Readwrotes Blog

  Street dance: A group of children perform a dance during a march to commemorate the International Falun Dafa Day at Mega Kuningan area in South Jakarta on Saturday. The international day falls on May 13. – JP/ J. Adiguna The Jakarta Post | Sat, 05/15/2010 5:44 PM | National 

In control                                                         JP/Irma Rahmi Damayanti The Jakarta Post | Sat, 05/15/2010 6:19 PM | Opinion

  Fire of fury: An anti-government protester carries a tire to be burnt as smoke plummets in the streets during a shooting between them and Thai soldiers in Bangkok. Thai troops clashed with protesters for a third day in Bangkok on Saturday. – AP/Wong Maye-E   Associated Press, Bangkok | Sat, 05/15/2010 8:51 PM | World Thailand's prime minister struck a defiant tone Saturday on national television, saying his government will not bow to demonstrators demanding his resignation. Explosions and street fighting have killed 22 people and wounded more than 170 since the government attempted Thursday to seal off a 1-square-mile (3-square-kilometer) zone the Red Shirt protesters have occupied in one of the capital's most upscale areas. In his first comments since the latest violence erupted, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva defended the army's actions. "The government must move forward. We cannot retreat because we are doing things that will benefit th...

  Transfer of skill: Former Liverpool star Ian Rush shares his footballing skill during a coaching clinic at Soemantri Brodjonegoro Stadium in South Jakarta on Saturday. Around 1,200 students from 112 junior high schools were invited to the coaching clinic. – JP/ J. Adiguna The Jakarta Post | Sat, 05/15/2010 5:24 PM | Sports 

Be ready to dig deeper into your pocket  when you want to have a sauna, go to the karaoke, get a massage, attend a fashion show or a beauty contest, or to play billiard starting from next month in Jakarta. When the City Council approves the revision of 11 bylaws this month, you are required to pay up to 75 percent of entertainment tax. The bylaw revision covers tax on automotives, vehicle ownership change, parking fees and on entertainment. Governor Fauzi Bowo is obliged to propose the changes as the consequence of the implementation of the 2009 Law on Regional Tax and Levy. Just look at the following examples: Now  perhaps you pay Rp 100,000 (US$11) for a one-hour massage. Next month you must pay another Rp 75,000 just for the tax. The total payment is Rp 175,000. Naturally you are also expected to tip. Next: You want to drink beer at a night club. Say the price is Rp 30,000 per bottle. In June the price will be Rp 52,500. For parking your car, Governor Fauzi...

The planned joint venture between state-owned PT Krakatau Steel (KS) and South Korean-based company Posco may be in limbo after State-Owned Enterprises Minister Mustafa Abubakar suggested Krakatau prepare a "plan B". "I have told the *Krakatau* management to settle the negotiation *with Posco* this year, or prepare a new plan, like constructing a new steel plant itself," Mustafa told reporters in Jakarta on Friday. Mustafa said that although the steel plant without Posco's investment would have to operate on a smaller scale in terms of production capacity, the plant will be able boost Krakatau's steel production and generate additional income. "The capacity *of the new plant* may be about one million metric tons of steel plate annually, smaller than five million tons, which had been planned in the joint venture," he said. Posco and Krakatau planned to set up a joint venture to construct a steel plant in Tangerang, Banten,...

 The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 05/16/2010 12:37 PM | Archipelago An earthquake measuring 5.1 on Richter scale jolted Palu on Sunday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The temblor occured at 11.57 a.m. local time and was centered 47 kilometers southeast Palu at a depth of 13 kilometers, the Geophysics, Climatology, and Meteorology Agency (BMKG) said. The quake did not cause a tsunami.

  Families of the May 12, 1998 Trisakti shooting victims strew flowers at a memorial in Trisakti University, West Jakarta, during a commemoration ceremony on Wednesday. Law and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar said Wednesday the the government has given up investigating who was behind the the May 1998 riots. Antara/Paramayuda Antara | Wed, 05/12/2010 1:39 PM | Jakarta