Narcissus fell in love with himself and died soon afterwards. At the age of 15, his mother had taken the handsome youth to see Tiresias, the seer.

BARELY one month in operation, Indonesia's longest toll-road, the Cikopo-Palimanan (Cipali), West Java, has already claimed fatalities. In the first week since its launch on June 14, some 54 accidents were recorded to have happened throughout the length of the 116.75-kilometer road. The one on July 6, involved a Daihatsu Gran Max van carrying 11 passengers, which hit a cement mixer, at Km 178. Seven people died and four were seriously injured as a result.

The southern coastline of East Java has the splendid beaches Goa Cina and Bajul Mati, but the offshore island of Sempu (pronounced sem-poo) is totally unique. The irregularly shaped island lies opposite the picturesque fishing village of Sendangbiru, the province's most important fishing village. A channel roughly 0.5 kilometers wide runs from southwest to northeast between the mainland and the island.

An enormous earthquake shook the bottom of the Indian Ocean on Sunday, December 26, 2004. The tectonic tremors of 9.2 on the Richter scale reached the land of Aceh. In less than an hour, sea waves as high as 30 meters rolled in from of the sea. After engulfing Aceh's shores, the waves devastated half of the province and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

Different types of cancers and tumors seem to plague Labudiala's family. Labudiala, also known as Budi, came to this conclusion after losing six of his siblings to bone and colon cancers, as well as two of his own children to brain cancer and leukemia. "So I wasn't shocked when the doctor said that I, too, had colon cancer," he said last Wednesday at his home in the Condet area of East Jakarta.

Makmun solemnly studied the Qur'an at the refugee camp in Puspa Agro Agribusiness Central Market, Jemundo, Sidoarjo, East Java, the first Friday of June. The 11-year-old boy sat in a circle along with dozens of other children. Donning a gray shirt, a sarung, and a cap on his head, Makmun sat in the front row. Although there were no loudspeakers, the chanting of verses from the Qur'an could be heard even from outside the market complex. Makmun and his friends usually join the chant after the morning prayer and before the evening maghrib call to prayer.

Noor Huda Ismail

It was only a small matter. And it did not affect people's right to life. Nor was there any connection with the decline in the national economy, or the vague rumors of a cabinet reshuffle. It was simply a case of explaining an acronym. BIN, which stands for State Intelligence Agency, was written as National Intelligence Agency.

ON June 30, Hercules C-130B plane crashed into the Jamin Ginting area of Medan. The airplane hit a Joy FM radio antenna located 3,200 meters away from the Soewondo Airport runway. The passengers consisted of 12 crew members (three were pilots), one navigator, 8 technicians, and 110 passengers. All died.

Un-Express Express Post

ADE Setiawan guided his brush with an agile hand, placing white clouds on his canvas: the last touches on the Arabic calligraphy innallah ma'asyabirin which he had drawn earlier. "It means 'God is truly with those who are patient'," he told Tempo at the Calligraphy Studio of Dar el-Qalam, Padang, West Sumatra, three weeks ago.

On Tuesday three weeks ago, a woman clad in casual attire arrived at the Tebet Taxation Service Office in South Jakarta. Wearing a T-shirt and scruffy jeans, she introduced herself to the tax officers attending to her as Carolin Carolina, the director of an electronic equipment business.

INVESTMENT
Indonesia Investment Club Established

MOHAMAD Syafi' Ali has been very busy since mid-June. In addition to his routine duties presiding over NU's online media and being on the organizing committee for the 33rd NU Conference, this slender long-haired man is on the front lines, promoting the concept of Archipelagic Islam (Islam Nusantara) or Indonesian Islam in the media.

This year, Indonesia and India mark 75 years of diplomatic relations. However, the ties between the two nations have existed much longer, predating the establishment of the Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of India. These connections span social, cultural, religious, economic, and trade aspects. But do those close ties of the past have any bearing on the present relationship? Why is there no direct flight between the capitals of the two countries?

Indian Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste, Sandeep Chakravorty, shares his views on this matter at TEMPO TALKS.