Indonesia's capital Jakarta and five provinces have been placed under alert for a possible dengue epidemic following a growing number of fatalities and infections, officials said.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – Religious leaders have confessed that strict law enforcement and harsh punishments are more effective than religious teachings in combating corruption.

Nana Rukmana and Rusman, Indramayu/Samarinda – Central government needed to inject more funds into the Indramayu regency because the administration was short of money to run the local elections, the region's regent says.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – What's in a name? Lawmakers on Monday questioned the move by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to create a new Ministry of Communications and Information.

An Indonesian prosecutor sought an eight year jail sentence for hardline cleric Abu Bakar Bashir for allegedly engaging in terrorism acts linked to a series of deadly bombings in recent years.

John Mcbeth – Moulding tragedy into a political turning point in disaster-stricken Aceh presents both a glittering opportunity and a dangerous pitfall for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's three-month-old administration.

The measure of a nation's greatness lies in its ability to reconcile its diversity.

There continue to be many things wrong with this country. Every day, this and other newspapers report an endless stream of injustices that occur across the archipelago. Still, amid all that is wrong it is heartening to find some things so gloriously right.

Jakarta – The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has focused its efforts on sea supervision and the issuance of permits in an effort to stop illegal fishing during the first 100 days of the new administration.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The government has set up a team tasked with reviewing Indonesia's membership of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) due to the country's falling crude oil production, which is bringing the country closer to becoming a net fuel importer.

The public furor over the 8.14 percent increase in tap water rates charged by PAM Jaya could scare off investors intending to submit bids for 91 infrastructure projects over the next few months following the January 17 and January 18 Infrastructure Summit in Jakarta.

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called for equal treatment before the law for Malaysian employers who failed to pay the salaries of their Indonesian workers.

Jim Lobe, Washington – As US President George W. Bush last week reiterated his strong support for spreading freedom abroad, his administration was preparing to remove a major obstacle to restoring full ties with Indonesia's armed forces (TNI), widely regarded as one of the world's most abusive militaries.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was behind his deputy Yusuf Kalla's successful bid to take the leadership of the country's largest political party Golkar, a report said.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – "I don't know what to say," novelist Pramoedya Ananta Toer, overwhelmed by the moment, finally uttered at his 80th birthday party with family and friends on Sunday afternoon. After giving a brief thank you to all the people who came to his birthday, he sat down and wiped the tears from his eyes.

Two human rights groups today called the US Department of State's plan to allow Indonesia to again participate in the full International Military Education and Training (IMET) program short-sighted, a betrayal of the numerous victims of human rights violations by the Indonesian military (TNI), and a serious setback for justice.

Samarinda – The state has suffered at least Rp 267.4 billion (US$29.6 million) in losses from 15 graft cases in East Kalimantan in recent months, in which 21 people have been named suspects by local prosecutors.

Rendi A. Witular and Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – While the business community is still facing chronic government red tape in running their businesses here, Vice President Jusuf Kalla is urging them not to use is as an excuse to collude with government officials.

Kenji Hall, Jakarta – Human rights groups on Tuesday called on the United States not to ease restrictions on ties with Indonesia's military saying it continues to commit "brutal human rights violations."

Hera Diani, Jakarta – In what looks like a return to the New Order bullying of the press, the government's draft of the new Criminal Code contains numerous articles that could threaten press freedom.

Padang – Some 7,000 members of the Padang Market Traders Association (KPP) held a protest against the Padang municipality's plan to build a shopping mall on the site of the Goan Hoat bus terminal, located near Pasar Raya market.

The plan will likely have a serious impact on the traders, as it will block people's access to the market.

Diane Farsetta – "I hope that, as a result of our efforts, as a result of our helicopter pilots' being seen by the citizens of Indonesia helping them, that value system of ours will be reinforced," said Colin Powell, one week after the tsunami wrought havoc across South and Southeast Asia.

Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao
President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

Your Excellency

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government is altering the rules on how regional elections should be carried out in the resource-rich provinces of Aceh and Papua, a move which some say undermines the special autonomy status of the two regions and the independency of the election process.

Jambi – Pancakarya residents in Limun district have their own way of fighting illegal loggers, by declaring 400 hectares of forest area as the village's restricted forest.

"The people want to try and keep this forest free from the chainsaw's reach," said Akmal, one of the village's elders.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Residents of Sukabumi Selatan subdistrict in West Jakarta will likely win the battle against 51 illegal denim processing plants, which have been blamed for polluting the area.

After years of much talk and effectively no action at all, Jakarta's administrators seem at long last to have arrived at the realization that the problem of pollution in the Indonesian capital has reached the point where any further delay of action is no longer possible.

Jane Perlez, Jakarta – After a 13-year break, the Bush administration is acting to mend relations with the Indonesian military, the largest in Southeast Asia and a potentially crucial player in its campaign against terrorism.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – After declaring that his declining popularity did not really matter to him, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono invited two chief editors to his office for talks on two separate occasions on Thursday evening and Friday morning.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – The central bank is urging the government to immediately raise fuel prices to end uncertainty, since the issue has been used by some parties to speculate over the prices of goods, which then pushes up inflation.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – Watch out all you lovebirds out there – there is now a chance that lip-locking in public could send you to jail for 10 years and cost you as much as Rp 300 million (US$32,800) in fines.

Theresia Sufa, Bogor – Three teachers for an entire elementary school could be considered a lot in Bogor, because many schools in the regency only have one teacher for over 200 students, said head of the administrative unit at the education agency, Bambang SP.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – TNI) is still failing to respect human rights enforcement. This is evident from the recent promotion of several officers who are still involved in cases of human rights abuses.

Rachland Nashidik, Executive Director of Imparsial, expressed this opinion at a press conference in Jakarta on Friday.

Public kissing and cohabitation may become crimes in Indonesia in future as the world's largest Muslim nation seeks to overhaul its Dutch-inherited criminal laws, an official said.

The drafting of a new criminal code has finally been completed after 25 years and parliament will soon debate it, justice ministry official Abdul Gani Abdullah told AFP Saturday.

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – Opposing planned fuel (BBM) price increases by the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice-president Jusuf Kalla (SBY-JK), scores of demonstrators from the National Student League for Democracy (LMND) sealed off a petrol station (SPBU) and the offices of the state oil company Pertamina.

Leony Aurora, Jakarta – The World Bank expects investment in Indonesia to grow by 15 percent this year, but warns that further measures to improve the investment climate must be taken to maintain the momentum.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – While the legal battle involving Total E&P Indonesie – a local affiliate of French oil giant Total SA – and its contractors is only in its early stages, it is already sending a bad signal about Indonesia's investment climate.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – The government will raise fuel prices by up to 30 percent in the first quarter of this year in a bid to lower the fuel subsidy.

To limit the inflationary impact, Bank Indonesia has indicated it will raise interest rates or absorb the circulation of base money.

Jakarta – Experts testified at the graft trial of suspended Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh on Thursday and stated that the defendant violated administrative procedures in the purchase of a Russian-made chopper and that the aircraft was indeed a used product.

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed concern on Friday over internal bickering in the Democratic Party, one of the parties that supported him for the presidency.

"The President has showed his concern several times over the existence of signs of a split," presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said at the Presidential Palace.

Yenni Djahidin, Washington D.C. – A soon-to-be published study recommends that the United States remove its restrictions on the Indonesian military (TNI). The study, to be released in March, says that both countries would benefit from a restoration in military to military cooperation.

Jakarta – The first 100 days of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration have passed. But criticism of his government continues unabated, with most considering that he had so far failed to improve the country's investment and business climate.

M. Taufiqurrahman and Kornelius Purba, Jakarta – Clarly worried that she could face the same fate as former Golkar leader Akbar Tandjung, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) leader Megawati Soekarnoputri warned President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's government not to try to oust her from her post at the party's congress next month.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The Ministry of Defense is drafting a review of Defense Law No. 3/2002 and Indonesian Military (TNI) Law No. 34/2004 aimed at eliminating the intervention of the House of Representatives in the appointment of TNI commander.

Indonesia has rejected a suggestion by Singapore's mentor minister Lee Kuan Yew, that it considers an instrument such as the island's Internal Security Act, to fight terrorism. The controversial ISA, which is also present in neighbouring Malaysia, allows for the indefinite detention without trial or charge, of suspects.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – The City Council is set to endorse the draft bylaw on air pollution on Friday, but clean air is still long way off in Jakarta, long listed as one of the world's most polluted cities.

Councillor Muhayar Rustamudin, chairman of the City Council's bylaw drafting committee, said on Wednesday that the bylaw would only come into effect next year.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he was unperturbed by criticism of his early performance, indicating he was prepared to take unpopular measures to fix the sluggish economy.

"I don't care about my popularity. What matters is I will not stop working for the welfare of the people," he said in a speech opening a meeting of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce.

Almost five months after the murder of acclaimed human rights campaigner Munir, police are yet to come up with a single suspect, increasing concerns of a high-level cover-up.

Chris Brummitt – Aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, Indonesia The United States wants to boost military ties with the Indonesian military on the back of the two countries' close cooperation in helping victims of the December 26 tsunami, America's ambassador to Indonesia said Thursday.

It all sounds very good, but what does it all mean? The government's recent announcement that it would "allocate" savings from the discontinuation of the fuel subsidy to provide free basic education and health care for the country's poor sounds wonderfully appealing.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Some two hundred former employees of Hotel Indonesia filed a report against the hotel's former board of directors on Tuesday, alleging that they had corrupted workers' pension and insurance funds.