Jakarta  - The way has been cleared for the execution of three Muslim militants convicted for their roles in the 2002 Bali bombings, Indonesian Attorney General Hendarman Supandji said Monday.

"I hope (the execution) could take place before the fasting month of Ramadan," Supandji was quoted as saying by the state-run Antara news agency.

Supandji did not specify a date or time for the execution. Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims around the world, is expected to begin in early September.

Jakarta - Indonesian police have detained 41 people in the country's easternmost province of Papua for allegedly hoisting separatist flags, a media report said Sunday. 

Papua police spokesman Senior Commissioner Agus Rianto said that the arrests took place Saturday in Papua's Fakfak district. All 41 are former political prisoners, he said. 

Three of the detainees hoisted the Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag belonging to the Free Papua Movement (OPM) separatist group in front of the former people's self-determination vote (Pepera) office, the Jakarta Post reported. 

Agus said that police had seized the flag and several documents, written in a local dialect, as well as several bladed weapons as evidence. 

Bali, Indonesia - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed regret Tuesday but stopped short of apologizing for the violence that accompanied East Timor's UN-sponsored independence vote in 1999.

"We convey very deep regret of what happened in the past that has caused the loss of lives and property," Yudhoyono said after receiving a report of a truth inquiry which blames Jakarta for crimes against humanity during East Timor's independence vote nearly a decade ago.

"The government of Indonesia will immediately study and follow up the finding," he said.

Jakarta - Indonesia will lodge a formal protest against Yale University for its environmental performance index (EPI) report, which ranked Indonesia one of the world's least environmentally friendly countries, a local news report said Monday.

The Jakarta Post reported that Amanda Katili, the State Ministry for the Environment's special expert on climate change, was scheduled to fly to the United States Monday to present the newest forestry data in an attempt to refute the EPI report.

State Minister of the Environment Rachmat Witoelar was quoted as saying the report was unfair. "It is absurd because all the data is invalid," he said.

Jakarta - Indonesia kicked off Saturday a lengthy nine-month election campaign for next year's parliamentary elections with a call to all political parties eligible to run in the upcoming polls to

Jakarta - Indonesia and Brazil agreed on Saturday to further boost cooperation in ethanol production.