Nurfika Osman – Past failures and alleged scandals, especially the Lapindo mudflow disaster, will hound Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie as he assumes his position as the new chairman of the Golkar Party, a sociologist said on Thursday.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Analysts say newly elected Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie will solidify support for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and ensure the profitability of his business interests, at least for the next five years.

Camelia Pasandaran – Graphic pornographic images made a return to the Constitutional Court on Thursday, much to the discomfort of some of the judges considering a judicial review filed against the controversial Anti-Pornography Law.

Jakarta – A survey by Transparency International has revealed Indonesian business players are deeply entrenched in corruption, with 60 percent of respondents admitting to paying bribes to ensure the smooth outcome of projects.

Farouk Arnaz – National Police on Tuesday warned they would take firm action against a group of Indonesians who were apparently putting the final touches to a plan to invade Malaysia and wage war, a police spokesman told the Jakarta Globe.

Jakarta – On this day two years ago, Governor Fauzi Bowo and his running mate, retired army general Prijanto, were sworn into office after defeating rival Adang Daradjatun and his running mate, Dani Anwar.

Fauzi seized victory after serving the previous five years as deputy to then governor Sutiyoso, and more than 15 years in various posts in the city administration.

Didi Syafirdi, Jakarta – Five protest actions and one silent action will enliven Jakarta today. In order to avoid traffic jams, road users are asked to stay clear of stretches of road in the vicinity of the demonstrations.

Camelia Pasandaran – Hundreds of flawed local bylaws have been quashed by the central government since the country began the shift toward regional autonomy, the Ministry of Home Affairs disclosed on Monday.

Febriamy Hutapea, Pekanbaru (Riau) – The mud slinging between candidates vying for the leadership of the Golkar Party was well and truly thrown into full gear on Wednesday at the party's national congress.

Indonesia is considering declaring four villages mass graves after they were buried by landslides in last week's earthquake.

Up to 400 people are believed to have been buried alive when hillsides collapsed in the 7.6-magnitude quake and obliterated the adjacent villages in Padang Pariaman district of Sumatra island.

Farouk Arnaz & Nivell Rayda – It's official. Internal investigators on Wednesday cleared the National Police's chief of detectives of all allegations of abuse of power and conflict of interest, saying the accusations against him could not be substantiated.

Jonathan Pearlman with agencies, Padang – Unable to reach the bodies buried beneath them, workers have begun demolishing buildings damaged in Indonesia's giant earthquake. Food and emergency supplies are being airlifted to remote areas cut off by landslides.

Eric Talmadge, Kampung Laweh (Indonesia) – Children swarmed into the streets clutching begging boxes and yelling "please help me" Wednesday as an aid convoy reached villages deep in Indonesia's quake zone.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Heru Andriyanto – The Attorney General's Office was under strong pressure on Wednesday to immediately form an ad hoc team tasked with investigating the disappearances of activists who went missing during the country's 1997-1998 unrest.

Kendari – Hundreds of students from various universities staged a protest on Tuesday at the Southeast Sulawesi legislative council building, where its 45 new members were being sworn in.

The protesters urged the new council members to be "more sensitive" with local people's affairs.

Farouk Arnaz & Made Arya Kencana – National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri on Tuesday stood fast in the defense of his beleaguered chief detective, saying his institution could not just bend to public pressure and suspend an officer without reason.

Text messages have been circulating since last week linking the timing of Wednesday and Thursday's earthquakes in Sumatra with verses about immorality and punishment in the Koran, prompting some Islamic leaders to call the disaster a "warning" from God.

Two days after the earthquake shook West Sumatra, the Jakarta Globe received an anonymous text message.

Although rival candidates consider Tommy Suharto's 10-year absence from politics as a critical drawback in his chances of being elected chairman of Golkar, others within the former ruling party still view his father, former President Suharto, with affection.

Febriamy Hutapea, Pekanbaru (Riau) – Though Golkar yellow dominates the landscape in Pekanbaru, there is an unmistakable undercurrent of black running through Riau's provincial capital, the scene of the party's national leadership meeting.

Padang – As West Sumatra begins rebuilding after last week's earthquake, questions are being raised about whether corruption and shoddy building standards contributed to the extent of the damage and casualties, and whether those problems could be addressed before calamity strikes again.

Febriamy Hutapea, Pekanbaru (Riau) – The Golkar Party's national congress descended into chaos and required a police cool-down on Tuesday morning as members took part in a heated debate over who had the right to vote to select the party's new chairman. The new leader of the party will be decided on Wednesday.

Aubrey Belford, Bunga Pasang (West Sumatra) – Indonesian housewife Edib Mulyati stands in the ruins of her quake-hit house and smiles bitterly at the government's promises of aid, saying most of it will be lost to corruption.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – The President has approved three people to serve as interim leaders of the beleaguered Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), after their nomination by a special selection team.

Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – Two years into the job, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo still has to work extra hard to make good on his campaign promises, a discussion concluded Monday.

The rupiah strengthened to its highest level in a year on Tuesday, as the country's strong economic prospects and comparatively high interest rates boosted foreign investment.

Dion Bisara & Muhamad Al Azhari – Sluggish government spending is giving rise to fears that the country will fail to meet the projected 2009 growth target of 4.3 percent.

Herry Purnomo, director general of the treasury at the Ministry of Finance, on Tuesday said the budget deficit was running dramatically lower than expected as of the end of September.

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Hong Kong – Between 1997 and 1998, 24 student activists in Indonesia, who challenged Suhartoe's New Order regime disappeared by an abduction of the Army Special Forces Command. Until now, no justice was brought to this key case in Indonesian history.

Candra Malik, Solo – A day after police shut down a meeting convened in Solo, Central Java, by Sri Bintang Pamungkas to oppose the inauguration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the political dissident continued his protest on Sunday.

Camelia Pasandaran – The swearing in of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono on Oct. 20 will "more or less" cost the country Rp 1.2 billion, the General Elections Commission acknowledged on Monday.

Nivell Rayda – Analysts on Sunday warned that Taufik Kiemas's successful bid to become chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly marked the end of the opposition in the country's democratic system.

Eric Talmadge and Irwan Firdaus, Padang – Rescue workers called off the search Monday for life under the rubble left by a massive earthquake, focusing instead on bringing aid to survivors in the towns and hills of western Indonesia, despite being hampered by torrential rains.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Padang (Indonesia) – The earthquake devastated west Sumatran city of Padang is slowly trying to drag itself to normalcy today with school students back in those classrooms that are still standing and public servants returning to offices, where they can.

Farouk Arnaz, Nivell Rayda & Heru Adriyanto – Lawyers for two suspended Corruption Eradication Commission deputy chairmen on Monday filed a new complaint against the National Police's chief of detectives, claiming he abused his authority by meeting with a fugitive businessman.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The country's military got a party pooper of a birthday present on Monday – a reminder from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that it must phase out its raft of lucrative businesses once and for all.

Aubrey Belford, Jakarta – Some superstitious Indonesians are blaming a supposedly unlucky president and not shifting tectonic plates for the latest earthquake.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, popularly known as SBY, has long been burdened by murmurs that he carries the shadow of cosmic misfortune with him.

[The following is a translation of a 2009 article by Detik News related to a previous attempt by the national police to criminalise the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in which trumped-up charges were leveled, and later debunked, against KPK deputies Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah.]

Eric Talmadge and Irwan Firdaus, Jumanak (Indonesia) – With no outside help in sight, villagers used their bare hands Sunday to dig out rotting corpses, four days after landslides triggered by a huge earthquake obliterated four hamlets in western Indonesia.

As Indonesia's military celebrates its 64th anniversary today, human rights activists are urging it to pursue the reforms introduced following the fall of strongman Suharto in 1998.

"We are calling on the military to reform itself as mandated by the law," Haris Azhar, deputy chairman of the Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence, said on Sunday.

Sara Schonhardtm Jakarta – Similarities in culture, language and religious customs should make Indonesia and Malaysia good neighbors. But long-running spats over everything from territorial boundaries to cultural ownership of culinary dishes, dances, instruments and even Malaysia's national anthem have over the years hampered ties.

Tom Allard, Padang – Hopes for hundreds of people trapped under collapsed buildings in Padang faded yesterday, as diplomats frantically tried to account for as many as 60 Australians missing in the region that was hit by the big earthquake on Wednesday.

Tom Allard – Nestled in densely forested hills, with spectacular volcanoes in the distance and pitched on a coast a short boat ride from spectacular tropical islands and surf breaks, Padang is the stuff of postcards.

Panca Nugraha, Mataram – Farmers in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) are still living in poverty despite 15 years of surplus rice production in the province, an official says.

Agus Maryono, Banyumas – Around 3,000 teachers of private schools in Banyumas, Central Java, have once again complained about the regency administration not paying them an honorarium for the last six months.

Jakarta – The first People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) plenary session to swear in new members of the representative body on Friday was marked by several protests.

Agus Maryono, Purwokerto – Hundreds of female sex workers have returned to the tourist site of Baturaden, located in Banyumas regency in the southwestern part of Central Java, after a month's break for Ramadan.

Jakarta – The Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and political parties at the House of Representatives have yet to reach an agreement over the composition of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker posts.

Jakarta – Young activists are urged to join forces with the Indonesian Military (TNI) to fight for nationalism as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration is considered as too accommodating for foreign interests, a discussion was told Friday.

Camelia Pasandaran – Political analysts on Friday warned President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono against attempting to placate as many factions as possible by offering seats in his cabinet, saying this would only weaken his administration.

Camelia Pasandaran – Less than 3 percent of Indonesians want to see more politicians than professionals in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's new cabinet, according to a new survey released by the Institute for Studies on the Free Flow of Information.

Aditya Suharmoko – Prices accelerated in September due to higher demand in the fasting month and Idul Fitri holiday, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), prompting predictions that the central bank will maintain its benchmark rate.