Readwrotes Blog

The Associated Press | Thu, 03/04/2010 1:02 PM | Photo Chinese military officers arrive outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Thursday. China says it will boost its defense budget by 7.5 percent this year, the first time in more than 15 years it has announced a less than double-digit percentage increase. AP/Ng Han Guan

The Jakarta Post | Fri, 03/05/2010 9:18 AM | Headlines JP/P.J. Leo Holding her school bag above her head, a student crosses a submerged area in Kampung Pulo, Kampung Melayu district, East Jakarta, on Thursday. Flooding returned to Kampung Melayu and neighboring Bukit Duri as the Ciliwung river overflowed, forcing many local residents to flee to higher ground.

Endy M. Bayuni , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 03/05/2010 9:56 AM | Headlines President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono must feel a strong sense of betrayal after three parties in his coalition government turned their backs on him during Wednesday’s vote on the Bank Century bailout case, at the House of Representatives. Golkar, the Prosperous and Justice Party (PKS) and the United Development Party (PPP) joined the opposition camp to reject the November 2008 bailout, paving the way for a legal case against Vice President Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati as main figures responsible for the controversial bailout decision. The vote should have been plain sailing for Yudhoyono because on paper, since the six parties in his coalition control more than three-quarters of the House seats. Instead, he suffered a 325-212 defeat, supported only by his own Democratic Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the National Awakening Party

Hans David Tampubolon and Aditya Suharmoko , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 03/05/2010 9:30 AM | Headlines Attention turned to Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Vice President Boediono Thursday as people awaited their response on the vote of no confidence made by the House of Representatives a day earlier on the Bank Century bailout. The 325-212 vote stated that the Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million) bailout was unwarranted. Mulyani presented the government’s opinion on the 2008 state budget implementation. She insisted that she protected the economy based on authority she was entitled to by existing laws. “The priority in this process is the truth. “I, both personally and in my political position, try to put the truth in front,” she said. “In this case, the truth is to enforce the law to protect the society and the economy against volatility and to avoid a possible crisis.” She gave the government’s opinion before the same House who vote