Jakarta - A suspension bridge collapsed in Indonesia's west Sumatra province, killing three people and injuring 11 others, local media reports said Monday.

The accident took place on Sunday afternoon in Pakandangan village, Pesisir Selatan regency, when dozens of people were crossing the bridge on their way to pay homage at the grave of a noted Muslim leader, Sheikh Abdul Wahab.

To reach the grave, the devout have to cross a 90-metre suspension bridge.

Jakarta - Indonesia on Sunday marked its independence day with the reduction of jail sentences to tens of thousands of prisoners including convicted Australian drug traffickers.

More than 55,000 prisoners who have completed at least one-third of their sentences were granted reductions ranging from several weeks or months.

At least 5,700 inmates will walk free, said Untung Sugiyono, director-general of correctional institutions at the Justice and Human Rights Affairs Ministry.

Jakarta - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono warned Friday that terrorism remained a threat to the country despite various achievements in combating such attacks.

In a state of the nation address ahead the August 17 independence day, Yudhoyono said efforts to thwart and overcome transnational crime and terrorism have shown "encouraging progress."

"The security apparatus has managed to arrest, prosecute and sentence the perpetrators," Yudhoyono said, adding that police discovered a cache of home-made explosives and bombs in South Sumatra's capital of Palembang in July.

"Various achievements are very heartening to all of us, but we must continue to heighten our vigilance," he said.

Jakarta - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono unveiled Friday a draft state budget for the fiscal year 2009, forecasting economic growth of 6.2 per cent.

In a state of the nation address ahead the August 17 independence day, Yudhoyono said the government's revenues and grants in the 2009 draft state budget would amount to 1,022.6 trillion rupiah (112.37 billion dollars), while the total expenditures were forecast at 1,222.2 trillion rupiah (134.3 billion dollars).

Yudhoyono said the 2009 budget marked a 14.3-per-cent increase compared with the 2008 revised budget, predicting a budget deficit of 1.9 per cent of GDP, which will be mostly funded from domestic sources - mainly derived from the issuance of government bonds.

Singapore - The inaugural flight of AirAsia Indonesia landed at Singapore's Changi Airport Thursday, making it the third airline to start operations in Singapore this year.

Aboard the flight from Pekanbaru, the capital city of Riau province, was the carrier's chief executive officer, Dharmadi, who like many Indonesians uses only one name.

Jakarta  - Indonesia rejected a demand by a group of US congressmen for the "immediate and unconditional" release of two Papuans convicted for raising a separatist flag four years ago, a presidential spokesman said Tuesday.

Dino Patti Djalal said the foreign ministry will respond through its embassy in the United States.

"The president will not reply to the letter sent by US Congress members but the Foreign Affairs Ministry will do so through the Indonesian ambassador in Washington," Djalal told reporters.