East Timor has threatened to withold ratification of an agreement with Australia to develop oil and gas resources in the Timor Sea worth eight-billion US dollars.

Mark Davis – Moves to develop massive natural gas fields in the Timor Sea face new hurdles after East Timor's government yesterday strongly disputed the Australian government's interpre

Muchus Budi R., Solo – After failing to form a new political party, in the 2004 general elections ex-members of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) will channel their hopes through the

Sian Powell, Jakarta – Accused war criminal, love-song crooner and charismatic speaker: Wiranto is an oddity even among Indonesia's eccentric array of presidential candidates.

Robert Go, Jakarta – National Mandate Party (PAN) chief Amien Rais hops from one destination to another across Indonesia on a jet chartered at US$2,000 per hour.

Bambang Nurbianto and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Time is money – especially that of time-pressed women, as one campaigning political party found out.

Indonesians are hiring themselves out to attend campaign rallies as parties struggle to drum up enthusiasm before next month's general election.

Jakarta – Here come the ballot papers: A few million are damaged, thousands contain mistakes or are missing and millions more have yet to arrive.

Jakarta – The public's lackluster response to election campaigns has forced political parties to draw up new strategies to attract people to their campaign sites.

East Timor's President Xanana Gusmao said today he would not stand for re-election in his country's second presidential elections, are slated for 2007.

Banda Aceh – The Indonesian military said Thursday it had shot dead a key figure in the self-styled government proclaimed by separatist rebels in Aceh province.

Guido Guillart, Dili – An American group said on Thursday it cancelled plans to distribute a children's book on democracy in East Timor, after the country's leaders complained that the

Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tanjung has warned he will instigate legal action people suspected of setting fire to the party's symbols during the election campaign.

Luhur Hertanto, Jakarta – If there is money, the parties are popular. If they only have T-shirts they are ignored.

Jakarta – Separatist rebels in Indonesia's Aceh province urged Acehnese on Wednesday to vote in next month's elections and said they would not try to disrupt the polls.

Dean Yates, Bojong Gede – Indonesia's most famous novelist, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, nearly totters over from age and illness.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government Tuesday issued Rp 2 trillion ($1=IDR8,457) of bonds with a weighted average yield of 11.57%, the finance ministry said.