smoking

Toxic haze has shrouded parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore for weeks, as Jakarta struggles to contain fires that have scorched large tracts of Borneo and Sumatra. Smoke from the blazes is drifting across the region, degrading air quality for millions of residents. The annual burning season is once again straining relations and raising questions over Indonesia's ability to stop the fires.

Singapore's leader has pledged to take action against any companies found responsible for fires in Indonesia that have engulfed the region in hazardous smoke. The blazes have blanketed parts of Southeast Asia in an air pollution crisis, forcing school closures and driving a surge in respiratory illnesses across affected areas. Singapore has long pressed Indonesian authorities and firms over the annual burning of land for agriculture.

More than a month into the haze crisis, Singapore recorded a new PM2.5 peak of 288 micrograms per cubic meter on October 14, prompting the closure of public outdoor sports venues. The smoke originates from wildfires still burning in Indonesia's Kalimantan and southern Sumatra, with smoke drifting northward toward Singapore. The deteriorating air quality has raised health and safety concerns among residents.

Residents in Singapore are complaining about the haze, questioning how people are coping with the poor air quality. The remark has drawn wide engagement, reflecting frustration over the seasonal smoke pollution that regularly affects the city-state when forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia send smoke across the region.

Singapore says it will "keep its options open" on taking legal action against companies blamed for the haze, as air quality in the city-state deteriorates to very unhealthy levels. The statement signals the government may pursue firms over the seasonal smoke, and residents are closely watching pollution readings and official responses.

A large fire has broken out in the centre of Delft, in the Netherlands. Dutch broadcaster RTL reports that the fire brigade is responding on a large scale to bring the blaze under control. The incident is drawing widespread attention, with residents sharing updates about smoke and emergency services in the historic city centre.

Chaotic scenes unfolded in Piazza del Duomo, Milan, with crowds dispersing through clouds of smoke near the cathedral. Videos show tense confrontations between demonstrators and officers, with police vehicles surrounded and officers deployed across the square. The images are drawing wide attention and concern about unrest in the Italian city.

Italian authorities are reporting a series of fireworks-related incidents. In Milan, two 17-year-olds were reported for setting off fireworks on a terrace in via Poma, while police in Borgo Rossini identified people who had lit pyrotechnic devices. In Turin, three young people were charged after smoke bombs and flares were used during nightlife gatherings. Separately, a fire in a Nola transport company parking lot destroyed a truck and three vans, with fireworks being examined as a possible cause.

Smoke from fires in Indonesia has blanketed Singapore in haze, obscuring its iconic skyline. Air pollution has reached its highest level in the city-state this year, hitting 'very unhealthy' readings. Residents and observers are sharing images of the smog-covered skyline as attention turns to the recurring cross-border haze problem between the two neighbours.

Indonesia's recurring peatland fires are back in focus, with Greenpeace questioning the effectiveness of official peatland restoration programmes. Peat fires release large amounts of carbon and produce hazardous haze that affects health across the region each dry season. The report argues that despite restoration spending, the root causes, including drained peatlands and land clearing, remain unresolved, so the annual cycle of fires and smoke continues.

Singapore is eyeing legal action against Indonesia as smoke from Indonesian fires once again chokes the region, pushing air quality to among the world's worst. Commentators express frustration that the haze recurs every year, with one recalling escaping to Phuket during a particularly bad episode, calling the situation intolerable and proof of how difficult it is for Indonesia to change.

Firefighters in Staten Island, New York are battling flames that broke out in an abandoned warehouse. The blaze is threatening a nearby historic church, raising concern among residents about potential damage to the landmark building. Emergency crews responded as smoke and fire spread from the vacant structure toward the church property.

Public frustration is growing in Indonesia as wildfires spread toxic haze across the region, with residents blaming weak enforcement and slow government response. The smoke has disrupted daily life, closed schools and raised health concerns in affected areas, fuelling criticism online and in local media over how the annual burning crisis is being handled.

Yemen's Houthi movement says it attacked Saudi Aramco facilities in Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones. A fire at an oil facility in the Saudi capital sent plumes of dense black smoke over the city, and the Houthis also announced strikes on airports in Saudi Arabia. The claimed attack on the Kingdom's key energy infrastructure has drawn wide attention given its potential impact on global oil supplies.

Smoke drifting from Indonesian wildfires has pushed air quality across Singapore into the unhealthy range, with the National Environment Agency issuing regular haze situation updates. Officials and race organisers are watching conditions closely ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, with contingency plans in place and the FIA warning that entertainment activities may be curtailed if the haze worsens. In Malaysia, haze has already forced school closures.

A suggestion that smoking cannabis should be punished by beheading is being widely mocked. One critic sarcastically called the idea foolish, arguing that such an extreme punishment would simply deter people from visiting or living in that place rather than stopping drug use. The exchange has drawn attention to debates over how harshly cannabis offences should be penalised, with many viewing capital punishment for marijuana as wildly disproportionate.

Demonstrations in central Milan near the Duomo turned violent, with protesters clashing with police and some incidents of looting reported in the surrounding streets. Footage and eyewitness accounts circulating online show damaged storefronts, smoke and confrontations with security forces. The unrest has drawn wide attention, with debate focusing on how a protest escalated into riots in one of Italy's most heavily secured public spaces.