MAINTAINING that it was a big sacrifice, Mayor of Surabaya Tri Rismaharini finally closed down the legendary red light districts of Gang Dolly (Dolly Lane) and Jarak, located in the city's Putat Jaya district. The closure was executed symbolically, through a declaration signed by hundreds of approving citizens. Those who opposed the closure, took to the streets to protest.

BEFORE and after the recent legislative elections and just ahead of the presidential polls, Muhammad Yusuf's workload doubled dramatically. This is because the data he must scrutinize at the Financial Transactions Reporting and Analysis Center (PPATK), where he is chairman, has also increased incrementally. The PPATK has found more suspicious financial and cash transactions based on reports from banks and finance companies. "The number has gone up by 20 to 25 percent compared to previous years," said Yusuf.

CONSTITUTIONAL Court Chief Justice Hamdan Zoelva turned red and his voice rose one decibel higher as he presided over the lawsuit submitted by the Jambi-based National Democrat Party. Two of the three witnesses had given conflicting information. When they were questioned further, they had no valid data. "It was very clear they were making it all up," Hamdan told Tempo.

JUST when he thought he had reached retirement age from his job as a diplomat, Makarim Wibisono was given a new task by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). It asked him to be a special rapporteur on human rights issues in Palestine. He is the first Indonesian diplomat to be given that mandate.

APPOINTED by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as Indonesia's chief economist two weeks ago, businessman Chairul Tanjung lost no time in getting started. After all, a host of problems awaited him, like stabilizing food prices, with the holy month of Ramadan fast approaching. Then there's the unfinished business of contract renegotiations with mining giants Freeport and Newmont, and more importantly deciding the fate of the Sunda Strait Bridge mega-project which the President had approved, amid clamorous protests.

Tanjung, a former chairman of the National Economic Committee, said he would only spend Monday to Wednesday in his Jakarta office, while the rest of the week would be spent in traveling to the provinces. "I will use a private plane at my own cost to facilitate mobility. I have asked the attorney general and he gave me the green light. But just to be sure, I also checked with the KPK," he explained. Tanjung feels that resolving the many issues in the regions can accelerate the engine of growth.