Blackberry agrees to filter porn in Indonesia

With cell phone maker Blackberry agreeing to block pornography in its Indonesian phones, the country's communication ministry said the company has until Friday to finalize the mechanism, local media reported on Monday.

Indonesian Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring said Canadian-based tech company Research in Motion (RIM) will not be able to extend or modify the deadline, warning that if it is not able to create a pornography website filter in its smartphones, its permits would be revoked, the Jakarta Globe reported.

Strong quake hits off Southern Sumatra

A strong earthquake struck off Southern Sumatra in Indonesia on early Tuesday morning, seismologists said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The 6.5-magnitude earthquake at 2.20 a.m. local time (1920 GMT Monday) was centered about 155 kilometers (95 miles) south-southeast of Bengkula on the west coast of Sumatra. It struck about 34.4 kilometers (21.4 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the country's seismological agency.

Indonesia aids Australian flash flooding with $1 million

The Government of Indonesia will be sending $1 million to help the relief efforts in Australia's Lockyer Valley flash flooding which has, according to the latest report, killed 18 people, the country's state-run Antara news agency reported on Monday.

"I have written to the National Disaster Mitigation Board (BNPB) to send $1 million in funds to Queensland," Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono said.

Laksono said the order was received directly from Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, adding that Australia has previously shown constant support in Indonesian disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes.

Indonesia backs East Timor's ASEAN membership

Indonesia on Sunday expressed its support of East Timor's bid to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), local media reported.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said the country "openly supports" East Timor's wish to join ASEAN, which currently has 10 members, Indonesia's state-run media Antara news agency reported.

Even though no official application has been submitted, Natalegawa said he had heard that East Timor would begin processing it this year to follow the ASEAN membership stages.

Six Indonesian companies involved in $187 million tax fraud

An Indonesian lawmaker on Friday announced that six local companies were involved in an alleged $187 million tax fraud, the Jakarta Globe reported.

Markus Melkias Mekeng, member of the House of Representatives, identified the companies as Permata Hijau Sawit, Asian Agri Group, Wilmar Nabati Indonesia, Alfa Kurnia, INJ Internasional and EMA Mojokerto Hospital.

Mekeng is also a member of the House's Commission XI which oversees financial affairs. He said that the companies were identified following a Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) report.

Six children died of food poisoning in Central Java

CENTRAL JAVA, INDONESIA -- Six children over the weekend were killed due to food poisoning in Central Java, the Jakarta Globe reported on Monday.
The six victims were residents of Jebol village in Jepara district. The six children died after eating 'tiwul' a traditional dish made from cassava. Two died on Saturday, then two more succumbed on Sunday and finally four more died this Monday.
Their father Jamhamid said that the food was prepared by the mother Sunayah for breakfast on Saturday. Luftiana, 22, the oldest, complained of a headache after eating and vomited many times.
Jamhamid took her oldest daughter to the village's clinic who said that she only suffered a minor illness. However Luftiana and Abdul Amin, 3, died on Saturday. The next day, Kusrianto, 5, and Hisyam Ali, 13 died as well.
On Monday, Saidatul Kusniah, 8, and Faridatul Solihah, 15, died and left the death toll at six casualties. The mother and father did not fall ill as they did not eat much.
Tiwul is made from dried cassava powder which is steamed and eaten with saved coconut and palm sugar. Jamhamid, a tailor, had to change from rice to cassava two weeks ago as he could no longer afford rice.
Jepara Police Chief Adj. Comr. Ruslan Ependi said that his department has launched an investigation on the matter to rule out any foul play. Police is waiting for lab results in the meantime.

Indonesia jails another 10 people linked to Aceh terror group

JAKARTA, INDONESIA - Ten Indonesians linked to the terrorist paramilitary camp in the country's Aceh province were sentenced on Thursday from 8 to 10 years in a Jakarta court, prosecutors said.

Tengku Muktar, who threw a grenade at a UNICEF representative office, fired at a German national, as well as a U.S. national renting a house in Aceh, was given the longest prison term of 12 years.