TEMPO Interactive, Yogyakarta: The mortality rate of babies and children-under-five in Indonesia is still very high. Every hour, 10 babies and 20 children under five years old die. According to Dr. Sukman Tulus Putra SpA, Chairman of the Indonesian Pediatricians Association (IDAI), infectious disease in this age group dominates the cause of death. These include dengue fever, polio, tuberculosis (TB), diarrhea and malnutrition.

TEMPO Interactive, : Lapindo Brantas Incorporated was the subject of conversation these last few weeks. It is not because of its performance, but it was due to a leak that occurred at the Banjarpanji-1 natural gas well owned by Lapindo in Porong, Sidoarjo, East Java.

TEMPO Interactive, Banda Aceh: Several Acehnese women’s figures declared the Aceh Inong League (Lina) in Banda Aceh, yesterday (12/6). The league will accommodate the political participation of Acehnese women, including Inong Balee, who fought with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) before the peace agreement.

Oil and gas company PT Lapindo Brantas was "grossly negligent" in failing to implement prudent operating measures that led to massive pollution from an East Java gas well, one of its partners said.

Activists walked out of a meeting Friday with the heads of the IMF and the World Bank in protest of Singapore's move to block the entry of fellow activists, even as the bank's president called the host country's actions "authoritarian".

JAKARTA, June 7: Indonesian palm oil prices were mixed on Wednesday while players remained on the sidelines waiting for direction from a slew of Malaysia palm oil data to be released on June 10, traders said.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - PT Bakrie Sumatera Plantations Tbk (BSP), in association with PT Rekayasa Industri (Rekin), will soon build a bio-diesel plant with a capacity of 60,000 to 100,000 tons a year at a cost of US$25 million.

The very earth is hemorrhaging and it seems no one knows what to do.

People often try to shrug off a problem until it hits them in the face.

Three teams from Indonesia attended the science Olympiad. They won a gold, five silver, and three bronze medals, and two honorable mentions for the category of Math, Biology, and Chemistry.

Three weeks of an unceasing, foul-smelling mudflow from a gas well accident have uprooted more locals in East Java's Porong district and forced them to shelter in cramped markets, schools and government offices.

After hitting a snag last year with plans to transform factory-lined Jl. Raya Serpong into something approaching Singapore\'s Orchard Road, the Tangerang administration is turning its focus to the construction of a turnpike connecting Serpong to the Balaraja district.

Poso police have secured another 40 home-made bombs in Lawangsa village, Poso on Saturday night, but no arrests have been made so far.

The Foreign Ministry has given its approval for the Fed Cup women's tennis team to compete in the World Group II playoff in Israel in mid-July despite the absence of diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv.

SEREMBAN, Malyasia (The Star): An Indonesian maid here willingly posed semi-nude for photographs after her employer claimed the pictures would appear in the Indonesian version of Playboy magazine.

East Java Police questioned Wednesday the CEO of Lapindo Brantas Inc. about the devastating May 29 accident at its gas drilling site in Sidoarjo that continues to inundate surrounding communities with toxic mud.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: PT Lapindo Brantas starts its third, or last, scenario regarding the closing of the Banjar Panji-1 natural gas well at Porong, East Java, in order to stop the mudflow. “We have estimated that the process will be finished by November of this year,” Imam P Agustino, the General Manager of Lapindo Brantas Inc, said yesterday when visiting Tempo.

A little-known teenager, Trianingsih, upset Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalist and favorite Oliva Sadi to win the women's elite class at the Mizuno National 5-kilometer Championship 2006 at Ragunan Zoo on Sunday.

New York/Los Angeles (ANTARA News) - Usually the end of a successful filmpremiere at a major movie festival is greeted with cheers, hoots anda standing ovation.

Kuta beach, the most popular tourist destination in Bali, has suffered abrasion caused by strong waves that have rubbed off the beautiful coast for the past six years, an official said on Sunday.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Instead of being forced to merge by Bank Indonesia (BI), several small banks will increase their capital to a minimum of Rp80 billion.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expects the footwear industry to become a major job provider in the country, with the government pledging to continue to eliminate problems confronting the sector and help increase promotion overseas.

The host team finished second in the individual category at this year's Elementary Mathematics International Contest in Bali, which ended Tuesday.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The families of the Trisakti and Semanggi victims still hope for justice. The House of Representatives’ (DPR) Legal Commission intends to re-open and re-investigate the Trisakti and Semanggi tragedy cases occurring in the era demanding reform in 1998-1999. “We have sent a recommendation to the DPR leader to schedule decision-making at the plenary session as regards the Trisakti and Semanggi cases,” Trimedya Panjaitan, Chairman of the DPR Legal Commission from Indonesi

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Shares of noodle maker PT Indofood were higher in active midmorning trade after a report that the company plans to float shares in one of its units by the end of this year, dealers said.

However, the absence of injured men's world champion Taufik Hidayat has left the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) unsure of its chances in the singles matches during the March 28-April 2 event.

TEMPO Interactive, Jayapura: A crowd of armed inhabitants attacked the Indonesian Military (TNI) on the border between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea in Wembi village, Arso district, Keerom regency. Two TNI members and two from the attackers died.

Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) chairman Sofjan Wanandi said the planned revision was aimed at new job creation without disturbing the current workforce, despite labor union arguments it puts workers at a disadvantage.

TEMPO Interactive, Jayapura: Following the attack on the Indonesian Military (TNI) guard post in the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border in Wembi village, Arso district, Keerom regency at around 1pm Indonesian Eastern Time (WIT) on Monday (10/4), the Keerom Sub-regional Police will be augmented i by one platoon of Jayapura Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel.

TELEKOM Malaysia Bhd (TM) is a major government-linked company in which the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) has a 14.5% stake, Khazanah 35% and other government agencies 15%.

Malaysia and Indonesia are set to sign an agreement on protection of Indonesian domestic helpers in response to recurring reports of physical abuse and unfair treatment by Malaysian employers.

Kendal, C Java (ANTARA News) - Kendal (Central Java) police on Monday confiscated tens of cubic meters of teakwood in many different forms suspected to be illegal.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered Sunday the preparation of comprehensive evacuation plans for people living on the slopes of rumbling Mt. Merapi in Central Java, with a volcanologist warning an eruption is imminent.

TEMPO Interactive, Banda Aceh: Free Aceh Movement (GAM) leaders, who havw been living in Sweden and Malaysia, arrived at Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport, Aceh Besar, yesterday evening (19/4).

A trio of golds in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games did not lead to a comfortable retirement for former national gymnast Syaiful Nazar.

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite the current high-cost environment, Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) will not defer ongoing projects in Malaysia and overseas. The oil group will also maintain its current oil and gas production.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:ASEAN members agree to increase integration in finance, especially in relation to capital markets, insurance, and retirement funds.

Remember Ramang? Most of us will probably say, "Oh, yes, that's the ninth month of the Islamic year," or simply "Ra what?"

Hot mud that has been flowing from a gas well in Sidoarjo, East Java, since May 29 breached a dam Thursday morning, forcing thousands of more people from their homes.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has said the discourse about the restoring of the National Defense Forces (TNI) right to vote should not be polemicized.

TEMPO Interactive, Banda Aceh: The Southern coast of Aceh has been hit again by an earthquake, measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale.

Concerned by the creeping Islamization of the country's secular state, 56 national legislators are urging President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to abolish sharia-based bylaws already in place or risk the country's disintegration.

There was nary a soul to be seen on the resort island of Bali on Thursday. No one was seen walking the streets, sunbathing on the beaches or shopping at craft centers.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Department of Informatics and Communication asked the Press Council to name 29 magazines and tabloids and to state whether they are included as sexual business products. Among the publications are Eksotika and Lelaki tabloids, and Popular magazine.

MT. MERAPI, Yogyakarta (Agencies): Indonesia's Mt. Merapi spewed a spectacular roiling cloud of hot gas and ash down its southern slope Thursday, sending more than 15,000 villagers running to safety or piling into cars and trucks, officials and witnessessaid.

The rupiah's recent strengthening must not be assumed to be beneficial to the economy, analysts warn, especially if it comes from fickle short-term investments in the capital market instead of stabler long-term foreign direct investment (FDI) and stronger exports.

The State Electricity Company (PT PLN) has confirmed that a 3,300 megawatt coal-fired electricity power plant is to be built without any tender, in other words through direct appointment.

The Managing Director of PT Newmont Pasifik Nusantara (NPN), Noke Kiroyan, disclosed here last weekend that Martabe gold mine belonging to the company in North Sumatra province has the potential to produce three million ounces of gold annually.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government reopened Adi Soetjipto Airport, Yogyakarta yesterday for commercial flights. The Minister of Transportation, Hatta Rajasa, said the notice has been issued. “Use of the facilities of the domestic terminal that collapsed were transferred to the international terminal,” said Hatta after attending a coordination meeting to handle the post-natural disaster at the Department of Finance, Jakarta.

Students at schools that follow an international curriculum and encourage creative and critical thinking may find taking the national examinations particularly nerve-racking.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government will form several new electricity companies. These State-owned enterprises will operate in distribution and generating, not in the transmission. The government's plan will automatically end the monopoly of PT PLN (State Electricity Company) in distribution. Previously the government opened the generating sector.

Indonesia and Britain have agreed to establish a joint forum to reduce misunderstandings between the West and Islam and seek peaceful solutions to possible areas of conflict.

Lower food prices in March helped bring down on-year inflation to 15.74 percent, in a positive direction for the economy still struggling to fend off the adverse effects of high inflation and interest rates for growth.

Ardent World Cup fans may dream of doing nothing more than keeping snacks close at hand and hiding the remote from the kids for the rest of the month if the exclusive TV broadcaster for Indonesia lives up to its promises.

A US bill on immigration currently being discussed in the US Congress may affect thousands of Indonesian workers in the US if it is passed into law, an Indonesian diplomat said on Monday.

A key witness in Corruption Court trials of several judicial officials accused of graft during a Supreme Court appeal of business tycoon Probosutedjo died of a hernia early Monday.

TEMPO Interactive, Solo: Starting this year, Adisumarmo Airport, Surakarta, will function as a departure and arrival airport for Indonesian overseas workers.

Bandung and Bekasi, both in West Java, Tangerang in Banten and Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan received the unwanted distinction of the country's dirtiest cities this year, while 45 other local administrations were honored for keeping their streets clean.

Indonesia's Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU), which last week observed what many analysts see as its sixth turbulent year of operations, has undeniably become a more effective watchdog of business competition in Indonesia. Even though it lost in courts on many of its rulings, the commission has served as an increasingly powerful deterrent against unfair business practices. Commission Chairman Sjamsul Maarif shared his reflections on the commission's performance in an intervie

Two little birds perching on a tiny twig are having a chat. One bird says: "They mean it." The other quickly replies: "No, they don't mean it."

Indonesia's Mount Merapi has roared back to life, sending the largest clouds of hot gas and ash down its slopes yet and sparking panic among residents already jittery from a deadly earthquake that hit last month.

Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA News) - Malaysia is launching a study into the impact of Indonesian maids on the children they care for, including whether they change the youngsters' "cultural values", a report said Wednesday.

Motorcycle sales during the first quarter of this year are expected to decline by around 25 percent compared to the same period last year due to weakening purchasing power of the people in that market segment, according to an industry executive.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Indonesia has been elected a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council at the General Assembly session in New York, United States.

Zuber Safawi, Chairman of Commission X for Education at the House of Representatives (DPR), has said that education budget will still be raised in stages, following the decision of the Constitutional Court to allocate 20 percent of the State Budget for education.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Investors from India and China are interested in joining PT Krakatau Steel in a steel factory construction project in South Kalimantan worth between US$600 million and US$1 billion.

PETALING JAYA: Plywood prices hit an eight-year high this month even though prices are not as bullish as those of metal commodities.

The government and the House of Representatives (DPR) must take immediate decision on the amount of subsidy for state-owned electricity company PLN to guarantee the continuation of electricity supply, a power watchdog coodinator said here on Monday.

Hamburg (ANTARA News) - Schalke 04 were far away from the form of their 1997 title on Thursday, but a 1-1 home draw against Levski Sofia was good enough to lift the Germans into the UEFA Cup semi-finals.

Apparently, the newly revised government decree on the establishment of places of worship pleases nobody but the religious and home ministers who fiercely cling to the belief that religious harmony should be regulated by the government.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The electricity supply in Java and Bali are experiencing a deficit because the gas supply to the Muara Karang and Tanjung Priok gas and steam-powered electricity generators (PLTGU) from the off-shore gas field operated by BP West Java is lessened. As a result, electricity supplies for Java and Bali are insufficient by 300 megawatts.

Physical disturbances and demonstrations are never good for business, so they do have a negative impact. Having said that, everywhere in the world natural resource investments are controversial. People in the mining industry see this as a concern and they appreciate the response of the Indonesian government, which has confirmed its support for these investments and sees the benefits. In the last five years or so, mining investment here has been very low because there was a doubt that the governm

In line with the government's long-term policy of reducing gas exports and diverting supplies to domestic users, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has urged countries that import gas from Indonesia to consider encouraging their gas-consuming industries to relocate here.

Japan has agreed to provide new loans amounting to US$796 million to Indonesia to fund a number of infrastructure projects and development programs.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Vanuatu government supports the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.

Preliminary findings of a police investigation into a massive mudflow accident in Sidoarjo, East Java, blame the failure to follow standard drilling procedures.

Bali played host to the Second Indonesian Investment Forum last week, which brought together 700 foreign and local investors, and executives from international finance agencies to look at investment opportunities in Indonesia. To learn how foreign investors view the country, The Jakarta Post's Rita A. Widiadana spoke with Sheldon Trainor, head of Asia Investment Banking for Merrill Lynch. The following are excerpts of the interview.

TEMPO Interactive, Banda Aceh: Completed one month ago, a dam has cracked for blocking sea water at the Ulee Lheu coast, Meuraxa District, Banda Aceh. As a result, some villages around the dam were immersed by sea water at high tide. These include Deah Baro and Deah Teungoh villages.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered a full investigation Wednesday into the operation of gas exploration company PT Lapindo Brantas in Sidoarjo, East Java, after a massive gas well accident sickened local residents and disrupted industry.

There is good news for Indonesians with foreign spouses, with a provision in the citizenship bill allowing for dual citizenship of their offspring until the latter reaches adulthood.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) is currently hosting its 62nd session in Jakarta. In this connection, The Jakarta Post's Kurniawan Hari talked to Kim Hak-su, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of UNESCAP.

A semblance of normalcy continues near the rumbling Mt. Merapi, which remains on alert status, with many residents tending their livestock and farms, and checking their houses during the day, before returning to evacuation shelters before the sun sets.

MANILA – The Philippines is seeking to boost production of dried cocoa beans under a 10-year plan designed to reduce its dependence on imports and target new export markets.

JAKARTA (Bloomberg): Indonesia's death toll from avian influenza rose to 23 after a World Health Organization-accredited laboratory in Hong Kong confirmed the infection in one-year-old girl who died on March 23.

The site of the mudflow disaster in Sidoarjo, East Java, has been closed to the public, with the authorities fearing a repeat of the Aug. 29 explosion that killed one man.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The State Electricity Company (PT PLN) will issue Syariah bonds worth between US$2 billion and US$2.5 billion.

PETALING JAYA: AirAsia Bhd's net profit dived 44% to RM22.8mil for the third quarter ended March 31, compared with RM40.7mil a year ago.

National number one men's singles player Taufik Hidayat resumed his charmed run in the US$250,000 Djarum Indonesian Open badminton championships by defeating higher-ranked Bao Chunlai of China in Sunday's final.

TEMPO Interactive, Palu: Police officers will take Group 16 by force, if they do not abide by the police summons.

PANGKALPINANG, Bangka Belitung (Antara): Six Cambodians remain jailed despite having completed their two-year terms for fishing illegally in Indonesian waters, an immigration official saidSunday.

Sydney (ANTARA News) - Australian police have arrested and charged three men with alleged links with a terrorist organisation after counter-terrorism teams swooped on Melbourne`s northern suburbs, a top policeman said on Saturday.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Secretary General of the Democratic Party, Marzuki Alie said Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla will be teamed again in the next President Election 2009. He confirmed this from an informal meeting with Kalla recently.
“Clearly in these five years they are both committed to work well, fulfilling their campaign promises. If the work is good, society will certainly be satisfied and they will be re-elected,” Marzuki told Tempo by phone yesterday (3/4).

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The People’s Cepu Block Reservation Movement has gained the support of members of the People’s Anti-colonialism Movement.

SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Rapid global warming poses a variety of security threats to the Asia Pacific region that have been "seriously underestimated," a new study says.

Members of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG), tasked with proposing recommendations for the ASEAN Charter, are close to agreeing on means to strengthen the role of the ASEAN secretary-general and effecting a sanction mechanism for recalcitrant members.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: A total of Rp12.7 trillion has been allocated by the Indonesian government for funding Papua's special autonomy.
In the State Budget 2006, the fundingfor Papua and West Irian Jaya is recorded at Rp16 trillion.

BANGKOK (AP): The fate of 54 orangutans illegally smuggled into Thailand nearly two years ago will be decided at a meeting of Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian wildlife officials later this month, officials said Monday.

An acute lack of leadership on the part of President Susilo Bambang Yudhohoyono's government to act decisively on unpopular, yet good, measures is an apt way to describe this ongoing business saga.

The best-performing oil investment comes from trees in Malaysia, not the deserts of Saudi Arabia.

Medical workers report a jump in the number of villagers with respiratory problems near the gas well accident in Porong district, East Java, with the authorities still puzzled about stemming the uncontrolled toxic mudflow.