Haze Triggers Highest-level Alert in Parts of Southeast Asia
Fires in Indonesia that have sent toxic smoke disrupting daily life across Southeast Asia has triggered the highest-level alert by the regional bloc's meteorological monitor. The months-long pollution spell has closed schools, fueled a surge in respiratory conditions and restricted outdoor activities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and East Timor. "This thing needs to stop," Zul Hafiz, a 39-year-old teacher cycling from the Malaysian city of Shah Alam to the capital, told AFP on Saturday, calling on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to take action.
