Yogyakarta – Hundreds of students from various universities in Yogyakarta staged two separate rallies on Wednesday to protest the US-led attack on Afghanistan, burning an effigy of US President George W. Bush and "sealing" popular American fast-food restaurants.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The local administration is considering a reversal of a 23-year-old ban on gambling to profit from the billions of rupiah that illegal gambling businesses reportedly rake in here and to curb the crimes that are linked to them.

Achmad Sukarsono, Jakarta – About 1,000 Indonesian Muslim students rallied outside parliament on Wednesday, with some trying to knock down the gates leading into the complex in the biggest anti-American protest in Jakarta this week.

Despite mounting public pressure from small, vocal groups for the government to sever ties with the United States, the government said on Wednesday that it would maintain good relations with the US and its allies.

Berni K. Moestafa, Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has agreed to the revision of key assumptions in the 2002 state budget draft, to ease Indonesia's budget targets in the face of a global economic recession.

Annastashya Emmanuelle, Jakarta – The Central Jakarta District Court ruled on Tuesday in favor of a class action filed by Kapak LPG against the state-run oil company Pertamina for arbitrarily raising the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) last November.

Dili – In its first concrete step toward drafting a new constitution, East Timor's national assembly Wednesday set up four commissions tasked with preparing sections of the national charter.

The assembly has until mid-December to pass the nascent nation's first constitution so that it can be in place before the UN-administered territory achieves independence next year.

Simon Montlake, Jakarta – More than two years after Indonesia's bloody revenge on East Timor for a pro-independence vote, hopes of justice for thousands of victims are fading fast.

Ibnu Mat Noor, Banda Aceh – After serving his full 12-month jail term at the Banda Aceh prison, Muhammad Nazar, chairman of the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA), was released on Tuesday.

Jakarta – Students in Makassar, South Sulawesi, and Surabaya, East Java, defied a government ban and burned US flags in separate anti-US rallies on Tuesday.

In Makassar, hundreds of students from various groups rallied at different locations, including at the provincial legislative assembly compound, the Japanese consulate and even the city's largest shopping mall.

Jakarta – Indonesia's parliament, taking a harsher line than the government on the US-led attacks in Afghanistan, has summoned Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda to explain the government's stance.

Ainur R.Sophiaan, Surabaya – The Madurese refugees from Sampit and Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, now living in shelters and camps in Bangkalan and other areas on the island of Madura hope to return to their "former homeland" in Central Kalimantan in the next three months after a bylaw on demography is issued.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta-The state wants the death penalty for one jailed grandson while two daughters and a son-in-law are under fresh graft probes.

Makassar-Another police officer was killed in the city on Monday, further straining ties between the Provincial Police headquarters and the Military Command headquarters.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – A lawyer expressed the fear here on Monday that no Indonesian would be capable of meeting the criteria for membership of a "powerful" new commission to eradicate corruption (KPTPK) which would have a remit and powers far in excess of other law enforcement institutions.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Along with government aid for the 290,000 East Timorese remaining in Indonesia being discontinued at the end of December, the refugee status for people now living in West Timor will also be canceled.

Ibnu Mat Noor, Banda Aceh – Five dead bodies with gunshot wounds were found in separate locations after a gunfight between security forces and members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) that lasted all of Sunday, an Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) volunteer worker said on Monday.

Tomi Soetjipto, Jakarta – Indonesian police fired warning shots, teargas and water cannon during a clash with 400 Muslim protesters outside the US embassy in Jakarta on Tuesday in a clear sign authorities will clamp down on anti-American violence.

Jakarta – Muslim organizations in Yogyakarta and Solo, Central Java, noisily condemned the US-led retaliation on the Taliban's military installations and Osama bin Laden's terrorist indoctrination camps with calls for the expulsion of American and British citizens from the two towns.

Damar Harsanto and Hanifah Abu, Jakarta – Over a thousand demonstrators from several militant groups here staged rallies on Monday in front of the heavily guarded US Embassy, protesting the US-led strikes against Afghanistan which they called a form of terrorism.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) and leaders of Muslim groups condemned the US attacks in Afghanistan on Monday, and demanded that Jakarta freeze diplomatic ties with Washington.

Jakarta – Discord between Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Vice-President Hamzah Haz is becoming increasingly obvious now, with the two frequently making conflicting statements, analysts and legislators said.

Jakarta – Expressing deep concern at the United States' decision to launch a military strike against Afghanistan, Indonesia urged Washington on Monday to keep its operation limited to minimize civilian casualties.

Jakarta – People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais has criticized government policies, saying they only benefit big businesses and damage the economy.

Jakarta – Indonesia has asked the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to ease conditions required for the release of an up to $600 million loan, an official said on Monday.

The ADB earlier this year asked Indonesia to give more incentives and relax barriers against foreign investors as part of requirements for the loan.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Trader Dani Hermawan wants to open shop in Jakarta but cannot find space in a decent location. "Kiosks in malls are tough to get into,' he said. "I've waited three months but I know people who have waited more than half a year for one."

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – An increasing number of legislators are playing a game of "musical chairs" in that while their colleagues are seriously involved in a plenary meeting or hearing, they feel themselves at liberty to abandon the hearing or meeting so as to attend another one.

Julie Chao, Dili – After Salvador Ferrera cast his ballot two years ago for independence for East Timor, he fled into the hills. When he came back a few weeks later, his hometown of Suai had been burned to the ground by militia groups. "All of Suai was totally destroyed," he said. "Three priests were killed. Until today, we don't know where their bones are."

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – Some 50 fishing families lost their homes after the North Jakarta public order office on Thursday demolished their houses, which were allegedly built without any legal permit.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – Disgusting. That might be the comment that most people would make when seeing them begging on the street or at other public places here.

Jakarta – The prolonged drought in Central Java, which has lasted for five months already, has caused residents in several provinces to resort to selling their livestock to purchase water. Many have also had to walk for hours in search of water.

Jakarta – Ousted Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid has said that he is ready to run for the post again if there are no other candidates from his party. "I am actually lazy because being president at the moment is not comfortable.

Jakarta – House of Representatives (DPR) legislators questioned on Friday the performance of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's government in the economic and political fields after nearly three months in office.

Asip A. Hasani, Yogyakarta – Soldiers in Yogyakarta came up with an novel way of responding to a student demonstration on Friday by blasting out popular local dangdut music and dancing in front of scores of students protesting outside the Yogyakarta Regional Military (Korem) headquarters.

Robert Go, Batam – After migrating from Medan in July, it took Mr Gunawan Nasution more than two months before finding a job in Batam. He now works as a groundskeeper at one of the island's posh hotels, earning around 600,000 rupiah (S$115) each month.

Associated Press in Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri yesterday urged Indonesia's powerful military to stop meddling in politics and instead concentrate on defending the sprawling union from threats of national disintegration.

Seth Mydans, Jakarta – For the past year, the Jakarta police have been bustling about town, raiding apartments, smashing their way into cellars, tapping telephone lines, consulting psychics, putting up wanted posters, scattering leaflets, setting up roadblocks. If they actually found him, they would really have a problem on their hands.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaya, Jakarta – Former deputy Army chief of staff Gen. Johny Lumintang denied on Friday any responsibility over systematic human rights violations in East Timor in 1999 after it voted for independence from Indonesia.

Yongker Rumthe, Manado – North Sulawesi Governor A.J. Sondakh has ordered M.Zaini, head of the Pertamina branch office here, and Rosman Idris, Bitung port administrator, not to leave the region, amid mounting anger over their alleged roles in a prolonged fuel shortage that has particularly affected supplies of kerosene.

An article in the official criminal code stipulates that court trials should be a cheap, quick and simple way to see that justice is done. But whether or not the court actually recognizes this particular section of the legal code is a different matter.

After a seven-month delay, the House of Representatives finally has begun deliberating on a Child Protection bill.

Dili-East Timor's newly elected Constituent Assembly today unanimously adopted a set of Rules and Procedures for the 88-member body following a two-week debate.

Jakarta – A plan by Indonesia's attorney general to appeal against the Supreme Court's controversial acquittal of Tommy Suharto came under fire Friday. An analyst described the move as a cosmetic exercise rather than a genuine attempt to seek justice in the case of the former dictator's fugitive son. Experts said such an appeal is legally impossible.

Jakarta – The government issued on Thursday afternoon a four-point political statement against terrorism following the terrorist attacks on two US landmarks on September 11.

An employee with the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) in the regency of Bireun, Aceh, Jafar Syehdo, 57, was found dead – with gunshot wounds to his head and body – on a road in the village of Glumpang Payong, Jeumpa district in Bireun on Wednesday night, a Red Cross official confirmed on Thursday.

The Free Aceh Separatist Movement (GAM) denied on Wednesday that it was training rebels of the so-named Free Deli Separatist Movement (GDM), aimed at fighting for the separation of the Deli sultanate in the northern part of North Sumatra from Indonesia.

The newly appointed Yogyakarta police chief Brig. Gen. Yohanes Wahyu has hailed the recent police crackdown on pornographic VCDs in the city as a success, despite a skeptical public response to the operation.

Jakarta – Indonesian security forces regained complete control of the Ilaga airfield on Thursday after it had been occupied by rebels of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) for about a week, reports confirmed.

Jakarta – An Indonesian militant Muslim group said Friday it would defy a government ban on sending volunteers to fight against any attack by the United States on Afghanistan. The Islamic Youth Movement (GPI) said registration remains open for those who wish to wage jihad, or holy war, in Afghanistan.

Jakarta – Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation, would stay neutral in any US-led attack against Afghanistan's Taliban, its defence minister said on Friday.