Request: A Hindu couple in their early 20s pray to the gods for a long and prosperous future as they start their lives together during this recent marriage ceremony in Dukuk village in central Bali. As is often the custom, the couple – a wood carver and painter, and his now-wife, a waitress – decided [...]

JAKARTA ~ The government hopes to maintain economic growth at the 6.1 percent it reached in the fourth quarter of 2006, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said this week. “Economic growth reached 6.1 percent in the last quarter of 2006. We will try our best to keep it at the same level in 2007,” she [...]

By Annabel Thomas For The Bali Times SEMINYAK, Bali ~ These days, anyone who dives beyond their own shores (or is lucky enough to live here) knows the Indo-Pacific is the world’s richest marine bio-geographical region. It is much less well-known that, within this vast region, the triangle from Bali to West Papua to the [...]

Thailand’s forests were once teeming with ghosts but as the trees have been gradually cleared to make way for farms, towns and factories, the spirits have also moved on. For people like Ornta Laokam, who for decades made his living as his father and grandfather had before him – by catching ghosts and freeing the [...]

Tjokorda Istri Putra Hadriyani, 60, is a lecturer in the Balinese-language department of Udayana University; from the Ubud Palace, she now lives in Denpasar What’s the greatest lesson life has taught you? To solve problems as calmly and wisely as you can. From my point of view as a Balinese woman, I have a lot [...]

JAKARTA ~ At least 15 people, including three children, were killed on Thursday when a ferry carrying more than 200 passengers caught fire shortly after leaving the nation’s capital, navy officials said. Read entire article… »

Still on the same evening, gorgeous gal about town Irma Lengkong held a fantastic birthday bash at Baccio for a super fun crowd of champagne-swilling revelers. The packed-out bash saw the very heady crowd fall under the erotic spell of saucy male dancers (thanks from all the girls on that one, darling!), feathered entertainers and [...]

Barely just in town a minute, one of Exotiq Properties new recruits, Georgia Edwards, threw an opening welcome bash at her fab new digs in Seminyak last week. Exotic indeed. Loads of fantastic food, including foil-baked salmon, pesto risotto and a brill Moroccan chicken dish supplied by the eternally stylish Barb Tollitt, was washed down [...]

AMSTERDAM ~ Shares in Dutch investment bank ABN Amro surged on the Amsterdam stock exchange on Wednesday as investors reacted to a proposal to break up the group. ABN Amro confirmed on Wednesday that it had received a letter from British hedge fund TCI, which owns 1 percent of the company, asking the board to [...]

Name: Meghan Pappenheim Age: 34 Occupation: Businesswoman From: New York Marital status: Married with a daughter Read entire article… »

JAKARTA ~ The government is embarking on an ambitious biofuel program that has already attracted more than US$17 billion in foreign and domestic investment and criticism from conservationists worried about the country’s forests. Read entire article… »

Surabaya-born Linda Salim recently gave up her day job and branched out on her own with Sunflower Media, dealing with property firms and other sectors of industry. The Sanur-based 30-year-old shared her day with The Bali Times’ Bagus Ferriyanto. Read entire article… »