the saga continues ... From http://www.balidiscovery.com/messages/message.asp?Id=5827 Open Season in Bali on Blue Colored Birds Blue Bird Bali Taxi Controversy Escalates. Bali News: Open Season in Bali on Blue Colored Birds (2/20/2010) Demonstrations and demands by competing drivers from Bali taxi operators to withdraw the licenses and close down Bali Taxi (Blue Bird) has evoked a response from the 1,500 Blue Bird drivers who would be affected by such a move.

Governors have been given more administrative powers in supervising regents and mayors in their day-to-day activities including in settling disputes over overlapping mining areas, Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi has said. Gamawan said in Jakarta on Thursday that a new government regulation issued on Tuesday gave governors a bigger role in the supervision of budgets, development plans and programs at regency and municipal levels.

As reported by the media, coal mining activities in Kalimantan have created complex environmental and social problems. Green forests have become dry lands. Chemicals have contaminated rice fields and residential areas have been flooded. In Sidoarjo, the mud problem in East Java has not been fully resolved. However, those human induced tragedies have not made us more aware of the problems. The over-exploitation of natural resources continues. Is this a sign of the end of the world?

Kendari, SE Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The governor of Southeast Sulawesi, Nur Alam, said investment in the province`s mining sector had increased significantly. "In 2009 the number of companies that was making or have made an investment in the region was recorded at 10 out of hundreds already expressing their interest to invest in the region," he said here on Friday.

Long Visa Lines at Bali's Airport Prompt Calls for Urgent Change from Law Makers and Tourism Leaders. (2/20/2010) Bisnis Bali reports that despite a total of 26 visa on arrival counters at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport, long delays of as much as two hours are being encountered by those landing during peak traffic hours. Between the hours of 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm when as many as 1,200 passengers land appears to be the time slot worst affected.

Several telecommunication stakeholders on Sunday rejected the government’s plan to ease the negative investment list next month, particularly on ownership of telecom towers. Southeast Asia’s largest telecom, Singapore Telecommunications, may be one of the foreign investors to take advantage of the change, possibly as a strategic partner in tower operator PT Dayamitra Telekomunikasi (Mitratel), a unit of PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia.