| top news | Cheating Front and Center As National Exams Begin About 2.5 million high school and vocational students across the country are sitting through the national examination today, with the Ministry of Education and Culture determined to tighten up supervision to prevent cheating, rampant in the past. Anita Rachman | 12:38 AM April 16, 2012  A school official carries boxes of materials for Indonesia's National Examination for senior high school students. The tests will be distributed among West Java schools on Sunday. In Bandung, 136 schools will administer the test as students across Indonesia participate. (JG Photo / Rezza Estily) |
 | Down Payment Plan No Boon for Astra Astra International's stock performance lags its peers, and it might stay that way if consumers hold back on purchases of cars and motorcycles because of the government's higher down payment plan that's set to take effect in less than two months. Francezka Nangoy & Tito Summa Siahaan | 12:40 AM April 16, 2012 North Korea Gets Back to Business Seoul. One day after the humiliation of a failed satellite launch, North Korea got on with the usual agenda of extolling its leadership. Chico Harlan | 10:12 PM April 15, 2012 Police Call In Big Guns Amid Gang Warfare The National Police are joining hands with the military to clamp down on motorcycle gangs that have made recent headlines with their violence, a police officer said on Sunday. Farouk Arnaz, Bayu Marhaenjati & Lenny Tristia Tambun | 12:36 AM April 16, 2012 In Today's Newspaper Free Information Law 'Is Being Ignored' Four years after the passage of the Freedom of Information Law, the government is still only allowing very limited public access to documents, according to a coalition of seven civil society groups.
Data from the Central Information Commission in 2011 showed that only 29 percent of central government institutions had appointed officials to manage information and documents. Read about it in today's Jakarta Globe or subscribe to receive the paper every day. |  |
| | business | Is Astra Stuck in Idle Under New Down Payment Rules? Astra International's stock performance lags its peers, and it might stay that way if consumers hold back on purchases of cars and motorcycles because of the government's higher down payment plan that's set to take effect in less than two months. Francezka Nangoy & Tito Summa Siahaan | 8:34 PM April 15, 2012  Toyota Astra Motor marketing executives Joko Trisanyoto, left, and Widyawati show off the marine safety features of the Toyota Hybrid Prius, distributed by Astra International. (Antara Photo) |
 | Company Behind Sari Roti Keen to Grow Iconic Brand Most Indonesians are very familiar with the classic Sari Roti brand and its mesmerizing jingle, and now the company behind the bread loafs is eager to turn that recognition into rapid growth. Muhamad Al Azhari | 9:31 PM April 15, 2012 Indonesian Cement-Maker Holcim Boosts Dividend Payout Holcim Indonesia, the nation's third-biggest cement maker, plans to distribute Rp 425 billion ($46 million) in dividends, or the equivalent of 40 percent of its 2011 net income, its chief executive has said. Ivan Dasa Saputra | 9:44 PM April 15, 2012 |  |
| | life & times | Actresses Continue to Open New 'Doors' They have made the increasingly common but nevertheless illustrious transition from models to actresses. Now two popular Indonesian actresses are stepping behind the camera as first-time short film directors. Lisa Siregar | 6:46 PM April 15, 2012  From left to right: First time directors Luna Maya, Ilya Sigma and Sigi Wimala introduced their collaborative omnibus film 'Pintu Harmonika' at Wisma Proklamasi in Central Jakarta on Friday. (Photo courtesy of 700 Pictures) |
 | An Indonesian Mom is on a Book Mission It's not like Vera Makki didn't have her hands full already. The 35-year-old works in public relations, is a lecturer at the University of Indonesia and, most important, is a wife and the mother of an 8-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son. Katrin Figge | 5:45 PM April 15, 2012 'Disney on Ice' Offers Family Fun in Jakarta Who isn't familiar with one of Disney's most romantic scenes, when the beggar-turned-prince Aladdin takes Princess Jasmine on a magic carpet ride across the skies? Switch the magic carpet and clouds with a carpet of ice, and you have "Disney on Ice." Michael Victor Sianipar | 5:40 PM April 15, 2012 Romance Unites Stories as Cinematic Genres Collide With low budgets comes high creativity. Most young Indonesian filmmakers would do just about anything to have their films seen, and in these budget-conscious times, short films seem to be the perfect answer. Lisa Siregar | 5:38 PM April 15, 2012 |  |
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