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| Singapore mulls legal action over smog from Indonesia fires | Singapore mulls legal action over smog from Indonesia fires |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The authorities in Singapore are exploring whether to charge two Singapore-based companies in connection with severe smog triggered by forest fires in Indonesia. | The authorities in Singapore are exploring whether to charge two Singapore-based companies in connection with severe smog triggered by forest fires in Indonesia. |
| The companies own land on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. | The companies own land on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. |
| Singapore's foreign minister said he had asked the attorney-general to consider the legal options. | Singapore's foreign minister said he had asked the attorney-general to consider the legal options. |
| However, he said it was mainly up to Indonesia to take action against the companies. | However, he said it was mainly up to Indonesia to take action against the companies. |
| The firms, Asia Pacific Resources International (April) and Sinar Mas, are headquartered in Singapore but have Indonesian owners. | The firms, Asia Pacific Resources International (April) and Sinar Mas, are headquartered in Singapore but have Indonesian owners. |
| "The majority of hotspots in Riau (province) are inside April and Sinar Mas concessions," Indonesian presidential aide Kuntoro Mangkusubroto told Reuters news agency. | "The majority of hotspots in Riau (province) are inside April and Sinar Mas concessions," Indonesian presidential aide Kuntoro Mangkusubroto told Reuters news agency. |
| Asia Pacific Resources International has issued a statement to the BBC denying the allegations. | Asia Pacific Resources International has issued a statement to the BBC denying the allegations. |
| Pollution has reached record levels in Singapore as a result of the smoky haze, affecting millions of residents. | Pollution has reached record levels in Singapore as a result of the smoky haze, affecting millions of residents. |
| However, the smog has now lifted giving residents a glimpse of blue skies on Saturday. | |
| The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) was 73 at 17:00 local time (09:00 GMT) - below the level at which health advisories are issued. | |
| The PSI peaked at 401 on Friday - the highest in Singapore's history. | |
| Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsieng Loong warned on Thursday that the haze could remain for weeks. | Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsieng Loong warned on Thursday that the haze could remain for weeks. |
| Foreign Minister K Shanmugam also said he would bring up the issue at a meeting of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) taking place in Brunei next week, and he has not ruled out appealing to other international bodies. | Foreign Minister K Shanmugam also said he would bring up the issue at a meeting of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) taking place in Brunei next week, and he has not ruled out appealing to other international bodies. |
| The haze is being blamed on illegal burning in Indonesia's Riau province, near the provincial capital Pekanbaru. | |
| Palm-oil firms are accused of using slash-and-burn techniques to clear space for their plantations. | |
| Firefighters in Sumatra are continuing to try to bring the blazes under control. | |
| Environmental group Greenpeace International said its analysis of Nasa data between 11 and 21 June had "revealed hundreds of fire hotspots in palm oil concessions". | Environmental group Greenpeace International said its analysis of Nasa data between 11 and 21 June had "revealed hundreds of fire hotspots in palm oil concessions". |
| "Fires across Sumatra are wreaking havoc for millions of people in the region and destroying the climate," said Bustar Maitar, head of Greenpeace Indonesia's forest campaign. | "Fires across Sumatra are wreaking havoc for millions of people in the region and destroying the climate," said Bustar Maitar, head of Greenpeace Indonesia's forest campaign. |
| A senior official in the Indonesian president's office said fires had been spotted on land owned by 32 companies in the region, some of them based in Malaysia and Singapore. | A senior official in the Indonesian president's office said fires had been spotted on land owned by 32 companies in the region, some of them based in Malaysia and Singapore. |
| Schools in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia have closed temporarily. | Schools in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia have closed temporarily. |