| top news | Indonesia Tops Asean Investment Survey Businesspeople in the region see Indonesia as the top investment destination in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, according to a survey released on Thursday. Heru Andriyanto | 12:30 AM April 7, 2012  A new survey says businesspeople in the region see Indonesia as the top investment destination in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (JG Photo/Safir Makki) |
 | Syrian Army Still On the Attack as Cease-Fire Nears Beirut. Troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shelled two restive central cities and sent tanks and snipers into battle against rebels in the capital's suburbs on Friday, broadening an offensive that appeared aimed at crushing pockets of opposition less than a week before an internationally sponsored cease-fire is to take hold, activists said. | 12:36 AM April 7, 2012 Despite All the Dangers, Indonesians Keep on Puffing Astaggering 100 million people died from smoking-related diseases in the 20th century, but the projected death toll by the end of this century could blow that figure out of the water. Anita Rachman | 10:42 PM April 6, 2012 In Today's Newspaper Deforestation Pits Elephants Against Man in Nunukan Balikpapan. The clearing of forests for palm oil plantations and timber estates in the East Kalimantan district of Nunukan are increasingly pushing the scores of elephants there out of their habitat, resulting in increasing conflict with humans, a wildlife activist said Friday.
Elephants are now venturing into forest-side town, said Wiwin Effendi, a coordinator for the East Kalimantan chapter of the World Wildlife Fund. Read about it in today's Jakarta Globe or subscribe to receive the paper every day. |  |
| | business | Retail Giant Sees Growth Prospects in Indonesia's East Matahari Putra Prima, which owns the Hypermart retail chain, aims to continue its aggressive expansion in eastern Indonesia this year to tap into faster growth in the region. Francezka Nangoy | 8:04 PM April 6, 2012  Hypermart, Indonesia's second biggest hypermarket chain, is looking to expand its business in eastern Indonesia, with its 17 new stores skewed toward that part of the country. (Bloomberg Photo) |
 | Air Traffic Control Merger to Hit Angkasa Pura II Profit State airport operator Angkasa Pura II expects its profit to drop Rp 120 billion ($13.2 million) this year in light of a government plan to take over its air traffic control business, a top executive said on Thursday. Tri Listiyarini | 8:18 PM April 6, 2012 Indonesia Prevails as WTO Rejects US Ban on Sales of Clove Cigarettes Geneva/Washington. The World Trade Organization on Wednesday dealt a blow to a US law barring the sale of clove-flavored cigarettes to discourage children from smoking, saying it was unfair to Indonesia because menthol cigarettes can still be sold in the United States. Tom Miles & Doug Palmer | 8:11 PM April 6, 2012 |  |
| | sports | Football: Persib Hoping Fireworks Can Spark a Title Run Being a referee in the Indonesian Super League is a thankless task at the best of times. A target of club officials, players and fans, the blame comes from all angles. Adding insult to injury, not one referee sits on the FIFA list, eligible for international games. Antony Sutton | 8:44 PM April 6, 2012  Persib Bandung's new Brazilian striker Marcio Souza, right, is introduced to media by club manager Umuh Muchtar on Tuesday. Souza and Singaporean Noh Alam Shah will bring a feisty edge to the team's attack. (Antara Photo) |
| Football: Rooney Climbs Manchester United's Goal List London. Wayne Rooney's excellent form in Manchester United's march to a 20th English Premier League title is giving the England striker an opportunity to close in on some legendary names on the club's all-time scorers list. Steve Douglas | 8:32 PM April 6, 2012 Grand Prix Caught in Middle Of Bahrain's Power Struggle Manama, Bahrain. A year after an antigovernment revolt forced Bahrain's rulers to cancel the kingdom's coveted Formula One race, the grand prix is again smack in the middle of a power struggle. Barbara Surk & Reem Khalifa | 8:42 PM April 6, 2012 |  |
| | life & times | A Green Birthday Wish: Plant a Tree in Indonesia Jessica Tan is not your usual teenager. She counts among her hobbies reading and playing the piano and violin. One thing she doesn't do much of is that classic teenage pastime of hanging out at the mall. Jessica has other ideas when it comes to spending her free time. | 7:34 PM April 6, 2012  Jakarta high school student Jessica Tan is celebrating her 17th birthday by planting trees, and perhaps the seeds of what will become a worldwide project. (Photo courtesy of Jessica Tan) |
 | Penang's Food Hawkers See Tradition Lose Steam Soon Chuan Choo has spent 45 years sweating next to a sizzling curbside wok in Malaysia's heat, frying up flat noodles mixed with chilli sauce, prawns, tofu, cockles, egg and sprouts. | 7:51 PM April 6, 2012 Making a Scene: Ber.seni Sparks Social Dialogue Rauf Prasodjo, 26, is a mild-mannered young man. He speaks quickly, intelligently and in moderate tones. In meetings, he eschews conflict and emphasizes consensus. He's an unlikely person to make a scene — yet that's precisely what he's doing. | 7:44 PM April 6, 2012 With Pride, British Author Puts Leisure Before Work To be idle and not overworked is not a sin. In 2005, British writer and editor Tom Hodgkinson wrote "How to Be Idle," a book that stands against work ethic and generally criticizes the Industrial Revolution. He is serious about spreading the spirit of idleness and is even a cofounder of "The Idler," an annual magazine that has been promoting his ideas since 1993. Last year, he set up the Idler Academy in London, which he calls "a cafe, bookstore and a center of learning," where people can celebrate a slow-paced life by enjoying music, literature, philosophy and history. Lisa Siregar | 7:40 PM April 6, 2012 |  |
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