Australia has dropped its travel warning for Indonesia to its lowest level since before the 2002 Bali bombings.

DENPASAR Thousands of high school students sat their national exams last week, with the authorities hoping for a 100% pass rate. The annual tests went ahead amidst tight security intended to prevent cheating and corruption. Speaking ahead of the tests, Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika said that he hoped that Bali would repeat its [...]

BENOA The national tourism authorities are eager to develop Indonesia as a destination for crusie ships, a minister said in Denpasar. Mari Elka Pangestu, head of the Tourism and Creative Economy ministry was attending a workshop on the cruise industry in Bali.  She said that there were plans to develop 25 ports nationwide as cruise [...]

Not So Cosy: The authorities were moving this week to close down The Kozy villas in Umalas, North Kuta, over bank debts. The owners, however, have said they are awaiting the results of legal action before proceeding. Photograph by Juliyusman Sine/The Bali Times

BADUNG A 40-year-old taxi driver was found dead in his vehicle in Badung on Sunday. Agung Gede Suartika, originally from Negara in Jembrana was first noticed by other drivers at an informal taxi lot in front of the Pura Peti Tenget temple in Badung. At around 5pm a driver named Nengah Wastana noticed him slumped [...]

DENPASAR The number of public transport vehicles plying Bali’s roads has dropped by more than half in recent years, and people turn increasingly to private vehicles. Ketut Eddy Dharma Putra of the Bali branch of the Organisation of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) said that in Denpasar there were now only 400 public buses and minibuses, [...]

Men at Work: Construction has begun on a toll road in southern Bali to Nusa Dua. The multimillion-dollar project is aimed at reducing stifling traffic jams in the area. Photograph by Juliyusman Sine/The Bali Times

BADUNG A house in North Kuta was badly damaged on Saturday after a gas stove exploded. The blaze at the two storey shophouse on Jl Raya Padonan in Banjar Kulibul Kangin, Tibubeneng, began at about 2pm according to witnesses.  The property was owned by local man AA Gde Sarjana. According to I Wayan Astawa of [...]