An Indonesian Muslim cleric accused of leading a terror network accused the United States of orchestrating his treason trial to stop him fighting for the establishment of Islamic law.

Jakarta – An international ratings agency said Thursday it may upgrade Indonesia's credit ratings but warned that the country remains vulnerable to "unforeseen shocks." Moody's Investors Service said in a statement it is reviewing four ratings for a possible upgrade following a substantial cut in government debt ratios and reduced external vulnerability.

Zakki Hakim, Jakarta – "We chose to go to court because we didn't want to bribe the traffic police officer. But it turned out that people here ask for more money than the police do," a 66-year-old man, who was accompanying his son, said angrily in front of the East Jakarta District Court.

How would you characterize a typical government worker in Indonesia? If Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno has his way, a typical civil servant would be loyal to the cause of the unitary state (however the minister defines "loyal"), but would still be corrupt. You can throw in lazy for good measure, to complete the picture.

Jakarta – Indonesia's parliament is to summon President Megawati Sukarnoputri to explain the loss of two islands to Malaysia, reports said yesterday.

Parliament wants Ms Megawati to elaborate on the loss of Sipadan and Ligitan islands following a World Court decision last December, the Jakarta Post and the state Antara news agency reported.

John Aglionby, Jakarta – Indonesia's government risks poisoning a large proportion of the population unless it alters its attitude to the environment, the World Bank warned yesterday as it launched its first environmental report on the world's fourth most populous country.

Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is to release $US486 million to Indonesia as part of its ninth review of Indonesia performance.

The executive board of the IMF announced yesterday the completion of its latest review, which opens the way for release of a further US$486 million in loans.

Tokyo – President Megawati Soekarnoputri said Tuesday the Asia Development Bank (ADB) will likely play a key role in reforming Indonesia after a major IMF programme expires at the end of the year.

Megawati, on the third of a four-day official trip to Japan, met Japanese Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa at the state guest house.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Millions of Indonesian civil servants nationwide will be subject to government screening starting next month to prove their loyalty to the nation.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – It comes as no surprise that Indonesian legislators are crying foul over the government's decision to buy Russian fighter jets.

Up to 90 human rights organisations, anti-arms trade and anti-war groups have demanded an international embargo against selling arms to Indonesia

The British-based Indonesia Human Rights Campaign says the appeal, which includes groups from Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, is a response to Indonesian military campaigns in Aceh and Papua.

Jim Lobe, Washington – Some 90 human rights, peace, and church groups around the world are calling for an international military embargo against Indonesia in light of its current counter-insurgency campaigns in Aceh and West Papua provinces and military-backed violence in other parts of the country.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – Hazardous industrial waste is becoming an increasing threat to the country's biggest cities, including Jakarta, Semarang in Central Java, and Surabaya in East Java, according to an expert.

Jakarta – For the first time since violent clashes broke out between Muslims and Christians on Indonesia's Ambon island in 1999, members of both communities are jointly cleaning mosques and churches.

About 400 Muslims and Christians from Ambon's Sirimau sub-district joined soldiers and officials to clean churches and mosques, the state Antara news agency reported.

The man accused of masterminding the Bali bombings has alleged that police interrogators tortured him into confessing a role in the attacks.

Jakarta – The government will administer a nationalism test to all civil servants throughout the country from July 1 through July 31 to ensure that all state employees are completely loyal to the unitary republic of Indonesia, the home affairs minister disclosed on Sunday.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Press defenders voiced strong protests over the killing of Banda Aceh-based TVRI cameraman Jamaluddin, 30, saying that the Aceh martial law administration should protect journalists, instead of restricting news seekers from covering the ongoing war in the troubled province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – Indonesia has an image problem, that much is agreed. And with the pace of war quickening in Aceh province, and the terrorist trials rolling on in Bali, there are few signs that things are about to get better.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Prestigious state-run universities are being criticised for their decision to admit students who fail entrance exams, as long as the students fork out millions of rupiah in donations.

David Hencke and Rob Evans – Britain is threatening to refuse export licences for spare parts for Hawk jets to Indonesia, after growing government concern about human rights abuses by the military in the suppression of rebels in Aceh.

Robert Go, Jakarta – The harrowing tale of a Madurese woman who escaped from a brothel in Batam is throwing the spotlight yet again on the thousands of Indonesian women who go for lucrative job offers, but end up as prostitutes.

Bandung – Political analyst from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), J. Kristiadi, says that the national political situation following the 2004 elections will not produce in any changes to the quality of the country.

A key Bali bombing suspect said that Indonesian police threatened him with torture to try to make him incriminate elderly cleric Abu Bakar Bashir.

Amrozi was giving evidence Thursday at the trial of Bashir, who is alleged to lead the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) regional terror network.

Jakarta – At least 34 million Indonesian children are living in poverty and badly need help, a cabinet member said on Wednesday.

Mark Baker, Phnom Penh – The Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, has strongly defended the Indonesian military crackdown in Aceh and criticised the violent tactics of the province's secessionist rebels.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has come under fire from parliament for allegedly misusing the state budget funds and violating laws and procedures in the recent purchase of Russian jet fighters and military helicopters.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Investigation into human rights violations during May 1998 riots has met with strong resistance from military and police officers allegedly involved in the incident.

Jakarta – During the period of the government of Megawati Sukarnoputri and Vice-president Hamzah Haz the use of the term political prisoner remains valid. Records since May 2003 indicate that 23 people have been detained as political prisoners, the vast majority being accused of insulting the head of state.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government's restrictive policy on the presence of foreign journalists in covering the military offensive in Aceh could disrupt its own efforts to wage a clean war in the violence-torn province, says a press observer.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Phnom Penh – Indonesia won full support from the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) for its fight against the armed rebellion in Aceh.

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – The United States has expressed concern over Indonesia's apparent lack of will to prosecute military personnel implicated in past human rights abuses, saying it would hamper the democracy that has flourished in the country since 1998.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The 2002 Indonesian environment status has listed gold and copper mining company PT Freeport Indonesia and illegal miners as environmental problem-makers in the country. The report, which will be released soon, states that Freeport tailings have polluted a nearby river.

Robert Go, Jakarta – An Indonesian journalist has declared himself to be the first victim of the authorities' efforts to clamp down on negative reporting – in particular, the coverage of atrocities allegedly committed by soldiers against civilians – coming out of the troubled province of Aceh.

The "integrated operation", including a military approach in Aceh, was a hard decision to take. Unlike military operations under the New Order, these operations are open to media coverage. The Jakarta Post's Ati Nurbaiti talked to lawyer and human rights activist Todung Mulya Lubis on how he perceives the coverage on the issue so far.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – Air pollution in major cities in Indonesia has been worsening in the past few years due to increasing levels of pollutants mainly emanating from motorized vehicles, the government has said.

Jakarta – Soon after unveiling its findings in a recent investigation in Aceh last week, members of the National Commission of Human Rights (Komnas HAM) have been threatened against speaking out further about any possible human rights violations in the war-torn province.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – A journalist-producer with SCTV television station has claimed he was dismissed due to an interview he did with a victim of a past military operation in Aceh to make the Indonesian Military (TNI) consider civilian victims during its current operation to crush Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels.

Ainur R. Sophiaan, Surabaya – The efforts of the police force to boost its image hit another snag when four members of East Java Police were detained for allegedly abducting and torturing three workers of housewares manufacturing company PT Maspion.

Central Jakarta District Court has sentenced a Muslim activist to five months in jail for insulting President Megawati Sukarnoputri during an anti-government protest.

Iqbal Siregar (36), a member of the Islamic Youth Movement (Gerakan Pemuda Islam, GPI) was arrested after participating in a January 15 demonstration against fuel price increases.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – The ongoing military operation to crush the rebel Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Aceh has put Acehnese living outside the war-torn province, Jakarta in particular, in a difficult position as the authorities have ordered that their activities be tightly monitored.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – They used to be commonly found in discotheques or dark alleyways in unsavoury parts of the city, sold by professional peddlers.

But these days, school campuses are the easiest place to find illegal drugs, and children who are barely into their teens are not only a target market, some have been forced to sell the drugs to fund their addiction.

Indonesia says Australian Government aid money has been used to help seperatist movements in Indonesia. The head of the Indonesian embassy in Canberra, Imron Cotan, says the Australian aid bureau, AusAid, has given funds to two Non-Government Organisations which support rebel movements. AusAid has denied that any aid funding has been used contrary to Indonesian law.

Tom Wright, Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund said it approves of Indonesia's plans to end its current IMF lending program when it runs out this year.

But it urged the country to continue to push through reforms aimed at weeding out corruption – and enticing back foreign investment – after the fund's $5 billion program finishes at the end of 2003.

Jakarta (Agencies) – The Central Jakarta District Court on Monday jailed a Muslim youth activist for five months for insulting President Megawati Sukarnoputri during a protest in January.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Golkar will give its chairman Akbar Tandjung a chance to contest the national convention, which will elect the party's presidential candidate to run in the 2004 election.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said on Friday that its team sent to Aceh had verified the May 21 incident at Matang Mamplan village in Bireuen, where seven unarmed civilians were shot dead, including a boy aged 13.

Jakarta – Three people have been arrested for an attack on two foreign bosses at an Indonesian dealer for Swedish truckmaker Volvo, police said yesterday.

Jakarta – More groups in the archipelago joined North Sulawesi's move on Friday to reject the newly endorsed education bill by filing a petition for a judicial review with the Supreme Court.

Jakarta – The popularity of the large political in the lead-up to the 2004 general elections is continuing to decline in the eyes of the public. People believe that the political parties don't care about the future and the interests of ordinary people, they are egotistic and the elite are constantly squabbling.

Jakarta – Indonesian businessmen have expressed hope that a business figure will be elected as the next president, so that the prolonged economic crisis in the country would end.

Businessmen such as Aburizal Bakrie and Lalu Mara Satriawangsa made the statement during a national convention on Golkar Party's presidential candidates, held on Wednesday night.