Maxi Wolor, Palu – More than 300 workers of the furniture manufacturing company PT Leang Yang in the Central Sulawesi capital of Pulu went on strike on Saturday, demanding higher wages and better working conditions.

The protesters threatened to continue striking until management for the factory, located in Pantoloan, agreed to pay better monthly salaries.

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.

Brendan Pereira, Jakarta – Australian Prime Minister John Howard came to Indonesia to melt the ice. But the reception he got here left little doubt that a thaw in ties is some way to go, with Australia still struggling to crack the Javanese mindset of its giant neighbour that has a long memory of the troubled relationship between both countries and Canberra's oft-blunt messages.

Jakarta – Political parties in Indonesia have capitalised on the recent flood disaster to court support among the masses, according to Tempo weekly magazine.

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.

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – Even against a background of other political parties with noisy internal disputes, Golkar still manages to stand out in the face of the 2004 general elections, thanks to chairman Akbar Tandjung's success in obtaining unanimous support from party officials.

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.

Jakarta – Large areas of natural forest in Indonesia will be destroyed by 2007 due to logging by the country's two largest pulp producers, two environmental groups warned in a report released Monday.

Jakarta – At least half of the famed Kuta Beach on the Indonesian resort island of Bali has been eroded by waves, an official said Monday.

"The damage has reached a critical level, covering 50 percent of the beach," said Tjok Bagus Budiana, head of the Bali Beach Restoration Project.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – Attempts to investigate military involvement in the killing of students and civilians in Jakarta during the fall of former president Suharto have been thwarted after generals refused to appear at a special inquiry.

Damar Harsanto and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Many flood victims have been left homeless, jobless, sick and penniless as a result of the recent floods. Some have returned home, while others are still staying in inadequate makeshift shelters.

Jakarta – Indonesian Vice President Hamzah Haz has blamed the government of former president Suharto for nationwide flooding, saying the regime had been too corrupt to ensure good environmental planning.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – The recent floods in the city have strengthened the indications of public distrust in government officials, as almost all people and non-governmental organizations avoided official channels in making donations for fear of corruption or unfair distribution.

Jakarta – Indonesia's second largest and former ruling party, Golkar, has dismissed 16 senior members and suspended three others, it was announced.

Jakarta – Separatist rebels in Indonesia's Aceh province have criticized Jakarta's decision to extend military operations there as a "declaration of war" on the Acehnese people.

Top security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday announced the extension of military operations in the energy-rich province on the north of Sumatra island.

Michelle Grattan – When Amien Rais arrived at the state banquet that President Megawati Sukarnoputri hosted for the Howards on Wednesday night, there was a distinct whiff of cynicism among the Australian travelling party.

Conn Hallinan – The problem of lying down with dogs, goes the old saying, it that you end up with fleas. Over the years, the US has run with some nasty brutes, from the Congo's Mobutu to Iraq's Saddam Hussein.

Jakarta – Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Friday wrapped up a fence-mending visit to Indonesia with a sightseeing tour, unfazed by a student protest in the Central Java city of Yokyakarta and an earlier snub by top legislators in Jakarta.

Darwin – Less than a year after Australia rejected Royal Dutch/Shell Group's bid for Woodside Petroleum Ltd., the government may cite the same national interest argument to sink Shell's proposed $4.9 billion floating natural gas platform.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – The Indonesian Military (TNI) has dishonorably discharged seven of its personnel arrested for stealing six cows belonging to residents of Sulamu village in East Nusa Tenggara province, local TNI commanders said on Wednesday.

Annastashya Emmanuelle and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The government, which has come under strong criticism from human rights activists for reviving the Aceh military command just this week, is now set to give a new mandate to the military to crush the separatist movement in Aceh.

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – As the beleaguered Golkar Party seeks to remove the thorn in its flesh, a party top official warned on Thursday of tough measures against staunch critic and senior party member Achmad Arnold Baramuli.

Berni K. Moestafa, Jakarta – Hundreds of employees from Bank Central Asia (BCA) demonstrated on Thursday against the planned sale of BCA, stirring up familiar concerns of mob politics blocking crucial privatization and asset sales programs. Rallying inside the House of Representatives complex ,the employees demanded the government to cancel the sale of BCA, Antara reported.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Possible clashes are looming between East Timorese refugees and Indonesian farmers seeking to reclaim land used to accommodate the refugees on the border of West Timor and East Timor.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Stop blaming Mother Nature, say activists rejecting claims by officials that heavy rain and low ground were behind the week-long floods that paralysed Jakarta.

Jakarta – Moody's Investors Service said Thursday that Indonesia's B3 country rating and stable outlook reflected the continued fragility of its access to foreign loans.

Jakarta – Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra denied on Wednesday that he had bribed former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid in his attempt to secure a pardon in 2000 in relation to a case of alleged graft.

Tiarma Siboro and Yogita Tahilramani, Jakarta – Papuans and human rights activists expressed doubt on Wednesday that the National Investigation Commission set up to probe the mysterious death of Papuan independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay would reveal the truth behind the murder, saying commission members would work to protect the interests of the state.

Fadli, Batam – The situation in certain strategic areas in Batam is still tense following three ethnic riots that rocked the island over the weekend.

Alexander Cockburn – Right till the end of January, Dita Sari was preparing to fly from her home near Jakarta to Salt Lake City to bask today in the admiration of assorted do-gooders and celebrities mustered by Reebok.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – When the tollroad to Soekarno-Hatta Airport flooded, many blamed Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) luxury housing estate, which is built on protected mangrove forest along coastal areas of Kapuk Muara in North Jakarta.

Bambang Soed, Medan – The World Bank predicts that Sumatra will no longer have dense forest areas by 2004. This dire prediction is based on the high 2.5 percent level of destruction taking place on that island.

Lindsay Murdoch and Louise Dodson, Jakarta – Australia and Indonesia last night vowed to strike an agreement to join forces to help counter the threat of terrorism in the region following a meeting between Prime Minister John Howard and President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Michael Perry, Sydney – Increasing drug use in Asia is accelerating the spread of HIV-AIDS along drug trafficking routes from the so-called Golden Triangle to nations like Indonesia and governments are doing too little to combat it, a report says.

Jakarta – Visiting Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Thursday he would address a trade imbalance favouring his country after Indonesian officials raised the issue during talks.

Dili – As East Timor prepares for full independence in May, voters lack information about the draft of the country's new constitution, according to a survey released Thursday.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Politicians such as People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais as well as newspapers which were formerly supportive of President Megawati Sukarnoputri's government have lashed out at the central government's slow and uncoordinated response to the floods in the capital.

Jupriadi, Makassar – A high-powered ministerial delegation checking preparations for reconciliation talks between warring religious factions in Maluku, were greeted in South Sulawesi Tuesday by more than 30 Muslim students opposed to the talks.

Dili – Representatives of UNTAET and the Government of East Timor today held a press conference in Dili as part of an ongoing campaign to eradicate domestic violence.

Jakarta – The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) warned on Tuesday that one of Sumatra's rainforests could disappear within four years if logging is not stopped.

Peter Hartcher, Washington – The Australian Government is backing a Bush Administration proposal to resume US military co-operation with Indonesia in a bid to help Jakarta pursue terrorists.

Ainur A. Sophiaan, Surabaya – The incomplete implementation of regional autonomy and the widespread misunderstanding about the autonomy law have begun to raise new conflicts between the central government and provincial and regional governments.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The Indonesian army yesterday tightened the screws on rebels in Aceh and dealt a potential blow to the peace process there with the inauguration of a new military command to specifically handle the restive province.

Lindsay Murdoch in Jakarta and Michelle Grattan in Singapore – One of Indonesia's most powerful politicians enraged John Howard last night when he cancelled a meeting with the Prime Minister just hours before he was due to arrive in Jakarta.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Without even the most basic assistance from the government, people here have been left completely on their own in the aftermath of floods which have paralyzed the city, and ravaged their belongings since last Monday.

Francisco Xavier do Amaral, the vice-president of East Timor's Constituent Assembly, has registered formally as the first candidate in the territory's April 14 presidential election, electoral officials said Tuesday.

Lindsay Murdoch – When Australian Prime Minister John Howard visited Jakarta six months ago, Indonesians held high hopes that their just-installed President, Megawati Sukarnoputri, would quickly oversee urgent reform of her country's economy, military and legal and political systems.

Jakarta – Indonesia on Tuesday formally set up an inquiry team including an army general to investigate the murder of Papua separatist leader Theys Hiyo Eluay, a crime in which military involvement is suspected.

Jakarta – Separatist rebels in Indonesia's Aceh province confirmed they would discuss Jakarta's autonomy law in future peace talks but denied they are softening calls for independence.

R.K. Nugroho and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jayapura/Jakarta – The government has expelled two members of human rights organization Amnesty International from Irian Jaya for illegally investigating the mysterious death of Papuan separatist leader Theys Hiyo Eluay.