Jakarta  - Foreign ministers of 10 nations will meet in Jakarta next week to celebrate the new charter of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the regional grouping said Tuesday.

The event at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta on December 15 will mark the effective date of the regional bloc's guiding constitution, the Secretariat said in a statement.

"The entry into force of the Charter is a historic milestone for the organization, repositioning ASEAN to better meet the challenges of the 21st century," Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said.

Jakarta - Indonesia's central bank on Thursday lowered its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 9.25 per cent, an unexpected move aimed at helping shield its economy from the global financial crisis.

It was the first cut since Bank Indonesia lowered its key interest rate in December.

"The decision to cut the rate was taken after evaluating financial and economic prospects, both in the domestic and global market," the central bank said in a statement.

The bank said it hoped the rate cut would help maintain domestic economic stability amid the global economic meltdown.

Jakarta - Dozens of Indonesian victims of an industrial accident sought refuge inside the Dutch embassy in Jakarta Wednesday, as hundreds of others rallied outside the presidential palace to demand speedier compensation for their properties.

About 70 victims set up camp outside the embassy, claiming that they have no other place to live since a mud volcano buried their homes in 2006.

Jakarta, Nov 30 : Visiting Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil arrived at Jakarta on Sunday in her last leg of tour to Vietnam and Indonesia.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Dr. Hassan Wiraynda and Minister for Women Empowerment Frida Hatta received the President at the airport.

During her visit, the President is schedule to meet President of the Republic of Indonesia Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Jakarta  - Indonesian share prices increased by more than 3.2 per cent Friday, in line with advances on some other Asian markets.

Jakarta  - Indonesia's anti-corruption watchdog arrested a relative of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in connection with the misappropriation of millions of dollars in bank funds, media reports said Friday.

After several hours of questioning, Aulia Tantowi Pohan, the father-in-law of Yudhoyono's son, was arrested Thursday in connection with an 8-million-dollar graft case at the country's central bank.