Slamet Susanto and Ruslan Sangadji, Yogyakarta/Palu – Forty-two legislative candidates in Yogyakarta are believed to have been linked with the outlawed and now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), a poll official said on Tuesday.

Jakarta – The United States has denied that it issued a travel ban against Gen. (ret) Wiranto, as was reported in The Washington Post.

A fire which destroyed an Indonesian petrochemical plant, killed two people and caused tens of millions of dollars in damage, officials said.

Police had earlier put the death toll as rising to four after the blaze at the Petro Widada complex in the town of Gresik in East Java.

Medan – Indonesian prosecutors on Wednesday demanded prison terms ranging from four months to 30 months for 18 police officers allegedly involved in the killing of two students in 2000, officials said.

Jakarta – Greenpeace is sending its flagship, the "Rainbow Warrior," on a campaign to stop illegal logging in Indonesia, the environmental pressure group said on Wednesday.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The leading Koran Tempo daily yesterday lost the first of a series of legal battles against businessman Tomy Winata and was ordered to pay the powerful tycoon US$1 million (S$1.7 million) in a defamation suit.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – As Indonesia prepares for an April general election and its first-ever direct presidential election in July, the government is busy trying to establish policy credibility in the eyes of the market.

Muklis Ali, Jakarta – Militant groups may be planning to disrupt Indonesian elections this year with attacks on political rallies, police said on Tuesday. Indonesia is due to hold parliamentary polls in April and its first direct presidential election in July. Campaigning will begin in March.

Jakarta – Indonesia's General Elections Commission (KPU) yesterday released lists of legislative candidates from 24 electoral contestants.

"Even though we are not required to publicize the lists of legislative candidates, the public is entitled to know them," chairman of the KPU's working committee for scrutinizing legislative candidates, Anas Urbaningrum, said yesterday.

Evi Mariani, Mumbai, India – Indonesian labor activist Dita Sari became one of the stars of the World Social Forum on Monday when she addressed a packed conference on globalization, and economic and social security, along with US Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and Egyptian Neo-Marxian thinker Samir Amin.

A UN assessment team returns to New York this week from East Timor amid speculation there may be an extension of its presence there.

Iin Yumiyanti, Jakarta – TNI (armed forces) headquarters has denied that it issued an order to collect data on ex-members of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in the lead up to the 2004 elections. If there has been an order to collect this kind of data it diverges from the duties of the TNI.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – The Indonesian Military (TNI) says it will soon deploy troops to the disputed island of Batek, which is close to East Nusa Tenggara province and East Timor.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Taking the 1999 general elections as a lesson, the Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) has promised to improve supervision of the election process and follow up on any reports of offenses and pass them on to the National Police.

Frans Surdiasis, Jakarta – The late Elvis Presley's song It's now or never, perfectly depicts the situation faced by Amien Rais and his National Mandate Party (PAN) in confronting this year's general election. Many people say that this year is plausibly the last chance for Amien Rais to achieve his ambition of becoming the country's president.

Ruslan Sangadji and Irvan NR, Palu – Local members of the National Mandate Party (PAN) here objected on Saturday to the central board's selection of politicians to top the party's list of legislative candidates representing Central Sulawesi, as the candidates are not native to the province.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Islamic parties in Indonesia are facing a crisis of leadership.

Torn apart by personal ambition and ideological differences, they have not been able to unite behind a single presidential ticket to challenge President Megawati Sukarnoputri and the secular nationalist bloc in this year's elections.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The old New Order appears to be on the rise again in Indonesia.

With just three months to go before the parliamentary elections, surveys show Golkar, the party of former president Suharto, has a very strong chance of winning.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia's Islamic leaders have declared a national war against corruption in politics.

Anti-graft activists have long been complaining that as many as 70 per cent of the country's MPs are "tainted" and do not deserve to be re-elected into office, and now the Muslim leaders have decided to lend their support to the anti-corruption campaign.

Indonesian police are investigating whether a bombing which killed four people in South Sulawesi province this month is linked to previous blasts.

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – After the six-month extension of martial law in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, civilians have been mobilized to set up militia groups across the war-torn province to help crush separatist rebels.

Jakarta – The Indonesia Military (TNI) headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta has thwarted a possible bomb attack allegedly planned by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) as the man picked for the mission did not have the gumption to carry it out, an officer said.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – After four months of taking refuge at the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) compound, more than 200 evictees say they have nowhere else to go.

"We don't know how long we'll have to stay here. It appears that Komnas HAM is doing nothing for us," said Saifuddin, 50, who was evicted from Cengkareng Timur, West Jakarta.

Ardimas Sasdi – Like a body blow to many people who are longing for peace and order after a great dearth of positive news, the government has announced a controversial plan to expand the authority and reach of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) within the country.

After decades of official supression, Indonesia's ethnic Chinese minority is now able to openly celebrate the Lunar New Year but discrimination remains for the rest of the time.

Sian Powell – A delegation of senior Australian diplomats last week toured an Indonesian region considered by the UN to be more dangerous than Baghdad.

Australian deputy ambassador in Indonesia Peter Rowe and several other diplomats made an official visit to West Timor, an impoverished half-island in eastern Indonesia.

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – Learning from the increase in the number HIV/AIDS cases, especially among teenagers, students have urged the government to provide sex education classes where they can also learn about the hazards of injecting drugs.

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – Maulidarrahmi and another 437 supposed former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) members appeared relieved as they were finally allowed to return home on Sunday after attending a five-month ideological "reeducation" course in the war-town province.

Sophie Boudre – As violence against women is recognized as a major health concern worldwide, Timor-Leste is struggling to overcome domestic violence, which has been growing at an alarming rate. While the tiny new independent country is recovering from the wounds of a long fight for freedom, 51 percent of married East-Timorese women say they feel unsafe in their relationship.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – The Jakarta Composite Index skyrocketed on Monday to the highest level in the nation's history, as new investors from the United States and Europe entered the market seeking to capitalize on the rising optimism.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati & Sandy Darmosumarto, Jakarta – An activist with a rights watchdog, which had reported in December that the national intelligence body was already beginning activities at the district level, questioned a potential overlapping of functions with the military's territorial commands.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Riau Governor Mohamad Rusli and Minister of Maritime and Fishery Rokhmin Dahuri competed on Friday for President Megawati Soekarnoputri's endorsement of their opposite stances over the sea sand export policy to Singapore.

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – While highlighting improvements in the economy and national stability as its main platforms, the Golkar Party has vowed not to snub the increasingly louder anticorruption voices during the upcoming election campaign.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Manpower and Transmigration Minister Jacob Nuwa Wea said on Friday that the number of unemployed people would increase by about 2.5 million to over 45 million this year.

Ian Timberlake, Jakarta – Thousands of former East Timorese refugees have been given homes of their own in Indonesian West Timor after more than four years of living in decrepit refugee camps and other temporary accommodation.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara A senior Navy officer denied on Friday that a military exercise, held recently on Batek island that borders East Timor, was a display of military might aimed at instilling fear in the neighboring country.

Kurniawan Hari and Zakki Hakim, Jakarta – Thousands of people throughout the country took to the streets seeking the cancellation of utility price hikes on Thursday despite a decision by the government to delay the increase in telephone charges.

Jakarta – Former Indonesian military chief and presidential hopeful Wiranto has shrugged off a reported move by United States to bar him from entry over accusations of rights violations, media reported on Sunday.

Remember the People's Democratic Party (PRD), remember how radical these young people were in the struggling for democracy. Although they admit they are still weak in terms of building a mass base, to this day the PRD is still consistent in its mission of struggle. That is, for the sake of democracy, they are not afraid of death. That's how extreme they are.

Jill Jolliffe, Dili – A headless skeleton discovered by workmen digging in the yard of East Timorese Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri is believed to be the remains of Nicolau Lobato, the charismatic resistance leader killed by the Indonesian army in 1978.

Andrew Burrell, Jakarta – Sharing lunch with an indicted war criminal accused of overseeing the slaughter of 1500 people is hardly an everyday experience. Neither is it as difficult as it might seem.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia's reform initiatives have failed and the country needs a strong leader "who can do better", said retired General Wiranto.

The Suharto-era armed forces commander has become a serious contender for presidential elections later this year.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) revealed on Friday its suspicion that thousands of legislative candidates had submitted fake diplomas to the General Elections Commission (KPU) among their required application documents.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – As most voters are unaware of the new electoral system, political parties are likely to encourage supporters to punch the logo of political parties on ballot papers instead of marking the names of legislative candidates, a political analyst says.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has started investigating alleged gross abuses in the Papua province last year and in 2001 and plans to summon 75 local witnesses to give testimony.

Led by Komnas HAM chairman Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara, the commission's investigation teams have been in the province since January 12.

Banda Aceh – Four people suspected to be members of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) were killed during separate exchanges of fire with the military in several districts of Aceh province, the military said on Saturday.

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta – Former State Logistics Agency (Bulog) head Beddu Amang began serving a four-year prison sentence for graft on Friday after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Four days after asking bus drivers to make the TransJakarta Busway project launch a perfect one, Governor Sutiyoso was shocked to discover 30 had gone on strike, demanding clarity in their employment contracts and extra allowances besides their basic salaries. "Strike?" he asked, almost speechless.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The Indonesian Museum of Records (Muri) will likely add to its collection thanks to President Megawati Soekarnoputri's generous plan to invite 5,300 people to celebrate her 57th birthday on January 23 at the Jababeka industrial estate in Cikarang, West Java.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang Water utility customers in Tangerang regency are irate over skyrocketing bills that are at least 300 percent higher than the bills they received in December.

Sukiyatno, who lives in Kebon Besar subdistrict, Batu Ceper district, told The Jakarta Post on Friday that he was shocked to see his water bill this month.