How toxic haze is causing Singapore’s landmarks to disappear

Related stories

Al Jazeera·22m ago

South Korea pledges legal action over alleged fuel exports to Russia

Ukrainian reports of South Korean fuel exports to Russia come amid strained tensions between Seoul and Kyiv.

The Guardian·36m ago

Sardinian village where more women reach 100 may be new centenarian ‘blue zone’

In Bolotana, 70 miles from island’s original blue zone, 13% of women who reach 70 will live on to a century The secret to longevity is being a woman – specifically, a woman in one part of Sardinia. At least, that is the conclusion of a study on centenarians in a tiny mountain village on the Italian island. Sardinia became known as a haven for longevity, especially for long-lived men, in 1999 when a cluster of remote villages nestled in the slopes of its central and eastern provinces were classified among the world’s five “blue zones” – geographic areas with high concentrations of centenarians. Continue reading...

The Guardian·42m ago3 outlets

Japan beer giants raided over suspicions they colluded to set the price of beverages

Investigators probe Asahi, Kirin, Suntory and Sapporo breweries – which together control more than 90% of Japan’s beer market Japanese authorities have raided the country’s four biggest breweries over suspicions they colluded to set the price of beer and other beverages – a practice media reports said could have forced drinkers to pay over the odds. Officials from the Fair Trade Commission this week searched the offices of Asahi Breweries, Kirin Brewery, Suntory Beer and Sapporo Breweries – which together control more than 90% of the domestic market. The quartet are suspected of violating the anti-monopoly law. Continue reading...

The Guardian·42m ago

Indonesia accused of ‘gross negligence’ in wildfires lawsuit as haze tests region

NGOs in Indonesian Borneo file class action lawsuit calling for government to better manage annual fires and The Indonesian government has been accused of “gross negligence” in a class action lawsuit over its handling of wildfires that have cloaked large parts of South-east Asia in a toxic haze, shuttered schools and caused a spike in respiratory illnesses. The lawsuit, filed by indigenous and civil society groups in the Indonesian part of Borneo, named President Prabowo Subianto and the governor of West Kalimantan among 10 defendants. The case seeks comprehensive recovery and rehabilitation measures that would include covering the healthcare costs of residents. Continue reading...

BBC News·55m ago2 outlets

Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar dies at 75

Nana Patekar, the Indian Hindi and Marathi cinema actor whose roles ranged from the menacing crime lord of Parinda to the comic gangster of Welcome, died Oct. 8, at his residence in Goa. He was 75. Patekar went into cardiac arrest at home and was declared dead at 5:20 am local time, news agency ANI […]

BBC News·58m ago

France's school protests: what lies behind the anger

Students' blockades and marches spring from real grievances – and from France's habit of settling policy on the street.