SYDNEY ~ Australian Hollywood star Nicole Kidman will have no more children after breaking a taboo against women playing the didgeridoo, an Aboriginal cultural leader has warned. Kidman, who gave birth to her first child in July at the age of 41 after long making clear her yearning for a baby, blew into the traditional [...]

LOS ANGELES ~ Science fiction thriller The Day the Earth Stood Still took top spot at the North American box office on its debut weekend, final figures showed. The Fox remake of a 1951 cult classic stars Keanu Reeves as an alien that comes to earth. The movie took in US$30.5 million over the weekend, [...]

DENPASAR ~ Three motorbikegangs clashed on Jl. Hayam Wuruk, Denpasar, on Sunday, police said. According to witnesses, the fight started around 1am, when two drunken gang members shouted abuse at each other. However, it wasn’t until one man, Filipus Reno Wara, 30, arrived with three friends that the violence began. “I ran away when dozanes [...]

SINGARAJA ~ Hundreds of pipes ready to be used to channel fresh water were reported stolen on Saturday, an official said. Residents of Gedongan village, Gerokgak, found 150 pipes were missing when they went to install pipes on Saturday. “We are still investigating the robbery. We are open to the possibility that a village resident [...]

DENPASAR ~ Police arrested two high school students after they attempted to steal a cellphone and were beaten by a mob, an official said. According to witnesses, the two students from SMKN (Vocational High School) 1 Denpasar, Harris Adhi Prayogie and Ananda Viziarto, tried to steal from Ida Ayu Intan Cahyatri, 16, as she rode [...]

UBUD ~ Two Australians were badly injured when their motorbike crashed into an art shop on Jl. Campuhan, Ubud, on Sunday, police said. Based on information from the location, Dutton River, 18, was driving his motorbike with Kristo John Baret, 18, on the back when he lost control. Chief of Gianyar Police I Gde Sujana [...]

TABANAN ~ Tabanan Police said they arrested a lottery organizer and three sellers in Jero village last Saturday. Police chief Onto Cahyono said a former employee of the Tabanan Education, Youth and Sports Department, I Ketut S, was arrested for allegedly organizing and running an illegal lottery. “We are investigating the case, but we know [...]

RENON ~ Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika has warned his staff and other government officials they must not participate in any corrupt practices. Governor Pastika said to avoid accusations of corruption, officials should report every use of money from government budgets. Pastika said he would be embarrassed to see any of his staff being [...]

GIANYAR ~ A teacher from Santiyoga Junior High School, Pejeng, Tampaksiring, was reported to Gianyar Police on Thursday after he allegedly slapped a student, an official said. According to the report, I Wayan Muria slapped his student, Dewa Made Sutama, for mocking him in class. Unable to control his emotions, Muria allegedly slapped the student [...]

GEROKGAK ~ A pearl farm in Gerokgak was targeted by thieves this week, an official said. Gerokgak Police chief Nyoman Kartika said Cendana Indo Pearls Ltd. was robbed of 34 cells containing pearls, worth around US$7,000. Kartika said they did not yet have a suspect, but thought an insider might be involved. “We are still [...]

DENPASAR ~ Bali’s Drugs Unit has arrested a gang of dealers of the drug ecstasy from Buleleng, police said. “A series of arrests followed the capture of one suspect in a karaoke bar on Sunset Road, Kuta, on Tuesday. We also seized 134 ecstasy tablets as evidence,” Bali Police spokeswoman Sri Harmiti said. Based on [...]

DENPASAR ~ The construction of a restaurant belonging to a German investor near Batu Bolong temple, Canggu, continued this week despite warnings from the local works department, an official said. Last Friday chief of the department I Ketut Suwandi said officials from his department had been sent to warn the owner to stop building because [...]