Jakarta  - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono looks poised for re-election this year in the absence of a credible challenger, but his popularity could wane as Indonesians begin to feel the effects of the global financial crisis, analysts said.

Opinion polls show Yudhoyono is a hands-on favourite in the July 8 presidential election, be the second time for a president to be directly elected by the people, with about 50 per cent of the vote.

Kuala Lumpur - An Indonesian man was crushed to death when an 8-metre-long slab of concr

Jakarta- Indonesia's dozens of political parties ended Sunday their nationwide campaigns for the April 9 parliamentary elections, to be followed by presidential elections in July.

More than 171 million voters are eligible to elect some 18,000 national, provincial and district legislators across the country as well as the regional representatives council.

Jakarta  - An

Jayapura, Indonesia - Thousands of independence supporters rallied in Indonesia's Papua region Friday to call for a boycott of next week's national legislative elections, activists said.

The protestors gathered in the Papuan provincial capital, Jayapura, and three other districts - Nabire, Wamena and Biak - to demand a referendum on self-determination for the easternmost province.

Activists said the rallies coincided with the launch of a pressure group called International Lawyers for Papua in the United States.

Jakarta  - Indonesia's central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 7.5 per cent Friday to stimulate growth amid the slowing global economy.

Bank Indonesia has reduced the rate by 175 basis points so far this year and has cut it for five-straight months.

"The global economy is still grappling with uncertainty even though there has been positive sentiment related to the G20 agreement to push for improvement in the global capital and financial markets," Bank Indonesia said in a statement.