State run Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) said that it has signed up a strategic deal with Indonesia based Sumber Mitra Jaya.

The top mining and construction equipment manufacturing company signed the deal to bid for forthcoming contract mining business.

The consortium approach consists of agreement for investments in contract mining in which BEML will make 30% investment, while the remaining 70% will be made by the Indonesian company.

Jakarta - A herd of wild elephants went on a rampage in Riau province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra Wednesday, trampling an elderly man to death and destroying property, state-run media reported.

A herd of estimated 40 pachyderms entered Balai Makam village in Bengkalis district at dawn, forcing the residents to flee in panic.

The official Antara news agency quoted a local community leader as saying that one wild elephant trampled an

Jakarta  - An international Islamic economic conference ended Wednesday with calls for the reduction of trade barriers, development of alternative energy sources and stricter regulations in the global financial industry.

The three-day World Islamic Economic Forum in Jakarta, attended by 1,500 delegates from 38 countries, discussed ways to deal with the global financial crisis and food security, as well as exploring possibilities for non-carbon fuels.

Jakarta - Four Indonesians have died of bird flu this year, bringing the national death toll from the disease to 119, an official said Tuesday.

Three of the victims were from West Java province while the other lived in East Java, said the official, who declined to be identified because the person was not authorized to speak to the media.

The official declined to give further details.

Indonesia has the highest death toll in the world from bird flu.

Since last year Indonesia has stopped announcing bird flu deaths on a case-by-case basis and instead reported them every few months.

Jakarta  - A tiger mauled two people to death in Jambi on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, bringing to eight the number of humans killed by the endangered beasts in the province this year, an official said Tuesday.

The two victims, identified as Musmuliadi, 31, and Musliadi, 30, were attacked on Sunday night while working in an illegal logging camp in a forest in Jambi province, said the head of the provincial Natural Conservation Office, Didy Wurjanto.

Jakarta - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Monday called on Muslims and non-Muslims to join hands in overcoming the economic crisis by taking the right policy measures and showing unyielding determination.

"The crises will not go away by themselves. We must come to grips with them, overcome them and make sure their history is never more repeated," he said in his opening remarks at the fifth World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in Jakarta.

"The only way to do that is for all of us in the human race - Muslims and non-Muslims - to work closely together as we have never done before."