DENPASAR A 6.0-magnitude quake hit North Sumatra province on Saturday morning, the Meteorological and Geophysics agency said, but there were no immediate reports of damage and no tsunami alert. The quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres, 18 kilometres northwest of Panyabungan at 9.11am, according to the agency. Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring [...]

Etgar Keret: An Ubud date he may not be able to make. UBUD The Ubud Writers and Readers Festival has invited leading Israeli author and filmmaker Etgar Keret to this year’s festival, from October 6-10, in the face of a long-standing ban on Israeli passport holders entering the country. Keret’s place in the 96-strong invitation [...]

Explosive: Deliveries of government-subsidised cooking gas being made in Kuta on Wednesday morning. The 3-kilogram canisters have been exploding all across the country, leaving almost 300 people injured and forcing many to turn to alternative cooking sources, such as electric stoves. (Photo: The Bali Times)

DALUNG Badung regency’s concept for improving traffic flow on the Ngurah Rai bypass has won approval in principle from the Department of Public Works, according to the vice chairman of Badung’s legislature, I Ketut Suiasa. The regency’s proposal for construction of flyovers to speed traffic through the Simpang Siur bottleneck and improve access to and [...]

SANUR Bali’s top hotels are taking a leaf out of the Boy Scouts’ manual — they are following the motto “Be Prepared” on health and security issues. The Bali Hotels Association (BHA), which represents more than 100 star-rated hotels, had a workshop at Sanur last Wednesday that organisers said was geared to boost the resilience [...]

DENPASAR Six of Bali’s nine districts — including Denpasar, where Sanglah, the chief rabies hospital which has its own supplies, is sited– were out of anti-rabies vaccine at the weekend. Provincial government spokesman Ketut Teneng said on Monday the shortage was because districts had not budgeted for vaccine purchases and instead were relaying on the [...]

Timeless: A flock of birds feeding on worms in a newly tilled ricefield scatters as a farmer walks past, in Pererenan, North Kuta, on Sunday. Such age-old rural scenes are fast disappearing in southern areas of Bali as tourism-led developments take hold. (Photo: The Bali Times)

…because I go to school in Jimbaran and because of the Hindu religion. Guro Mellan, 23, Student, Norway

NAME: Ni Kadek Dyah Rahayu Dewi AGE: 16 OCCUPATION: Professional surfer ORIGIN: Seminyak, Kuta How do you think people overseas see Indonesia? As a place of art and culture.    What are the barriers to development in this country? Corruption and terrorism.   Corruption is constantly in the news. Do you think it’s getting worse? [...]

  Wayan Sugih, 68, is a gamelan teacher from Legian Kaja, Kuta What’s the greatest lesson life has taught you? To be healthy. Because without our health we can’t really live. What’s most important? Happiness – it’s means everything. What advice you would give the younger generations? Stay away from evil and crime, and don’t [...]

  I Made Artawa, 29, takes care of the Bengal tigers at Bali Safari and Marine Park in Gianyar, and says they’re like people: They know who’s good and who’s bad. He shared his day with Ashtra Effendy. I wake up at 5am and start getting ready for the day. My wife gets breakfast ready [...]

  From the perspective Trond Bekken, 31, an engineer from Norway   Do you believe people arrived in their present form on Earth? I believe in Darwinism. I think it’s logical, not fairytale like Adam and Eve.   Do you think a supernatural force or being guided our evolution or not? That is hard to [...]