After apparently faking his own death by drowning on Kuta Beach, a Bali police officer has been tracked down to Surabaya, where he has apparently been living with his lover, a woman who isn’t his wife. The officer in question was under investigation at the time for alle gations of domestic violence and not sufficiently providing for his wife an d family, and this may have prompted his drastic course of action. The police in Bali are working on a way to bring him back to Bali and take responsibility for his actions so he won’t tarnish the reputation of the Force, and are giving him a 30-day amnesty so he can keep his position as a police officer .

The chairman of The Indonesian Tourism Experts Organization has said that plans to reclaim and develop Benoa Bay will make an already critical oversupply of hotel rooms worse, and will only serve to worsen the financial condition of local businesses, add to existing traffic congestion and stimulate the inflow of migrants from outside Bali into the Regency. With a current population of four million with enormous demands for water and electrical power, an even larger population base will rob Bali of the peace and serenity that draws people to vacation on the Island. He has called on all elected officials, political leaders, academics, religious figures and Bali businesses to join ranks in opposing the reclamation of Benoa Bay. Adding, it is the responsibility of the President and the leaders of all political parties to take clear steps to save Bali.

The global competition for who’s got the biggest building is being given a new challenge by Tokyo with plans to develop and build a mile-breaking tower 5,577 feet high, which will soar above Tokyo Bay and provide space for up to 55,000 people in offices, hotels, shops and apartments. Set for completion in 2045, at twice the height of the current record holder, Dubai‘s Burj Khalifa, it will take a lot to ever wrest the crown away from the Japanese. If the plans go ahead, the‚ Sky Mile Tower‘ will be surrounded by a series of man-made hexagonal islands, which will be designed to protect Tokyo from flooding and act as foundations for homes for around half a million people, and wind farms, solar panels and algae farms on the islands are planned to provide electricity.

Anyone who hasn’t set foot in Canggu in recent years would hardly recognise the place these days as its transformation from sleepy farmland to ultra-hip world destination continues unabated: and the new Berawa Beach Club is about to raise the standards even higher. A stunning natural design of coconut and bamboo that curves and moulds to the waves breaking just offshore, the blend with its surroundings couldn’t be more sympathetic to tradition, and the multi-storey, private-pooled, beachfront palace of fun and cool will surely make a big splash with Baliophiles from across the globe. Opening in May 2016. www.semaracollection.com

The biggest mortgage provider in Indonesia, Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN), plans to launch a specialised mortgage product for foreigners this year, after the government relaxed regulations on foreigners owning property.The state-owned bank will kick off a limited mortgage programme for foreign clients looking to buy apartments. Currently,
the bank is studying the loan requirements for serving foreign clients. “We have the chance to provide mortgages for foreigners. We expect the product to be launched this year,” said a bank spokesperson, adding that they would apply a commercial rate for foreign mortgage holders, rather than the interest rate used for public housing loans.

Coral reefs and the marine ecosystem in the eastern part of Indonesia are under increasing threat, with more and more fishermen in the region resorting to the use of fish bombs, a survey conducted by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has revealed. The survey, conducted in 2015, said that 74% of coral reefs in eastern Indonesia were damaged, compared to 66% in the western part of the country. In addition to the die off due to the effects of climate change, the eastward shift in the use of the illegal fishing technique has been blamed for much of the increased damage.