Jakarta – The government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are still at odds over the questions of when and how much to increase the price of fuel and electricity.

Tim Healy and Tom Mccawley, Jakarta – He must have known it couldn't last. Abdurrahman Wahid has been metaphorically bobbing and weaving through his first weeks as Indonesia's President. Consider the moves: filling his cabinet with a hodge-podge of politically motivated appointees, novices and academics. Promising Aceh a referendum. Pledging national stability.

Jakarta – Indonesia on Friday released 90 political prisoners, most of them East Timorese.

In a ceremony at Cipinang jail in East Jakarta, where many of of those released were held, Law and Legislation Minister Yusril Isra Mahendra officially freed them by reading out three presidential decrees containing the names.

Sonny Inbaraj, Darwin – Australia's national broadcaster and a magazine have come under investigation by the country's spy agency for airing and publishing a series of highly-embarrassing stories based on alleged intelligence leaks on East Timor.

Novan Iman Santosa, Karawang – Like many AIDS volunteers around the globe, Abdurrachman Saibun, 25, is busy at the end of the year preparing to commemorate World AIDS Day, which falls on December 1.

Jakarta – At least 3,400 stray dogs have been killed this year in the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan in a drive by the authorities to prevent the spread of rabies, the official Antara news agency said Thursday.

Munif Muchsinin, the head of the province's animal husbandry service, said the drive had been successful.

Jakarta – Foreign minister Alwi Shihab said on Tuesday Indonesia would not allow its generals to be tried overseas.

Responding to concerns from legislators that top military officers may be subject to international humiliation and trial abroad, Alwi said the government was doing its utmost to see that it would not happen.

Jakarta – A government-sanctioned inquiry said on Wednesday that Gen. Wiranto could be charged with "omission" for allowing violence and destruction to continue in the ravaged territory of East Timor after the August 30 self-determination ballot.

Jakarta – After two years of antigovernment riots and economic turmoil, Indonesia's technology gurus thought it best to keep the public in the dark about possible widespread failures from the Y2K computer bug.

Tjipta Lesmanaa, Jakarta – The current picture of Indonesian workers is not that encouraging. Of the 90 million-strong workforce Indonesia currently has, roughly 60 million are engaged in the formal sector as well as in the informal sector. Forty million of them earn only Rp 150,000 to Rp 200,000 per month, far below the poverty line set by the National Statistics Bureau.

Ted Bardacke and Diarmid O'Sullivan – "We reiterate our full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Indonesia and support the efforts of President Wahid toward a peaceful settlement of the situation in Aceh."

Vaudine England – The Indonesian Government, eager to prove its reformist credentials, said yesterday it had reopened the investigation into alleged corruption by Suharto, but prospects of retrieving his money or seeing the ailing former president in the dock remain unclear.

Jakarta – A mob of angry Jakarta residents on Wednesday set ablaze four cars and a gambling den in Jakarta's Chinatown on the eve of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, witnesses said.

An AFP photographer said a building believed to be a gambling den was on fire when she arrived at the scene. Police were quick to move in and bring the crowd under control.

Max Lane – Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor member Chris Latham was arrested in Jakarta on November 29. Latham, who is a student in Sydney, was participating in a demonstration of workers and students organised by the Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggles.

James Balowski, Jakarta – Spending a day at the People's Democratic Party (PRD) headquarters in East Jakarta watching the stream of activists coming and going, it's easy to forget that just three years ago, the party was banned, its key leaders jailed and the remainder hunted by the military and forced underground.

Indonesia's rice market is nervously waiting for the government's final decision on an import tariff while players' reluctance to sell their stocks has triggered price hikes, traders said yesterday.

Jakarta – Indonesia will slow down foreign borrowings and focus more on the domestic bond market to fund government projects, Finance Minister Bambang Sudibyo said Wednesday.

Increasing reliance on domestic financing would improve the country's balance of payment position, Bambang said at a hearing of the parliament's budget committee.

Ambon – Calm returned to the riot-torn province on Monday following two consecutive days of communal clashes which claimed at least 31 lives. Businesses and schools reopened in Ambon as roadblocks were cleared.

The situation in nearby Seram Island was also calm on Monday after the authorities secured the area, according to Maluku Police spokesman Maj. Phillipus Jakriel.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – President Abdurrahman Wahid, recently back from China, has injected new insecurity into his cabinet by saying he hardly knows some of them and suggesting some should resign.

Jakarta – The Indonesian banking sector recorded a combined operating loss of 52.094 trillion rupiah (7.1 billion dollars) in the 10 months to October compared to a loss of 177.02 trillion rupiah for calendar 1998, Finance Minister Bambang Sudibyo said.

Raj Rajendran, Singapore – Indonesia will seal its next letter of intent with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in time to meet its budgetary obligations, Indonesia's chief economics minister Kwik Kian Gie said on Monday.

Edhi Pranasidhi, Jakarta – Indonesia's senior economic minister Kwik Kian Gie said the government plans to sell majority stakes in state-owned PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (TLK) and PT Indonesia Satellite Corp. (IIT) next year, a plan that surprised and impressed the market.

Margot Cohen, Jakarta – It was a stirring reformasi passion play. On the night of November 29, six of former President Suharto's top generals – once untouchables – faced the hot glare of TV lights and fended off scorching questions from legislators about the military's human-rights record in rebellious Aceh province.

Jakarta – Israel has quietly invested 200 million dollars in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-populated nation, via foreign companies, Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has said.

"Israel does not extend the capital directly but through a third party, a Dutch or US company," he told members of his newly inaugurated National Economic Council Saturday.

Jakarta – Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid said he would ask three ministers suspected of involvement in corruption to resign or face trial, reports said Sunday. "As soon as I get the information from Marzuki [Darusman], the attorney general, I will summon them [and ask them]: 'Will you resign or not?

Keith Richburg, Jakarta – Juwono Sudarsono, a soft-spoken academic who has become Indonesia's new civilian defense minister, has acknowledged in an interview that the process of getting the army out of politics will be a gradual one and that the extent of his control over the military is not yet clear.

Jakarta – Bank Indonesia's deputy governor Ahjar Iljas said on Friday that Texmaco was among 20 exporting companies which received a preshipment rediscount facility from the central bank through state commercial banks in November 1997.

Jakarta – Senior executives of the Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI) are shrugging off predictions of the organization's demise despite the descent of its chief patron, B.J. Habibie, from the presidency.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) rejected on Friday accusations that it was behind a plan to methodically undermine the "axis force".

Senior PDI Perjuangan executive Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno said the accusations were intentionally made by a "third party" in attempt to damage relations between PDI Perjuangan and the axis force.

Ted Bardacke, Jakarta – Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid yesterday formed an economic advisory council chaired by Emil Salim, a cabinet minister under former President Suharto.

Beijing – On the eve of expected demonstrations for independence in Indonesia's restive Aceh province, Indonesian President Adurrahman Wahid vowed Friday to use "repressive force" to keep the country from splitting apart.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – Jakarta's political elite are starting to wonder who is running Indonesia.

Amid growing criticism that Mr Abdurrahman Wahid has spent too much time overseas since being elected president on October 20, the former armed forces chief, General Wiranto, has emerged as the country's strongman.

Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor's People's Inquiry into Australian governments' "special relationship" with Indonesia and complicity in the East Timor genocide is attracting a lot of interest in several cities.

Jakarta – Around 75 percent of Indonesia's forthcoming state budget would be earmarked to repay domestic and foreign debts, an economic observer said.

Jakarta-- Indonesian Minister for People's Welfare Hamzah Haz has resigned amid allegations he was involved in a 13 billion rupiah (1.8 million dollars) corruption scandal, a presidential press official said Friday.

Jakarta-- Security forces opened fire during fresh battles between Muslims and Christians in the strife-torn Indonesian city of Ambon Friday leaving at least 21 dead and more than 100 wounded, residents said.

Paul Daley, Canberra – Indonesia's former President Dr B.J. Habibie feared his armed forces commander-in-chief would stage a military coup in October, raising fears among senior Australian diplomats and defence analysts of a possible war with Indonesia.

Jakarta – Chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights Marzuki Darusman said on Wednesday that he would propose to the government that military personnel who were allegedly involved in past rights abuses be tried in nonmilitary courts.

Chris Latham, Jakarta – Despite torrential rain, thousands of students participated in protests here to commemorate the first anniversary on November 13 of the Semangi tragedy, named after the Semangi bridge where six students were shot dead by the military during the mass protests against the special session of the People's Consultative Assembly.

Marina Carman and Chris Latham, Jakarta – On November 9, we met with activists from Forkap (Women's Communication and Action Forum) at the University of Indonesia.

Shoeb Kagda, Jakarta – International investor confidence is slowly returning to Indonesia, with upscale commercial properties and companies in export-oriented businesses fast-becoming prime acquisition targets, sources told BT.

Jakarta – The Indonesian parliament will reject a proposal by the government to gradually lift fuel subsidies, saying it would be a burden on the nation's poor, a report said Tuesday.

Jakarta – Indonesia's lower house has backed President Abdurrahman Wahid's vow to pardon former strongman Suharto but only after he has been tried by a court for allegations of graft, a report said Monday.

Jakarta – Tensions were running high in the strife-torn Indonesian islands of Maluku Monday with troops placed on alert after sectarian clashes left six dead and 24 injured, officials and the Antara news agency said.

Four more people were injured late Sunday when a clash broke out in the Christian-dominated Mardika district in downtown Ambon, Antara said.

Richard Borsuk and Puspa Madani, Jakarta – Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid came under strong criticism in an historic parliamentary session Thursday, but he signaled that he has no plans to change his controversial policies on Aceh and other issues – and no intention of cutting back on his provocative statements.

Malcolm Brown – The Federal Government was accused yesterday of obstructing efforts by the International Commission of Jurists to obtain evidence from East Timorese evacuees in Australia about atrocities committed in their country.

Jakarta – The spread of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the country remains unknown after 12 years of efforts to trace people infected with the deadly virus, a health official said on Monday.

Greg Torode, Washington – President Abdurrahman Wahid may have sought to cosy back up to the United States during his mission over the past three days, but Washington will be "sleeping with one eye open" in the months ahead, officials said.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives' 11 factions have unanimously approved President Abdurrahman Wahid's request to grant amnesty and absolution to some 85 political detainees and prisoners.

Joanne Collins, Dili – East Timor spiritual leader Bishop Carlos Belo on Monday condemned UN slowness over an inquiry into abuses in the territory, saying evidence had long gone.