Dili – East Timor's human rights court has sentenced a senior member of a pro-Jakarta militia to 15 years in prison for organizing an attack on the house of an independence leader's house which left a dozen people dead.

Jakarta – The government aims to boost growth in the country's manufacturing sector – the largest contributor to gross domestic product (GDP) – to an average of 8 percent per year in the next five years, from about 5 percent currently.

Pekanbaru-RoL – The Minister of Forestry, H. MS Kaban, says that level of illegal logging in Indonesia is resulting in financial losses to the state amounting to 60 trillion rupiah per year

Jakarta – A member of the House of Representatives urged on Thursday the Indonesian Military (TNI) to empower Indonesia's weapons-related industries, to relieve its dependency on the United States in procuring weaponry.

Muhammad Nafik, Surakarta – Paying money to officials or brokers in order to obtain posts in governmental agencies that require a civil service exam is considered a bribe, which is forbidden, or haram, under Islamic law, according to a regulatory commission of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

Jakarta – Exports in October jumped by 46 percent from the same period last year, defying earlier concerns that the country was losing its share in the export market due to tougher competition from more efficient economies.

Reporter: Anne Barker

Mark Colvin: A court in East Timor has jailed a former pro-Indonesia militia leader to 15 years jail for murder and crimes against humanity.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – Fourteen police officers have been found guilty of using unnecessary disciplinary methods to restore order during the November 22 protest at Bojong waste treatment facility in Bogor, while two others were declared guilty of violating the Criminal Code, for causing serious injuries to others.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Legislators implied on Wednesday that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held them back in bill deliberations by deferring the issuance of a decree on coordination between the House of Representatives and the government in the lawmaking process.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has sent its third warning letters to former president Megawati Soekarnoputri and her Cabinet members as the December 21 deadline for wealth reports looms.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – The city administration has requested the West Jakarta Prosecutor's Office to release two of its officials following their detention by the prosecutors over their alleged involvement in scams worth Rp 1.4 billion (US$155,555.56).

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – A woman produced her identity card and Rp 15,000 (US$1.67), and handed them over to the prison guard at the entrance to the Cipinang penitentiary in East Jakarta.

The identity card she would get back later after seeing her son, but she still had to cough up Rp 15,000 a go at each of the three subsequent gates.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Now that a three-month grace period has expired, the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) is set to crack down hard against radio or television stations violating government-dictated broadcasting guidelines.

The KPI issued the guidelines on August 30 and gave the broadcasting stations three months to adjust.

Agencies – Police personnel clashed on Wednesday with pro-independence Papuans in Trikora field, Jayapura, after the independence supporters hoisted in the area the Bintang Kejora flag, the symbol of the Papua independence movement. Several people were injured after the clash, but no fatalities were reported in the incident.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) here Wednesday condemned the expulsion of 253 Moslems from East Timor, saying the action was a violation of the Moslems' human rights.

Jakarta – Two out of three Indonesian employees say they would move to a different company even if the position, field of work and remuneration were the same as in their current company.

Bandung – At least 3,000 workers in Cimahi regency staged a protest on Tuesday outside the regent's office, demanding that he raise the minimum wage in the regency.

The workers said the minimum wage in Cimahi had to equal the minimum wage in Bandung municipality, as the cost of living in the two regions was the same.

Violence has flared in the capital of Indonesia's troubled province of West Papua as security forces moved to break up a flag-raising ceremony by independence supporters, a Sydney-based human rights monitor said today.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that causes it, may be contributing to the extinction of some of Papua's 250 tribes. With a population of 2.4 million, 15,000 people in the province have developed the disease, while 660,000 are HIV positive.

James Balowski, Jakarta – The new government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has barely been in office one month but has already broken a key election promises – to seek a peaceful solution to the prolonged conflict in Indonesia's northern-most province of Aceh.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – After five hours of immigration checks in Motaain, on the border of East Timor and Indonesia, 62 people were deported from the neighboring country, finally arriving on Monday evening in Atambua, the capital of Belu regency in East Nusa Tenggara.

The government has set itself a target of raising exports of agricultural products to US$9 billion in 2009, or more than double this year's estimate of $3.7 billion, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Delight and relief after the successful elections lifted the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) by 6.2 percent to a 37-month high of 105.8 in October, Danareksa Research Institute (DRI) announced on Tuesday.

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – Two Malaysian militants testifying in the trial of Abu Bakar Ba'asyir acknowledged on Tuesday that the elderly cleric was the spiritual leader of the regional terrorist group, Jamaah Islamiyah (JI).

Dadan Wijaksana, Jakarta – The public will pay up to 40 percent more for fuel by early next year, as the government insists on raising the price of the commodity in order to lower subsidy costs, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Tuesday.

The government has been facing increasingly higher subsidy costs, which has been soaring due to red-hot global oil prices.

Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – The country's retail sector is projected to continue enjoying strong sales growth of between 25 percent and 30 percent next year on the back of robust consumer consumption and increased purchasing power of households as economic growth accelerates, according to an industry association.

Jean-Pierre Catry – Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary general, told the Security Council this year that: "Limited revenue and widespread poverty within the country continue to pose severe constraints on Timor-Leste's social and economic development.

David Isenberg – The four-day Indo Defense Expo 2004 arms show in Jakarta last week turned out to be one of those shindigs where everyone, both buyers and sellers, was a winner. But the future benefit for the people of Indonesia and the Southeast Asian region remains to be seen.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has called for a revision of human rights Law Number 39/1999, to empower it with the right to press state institutions to follow up on the findings of its investigations.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government is drafting a new decree setting out even more onerous rules for foreign scientists conducting research here due to a growing number of "illegal studies", an official says.

James Balowski, Jakarta – For the second time since the murder of renowned Indonesian human rights activist Munir, his family has been threatened – this time with a clear warning not to blame the Indonesian military (TNI) for his death.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Following the death of renowned human rights activist Munir on September 7, non-government organisations have been urging the government to sign the United Nations 1998 Declaration on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

Jongker Rumthe, Manado – Seven boozing policemen whose unruly escapades almost caused a riot in Tuminting, Manado, have been thrown into the drunk tank until they are disciplined, the North Sulawesi Police say.

Jakarta – Since its grand opening 10 months ago, the management of the TransJakarta Busway has contributed Rp 33.89 billion (US$3.76 million) to the city's coffers, however most of that has already been spent on the salaries and expenses incurred by the city.

Jakarta – Residents in several flood-prone areas across the capital have not yet prepared for potential floods this rainy season, although the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) has warned Jakartans that rains would peak within two weeks.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – The TNI (armed forces) says that it will give up its military business provided that its funding through the state budget is realised. This is because soldiers are educated to fight not conduct business.

Cynthia Banham – The East Timorese Foreign Minister, Jose Ramos-Horta, has accused Australian officials of attempted blackmail during recent negotiations over the new nation's maritime boundaries.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The government is considering revising upward next year's state budget deficit to 1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) from a previous projection of 0.8 percent, the finance minister said.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The House of Represantives legislation body (Baleg) agreed on Monday to delay all bill deliberations, pending discussions between the government and the legislators on which bills should be dealt with first.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office promised Monday to complete hundreds of corruption cases throughout the country within three months, including a review of big cases.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Vice President Jusuf Kalla called on members of the Indonesian Civil Servants Association (Korpri) across the country to comply with regulations set by the government, saying that the bureaucracy was the government's political machine.

Muhammad Nafik and Bontank Poer and Slamet Susanto, Surakarta – A showdown between former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid and incumbent chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Hasyim Muzadi over the NU chairmanship heated up on the second day of the organization's national congress here on Monday with two camps mobilizing their ranks.

M. Azis Tunny, Ambon – The Ambon District Court sentenced on Monday the secretary-general of the Maluku Sovereignty Front (FKM), Moses Tuanakotta, to nine years in prison for subversion.

The sentence was six years lighter than what prosecutors had been seeking.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The establishment of West Papua province could remain a stumbling block in the relations between the central government and Papuans, if it is not resolved in a way that both sides agree upon.

Jakarta – An Indonesian Islamist group said yesterday it was sending volunteers to help Iraq's resistance forces.

The Islamic Defenders' Front opened registration on Friday and its operational chairman, Machsuni Kaloko, said that 300 people had signed up so far.

Jakarta – Muslim scholars stressed at the weekend that the propagation of Islamic teachings was actually a call to discuss the teachings of Islam.

Muhammad Nafik and Suherdjoko, Surakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opened a five-day congress of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) here on Sunday, with its senior leaders strongly criticizing the group, the largest Muslim organization in the country, for its involvement in politics.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – A three-day exhibit, Indo Defense Expo 2004, showcasing defense equipment, concluded on Saturday, providing Indonesia with opportunities to replenish its defense equipment and technology despite the embargo imposed by the United States and its allies.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – "We need to find other sources of income beside our salary," said First Sgt. Yono (not his real name), a 36-year-old officer of the police's Mobile Brigade, adding that his monthly salary was around Rp 1 million (US$111.11).

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – An intensive peace process should follow the visit of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, or else local people will lose trust in the new administration, observers say.