Rusman, Samarinda – Junaedi, 32, waited for his illegally bought logs to be hauled out of the Mahakam River in the upper reaches of Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, where they had been immersed for the past two months. After hours of waiting, the logs were released and dragged up onto the banks of the river, where they were cut up for transportation.

A team investigating the arsenic poisoning death of a top Indonesian human rights campaigner has found indications of involvement of the state intelligence agency, a rights activist said Thursday.

Jakarta – The Ministry of Defense and the Indonesia Military (TNI) headquarters have agreed to improve communications aimed at boosting the efficiency in the procurement of military equipment.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – As Jakarta celebrated its 478th anniversary on Wednesday, the city administration made public a report of a further 26 malnourished children in the capital. This brings the number of malnourished children in Jakarta to 39.

Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – With unemployment on the increase, more women described themselves last year as housewives, the latest labor data reveals.

Rendi A. Witular and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The government has stated that it would not withdraw nor revise a regulation on land acquisition for public development purposes, despite strong protests from some sections of the public.

James Balowski, Jakarta – Although no-one has been charged with last year's murder of Indonesia's foremost human rights activist, Munir Said Thalib, evidence is mounting that the prime suspect in the case, Garuda Airlines pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, was a member of or working with the National Intelligence Agency (BIN).

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – Police are set to name new suspects in an alleged graft case involving state-owned insurance firm PT Jamsostek following the detention of the company's former investment director Andi Alamsyah.

Endy M. Bayuni, Jakarta – The government has launched a series of measures to tackle the growing incidence of malnutrition affecting hundreds, probably thousands, of under-fives.

Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – Despite constantly rising unemployment, the country last year saw more of its workers enjoying regular incomes and job security as an increasing number of rural workers moved into the formal sector, according to the latest government labor data.

Sian Powell – Frustrated with the immense damage the slowly moving Newmont legal drama has had on Indonesia's foreign investment image, the nation's president has demanded frequent briefings on the complex case and its fallout.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – A progressive-thinking Cabinet member during the New Order era once said that to cover up past wrongdoings and avoid prosecution, one had to cling to the power he now had and if possible accumulate even more power. There is no way to go but up, he said.

Balikpapan – Following an earlier protest, hundreds of fishermen in Balikpapan demanded on Tuesday that PT Thiess Contractor Indonesia provide them with compensation due to the drop in their fish catch.

Rendi A. Witular and Tony Hotland, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed disappointment on Monday over the refusal of A.M. Hendropriyono, the former chief of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), to be questioned by a government sanctioned fact-finding team assigned to help the police in the investigation of the murder of top human rights campaigner Munir.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – The ongoing inquiry into haj pilgrimage funds has revealed more irregularities within the Ministry of Religious Affairs in managing the funds, indicating more money was taken than the Rp 684 billion (US$72 million) allegedly embezzled.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Lawyers for Mulyana Wira Kusumah, the first defendant in the high-profile graft case involving the General Elections Commission (KPU), revealed on Monday a series of other bribery cases against state auditors.

Indonesia is renowned as a nation with a long history rich in culture. That culture apparently has evolved to embrace corruption.

The latest revelation that hundreds of billions of rupiah in haj pilgrimage funds have been misappropriated reflects just how far some of us have descended to become a nation of cheats. Even God is not safe from being exploited.

Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has appealed to Indonesia's Supreme Court to overturn his conviction and 30-month jail term for involvement in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings.

Bashir's lawyers argued that a high court decision last month confirming the sentence handed to him by a lower court was reached on the basis of false evidence.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Campaigners for a more democratic Jakarta must work harder to get their voices heard by lawmakers, who did not support the idea of further decentralization in the capital in their first draft revision of the law on Jakarta's status as a special territory.

Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – The still unfavorable labor environment continues to be the main cause for the declining number of jobs in key sectors, especially manufacturing, all of which has increased the unemployment rate, according to the latest government labor data.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Several prominent figures from Nias alleged on Monday that dozens of children had been taken off the island illegally since the tsunami in December.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – At least 48 of over 100 people who clashed with police at the Taman Permata Buana housing complex in Kembangan, West Jakarta over the weekend were declared suspects on Monday. However, only 25 of the 48 suspects were detained.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Observers demanded the House of Representatives on Monday to amend its bill on the military tribunal so as to pave the way for trials of soldiers in a civilian court for crimes they commit.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Jakarta's water, air and land continue to be heavily polluted by poisonous materials originating from households and factories, a survey shows.

Data from the Jakarta Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) revealed that all 13 rivers here have been heavily polluted with industrial and domestic chemical wastes over the last several years.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – One demonstration after another in the capital doesn't make Jakarta a democratic city and if the current administration has anything to do with it, the city is likely to stay undemocratic for some time.

Damar Harsanto, Abdul Khalik and Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – June and July is a traditionally merry time in Jakarta, with all kinds of attractions and events organized to celebrate the capital's anniversary.

Chief among these events if the Jakarta Great Sale, which begins next week, and the Jakarta Fair, which was recently opened.

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – The haj fund scandal involving billions of dollars at the Ministry of Religious Affairs will likely implicate two other former ministers Tarmidzi Taher and Tolchah Hasan.

Tejo Pramono, Jakarta – The child malnutrition outbreak has now spread from West Nusa Tenggara, to West Sumatra, Lampung and now South East Sulawesi Provinces. It is ironic, as these provinces have long been known as rice self-sufficient areas.

Dan Eaton, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is ignoring the widespread physical and sexual abuse of hundreds of thousands of young girls working as maids in homes around the country, an international human rights watchdog said on Monday.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The House of Representatives has proposed a bill to revise Law No. 31/1997 on military tribunals, but efforts to do away with impunity for soldiers has many obstacles as the draft fails to specify offenses that requires soldiers to stand trial in a civilian court.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – After years of delay, the House of Representatives legislation committee will propose a new bill on citizenship, which aims to eliminate discriminatory articles under the current problematic law.

Rusman, Samarinda – It was 4:30 in the morning and the sun was not yet shining, but 13-year-old Rizki Gunawan and his little sister Astari had to leave the warmth of their beds and head to the main intersection in Samarinda city, East Kalimantan to sell newspapers.

Does a dead body need money? Surely not. The relatives of the deceased usually made do for the burial. It is, then, a serious matter if a father has no money for the funeral of his child.

Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung – Candidates for mayor Sjachrazad Z.P. and deputy mayor Rudy Syawal were surely disappointed when 2,000 people turned up at their election rally last Friday, as they had earlier declared there would be 20,000. The rally, held in a field in Bandarlampung, marked the first day of their election campaign.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives is being urged to immediately deliberate on the much-waited bill against human trafficking, a serious problem in the country, which mostly affects women and children.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Despite all the talk about good governance, government institutions continue to maintain so-called "tactical funds" that are prone to abuse due to a lack of accountability and are often little more than slush funds.

Blontank Poer, Wonogiri – The sun is just starting to lean to the west while Misni, 41, shifts peeled cassava being dried on plaited bamboo trays and places it on the ground to get direct sunlight.

The cassava looked recently pealed when The Jakarta Post arrived at the small house in Setren Pojok hamlet in Lemahbang village in Wonogiri regency, Central Java.

ID Nugroho, Surabaya – Drops of water trickle down from the shoulder-length hair of Sekar (not her real name), as she enters one of the fast food eateries in Central Surabaya on Tuesday afternoon.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – A new survey has suggested that the direct elections being planned in over 140 regions across the nation this month should be delayed due to lack of preparations, or else they would spark conflicts and produce illegitimate leaders.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Former BIN chief A.M. Hendropriyono has missed his chance to clarify the facts obtained by the fact-finding team investigating the murder of rights campaigner Munir, as the Thursday deadline set by the team has passed.

Irman G. Lanti – The fourth round of peace talks between the separatist Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (also known as GAM or the Free Aceh Movement) and the Indonesian government ended last week in Helsinki. The talks, initiated and mediated by the Crisis Management Initiative led by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, are set to resume on July 12.

Mathew Moore, Jakarta – A businessman from one of Indonesia's wealthiest families has escaped with a seven-year jail sentence after murdering a waiter who told him a credit card had been rejected.

Semarang – Approximately 5,000 farmers in Central Java protested here on Friday against a controversial decree on land procurement for development projects.

The protesters, from the regencies of Batang, Pekalongan, Kendal, Pati and Semarang, arrived in trucks at the Central Java National Land Agency.

Jakarta – Investigators in Indonesia arrested a lawyer Thursday for allegedly bribing a court official in a bid to overturn the conviction of the governor of Aceh province in a high-profile corruption case.

Katherine Torres, Washington – The US renewal of military aid and training assistance to Jakarta continues to spark criticism and activists accuse elements of the Indonesian military of continuing to kill and violate human rights.

Jakarta – The former director of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), AM Hendropriyono, says there is no requirement for him to fulfill the summons from the Fact Finding Team (TPF) investigating the murder of human rights activist Munir. According to Hendropriyono, with regard to the TPF's summons it is acting unfairly towards him as an ordinary member of the public.

Jakarta – Room to maneuver by the former director of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Hendropriyono is shrinking after BIN formally wrote to him telling him to fulfil the summons by the Fact Finding Team (TPF) investigating the death of human rights activist Munir.

Jakarta – As the end of its tenure nears, the fact-finding team probing the murder of top human rights activist Munir dealt another blow on Wednesday when it was accused of exceeding the scope of its jurisdiction.

Bandar Lampung – Hundreds of workers of PT Sweet Indo Lampung protested outside the sugar producer's factory complex in Gedungmeneng, Tulangbawang on Tuesday.

That is, arguably, the most famous cellular phone number in the country – along with a few popular TV reality show and game show phone-in numbers, of course.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in a display of public relations bravado blurted out his private number, which he has had for several years.