JAKARTA (Reuters) – The Indonesian resort island of Bali faces a risk of attack on New Year’s Eve, a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy quoted the island’s governor as saying, but the governor’s office denied making any such comment.

Bombs detonated by Islamic militants targeting bars popular with Westerners on Bali killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, in 2002. Three years later, suicide bombers killed 20 people on the island.

“There is an indication of an attack to Bali tonight,” the U.S. statement quoted Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika as saying in a message distributed by the Bali Tourism Board.

The statement attributed to the tourism board added: “But please don’t panic, but put your security system to full alert.”

JAKARTA (Reuters) – Former Indonesian leader Abdurrahman Wahid, a Muslim cleric who served as the country’s fourth president after years in opposition to strongman President Suharto, died in hospital on Wednesday at the age of 69.

Wahid, usually known as Gus Dur, was president between 1999 and 2001 after taking office on a wave of optimism in the turmoil following Suharto’s fall from power.

“He passed away this afternoon,” said his aide Sulaiman, who added that his family was at his bedside at the time and current President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was also there.

The head of the Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital in central Jakarta said that his condition had been improving until Tuesday, but he was later transferred to intensive care after problems with his respiratory system and blood vessels.