Arya Abhiseka, Jakarta – Oka claims that he sells every kind of music available, and has all his wares stacked neatly on a blanket spread on the street in front of West Jakarta's Glodok retail center, the city's largest market for pirated CDs and cassettes.

Robert Go, Jakarta – The police force is under fire again, this time for allegedly mishandling a dispute between one of Indonesia's richest men and the country's most respected weekly news magazine.

Tony Sitathan, Jakarta – Adhong is a former junior officer from the Indonesian Army. He recalls the Suharto era when he was deployed in Irian Jaya (now West Papua) and Nusa Tenggara, where sectarian clashes and rivalries between religious groups was nothing unusual.

Religious leaders have requested members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police to stop backing prostitution and drug trafficking to help reduce the spread of HIV.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – At least 80 percent of Indonesia's 215 million population have no access to piped water, according to a country report prepared for the third World Water Forum (WWF) in Kyoto, a copy of which was obtained by The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Damar Harsanto and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The police confirmed on Thursday that the fire that razed the sixth floor of the finance ministry building and destroyed records of state assets last Tuesday was an act of arson.

Jakarta – The Indonesian provinces of Aceh and Papua, as well as Ambon city in Maluku province, are still closed to foreign researchers for security reasons, an official said on Friday.

Marco Kusumawijaya, Jakarta – Many Jakartans have just seen the movie The Gangs of New York.

Jakarta – International credit rating agency Moody's Investors Service has maintained its positive outlook for Indonesia, on the back of the country's political stability and continued commitments to reform.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – The legendary Tempo magazine, which began life in March 1971 by copying Time's style and format, is a national institution in Indonesia. Pithy satire and outrageous caricatures and cartoons have spiced up hard-hitting investigative reporting on topical issues, and made Tempo the darling of the middle class.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Pressure is growing on the Indonesian government to reduce its dependence on foreign loans, with critics saying that as much as 30 per cent of donors' funds is being lost to corruption and inefficiency.

This comes at a time when analysts and regional surveys are increasingly describing Indonesia as the most corrupt place in Asia to do business.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – Local officials have allegedly marked up the cost of the projects to renovate and build school buildings here by as much as 100 percent.

The Tangerang municipal administration has allocated Rp 37 billion from its 2003 budget to rebuild or renovate a total of 71 decrepit schools spread across 13 districts in the municipality.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The national meeting of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) ended on a low note on Thursday as party executives left chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri to choose her own running mate for the 2004 presidential election.

The emergence of a corruption case involving state-owned oil and gas Pertamina has created a new threat not only to former Mines and Energy Minister Ginandjar Kartasasmita, but also to other Suharto cronies and the former president's children.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – A retired military officer has admitted that reforms are moving very slowly within the Indonesian Military (TNI) but put the blame on the government's failure to provide adequate funds to achieve change within the institution.

Tiarma Siboro and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Leaders of the Indonesian military (TNI) have agreed to pay more attention to sea security and secessionist movements in Papua and Aceh provinces in 2003.

Indonesia's top political parties – all of which are regarded as corrupt – are busy contemplating possible coalitions ahead of next year's general election, keenly aware that no party will win an outright majority.

Jakarta – Dozens of journalists rallied near the State Palace on Monday to protest against the recent attack on the offices of Tempo newsmagazine.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The government plans to submit a new bill as part of an addition to the set of antiterrorism bills, one of which was endorsed by the House of Representatives last week, to reduce to a minimum the authority of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) in dealing with terrorism.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Press and Broadcasting Community (MPPI) issued a statement on Monday protesting violence against the press and journalists, which the organization said posed a threat to press freedom.

Terry MacAlister – United Kingdom BP has been warned by a panel of experts led by the US senator, George Mitchell, that it could trigger human rights abuses if it proceeds with a $2bn gas scheme in Indonesia.

Indonesia remains the most corrupt country in Asia, according to a new survey. The latest Asian Intelligence Report found Indonesia was regarded as the most corrupt of 13 Asia-Pacific countries listed for the sixth consecutive year.

A prayer rally in the province of East Java in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-populated country, attracted hundreds of thousands of Muslims to pray for peace and a non-violent end to the Iraq crisis.

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – International Women's Day (IWD) which falls on this day, Saturday, was also commemorated in the city of Yogyakarta.

Yulianti, Jakarta – As planned, on Saturday hundreds of protesters from the Women's Defence Alliance (Aliansi Perempuan Menggugat, APM) held a demonstration in commemoration of International Women's Day.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Jakarta and Surabaya will see a wave of mass rallies in a couple of days to show Indonesia's strong opposition to a possible attack on Iraq.

Influential Muslim preacher A.A. Gymnastiar, popularly known as Aa Gym, will lead thousands of Muslims to the streets to voice their opposition to a US-led military strike on Iraq.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Indonesia has removed major obstacles in its efforts to crack down on terrorism with parliament's recent approval to endorse two presidential decrees into anti-terrorism laws.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Several housewives from Cipinang Besar Selatan subdistrict in East Jakarta said they have been intimidated by two subdistrict officials after they reported a reduction of rice aid for the poor from the Jakarta City Council.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – A House of Representatives (DPR) special committee of inquiry into corruption at state oil firm Pertamina alleged on Friday a number of former ministers and cronies as well as family members of former president Soeharto were involved in various graft cases at the company.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – The Coalition for Democracy is of the opinion that granting powers to the commander of the armed forces (TNI) to mobilise troops in an emergency situation, without a decision of the President, is a move to give legality to the TNI commander to take a political decision in violation of the Law on the State Defence and the 1945 Constitution.

Richel Langit, Jakarta – Using threats by poorly equipped separatist movements and prolonged religious conflicts as a pretext, Indonesia's powerful military is seeking to regain the domination it previously enjoyed for more than three decades during the Suharto dictatorship.

Tony Sitathan, Singapore – After last October's bombing in Bali, Indonesia's foreign investment was hit hard, sliding to a record low. According to the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), foreign direct investment (FDI) approvals plummeted by 35 percent to US$9.7 billion last year from $15.06 billion in 2001.

Jakarta – Indonesia said on Thursday it had imposed a ban on sand exports to all countries in a bid to curb rampant mining which was causing damage to the environment.

"We have decided to stop sand exports from Indonesia to any country, including Singapore," Trade and Industry Minister Rini Soewandi told Reuters.

Pontianak – Haze from forest and bush fires returned here on Thursday, forcing some residents to wear masks, head of West Kalimantan provincial metereology office Suwardi said on Thursday.

M. Munab Islah Ahyani, Bandung – As many as 1000 activists from the Students Executive Council (BEM) from all institutions of higher education, except for the Bandung Institute of Technology, demonstrated in front of the West Java parliament today. For the umpteenth time, BEM declared its mistrust of the elite.

Jakarta – A charismatic Muslim cleric in Indonesia has adopted as his foster daughter a singer whose dancing has stirred controversy in the country.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia's former military chief Wiranto has been making a not-so-quiet pitch for the top job in the country.

James Balowski, Jakarta – On February 24, hundreds of demonstrators from the People's Democratic Party (PRD) took action against US plans to attack Iraq.

The demonstration began at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout in central Jakarta then moved to the presidential palace via the British embassy, the UN headquarters and the US embassy.

Johanna Son, Kuta – Nearly five months after the Bali bombing, the site of the blasts is curiously clean, areas of emptiness in stark contrast to the maze of stores, cafes and hotels that have long marked Indonesia's idyllic – and now wounded – haven for tourists.

Jakarta – Dozens of alleged members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) killed a police officer during an attack on a police station in East Jakarta on Tuesday night.

City Police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara confirmed the attack on Wednesday, saying the police and military police were investigating.

Robert Go – When Singapore Technologies Telemedia (STT) paid 5.62 trillion rupiah (S$1.2 billion) for Indonesia's second-biggest telephone company last December, the story should have ended there.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Leaders of two political parties have thrown their weight behind a controversial bill giving the Indonesian Military (TNI) greater power in deploying personnel to conflict-torn areas.

Jakarta – Student Executive Bodies (BEMs) from universities in Greater Jakarta canceled planned demonstrations on Saturday against President Megawati Soekarnoputri's administration, saying they were worried about the possibility of repressive police measures.

Highly debatable are both the rationale used by the team of more than 30 economists to support their recommendation for abruptly ending Indonesia's reform program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the policy measures they outline for achieving annual economic growth of 6 percent to 7 percent in the post-IMF program period.

Apriadi Gunawan, Parapat, North Sumatra – Ninety local and foreign environmentalists warned against the possible extinction of a total of 226 flora and fauna species in Sumatra because of intensive deforestation and development, and rampant poaching.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Got what it takes to be Indonesia's President? A new television programme allows presidential wannabes to find out, and also to see how popular they are on top of that.

Imanuddin Razak, Jakarta – Army chief of staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu fired a lethal shot on February 20 when he addressed a media conference, suggesting that the military's security role be reinstated due to the threats of separatism and other security disturbances in the country.

Gita Fajar P. Mega, Jakarta – The People's Lawyers Union (Serikat Pengacara Rakyat, SPR) which is handling a class action case over price increases to fuel against President Megawati Sukarnoputri, will send a pre-litigation letter to Megawati and Indonesian police chief General Da'I Bachtiar following three attacks on their offices by unidentified assailants.

Robert Go, Jakarta – The majority of Jakarta's 151 traditional markets are firetraps and could suffer the same ill fate as the Tanah Abang textile centre, much of which went up in flames last month, city officials said.

Semarang – Based on intelligence data, there are presently 10,000 ex-political prisoners from the categories A, B and C across Central Java/Yogyakarta, who have established political parties. They have also joined together in non-government institutes and foundations with aims and motives which it is suspected could create problems for the country.