US man deported from Bali after 11 years in prison for ‘suitcase murder’ of then girlfriend’s mother

Tommy Schaefer released early from 18-year sentence for 2014 murder of Sheila von Wiese-Mack during luxury holiday

Indonesia has freed and deported a US man after he spent 11 years in prison for the premeditated murder of his then girlfriend’s mother on the tourist island of Bali.

Tommy Schaefer was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the 2014 murder of Sheila von Wiese-Mack, the mother of Heather Mack, during a luxury holiday in a case that became known as the Bali suitcase murder.

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Three Australians accused of premeditated murder in Bali villa could face the death penalty

Melbourne man Zivan Radmanovic, 32, was fatally gunned down in a Bali villa in June

Three Australians accused of shooting a Melbourne man in a Bali villa are set to be charged with premeditated murder, an offence punishable by the death sentence.

Melbourne man Zivan Radmanovic, 32, was fatally gunned down in the bathroom of Villa Casa Santisya near Munggu Beach, in Bali’s Badung district in June.

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Bali hospital denies allegation of organ theft after body of Australian repatriated without heart

Australian officials demanded answers after the body of Byron Haddow was returned without his heart

A Bali hospital has denied allegations it was involved in organ theft, after the body of a young Australian who died on the Indonesian resort island was repatriated without his heart.

Queensland man Byron Haddow was found dead in the plunge pool of his Bali villa earlier this year while on holiday.

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Bali to block new hotels and restaurants after deadly flooding raises questions about mass tourism

Bali governor says new instructions issued to stop hotels and restaurants being built on productive land, especially rice fields

Indonesia will ban the construction of new hotels and restaurants built atop cleared rice fields and agricultural land on the popular resort island of Bali, after recent flash flooding killed at least 18 people.

A state of emergency was declared on Bali on 10 September after the island experienced the most severe flooding in more than a decade.

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Flash floods in Indonesia leave at least 15 people dead and 10 missing

Torrential rains cause flooding and landslides in East Nusa Tenggara province and on the tourist island of Bali

Rescuers have recovered the bodies of 15 people who have died in flash flooding in two Indonesian provinces, while authorities said 10 others were missing.

Torrential rains beginning on Monday caused flooding and landslides in East Nusa Tenggara province and on the island of Bali.

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Australian tourist killed and two injured as snorkelling boat capsizes off Bali

Boat carrying 13 people capsizes in rough seas while travelling to island of Nusa Penida

A snorkelling boat carrying 13 people, including 11 Australian tourists, capsized in rough seas off Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on Friday, killing a woman and injuring two others, police said.

The Sea Dragon boat was on its way from a port in Bali to Nusa Penida, a popular tiny island near Bali, when it was overwhelmed by high waves, local police spokesperson Agus Widiono said.

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Flights leaving Bali cancelled after volcanic eruption shoots ash plume 8km into sky

Indonesia’s 1,700m Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted for 11 minutes on Thursday, causing ash cloud but no damage to nearby villages on the island of Flores

At least seven international flights from Indonesia’s resort island Bali have been cancelled, an airport official said on Friday, after a volcano in the archipelago nation’s east erupted, shooting dark ash 8km into the sky.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,703m (5,587ft) twin-peaked volcano on the tourist island of Flores, erupted for 11 minutes and nine seconds late on Thursday, authorities said, raising the volcano’s alert status to the highest level.

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Parents of surviving Bali Nine inmates ‘quietly hopeful’ as minister confirms talks under way to return them to Australia

Five remaining members would continue to serve sentences upon returning under proposal, trade minister Don Farrell says

The parents of the surviving Bali Nine members are “quietly hopeful” their children will be repatriated to Australia in a deal with the Indonesian government, according to a pastor who has been in close contact with them for 20 years.

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, raised their repatriation during a meeting with the Indonesian president, Prabowo Subianto, on the sidelines of the Apec summit in Peru last week. Senior Australian ministers have confirmed negotiations between the two nations are ongoing.

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Flights to Bali cancelled after volcano spews dangerous ash cloud 9km into air

Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin flights in and out of Australia were cancelled after Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted

Three Australian airlines have cancelled flights to and from Bali after a volcanic eruption near the Indonesian holiday spot created a dangerous ash cloud.

The groundings affected Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia flights on Tuesday and Wednesday, leaving passengers stranded.

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Body of ‘hero’ Australian found two days after saving German tourist from drowning in Bali

Witnesses said Craig Laidley had almost reached safety when a wave dragged the 56-year-old back into heavy seas

Friends and family of Australian man Craig Laidley have paid tribute to a “hero” who drowned saving someone he didn’t know.

His body was found in Bali on Friday, two days after he was swept out to sea while assisting a struggling swimmer.

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Indonesia puts moratorium on new Bali hotels amid overtourism fears

Concern has been growing in the popular tourist destination about the strain that visitors place on the local infrastructure, environment and culture

Indonesia will suspend the construction of new hotels in some areas of Bali, amid fears about overdevelopment of one of its most famous tourist destinations.

Tourism has rebounded in Bali after the Covid pandemic, but there is growing concern about the strain visitors are placing on local infrastructure, the environment, and culture.

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Two Australians and three Indonesians survive helicopter crash in Bali, officials say

Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter came down in Pecatu village on the southern side of Bali after it was entangled in a kite string

Two Australians and three Indonesians have survived a tourist helicopter crash in Bali after it became entangled in a kite string, officials say.

The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter, owned by PT Whitesky Aviation, came down in Pecatu village in the coastal area on the southern side of Bali, a statement from Indonesia’s transportation ministry said.

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Five killed as elevator at Bali resort plunges down ravine

Accident at Ubud’s Ayuterra Resort believed to have occurred when cable in inclined lift carrying hotel staff snapped

Balinese police are investigating the catastrophic failure of a lift that left five hotel workers dead at a resort on Friday.

The accident took place at Ubud’s Ayuterra Resort about 1pm and is believed to have occurred when a cable in the inclined lift carrying the three women and two men snapped, plunging them 100 metres down a steep ravine at the hillside resort.

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Indonesia considers tourist tax to curb bad behaviour in Bali

Business groups fear cost could damage tourism sector still recovering from effects of pandemic

Indonesia is considering imposing a tax for tourists after a series of incidents in which badly behaved foreigners have violated laws or customs, according to local media.

The tourism and creative economy minister, Sandiaga Uno, told reporters this week that the possibility of a tourism tax was “currently being studied”.

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Bali to ban tourists from renting motorbikes

Governor says foreigners will only be allowed to rent cars, after series of road traffic offences

The Indonesian island of Bali plans to ban tourists from renting motorbikes after a series of incidents in which foreigners have violated traffic rules.

Bali’s governor, Wayan Koster, said that underchanges to be imposed this year, foreigners would only be allowed to drive cars rented from travel agents.

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Troy Johnston death: Indonesian man arrested after Australian Rio Tinto worker dies in Bali bar

Perth man dead after altercation in South Kuta bar

An Indonesian man has been arrested and police say will be charged with murder after the death of an Australian man in a Bali bar.

Local media reported that on Wednesday night Perth man Troy Johnston, 40, was drinking at Uncle Benz cafe in South Kuta.

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Australian student, 25, dies suddenly in Bali after flying in for dental treatment

Indonesian authorities investigating death of West Australian university student Niamh Finneran Loader ‘following medical procedure’

An accomplished West Australian university student has died suddenly in Bali, where she had travelled to receive dental treatment.

Niamh Finneran Loader, 25, died on 2 December. Indonesian authorities are investigating the circumstances of her death.

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‘China can play mediating role’: Macron to visit Xi Jinping over war in Ukraine

French president believes China can help push Russia to de-escalate Ukraine war

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has said he intends to visit Beijing in the new year and believes his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, can play a mediating role that prevents a resumption of large-scale land fighting in Ukraine in February.

Speaking at the close of the G20 in Bali, a summit dominated by the Russian attack on Ukraine and its implications for the world economy, he said he believed China could take a mediating role in the conflict.

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PM’s meeting with Chinese president confirmed – as it happened

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Andrews rules out deal with the Greens and independents in event of minority government

Dan Andrews was also asked what would happen if Labor finds itself in a minority government situation – will it do a deal with the Greens?

No deal will be offered and no deal will be done.

And independents – no deals with independents?

No deal will be offered and no deal will be done.

So if you’re in a minority situation and you hold more seats than the Liberal party, what happens? You go back to another election?

Well, I think what the best thing to do, and what happens, Michael, is we work hard for the next 13 days, we work hard to put a positive and optimistic plan out there, and we’ll see what the verdict of Victorian voters is. I’m arguing, I’m urging people to vote for a strong, stable majority Labor government, to vote for your local Labor candidate.

The new SEC – government-owned, not private for-profit, but government-owned electricity, so owned by every single Victorian – creates nearly 60,000 jobs – 6,000 of those will be apprentices. It will be 100% renewable electricity. These companies can’t be relied upon to replace themselves. They’ll just put another profit machine in place. We need to make sure that we’re looking after pensioners, we’re looking after families and, indeed, businesses. And without electricity, there is no economy, so we have to replace them. And we choose to replace them with a public option – a government-owned option. An option that’s owned by every single Victorian.

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Australia news live: Victoria and Tasmania hit by flooding; NT triple murderer sentenced to life in jail

Seventy flood warnings in place across Victoria, with 10,000 people without power and 40 schools and childcare centres shut. Follow the day’s news live

‘Walk the talk Labor’: Spender urges government to help households decarbonise

Independent MP Allegra Spender has taken to social media to urge the Albanese government to take action supporting Australian households as they decarbonise:

Our families and businesses are hurting. Sovereign risk is not a defence when the super profits are being made because of a war.

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