John McBeth, Jakarta – For both admirers and critics of Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, the picture is disturbing: At the presidential palace in Jakarta there are signs of a new "royal court" in the making.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Crime is shooting up and guns are the rage in Jakarta these days. Media reports here suggest that the increase is due to the increasing availability in Indonesia of firearms and other weapons for personal defence, such as tear-gas canisters.

Jakarta – Indonesia's military now acknowledges the legitimacy of the country's new government and realises that a coup attempt would trigger a bloodbath, a senior US official said yesterday.

Yogyakarta – Surakarta-based radio station PTPN Rasitania was silent on Wednesday after it was forced to suspend broadcasting after airing a talk show that some accused of being blasphemous.

Jakarta – Conflicts between local communities and timber companies will likely increase in the future because the people are now more aware of their rights, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

Indonesia's environmental monitoring agency, Bapadal, has been trying to get hard evidence to nail those responsible for the dangerous levels of haze that has covered the Riau province over the past week. Straits Times Correspondent Marianne Kearney, while in Pekan Baru, followed one attempt to catch the fire starters

Jakarta – The World Bank has questioned the decision by a Jakarta court to acquit the director of a politically linked company accused of involvement in Indonesia's multi-million dollar Bank Bali fraud scandal, reports said Wednesday.

May Sari – Attended by 50 of its leading members, the Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI) held its national council meeting in Cisarua, West Java, on February 13-15.

Jakarta – President Abdurrachman Wahid has signed a law ratifying a convention of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on immediate prevention of abuse of child workers.

Wahid described the convention as important for Indonesia where, he said, there were still many cases of child workers "inhumanly" abused against the convention of the United Nations.

Vaudine England and Agencies, Pekanbaru – The end of Indonesia's rainy season is once again revealing the chaos created by allowing plantation owners and farmers to clear land by setting fires.

Jakarta – Abortion is strictly prohibited under both the Criminal Code and the Health Law. But despite the legislation, women continue to seek abortions.

Marina Carman – One hundred and fifty students staged a protest outside the office of the regional legislative assembly in Surabaya, Indonesia, on February 22. The students were angry at the Indonesian military's repression and domination of political life in the country.

Jakarta – The director of a politically linked company accused of involvement in Indonesia's multi-million dollar Bank Bali fraud scandal has been acquitted on a technicality, reports said Tuesday.

Djoko Tjandra, executive of PT Era Giat Prima (EGP), had been charged with corruption in "arranging and engaging in illegal transactions," the Jakarta Post daily said.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – The baby sits in rags among the filth, a commodity for sale. A beggar pays a little money and buys a tragic bundle to cry when cars pull up at the traffic lights.

Jakarta – A new presidential decree will be issued allowing the government to take over Rp 4 trillion (US$540 million) in assets from former president Soeharto's seven foundations.

Jakarta – Leading politicians and observers said on Monday the attack on National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Matori Abdul Djalil was politically motivated, speculating that it might be part of a larger conspiracy to destabilize the government.

Jakarta – Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights on Tuesday set up a team to probe the 1984 shooting in Jakarta's northern port area that left scores dead.

The commission's Secretary General, Asmara Nababan, told journalists here that team, composed of nine members and headed by Joko Sugianto, will investigate the 12 September 1984 shooting in Tanjung Priok.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – More than 10 senior military officers, at least one of them holding a three-star rank, threatened to quit the Indonesian defence forces (TNI) last week after complaining of "repeated presidential intervention" in military affairs.

Marianne Kearney, Riau – Where there's smoke there is fire but in Riau province, central Sumatra, finding the source of the fire and who started it is not always easy.

On February 28, Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid appointed an unusual new advisor: former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) Commander Adm. Widodo approved a large-scale reshuffling of the military this week, shifting 74 officers and several top positions. In the most noteworthy transfer, he appointed an outspoken reformer, Lt. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusumah, as the head of the elite Army Strategic Reserve Command, known as Kostrad.

Jakarta – Suspended Cabinet minister General Wiranto has denied that Lt-General Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the military's former chief of territorial affairs, proposed that he should seize power amid the political violence preceding the downfall of former President Suharto.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The Indonesian armed forces (TNI) plans to reduce the number of its extensive territorial commands in the country in a move that could diminish the military's political role further.

Jakarta – A loan scandal involving Indonesia's biggest textile magnate, Marimutu Sinivasan of the Texmaco Group, is turning into a major challenge for President Abdurrahman Wahid's four-month-old government.

Marianne Kearney, Pekanbaru – Just across the Malacca Strait from Singapore, was yesterday enveloped in a blanket of haze as over 100 fires blazed for the third day this week.

Riau province in central Sumatra, which last year had one of the highest recorded number of blazing hot spots, has again become a fire centre.

Jakarta – Indonesia's best-known writer, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, is a surprise critic of the country's new President, Mr Abdurrahman Wahid. Pramoedya dismisses the President as "part of the elite ... that implemented fascism and ran the country by terror ... everyone became afraid and those who wanted to live had to become a hypocrite".

Jakarta – The House Commission VIII in charge of mining and energy said it would ask the Mines and Energy Ministry to clarify the position with regard to higher fuel price and electricity tariff.

Singapore (AP) – Fires have broken out on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, where land-clearing blazes caused severe pollution in much of Southeast Asia in 1997, officials in Singapore said Thursday.

Jakarta – People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais said on Wednesday Indonesia did not need foreign advisors, thus President Abdurrahman Wahid's appointment of several foreign dignitaries in that role was merely a symbolic gesture.

Jakarta – The government and the House of Representatives budget committee agreed on Wednesday to raise the basic salaries of President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri by 78 percent and 120 percent respectively.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Former military strongman Wiranto is finished politically and is unlikely to ever play a dominant role in politics here, Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono said in an interview.

In Indonesia, hundreds of drivers of the popular three-wheeled pedicabs took to the streets late last night.

According to reports by the official Antara News Agency, they were rallying against a local government decision banning them many of the streets in Jakarta.

Pip Hinman, Jakarta – Around 500 members of the People's Democratic Party (PRD) protested outside the Presidential Palace on February 21 to demand that the Indonesian government abandon its plans to cut fuel and electricity subsidies. PRD members travelled to Jakarta from all over the country.

May Sari, Jakarta – Having failed to gain satisfaction from their employer or the Indonesian government, thousands workers from PT Kong Tai Indonesia protested outside parliament here on February 21.

Jakarta – Indonesia signed the protocol of the United Nations Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (UN-CEDAW) on Monday.

The last year of the twentieth century was a transition for both East Timor and Indonesia. East Timor finally exercised its long-denied right to self-determination, and is now becoming an independent nation. Next year, East Timor will merit its own Country Report.

Jakarta – An Indonesian anti-graft watchdog has demanded that the youngest son of former president Suharto return 255 million dollars which it charged he had embezzled through his clove marketing agency, a report said Tuesday.

Jakarta – The Indonesian economy may be showing signs of recovery from the financial crisis two years ago. However, still left behind in the turmoil created by that crisis are tens of millions of poor Indonesians.

In fact, the problems are still so severe, that the United Nations has agreed to extend by 18 months an emergency relief programme to deliver food.

Ahmad Pathoni, Jakarta – Indonesia's press welcomed the country's wide-ranging military reshuffle here Tuesday, hailing it as an early victory for efforts to assert civilian control over the armed forces.

One newspaper said the changes might be intended to strengthen power of the President Abdurrahman Wahid and his loyalists in the military.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – The Indonesian military's most outspoken reformer, Major-General Agus Wirahadikusumah, has been appointed to head his country's main combat force in a further blow to his arch rival, General Wiranto.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – President Abdurrahman Wahid moved to consolidate his control of the armed forces yesterday by replacing two allies of recently deposed General Wiranto.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) announced on Monday another major reshuffle that included the promotion of Maj. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusumah, a progressive figure, as the Army Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) chief.

Ambon – Fresh communal clashes broke out in Central and North Maluku on Friday resulting in the death of at least three people. Pattimura Military Commander Brig. Gen. Max Tamaela confirmed the incident but claimed that the situation was now calm as security forces immediately stepped in to establish a buffer zone separating the warring groups.

Jakarta – Former state secretary Moerdiono on Thursday pointed the finger at ex-president Soeharto, saying Soeharto gave his approval to the disbursement of billions of dollars under the controversial Bank Indonesia liquidity assistance (BLBI) program.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) is prepared to leave the House of Representatives (DPR) after the next elections in 2004, but insists on maintaining a presence in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Tim Dodd, Jakarta – After a year's pause for breath Indonesians are about to face another economic squeeze with tax hikes and subsidy cuts set to raise prices on basic goods as part of the Government's effort to prune its budget.

Jakarta – At least three of Indonesia's airports under the state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura (AP) I, will be offered to private investors, a company official said.

Sangwon Suh and Dewi Loveard, Jakarta – After two weeks of tense standoff, it was over. Late on Sunday, February 13, Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid finally carried out what he had been promising to do: remove Gen. Wiranto, coordinating minister for security and political affairs, from his cabinet. The announcement was received with surprising grace and composure by Wiranto.

Rome – Both sides in the Christian-Muslim conflict in Indonesia are using child soldiers, sending boys as young as seven into fighting with firebombs in their backpacks, the Vatican missionary news service said Thursday.

Mark Riley, New York – The United Nations Security Council has shelved plans for a UN human rights tribunal in East Timor, ignoring the recommendations of its own inquiry into the mayhem that followed August's independence ballot.