Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Despite a thawing in the once icy relationship between the government and the House of Representatives, the administration's plan to revise several assumptions in the 2005 state budget could still face challenges from legislators.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's call for a moderate and simple lifestyle seems to have fallen on deaf ears in the case of Vice President Jusuf Kalla and several Cabinet ministers.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – A month after he was sworn in, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has delivered his keenly awaited first speech to the Indonesian nation.

Damien Kingsbury, Melbourne – Since Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono assumed the presidency, there has been growing talk about the possibility of moving towards a resolution of the conflict in Aceh. Susilo said it was a goal of his presidency to find peace in Aceh, even if his initial proposal of the Free Aceh Movement effectively surrendering was not a meaningful contribution.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Police are finalizing the case files of six executives of mining firm PT Newmont Minahasa Raya before returning them to prosecutors, hoping that the files will be accepted as sufficient evidence to take the six to court.

Sari P. Setiogi, Jakarta – Despite its enforcement, the controversy surrounding Law No. 23/2002 on child protection is not subsiding at all, and it may have contributed to an increase in child trafficking, a leading activist says.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – One hundred days are not enough to solve all of Indonesia's problems.

That was President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's message in a nationwide television address – his first since taking power on October 20 – that was widely expected to provide a detailed road map of his administration.

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – Law enforcers in the conflict-prone Central Sulawesi town of Poso have committed human rights violations by omission for allowing a string of violent events to occur in the past three weeks, the National Commission on Human Rights announced on Thursday.

Matt Moore – More than 60 previous winners of the Right Livelihood award, also known as the "alternative Nobel" prize, on Friday called for a complete investigation into the poisoning death of an Indonesian human rights activist.

Eugene Low, Washington – The United States is optimistic that bilateral ties with Indonesia will improve under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a top State Department official has said.

Karishma Vyas, Bangkok – Rampant illegal logging in Indonesia and the demands of a rapidly expanding population and economy in Indonesia are killing many of Asia's most exotic and rare birds, conservationists said Thursday.

Jeffrey Winters and Ridarson Galingging, Chicago – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has stated repeatedly that he intends to make fighting corruption a top priority. If he does so, he will be the first Indonesian president since Independence to pay serious attention to the rule of law.

Leony Aurora, Jakarta – People in the market call her Bu Haji, because the salted fish seller has been on a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia or sometimes Bu Janda, the widow, as her husband passed away a year ago.

Her son left shortly afterward, taking everything from his parents' kiosks in Bendungan Hilir market in Central Jakarta, even the worn out wooden racks.

Jakarta – Police believe the perpetrators of last Saturday's bombing in the Central Sulawesi town of Poso came from the same group that slayed a prosecutor and killed a Protestant minister in the provincial capital of Palu a few months earlier.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – As part of the major restructuring of all state-owned enterprises (SOEs), the new government plans to sell or close those considered to be in bad shape and with no business prospects, according to a senior official.

Tiarma Siboro/Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Rights activists say certain powerful institutions were behind the poisoning of fellow campaigner Munir and urge President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to set up a joint team to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice.

H.S. Dillon, Jakarta – The forensic results recently released by the Dutch authorities have served to confirm a nagging suspicion. The large traces of arsenic found in his organs have reportedly led the Dutch to recommend a criminal investigation into the exact circumstances under which such a lethal dosage found its way into Munir.

The Constitutional Court could not have come up with a worse decision when it ruled that the carving of Papua into three provinces was illegitimate while also recognizing the presence of the new West Irian Jaya province as a fact of life. This ruling is sowing more confusion into an already confused state of affairs in Papua.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – In an apparent attempt tone down the public's high expectations of his new administration, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono stressed on Wednesday that the success of his 100-day program should not be used as an indicator of success of his government.

Indonesia's new president has warned his countrymen to abandon high expectations of quick fixes to rampant corruption, sectarian and separatist conflict, widespread unemployment and the threat of terrorism.

Jakarta – Taxi driver Tadi wrongly decided to rush back to Jakarta from his hometown in Tegal, Central Java, expecting less competition and lots of passengers during Idul Fitri, which fell on November 14 and November 15.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo Adi Sucipto said that the latest string of violent acts in Poso regency, Central Sulawesi, could be classified as acts of terrorism.

Widespread concern about continuing restrictions on international access to Aceh and West Papua and a recent ban on foreign journalists has led to an urgent call for greater openness and freedom of movement in the conflict-ridden provinces.

Max Lane, Sydney – Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific (ASAP) is deeply concerned at the news that 38-year-old Indonesian human rights campaigner Munir, who died in September aboard a flight to Amsterdam, was murdered, according to an autopsy performed by the Netherlands Forensic Institute.

Jakarta – About 500 sidewalk vendors at the Tanah Abang textile market in Central Jakarta have lost their right to space in the market following relocation to the market's Block G, formerly the Kebon Jati traditional market.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has stated his commitment to overhauling the country's sprawling capital. Jakarta's facelift will center on managing its most pressing problems: traffic, garbage and waterways.

Officials in Jakarta denied that Indonesian militants might be among Islamic insurgents fighting US forces in Iraq.

The denial came amid reports that jihadist texts written in Indonesian have been uncovered by US Marines fighting in the rebel stronghold of Fallujah.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – While welcoming the government's most recent plan to improve the country's investment climate by reducing the time required for an investment permit to just 30 days, analysts are questioning how the government will actually implement the plan.

Evan Jones, Batam – It is welcoming news to see that our new State Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik is looking at extending the number of countries whose tourists will be eligible for a visa on arrival, albeit a visa that costs US$25 and is only valid for 30 days.

Jakarta – Indonesia's government is expected to announce fresh anti-corruption initiatives, including a review of the rules that let former president Suharto avoid prosecution by pleading ill-health.

Jana Wendt: Now to our cover story, and a rare glimpse into the shadowy world of espionage. The past two years of terrorism in this region have brought the intelligence agencies of Australia and Indonesia closer than ever before.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – A post-mortem examination in the Netherlands has left Indonesian police with a classic whodunit mystery and human-rights advocates in Jakarta fearing for their lives. Like any of British mystery writer Agatha Christie's famous novels, this mystery has a body, evidence of poisoning, and motives galore.

Brendan Nicholson, Canberra – In an extraordinary admission Indonesia says it bugged Australia's embassy in Jakarta during the East Timor crisis and has tried to recruit Australians as spies.

Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for the Economy Aburizal Bakrie has declared 1.19 trillion rupiah (S$219 million) in assets, making him perhaps the richest serving state official.

The country's Corruption Eradication Commission published the wealth reports of Mr Aburizal and four fellow ministers, out of 25 Cabinet ministers who had declared their assets.

Canberra – Australian political and military figures had their telephones bugged by Indonesia during the diplomatic crisis over East Timor's independence ballot in 1999, a former Indonesian intelligence chief said yesterday.

Sydney – Two former Indonesian presidents expressed reservations about Canberra-Jakarta relations Sunday, as Indonesia's former intelligence chief revealed his spies had tapped Australian politicians' telephone conversations during the East Timor crisis in 1999.

Sandra O'Malley, Canberra – Australian spies are revealing secrets to Indonesia, according to one former spy, amid revelations Indonesian agents bugged politicians, the military and Australia's Jakarta embassy.

Semarang, Cairo – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is considering embracing separatist groups in Aceh and Papua (Irian Jaya) in order to collectively develop the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – In a bid to attract badly needed foreign investment, the government is aiming to drastically reduce the time needed for investors to obtain their necessary licenses, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Aburizal Bakrie said on Friday.

Jakarta – Governor Sutiyoso insists that his administration will go ahead with the plan to demolish the Tanah Abang textile market, although the City Council has established a special team to look deeper into the protracted problems amid opposition from the traders.

Jakarta – A survey showed yesterday that many Indonesians support the implementation of strict Islamic law. Nearly 60 per cent said they want adulterers whipped and 40 per cent were in favour of cutting off a thief's hands.

Rusman, Samarinda – A wooden vessel maneuvered to dock at a pier on Mahakam Ulu River, Kutai Kartanegara regency, East Kalimantan, the sound of its whistle wailing far and wide. Behind it, the vessel was pulling hundreds of logs that covered most of the 75-meter-wide river.

Derwin Pereira – Indonesia's trouble-prone regions are flaring up yet again, casting a shadow over President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's three-week-old administration.

Jakarta – The Indonesian police have launched a criminal investigation into the death of rights campaigner Munir two months ago after a Dutch hospital reported finding excessive amounts of arsenic in Munir's body.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Despite the general rejection of violent acts carried out in the name of Islam, a large percentage of Indonesians were not tolerant toward people of different faiths, a survey revealed on Thursday.

A Dutch autopsy has found that arsenic poisoning killed a high-profile Indonesian human rights campaigner on a flight to Amsterdam two months ago.

The victim's group, Tapol, claimed the man was murdered. It joined the Dutch Foreign Office in calling for a high-level criminal inquiry into his death.

Jakarta – Bank lending this year is expected to grow by more than 20 percent, partly driven a by steady but slow improvement in the domestic business climate, Bank Indonesia deputy governor Maman H. Sumantri says.

Jakarta – The Central Jakarta administration will evict hundreds of street vendors from Jl. Kramat Raya and Jl. Salemba soon after the Idul Fitri holiday.

The administration officials have informed the vendors about the plan and advised them to move, the city administration's official news portal Beritajakarta.com reported on Thursday.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Fearing a massive influx of migrants after the Idul Fitri holiday, Governor Sutiyoso again warned would-be job seekers against coming to the city.

Jakarta – Indonesia would have to cut energy subsidies at the beginning of next year despite probable protests unless oil prices retreat, Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said on yesterday.