Jakarta - A ferry carrying some 60 people caught fire Friday in rough seas off the eastern Indonesian island on Maluku province, killing seven people and injuring five others, media reports said.

The Usaha Baru motorized ferry was en route from Ambon port of Tagalaya to three other small islands on Maluku province when it caught fire on Friday morning, the state-run Antara news agency reported.

Port officials said that the fire engulfed the ferry after sailing about four hours, panicking all people as they jumped off into the rough sea for safety.

Officials quoted survivors as saying the fire broke out from the ferry's engine room.

Jakarta - At least eight people were killed and five others injured when a passenger bus collided Friday with minivan on Java's northern coastal highway, media reports said.

The accident took place at about 2:30 am (1930 GMT Thursday) in the West Java district of Subang, about 70-kilometres east of Jakarta, when the west-bound bus collided with a packed minivan, the state-run Antara news agency reported.

Jakarta - Going home for Eid al-Fitr is seen as an obligation for Muslims, but when you live in Indonesia - the world's fourth most-populous nation which is also the world's most-populous Muslim country - the journey can be a logistical nightmare.

The obstacles do not daunt millions of Muslims who have just completed the Ramadan month of fasting - during which they are barred from eating, drinking or having sex from dawn to dusk - and are now ready to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, or what the locals call Lebaran.

"Going home for Eid al-Fitr celebration is quite an exhaustive journey. But we're happy," claims Sungkono, the father of three. "It's an occasion of double joy - and a double headache."

Jakarta - Indonesian police have arrested 18 suspected rebels in the country's easternmost province of Papua for hoisting a separatist flag, officials said Tuesday.

The detainees allegedly raised the "Bintang Kejora," or "Morning Star" flag on a street outside the office of the independent Papuan Customary Council in Papua's Timika Kwamki Baru sub-district, about 100 meters from a police precinct station.

Jakarta - Indonesia will boost security nationwide ahead of Eid al-Fitr, the celebrations marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, when tens of millions of people will be traveling across the country, officials said Tuesday.

Inspector General Imam Haryatna, chief of the security department at Indonesia's National Police, said as many as 98,000 police officers would be deployed across the country for security operations. Nationwide, there are around 200,000 national police officers.

Sydney, September 19 : Microsoft has axed American comedian Jerry Seinfeld from its 300million-dollar ad campaign to spruce up Windows Vista''s image just two weeks since the first ad aired, and roped in a host of celebrities, including author Deepak Chopra.

Actress Eva Longoria and singer Pharrell Williams are also said to have been hired for the campaign.

The company has revealed that it was always the plan that only the first two ads would feature Seinfeld, who was paid 10million dollars to be part of the campaign.