Indonesian prosecutors want to change the method of executing criminals to lethal injection from the firing squad, the attorney general said Thursday.

A powerful earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra killing at least 70 people and destroying hundreds of buildings. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins in Jakarta has more.

Scientists using NASA satellite and rainfall data have linked the recent El Nino to the greatest rise in wildfire activity in Indonesia since the record-breaking 1997-98 El Nino.

A team of biologists with the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have recorded for the first time the call of the extremely rare Sumatran ground cuckoo, found only on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.

Burma's foreign minister has told Indonesian officials that his country hopes to finish drafting a new constitution by the end of the year. The comments came as the two countries sign new agreements to expand cooperation. Chad Bouchard reports from Jakarta.

As floodwaters recede in the Indonesian capital, residents have begun cleaning their neighborhoods, and tens of thousands are living in temporary shelters. Heavy rains inundated three-quarters of the city over the past week, killing at least 94 people in Jakarta and neighboring provinces, and forcing hundreds of thousands from their homes. Chad Bouchard reports from Jakarta.

The U.S. Embassy warned its citizens to avoid contact with stray cats in Indonesia, saying there had been confirmed reports the animals in the country were able to carry the deadly bird flu virus.

About two-thirds of Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, is under water. Heavy seasonal rains have caused massive flooding, leaving at least 25 people dead and more than 350,000 homeless. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins reports from Jakarta.

Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf is winning support from leaders of the Muslim world on a new plan for peace in the Middle East. Chad Bouchard reports from Jakarta, where Mr. Musharraf has been meeting with Indonesian leaders.