozens of activists blocked the entrance gate of Yogyakarta's provincial legislative council (DPRD) on Wednesday in a protest against two corruption scandals that they believe directly implicate local legislators.

Jan. 19, 1999: The beating of a Christian passenger by a group of bus crew members in Batu Merah in Ambon triggers a mass brawl.

March 9, 1999: A military special team meets the reconciliation team, both agreeing that building a feeling of security is an initial steps toward peace.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – Christian and Muslim leaders yesterday hailed a Government-brokered agreement as the best chance yet to end a three-year war in the Maluku islands that has killed more than 5000 people and forced about 700,000 from their homes.

Palu, Central Sulawesi – Environmentalists have accused some plantation and forestry companies here of damaging hundreds of thousands of hectares of forests across Banggai regency.

They said that most of the companies pretended to clear land for plantation by cutting down trees, but later logged them out, and abandoned the areas.

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – All mainstream religious groups in Indonesia have suggested that the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) retain Article 29 of the 1945 Constitution in its present form, on the grounds that it has done an adequate job in promoting religious harmony in the predominantly Muslim country.

Jakarta – American businessmen indicated an interest in investing in Indonesia at a meeting here on Tuesday.

Among the 20 members of the US-Indonesian Business Council who met the country's economic ministers were companies like ExxonMobil Indonesia, Motorola and New York Life Insurance.

Tangerang – About 200 angry gamblers attacked and destroyed Sgt. Maj. Jupri's house on Jl. Jati, Jatiuwung, Tangerang, on Tuesday night after the Military Police officer failed to pay off the winners in an illegal numbers racket that the Army personnel runs.

Independence leader Xanana Gusmao said Wednesday he had not yet decided whether he would run for the presidency of East Timor in April 14 elections, adding that he would not bow to "pressures from anyone" to stand as an independent candidate.

Dita Sari, Jakarta – The driving forces of globalisation are the movement and expansion of capital and technology, through multinational companies. Globalisation, some people argue, has contributed a lot to the creation of a new world, with global welfare and justice for all. But in practice, globalisation is producing neither universal welfare nor global peace.

Achmad Sukarsono, Jakarta – A peace negotiator from the rebel Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on Wednesday welcomed US willingness to help Indonesia resolve a long-running conflict with the separatist group. An Indonesian government official said it wasn't clear what the United States had in mind.

Jakarta – A paramilitary Muslim group which had waged a "holy war" against Christians in the Malukus said it would not leave the eastern islands despite the signing of a pact to end three years of sectarian bloodshed there.

Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) called Wednesday for a "clear strategy" from the Indonesian government to recover loans worth billions of dollars which were extended to save the country's banks.

Jakarta – The chief prosecutor in the Indonesian province of Yogyakarta is planning to summons all 51 provincial MPs over suspected bribery linked to a local election and a building project, a report said Wednesday.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Some 500 flood victims demonstrated on Monday to demand compensation from the Jakarta administration for its poor handling of major flooding that hit the capital since January 28.

Jakarta – In a stinging rebuke of the bureaucracy, President Megawati Sukarnoputri yesterday described the administration as a "trash can" and told officials to go out and check reports instead of staying desk-bound.

Tangerang – About 250 vendors at Cikokol traditional market argued with Tangerang Public Order Agency officials on Monday after they were forced to leave the market to make way for the construction of the Cikokol cloverleaf intersection.

R.K. Nugroho, Jayapura – Two government teams investigating the mysterious death of Papuan independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay should be disbanded, non-governmental organizations and church groups demanded on Monday.

Jakarta – A member of a government-appointed team to investigate the murder of Papua separatist leader Theys Hiyo Eluay said Tuesday he has resigned and a report said a second resignation was likely to follow.

Jakarta – Nine more killings were reported in Indonesia's Aceh province, the scene of a decades-old separatist revolt, as US ambassador Ralph Boyce spent a second day there.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The illegal trade of protected animals continues in Indonesia despite Law No. 5/1990 on the preservation of flora and fauna. Applying the law by banning illegal trade in protected animals has so far failed to stop the trafficking.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Confronted with strong opposition from regents and experts on her move to revise the current autonomy law, President Megawati Soekarnoputri lashed out at regional authorities on Monday for what she termed excessive and ridiculous regionalism in recruiting civil servants.

Jacob Herin, Flores – Police in East Flores regency clashed with local youths early on Monday, leaving at least one person killed and 12 others wounded.

Jakarta – The government backed down on Monday from its initial plan to temporarily halt new construction in greater Jakarta amid strong opposition from various opposition groups, saying it would only temporarily withhold new licenses for some housing projects.

Jakarta – Rival Christian and Muslim factions from Indonesia's Maluku province agreed Tuesday to end their three-year war that has devastated the province and killed 10,000 people, a top Cabinet minister said.

Kurniawan Hari and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – House of Representatives legislators turned a deaf ear on Monday to demands for military and police officers to appear for questioning at a human rights inquiry in connection with three high-profile incidents in 1998 and 1999.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – The city administration revealed on Monday that it had sold one of 22 small lakes in the Greater Jakarta area to private developers.

Jakarta – Ethnic Chinese in Indonesia marked the start of the Lunar New Year amid new-found freedom to celebrate their most important festival but an activist said discrimination still exists.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – In Muslim boarding schools across Indonesia, many young Muslims can be found poring over a book called the Couple's Contract or Uqud Al-Lujjayn.

Jakarta – A distributor here has withheld the latest issue of the US magazine Newsweek because it carries a picture of the prophet Muhammad that could anger subscribers in Indonesia – the world's largest Muslim-populated country.

Paul Brown – The Indonesian pulp and paper industry is destroying rainforest at such an astonishing rate that it will run out of wood in five years, according to a report being published today.