Following are some leading stories in the main Indonesian newspapers on June 5. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. Telephone: Editorial: +62-21-384-6364. Fax: +62-21-344-8404 or Help Desk: +803-061-2124 (toll free). - - - - JAKARTA POST - GAMMA-RAY RADIATED RICE TO BE LAUNCHED A new type of rice seed that is irradiated by gamma rays will resist more pests than normal rice and could double the usual harvest yield, an official from the National Nuclear Energy Agency said. The rice will be introduced at a technology expo in August. - INDONESIA OPPOSES BINDING CUTS FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar said binding emissions cuts for developing nations were unfair and that Indonesia would not heed them. - GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS 10 PCT CIGARETTE TAX HIKE The Director General of Customs and Excise, Anwar Suprijadi, said the government is considering raising cigarette taxes by 10 percent to boost government revenue. - - - - JAKARTA GLOBE - MEGAWATI'S CAMPAIGN TEAM QUESTIONS SURVEY'S INDEPENDENCE A member of the election campaign team for presidential candidate Megawati Sukarnoputri has questioned whether a leading survey firm, Indonesian Survey Institute, is independent because it receives funding from a company linked to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. LSI confirmed it does receive such funding but said that does not influence the survey's results. - - - - INVESTOR DAILY - BANKS LEND 5 TRLN RPH TO INDUSTRIES IN FIRST 4 MONTHS Indonesian banks have lent 5 trillion rupiah ($496 million) to industries during the first four months of 2009 and plan to increase their lending targets as economic conditions improve, said central bank director Halim Alamsyah. - JASA MARGA TO OPERATE SURAMADU BRIDGE Indonesia's PT Jasa Marga Tbk <JSMR.JK> has been appointed as the toll road operator for Suramadu bridge, which links East Java's capital Surabaya and Madura Island, for a one-and-a-half-year period, Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto said. - INDUSTRY MINISTRY INCREASES CAR SALES TARGET IN 2009 The Industry Ministry has increased its car sales target this year to 480,000 units from 420,000 units previously because it expects economic conditions to improve, said Budi Darmadi, director-general of transportation at the ministry. - - - - BISNIS INDONESIA - PERTAMINA TO IMPORT GASOLINE AND DIESEL FUEL State oil and gas firm PT Pertamina plans to import around 400,000 barrels of gasoline and diesel fuel to maintain stocks for the next ten days while a crude distillation unit at Cilacap refinery is being repaired, said Tubagus Haryono, the head of the downstream oil and gas regulatory body. - - - - KONTAN - CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PUSH FOR LOWER INTEREST RATES Indonesia's chamber of commerce plans to send a letter of complaint to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asking him to push commercial banks to lower lending rates following cuts in the central bank's benchmark rate, chairman MS Hidayat said. - - - - ($1 = 10,075 rupiah)
An orangutan yawns at the Singapore Zoo June 4, 2009. The Singapore Zoo has been responsible for the successful births of 33 orangutans, an endangered species, since its opening in 1973. ...
