Jakarta - A 2-year-old Indonesian girl died from bird flu, raising the country's world-leading death toll from the H5N1 virus to 113, while another 9-year old girl has been infected by the virus, the health ministry said Wednesday.

The girl from the Indonesian capital Jakarta died on November 29 after developing symptoms on November 18, ministry spokeswoman Lily Sriwahyuni said.

She said the girl was brought to Jakarta's Omni Medical Centre on November 26, before being sent to the Sulianti Saroso Hospital, which is designated to treat bird flu patients in the capital, on November 29. She died one day later.

Bali, Indonesia - Indonesia and Australia pledged Wednesday to intensify efforts to fight against human trafficking, and Jakarta will soon to extradite an Iranian national to face such charges in Australia.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono agreed that "we would further deepen our cooperation at the operational field level in dealing with the challenges of people smuggling."

Rudd, who was on the Indonesian resort island of Bali to attend a regional forum to promote democracy, said an Iranian national suspected of smuggling people to Australia will soon be extradited from Indonesia.

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 - 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.

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.