{
  "id": 13897866,
  "title": "Singapore rolls out haze subsidies as Malaysia extends school closures",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/singapore-rolls-out-haze-subsidies-as-malaysia-extends-school-closures",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-12T07:07:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/world/region/2026/10/1553702/singapore-rolls-out-haze-subsidies-malaysia-extends-school-closures"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Singapore has introduced subsidies for haze-related medical treatment and closed schools in parts of the country as it continues to deal with unhealthy air quality caused by fires in nearby Indonesia. The country's health ministry announced the subsidies, which cover conditions such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, bronchitis, conjunctivitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and upper respiratory tract infections. These measures come as Singapore was ranked the world's most polluted city by Swiss-based air quality monitor IQAir, due to the intense haze from fires on Borneo and Sumatra islands. In Malaysia, schools have reopened in most areas as air quality improved, but remain closed in southern Johor and parts of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. The transboundary haze from Indonesian wildfires has disrupted regional travel, with low-cost carrier Firefly cancelling flights between Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport and Singapore's Seletar Airport due to safety concerns.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Malaysia education minister defends day-to-day decisions on haze-related school closures",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/malaysia-education-minister-defends-day-to-day-decisions-on-haze",
        "published": "2026-10-12T06:35:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Singapore rolls out haze subsidies as Malaysia extends school closures",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/singapore-rolls-out-haze-subsidies-as-malaysia-extends-school-closures-13905196",
        "published": "2026-10-12T07:28:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}