Haze prompts governor to declare optional holiday: As thick haze worsened in Palangkaraya on Thursday, Central Kalimantan Governor Asmawi Agani declared an optional holiday for civil servants and students in the provincial capital and surrounding areas effective Sept. 20. Asmawi also appealed to the public at large to limit outdoor activities and wear masks if they had to go out of their houses. Most parts of Palangkaraya were dark the whole day Thursday, with visibility reduced to less than five meters. The haze has also crippled transportation services on the Kahayan River. --JP

Strong blast injures three in Palu: A bomb exploded in front of the Maranatha Bible School on Jl. Tanjung Manimbaya, Central Sulawesi, at 8:50 p.m. Thursday, leaving three seriously injured. Two of the victims were identified as Tadeus, 27, and Arman, 25, students of the school, while the other one was a police personnel Brigadier Ratmono. The three are currently being treated at the Bala Keselamatan Hospital in Palu. -- Antara