BEIJING, China ~ China said it was in a “life or death struggle” over Tibet this week as dramatic new footage emerged of Tibetans rampaging on horseback and destroying a Chinese flag. With China deploying a massive security force to quash the uprising and sealing off flashpoint areas from foreign media, activists and a rights [...]

MANILA ~ The Asia Development Bank (ADB) is to give US$1.5 million to protect seas and rainforests in the so-called “coral triangle,” the Manila-based lender said on Wednesday. The coral triangle, which includes areas of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, has the highest marine biodiversity in the world, according to the ADB. The region [...]

Solidarity: Hindu students protested in Denpasar on Tuesday against days of unrest in Tibet that has seen over 100 people killed in protest against Chinese rule in the world’s highest region, according to the Tibetan government in exile. The students called for independence for Tibet and called on Beijing to respect human rights. They said [...]

TUBAN, Bali ~ Self-styled boutique airline Adam Air was grounded by the central government this week over lingering safety issues, a little over a year since one of its planes disappeared off Sulawesi with 102 people on board. The authorities’ move comes as the government attempts to revamp, with the help of the United States [...]

JAKARTA ~ A cargo plane was engulfed in flames after catching fire on landing in remote eastern Papua province, an air traffic controller said. “Sparks were seen from its left wheel during landing before (the plane) caught fire,” a controller at Wamena airport, who declined to be named, said. The two-member crew escaped without injury, [...]

By Sophia Read For The Bali Times SEMINYAK ~ In Bali, off the island of Nusa Penida, April to May is manta season. While you can see manta rays in our waters all year, April and May bring large numbers of them to the cleaning stations on the south coast of Nusa Penida known as [...]

By Amy Chavez For The Bali Times One thing I like about Bali is that there are no vending machines selling soft drinks. Nothing where you feed coins into some cold, unappreciative slot, listen as the machine swallows them and the coins travel one by one down through the pharynx into the esophagus and plop [...]

Putri Yadnyawati is head of the Pollution Control Division at the Department of Environment in Denpasar. The 37-year-old mother of six children shared her day with The Bali Times. “Most of the cases I receive involve printing factories.” Read entire article… »

Name: Dayu Manik Age: 67 Occupation: Permangklu (priest’s assistant) Location: Puri Medahan, Gianyar Read entire article… »

Name: I Dewa Made Agung (38) Occupation: Employee at the Bureau of Population Statistics Location: Denpasar Marital Status: Married with two children Read entire article… »

TEHRAN ~ President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held talks with Iranian leaders in Tehran this week, winning lavish praise for Jakarta’s refusal to support the latest UN sanctions against Iran. “The position of the Indonesian government is the legal and fair position and I hope it will be a start of a movement to correct international [...]

MENGWI ~ Centuries-old Pura Taman Ayun in Bali’s Mengwi district is to be declared a World Heritage site, in recognition of its historical and cultural significance, an official said this week. The temple was constructed in 1634 during the Mengwi Kingdom, by King I Gusti Agung Ngurah Made Agung and sits on 40,000 square meters [...]