{
  "id": 2318829,
  "title": "Sarawak orders two-day school closures as haze worsens, affecting around 200,000 students",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/sarawak-orders-two-day-school-closures-as-haze-worsens-affecting",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-21T06:22:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-sarawak-haze-worsens-serian-kalimantan-6332896"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Sarawak, a Malaysian state in East Malaysia, has ordered a two-day closure of nearly 600 schools across 10 districts due to worsening haze conditions. The closure, which began on Thursday, August 20, affects around 197,323 students in primary and secondary schools, with an aim to protect their safety and health from exposure to unhealthy air. This is the second time this month that schools in Sarawak have been ordered to close due to haze, with the previous closure occurring last week in Serian. The haze is believed to be originating from forest and land fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, which is causing transboundary haze conditions in the region.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}