Fires in Southeast Asia may be emitting more greenhouse gases than the entire U.S.

Fires burn at a concession area in Pelalawan, Indonesia. (Adek Berry / AFP/ Getty Images)

A toxic haze has repeatedly wafted over huge swaths of Southeast Asia in the last month, causing school closures, grounded flights, canceled events and widespread concern about public health risks across the region. Here’s what you need to know about the Great Haze of 2015.

Nearly 100,000 fires are burning, setting up what looks to be the worst fire year in the region since 2006. The carbon emissions from the blazes have now surpassed those of the entire United States — the world’s second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases — on 26 out of 44 days since September, according to a report by the World Resources Institute. READ MORE ......

A resident fishes by the river in Palangkaraya, one of the cities worst-hit by haze in Indonesia's central Kalimantan province.

 (Haris Sadikin / AFP/ Getty Images)

Mass escape after Indonesian prison riot

Police officers stand guard outside Tanjung Gusta prison, which was set ablaze by inmates after a riot broke out, in Medan in North Sumatra. Photo: Reuters

JAKARTA: Five people were killed and dozens of prisoners including 10 terrorist suspects were on the run after a prison riot in Indonesia's North Sumatra province.

Inmates broke out of their cells and set fire to an administrative room in the Tanjung Gusta prison in the provincial capital Medan late on Thursday, following a power blackout that knocked out the water supply, Deputy Justice Minister Denny Indrayana said.

"The riot was triggered by the lack of electricity and water," he said on Friday.

International Crisis Group senior adviser Sidney Jones said 10 terror suspects were still on the loose as of Friday.   Read more ......   

Tighter security in Malaysia following prison break in Indonesia     Read more ,,,,,,  

Haze hits dangerous levels

API for Petaling Jaya - 78 (moderate)

Check the latest API reading at http://www.doe.gov.my/apims/

The haze in Muar recorded a ‘hazardous’ API of 383

THE haze in Malaysia has once again reached dangerous levels.

It has now left only 13% of the country with good air to breathe while many schools in Johor have closed as Malaysians there took in the worst of it, so far.

Yesterday, four areas in the state entered the “hazardous” and “very unhealthy” scales of the Air Pollutant Index (API).

Poor visibility at the Senai International Airport also forced two flights to be diverted.

In Kuala Lumpur, this Sunday's planned 2013 Olympic Day Run for 15,000 participants at Padang Merbok has been postponed, the co-organisers McDonald's Malaysia said.

The Department of Environment (DOE) said the country was on high alert due to the rapid deterioration in air quality over the past three days. It has alerted the National Security Council to activate the National Haze Action Plan nationwide, with a “3A Warning Level” (the highest level) issued for the worst-affected areas.      Read more ......