INDONESIA: After eight months in the job, Indonesia's well-intentioned but perhaps naive president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, discovered on Saturday why most heads of government don't give out their mobile phone numbers to get closer to their people.
Less than two hours after Father SBY, as he is known, told a group of disgruntled farmers that his number was +62 811 109 949, and they should call him at any time, his phone was besieged by texts.
Luckily for Mr Yudhoyono, the network crashed after the first 3,000 messages were sent to his phone. But what do Indonesians want of their first directly elected leader?
Presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng says there was a wide range of requests: from the encouraging "Congratulations for your fight against corruption! We're right behind you" to the pleading, "My village chief is so corrupt. Please send someone to investigate him." - (Guardian service)