INDONESIA DENIES CLEMENCY TO SMUGGLERS

Indonesia's president rejected clemency pleas by five foreign drug smugglers and will push ahead with their executions. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono refused the appeals by the five - from Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan and Brazil. Indonesian authorities are now pushing ahead with the execution of the five, newspaper Pos Kota reported. Four of the five who had their clemency pleas rejected were convicted of smuggling between 900g and 3.8kg of heroin in 2001. They are Nepalese national Indra Bahadur Tamang, 28; Nigerians Samuel Iwuchukuwu Okoye, 38, and Hansen Anthony Nwaliosa; and Pakistani M Abdul Hafeez, 39. Brazilian national Marcho Archer Cardoso Moreira, 45, was convicted of smuggling 13.8kg cocaine in 2004. "I am now coordinating with the attorney general office and embassies of those convicted for the executions because they have had a final legal decision," the head of Tangerang Prosecution Office Godang Riadi Siregar told Pos Kota newspaper.