‘Biggest Event in Island’s History’ NUSA DUA ~ The first-ever Asian Beach Games will be held in Bali next year, with up to 10,000 people expected to arrive, in what the organizers say will be the “biggest event in the history of Bali.” Read entire article… »

JAKARTA ~ A court’s acquittal of US mining giant Newmont of dumping toxic waste would reassure companies operating here and may boost Indonesia’s drive to attract foreign investors, analysts said. Read entire article… »

The lead story in this week’s paper, revealing details of what is said to be the largest event to ever be held on this island, is a major step forward for Bali on the world stage. We applaud the Olympic Council of Asia for its no-bid decision to stage the first Asian Beach Games at [...]

SEMINYAK ~ Foreign residents and Indonesians traveling abroad are still required to pay a so-called fiscal tax upon departure, a tax official told The Bali Times on Thursday, denying rumors this week based on erroneous media reports that it had been scrapped. Earlier reports that the controversial policy had been lifted and that no such [...]

I Made Sutarjana is a supervisor at the Maya Ubud Resort and Spa. A father of two, the 36-year-old practices white magic and uses it, he says, to communicate with spirits. Made shared his day with The Bali Times’ Arga Sagitarini Read entire article… »

KUALA LUMPUR ~ Indonesian waters remain the most dangerous in the world, accounting for nearly a quarter of all pirate attacks in the first three months of the year, an international maritime watchdog said. Overall, however, attacks reported globally fell by nearly a third to 41 compared with the same period last year, the London-based [...]

SINGAPORE ~ Singapore and Indonesia have agreed on an extradition treaty that Jakarta hopes will boost its fight against corruption, the foreign ministers of both nations said. Read entire article… »

SAN FRANCISCO ~ Apple reported its profits surged 88 percent in the recent quarter on thriving sales of iPod music players and Macintosh computers. Apple said its profits in the quarter ending March 31 amounted to US$770 million, or 87 cents per share, compared to $410 million, or 47 cents per share, in the same [...]

WASHINGTON ~ Alcohol abuse damages women’s brains and other organs more rapidly than men’s, according to a new study. Women suffered from alcoholism sooner and while drinking smaller quantities than men, according to authors of the study published in the May issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Researchers gave 78 male and [...]

JAKARTA ~ Indonesia’s neighbors will take over control of its air traffic if the sprawling archipelago’s aircraft tracking system fails, under a plan released this week, according to officials. The plan for Indonesia’s air traffic control system was developed following a slew of recent plane disasters that have claimed more than 100 lives, they said. [...]

Name: Desak Rina Atmoka Age: 27 Occupation: Secretary From: Karangasem Marital status: Single Read entire article… »

JAKARTA ~ Thousands of mine workers in Papua province have returned to work after a subsidiary of US firm Freeport McMoRan agreed to salary and benefit demands, a labor activist said. “We finally reached an agreement last night at around 11pm and today all workers who are on shift have returned to work,” Penina Karma, [...]