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Hundreds of thousand litres of crude oil leaks in Gulf of Thailand, clean up operations underway

20 Sept 03:56 Key points summarised by AI

A massive crude oil leak, estimated at 400,000 litres, occurred from a Star Petroleum Refining PCL pipeline off Thailand's Rayong province.
Emergency teams and eight vessels with chemical dispersants were deployed; the leak was plugged, but 20,000 litres remained on the sea surface.
Oil slicks are projected to reach Mae Ramphueng beach and Khao Laem Ya-Mu Koh Samet National Park by Friday, posing a severe threat to coral reefs and coastal ecosystems.
Clean-up efforts are urgent to prevent environmental damage, recalling a 2013 spill that devastated Samet Island and local tourism.

Yesterday 19:04 Key points summarised by AI

Haze from Indonesian forest fires has caused severe regional air pollution, with Singapore's air quality hitting "very high" levels (PM2.5 at 288) and East Timor shutting schools nationwide for three days.
Singapore has responded by activating subsidies for haze-related medical treatment and distributing N95 masks to eligible residents, measures last seen during a similar crisis in 2015.
In Indonesia, over 280,000 respiratory problems have been recorded in affected regions, with fires razing hundreds of homes and displacing nearly a thousand people on Sumatra island.
The intensified blazes are attributed to a powerful El Nino cycle causing drought and persistent slash-and-burn land-clearing practices.
Despite Indonesian government efforts, including deploying over 60,000 personnel and attempting cloud seeding, the crisis continues, prompting Malaysia to seek cooperation with Indonesia to address the worsening haze.