Yogyakarta – Hundreds of students from various universities in Yogyakarta staged two separate rallies on Wednesday to protest the US-led attack on Afghanistan, burning an effigy of US President George W. Bush and "sealing" popular American fast-food restaurants.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The local administration is considering a reversal of a 23-year-old ban on gambling to profit from the billions of rupiah that illegal gambling businesses reportedly rake in here and to curb the crimes that are linked to them.

Despite mounting public pressure from small, vocal groups for the government to sever ties with the United States, the government said on Wednesday that it would maintain good relations with the US and its allies.

Berni K. Moestafa, Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has agreed to the revision of key assumptions in the 2002 state budget draft, to ease Indonesia's budget targets in the face of a global economic recession.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Hundreds of drivers and owners of public minivans remained in their offices in Medan on Tuesday, some even choosing not to work temporarily despite their absence from the road on the previous day, when they gathered before the North Sumatra governor's office to launch a protest against unfair levies.

Makassar-Another police officer was killed in the city on Monday, further straining ties between the Provincial Police headquarters and the Military Command headquarters.

Ainur R.Sophiaan, Surabaya – The Madurese refugees from Sampit and Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, now living in shelters and camps in Bangkalan and other areas on the island of Madura hope to return to their "former homeland" in Central Kalimantan in the next three months after a bylaw on demography is issued.

Jakarta – Students in Makassar, South Sulawesi, and Surabaya, East Java, defied a government ban and burned US flags in separate anti-US rallies on Tuesday.

In Makassar, hundreds of students from various groups rallied at different locations, including at the provincial legislative assembly compound, the Japanese consulate and even the city's largest shopping mall.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta-The state wants the death penalty for one jailed grandson while two daughters and a son-in-law are under fresh graft probes.

Annastashya Emmanuelle, Jakarta – The Central Jakarta District Court ruled on Tuesday in favor of a class action filed by Kapak LPG against the state-run oil company Pertamina for arbitrarily raising the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) last November.

Jakarta – Indonesia's parliament, taking a harsher line than the government on the US-led attacks in Afghanistan, has summoned Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda to explain the government's stance.

Jakarta – Expressing deep concern at the United States' decision to launch a military strike against Afghanistan, Indonesia urged Washington on Monday to keep its operation limited to minimize civilian casualties.

Tomi Soetjipto, Jakarta – Indonesian police fired warning shots, teargas and water cannon during a clash with 400 Muslim protesters outside the US embassy in Jakarta on Tuesday in a clear sign authorities will clamp down on anti-American violence.

Jakarta – Muslim organizations in Yogyakarta and Solo, Central Java, noisily condemned the US-led retaliation on the Taliban's military installations and Osama bin Laden's terrorist indoctrination camps with calls for the expulsion of American and British citizens from the two towns.

Damar Harsanto and Hanifah Abu, Jakarta – Over a thousand demonstrators from several militant groups here staged rallies on Monday in front of the heavily guarded US Embassy, protesting the US-led strikes against Afghanistan which they called a form of terrorism.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) and leaders of Muslim groups condemned the US attacks in Afghanistan on Monday, and demanded that Jakarta freeze diplomatic ties with Washington.

Jakarta – Discord between Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Vice-President Hamzah Haz is becoming increasingly obvious now, with the two frequently making conflicting statements, analysts and legislators said.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – A lawyer expressed the fear here on Monday that no Indonesian would be capable of meeting the criteria for membership of a "powerful" new commission to eradicate corruption (KPTPK) which would have a remit and powers far in excess of other law enforcement institutions.

Jakarta – People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais has criticized government policies, saying they only benefit big businesses and damage the economy.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – An increasing number of legislators are playing a game of "musical chairs" in that while their colleagues are seriously involved in a plenary meeting or hearing, they feel themselves at liberty to abandon the hearing or meeting so as to attend another one.

Jakarta – Indonesia has asked the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to ease conditions required for the release of an up to $600 million loan, an official said on Monday.

The ADB earlier this year asked Indonesia to give more incentives and relax barriers against foreign investors as part of requirements for the loan.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Trader Dani Hermawan wants to open shop in Jakarta but cannot find space in a decent location. "Kiosks in malls are tough to get into,' he said. "I've waited three months but I know people who have waited more than half a year for one."

Jakarta – Ousted Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid has said that he is ready to run for the post again if there are no other candidates from his party. "I am actually lazy because being president at the moment is not comfortable.

Jakarta – The prolonged drought in Central Java, which has lasted for five months already, has caused residents in several provinces to resort to selling their livestock to purchase water. Many have also had to walk for hours in search of water.

Jakarta – House of Representatives (DPR) legislators questioned on Friday the performance of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's government in the economic and political fields after nearly three months in office.

Yongker Rumthe, Manado – North Sulawesi Governor A.J. Sondakh has ordered M.Zaini, head of the Pertamina branch office here, and Rosman Idris, Bitung port administrator, not to leave the region, amid mounting anger over their alleged roles in a prolonged fuel shortage that has particularly affected supplies of kerosene.

Seth Mydans, Jakarta – For the past year, the Jakarta police have been bustling about town, raiding apartments, smashing their way into cellars, tapping telephone lines, consulting psychics, putting up wanted posters, scattering leaflets, setting up roadblocks. If they actually found him, they would really have a problem on their hands.

Robert Go, Batam – After migrating from Medan in July, it took Mr Gunawan Nasution more than two months before finding a job in Batam. He now works as a groundskeeper at one of the island's posh hotels, earning around 600,000 rupiah (S$115) each month.

Asip A. Hasani, Yogyakarta – Soldiers in Yogyakarta came up with an novel way of responding to a student demonstration on Friday by blasting out popular local dangdut music and dancing in front of scores of students protesting outside the Yogyakarta Regional Military (Korem) headquarters.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – Disgusting. That might be the comment that most people would make when seeing them begging on the street or at other public places here.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – Some 50 fishing families lost their homes after the North Jakarta public order office on Thursday demolished their houses, which were allegedly built without any legal permit.

Associated Press in Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri yesterday urged Indonesia's powerful military to stop meddling in politics and instead concentrate on defending the sprawling union from threats of national disintegration.

The newly appointed Yogyakarta police chief Brig. Gen. Yohanes Wahyu has hailed the recent police crackdown on pornographic VCDs in the city as a success, despite a skeptical public response to the operation.

Jakarta – An Indonesian militant Muslim group said Friday it would defy a government ban on sending volunteers to fight against any attack by the United States on Afghanistan. The Islamic Youth Movement (GPI) said registration remains open for those who wish to wage jihad, or holy war, in Afghanistan.

Jakarta – The government issued on Thursday afternoon a four-point political statement against terrorism following the terrorist attacks on two US landmarks on September 11.

Jakarta – A plan by Indonesia's attorney general to appeal against the Supreme Court's controversial acquittal of Tommy Suharto came under fire Friday. An analyst described the move as a cosmetic exercise rather than a genuine attempt to seek justice in the case of the former dictator's fugitive son. Experts said such an appeal is legally impossible.

Jakarta – Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation, would stay neutral in any US-led attack against Afghanistan's Taliban, its defence minister said on Friday.

After a seven-month delay, the House of Representatives finally has begun deliberating on a Child Protection bill.

An article in the official criminal code stipulates that court trials should be a cheap, quick and simple way to see that justice is done. But whether or not the court actually recognizes this particular section of the legal code is a different matter.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – The Supreme Court's decision to overturn a graft ruling against Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra Suharto has caused outrage among the public and cast doubts on President Megawati Sukarnoputri's ability to rid Indonesia of endemic corruption.

Vaudine England – The latest campaign by police in the capital to wipe out crime – dubbed Operation Great Elimination – has been hailed a resounding success, with 23 mostly petty criminals shot dead in the past month.

Residents, far from being shocked at the gunning down of possibly innocent people without trial, are applauding the effort.

Jakarta – Some 5,000 workers at Indonesia's state aircraft manufacturer picketed the presidential palace yesterday to demand higher pay and urge the government to stamp out what they called rampant corruption in the company.

Timothy Mapes, Jakarta – Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri's pledge to support the US war against terrorism is straining her fragile alliance with Islamic political parties and strengthening the hand of Vice President Hamzah Haz, a conservative Muslim, to challenge her authority.

Richard Galpin, Jakarta – In Indonesia, a nation of almost 200 million Muslims, the radical fringe is getting increasingly angry with the US and its allies. Anti-US demonstrations have been getting steadily bigger as the US prepares for possible military action over the 11 September attacks on Washington and New York.

Jakarta – Vice President Hamzah Haz on Tuesday urged Indonesians to respect a supreme court decision quashing a graft conviction and jail sentence on Tommy Suharto, fugitive son of the former dictator. But critics said Monday's ruling showed that law enforcement had become meaningless. About 150 students held a protest rally near the home of former president Suharto.

Timothy Mapes and Puspa Madani, Jakarta – Indonesia's Supreme Court overturned a graft conviction against Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, the fugitive son of former President Suharto, in a surprise decision that underlined the problems this nation faces in grappling with years of rampant corruption.

Jakarta – In a sign of the changing times, the country commemorated on Monday what used to be called Pancasila Sanctity Day but has been renamed Commemoration of the National Tragedy due to the Betrayal of Pancasila".

Jennifer Chen, Singapore – The Indonesian rupiah fell past 10,000 to the dollar for the first time since July 31 on Tuesday, trampled in a corporate rush to buy dollars.

Jakarta – Governor Sutiyoso pledged on Friday to continue operations aimed at maintaining order in the city despite the fact that they have not yet proved to be successful. Sutiyoso argued that the city administration would continue the operations because there had been a "significant improvement" in public order.

[The recent (inadvertent) release of more cables between the US embassy in Jakarta and Washington in late 1965 has supplied more pieces of the jigsaw puzzle mapping Washington's enthusiastic support for the Indonesian army's bloodthirsty crackdown against the Indonesian Communist Party when up to a million people were slaughtered.