Water shortages common in Kendari
KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: Unlike people in big cities who suffer from water shortages only during the dry season, residents of Buton regency's Binongko island lack water the whole year.
Freshwater on the island of 13,000 people has become a luxury commodity due to the absence of water sources.
"The water on the island is salty. Therefore, freshwater here is considered a luxury," said one of the island's inhabitants Muslimin.
People in the island collect rainwater and keep it for use during the dry season.
The lack of freshwater on the island has been a deterrent to medical staff from visiting it.
When it comes to a visit by government officials, local people usually take water from the nearest island, Buton. It takes 18 hours to travel there by boat.
Southeast Sulawesi Governor Laode Kaimoeddin has pledged that the local government will install a machine to convert saltwater into freshwater. - Antara
;JP;KHS; ANPA..r.. Across-Poso-terrorism No terrorist camp in Poso JP/5/across
'No terrorist camp in Poso'
PALU, Central Sulawesi: Local district military commander Col. Suwahyuhadji denied speculation that a terrorist camp had been operating in the provincial regency of Poso.
"That accusation is untrue and baseless," he said after a commemoration of Youth Pledge Day here on Monday.
Suwahyuhadji was responding to foreign media reports last week that a terrorist camp had been built in Poso. The media quoted the Australian Security and Intelligence Agency, which had obtained first-hand information from the Spanish government.
Commenting on the security situation in Poso, Suwahyuhadji said that conditions had been improving over the past three months.
A group of Army Special Force intelligence personnel were deployed in July to investigate a series of bombings that had rocked the town. -- Antara
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Muslims, Christians unite in Manado
MANADO, North Sulawesi: A group of Christians have joined Muslims in a renovation project for mosques in the provincial capital, Manado, as the fasting month of Ramadhan draws near.
Chairman of Indonesian Youths for Mosque Coordination Djafar Alkatiri said some 150 Muslim and Christian youths took part in the activity.
The young people were observed cleaning up the yard and fences of the Nurul Amin Mosque and carrying out renovations to the building on Monday.
Chairman of the Nurul Amin Mosque management board Musmar Suikromo said local people were familiar with voluntary work associated with either mosques or churches.
The work, involving people from different religions, has become routine, especially ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan, Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year.
Musmar said the solidarity had existed for decades. If people from other religions held prayer sessions, others guarded the place of worship, he added. -- Antara