Cyanide fishing and rising water temperatures had decimated corals off Bali until a diver inspired by a German scientist's pioneering work on organic architecture helped develop a project now replicated worldwide.

Based on "Biorock" technology (http://www.globalcoral.org), it is implemented in 20 countries, mainly in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Pacific.

A quirky tradition of dressing Asia-Pacific leaders in colorful local costume was revived at an Asian summit in Bali Friday, after briefly falling victim to the global economic crisis.

The annual APEC fashion parade was axed earlier this month at the group's summit in Honolulu, where leaders stepping out in Aloha floral shirts would have appeared out of step with the gloomy economic mood.

The real life adventures of former al-Qaida-linked terrorist Nasir Abas have become a new comic book in Indonesia, chronicling his transformation from militant to invaluable ally in the fight against terrorism.

The story of the soft-spoken, seemingly mild-mannered 42-year-old — recognized by strangers on the streets and even asked for the occasional autograph — is well-known in the world's most populous Muslim country.

Venture capitalists from Silicon Valley to New York all have the same question about Indonesia's come-from-nowhere tech frenzy: Are the young entrepreneurs that have piqued their interest smart bets or just surfing a hype that will soon burn out.

A few years ago, Internet connections were so slow in Indonesia that trying to download a clip off YouTube could take 20 minutes on a good day.

Providence smiled on Balinese seer Ketut Liyer the day U.S. tourist Elizabeth Gilbert came to visit -- her memoir, "Eat, Pray, Love", would make him richer than he ever dreamed.

The fortune teller said to be aged in his 90s -- no one knows exactly -- was a poor man when he looked into Gilbert's eyes and predicted she would live in Bali and find true love.

Several international flights to and from the resort island of Bali were cancelled or diverted Thursday to avoid dangerous ash spewing from an Indonesian volcano, officials said.

Ash from rumbling Mount Bromo, a popular attraction in East Java province, had spread to the island popular with foreign tourists and surfers.