>> well, gene, you were talking about the fires out here in sumatra. let's look at satellite picture first. you can see where these fires are really burning clearly from space you have these areas really bright white, that's that cloud cover. it becomes more diffuse as it pushing off to the northeast. that is the haze and smoke we are talking about. unfortunately as far as the forecast goes as long as the fires are burning in the next several weeks, these winds are going to be still coming in from the southwest off their towards the northeast. it's the southwest monsoon we typically see this time of year. as far as this compares with the rest of the world, it is really quite high. now, this is based on the aqi index, the measure how much particles are in the air, 2.5 micrometers or smaller. right now singapore is at 2.90. this is considered very unhealthy to hazardous. we've seen that number spike up over 300 here today. anybody out in air like that really especially if you have respiratory issues, you might have a hard time breathing. even in healthy

. >> reporter: the smoke comes from burn on the indonesia island of sumatra which also oftentimes causes seasonal fires. hazy skies are an annual phenomenon. the singapore government has analyzed satellite images and found more forest fires than average on sumatra this year. a gauge of air pollution in singapore monday night hit its highest level in 16 years. singapore and indonesia have to tackle the problem. but companies also burning the fields and generating the smoke. the role is escalating into a diplomatic issue. the three countries are scheduled to hold a meeting soon to discuss the situation. for the time being, singapore is urging children and the elderly to stay indoors as the haze is expected to linger for several more days. mark ho, nhk world, singapore. >>> members of japan's self-defense forces have staged a landing drill with u.s. troops on an american island. it's the first training exercise by amphibious japanese units overseas. about 1,000 personnel from the ground and maritime self-defenses took part. u.s. osprey aircraft landed about 80 marines on the island off the

smoke comes from slash and burn farming on the indonesian island of sumatra. the method also triggers accidental forest fires. seasonal winds blow the smoke across the strait of malaka. prime minister li held a press conference on thursday to address the situation. >> we can't tell how this problem is going to develop. it can easily last for several weeks and quite possibly it could last longer until the dry season ends in sumatra. >> reporter: the pollution is affecting the daily lives of singaporeans. people wear respiratory masks to walk the streets. schools are postponing camps and outdoor activities and suspended outdoor physical fitness classes. haze surrounds the malayan statue, the symbol of singapore. tourists look dismayed by the pollution. >> i mean, we are here to see the view. but we are not able to see properly. >> reporter: some restaurants have closed their doors for the time being. people working in the tourism industry are calling on indonesia to take responsibility. >> it is a sovereign state. it is a sovereign nation. but i personally feel

clearing land, a common practice in sumatra. they are facing a particular problem at the moment. the ground, there is about one , soilof mulch, trees which is burnable. when you light a fire in areas like this, it does not just start and burn up and around, it actually burns underground. the guys here are telling me it is extremely hard for them to figure out where exactly to spray the water. they are spraying it here at the moment. all around us, the smoldering and the patches of smoke are coming up in different places. that is going to be a problem. he haven't spoken to fire authorities today and they are saying they are understaffed and under resourced to be able to deal with the enormity of the fires as a result of land clearing. they are also telling us that the peaks of this land clearing does not start until august. that is the key time, which is some months from now. they say it is hard for them to predict how bad things are going to get this season. at the moment, there are more than 100 fires that they have to watch closely in and around sumatra. , extremely hazy, extre

the number of wildfires in sumatra has increased over the past week, though with little wonder the cloud of smoke choking singapore and malaysia shows no sign of disappearing anytime soon. this map shows the extent of the fires across indonesia. the largest concentration of hotspots is centered here, but there are large numbers of smaller fires, and that's what's creating the ex mob being blown into singapore -- that is what is creating the thick smog being blown into singapore. >> you can see it and smell it, .ut you cannot quite touch it the haze in singapore reaches into a very unhealthy level for another day. singapore's iconic skylines barely visible through the murk.-- and other military prepare for national date parade rehearsals, this year, with an additional piece of facemask.the n95 saturday is normally a big shopping day and singapore, but crowds that normally pack the city's shopping streets were strangely absent. the retailers association reports a drop in sales of about 10%, and that's despite rate singapore sale, but the bigger concern was the long-term impact on health an

sumatra has lost a lot already. is that wemessage need to deal with is much more urgently than we have. it is a multi-nation issue. it is also a consumer issue. >> have you noticed the hayes getting worse over the years or not? >> we only moved here from australia and the last year. we're used to the busch fire smoke. this is far more worst prate this morning, it was extra order. i think it went over 400 psi. it chokes a city. that has to beat a gigantic wind up call. the alarming thing is if the win was blowing the other direction, would anyone care? cities, maybebig we can get further movement. >> looking at the pictures, i have every sympathy for you. thank you for speaking with us from singapore. visit the homewe town of the iranian president- elect. power the answer to global warming? i am in new york for a controversial new film is exploring that issue. >> welcome back. here are the top stars. the brazilian president calls an emergency cabinet meeting after 1.2 million protests against corruption and governmen

hotspots on the indonesian island of sumatra where farmers use/and burn techniques to clear the land -- use slash and burn techniques to clear the land. >> ideally, we would like the fires to be put out. if any of these fires were illegally started, then whoever is responsible for them to be brought to justice. for the long term, what we need to do is cooperate with the indonesians as we have been to work on developing sustainable agricultural practices. >> the cost of the smog is yet to be counted, but it could be in the billions. had economichaze costs estimated at more than $9 billion and reportedly made 20 million people ill across the region. looks ugly there in singapore. you are watching "bbc world news america." still to come -- what do this british chancellor and this r&b singer have in common? according to barack obama, quite a lot. we'll be back to explain. a science class that's out of this world. children across china had their lesson taught by a teacher 300 kilometers above earth on board an orbiting space module. the astronaut demonstrates how a variety of objects floa

a thick, smoky haze has drifted over from sumatra, in indonesia, where farmers illegally burn land to clear it for planting. in recent days, the smog enveloped singapore's skyline. it's an annual problem, and the city-state's prime minister warned there's no way to tell how long it will last. >> we can't tell how this problem is going to develop because it depends on the burning. it depends on the weather. it depends on the wind. it can easily last for several weeks and quite possibly it could last longer until the dry season ends in sumatra which may be september or october. >> sreenivasan: the prime minister urged people stay indoors as much as possible. but indonesia criticized the public statements, saying they should have been conveyed through diplomatic channels. a cabinet minister said, "singapore should not act like children, making all that noise." those are some of the day's major stories. now, back to jeff. >> brown: and we pick up on the markets fall today. for that we're joined by david wessel, economics editor of the "wall street journal." and james paulsen, chief invest

. >> reporter: the smoke comes from burn farming on the indonesian island of sumatra which sometimes causes forest fires. seasonal winds blow smoke across. hazy skies are an annual phenomenon. the singaporean government has analyzed images and found more forest fires than average on assume mat rah this year. a gauge of air pollution on monday night hit its highest level in 16 years. singapore and malaysia have both urged indonesia to tackle the problem. but indonesia says singaporean and malaysian companies also burning the fields and generating the smoke. it's escalating into a diplomatic issue. the three countries are scheduled to hold a ministerial level meeting soon to discuss the situation. for the time being, singapore is urging children and the elderly to stay indoors. as the haze is expected to linger for several more days. nhk world, singapore. >>> residents of myanmar have some new places to run to in the event of a natural disaster. workers have built elementary schools that could also serve as shelters. a cyclone in 2008 devastated the region. more than 130,000 people die

the smoke caused by forest and plantation fires on the indonesian island of sumatra. the indonesian government caused a state of emergency where air pollution breached safety levels. we now have a report. kwal lumpur. the smoke reached the capital. the smell of burning wood hangs thick in the air. the city's twin towers barely visible from across the park. people are wearing masks to avoid breathing from the smoke. >> i have asthma. but my house mates don't have asthma. but they're all wearing masks today because it's really bad. >> schools were ordered to close late on sunday because wind had pushed the smoke north from singapore. parents have been advised to keep their children indoors or make them wear facemasks. indonesia is investigating eight companies for causing the fires and the haze. including one of malaysia's largest plantation firms sign dabi. the company says it is not responsible and has a no-burn policy on its plantations. the haze in this part of southeast asia is an annual event but this year's smoke is the worst since 1997. and moat malaysia and sin

cleanup has begun after hundreds of riders rampage through a city on the indonesian island of sumatra angry their candidate a loss narrowly in a mayoral election violence began when protesters reportedly blew up a business in the center of palembang before looting nearby shops two people have been arrested and troops have been deployed to the area. i think twice before you tweet as advice from police and media experts in the wake of a number of recent arrests in the u.k. for posting a fans of messages on twitter our london correspondent sarah firth reports on how british police are playing catch up when it comes to laying down the law and how to counter abusive online comments. we trust our officers with a baton we trust some of the c.i. sprit and yet for some reason we can't trust some of the twitter account in the wake of the recent will it murder a number of arrests were made across the country after police responded to tweets it was the latest clear sign that police were in placing seychelle media in a way they never have before twitter might be new police territory but their acti

the cleanup has begun after hundreds of rioters rampaged through a city on the indonesian island of sumatra angry that their candidate lost narrowly the mayoral election there the violence began when protesters reportedly blew up a business in the center of palembang before looting nearby shops two people have been arrested and troops have been deployed to the area. the test is in spain the valley begins continued cuts to social welfare and on going home of victuals hundreds fog through central trade waving placards and chanting slogans against the impunity of major financial figures and institutions it's a year now since spain asked for help from the e.u. and the i.m.f. to save its banking system. twenty six minutes past ten the thanks being with us coming up next on a boy goes in-depth to discover the real around in a few minutes the latest program called worlds apart from on our next. new york magistrate judge gary brown has ruled that it's ok to track people's location via their cell phone the judge supports his decision by saying that there is no legitimate expectation of privacy in th

clean up has begun after hundreds of rioters rampaged through a city on the indonesian island of sumatra angry as their candidate lost narrowly in a mayoral election the violence began when protesters were poorly blew up a business in the center of palembang before looting nearby shops two people have been arrested six have been deployed to the area. the. first meeting in two years between officials from north and south korea has taken place in a small town on the border between the two countries although the talks are being held to iron out technicalities the important because of recent tension on the peninsula north korea claimed to have successfully tested a nuclear weapon back in two thousand and nine triggering a war of words with the south. africa task server has reportedly been shot dad in front of the iranian embassy in the lebanese capital beirut several other people were wondered as well it's not yet known who was responsible for the shooting that happened as a group demonstrated against involvement in the syrian conflict which is fighting on the side of the government. and com

cleanups began after hundreds of riot his rampage through a city on the internet easy an island of sumatra angry the candidate lost narrowly in a mayoral election violence began when protesters reportedly blew up a business in the center of palembang before looting nearby shops two people have been arrested and troops have been deployed to the area. testers in spain voted against continued cuts to social welfare on going home of actions hundred filed through central madrid waving placards and chanting slogans against the unity of major financial figures and institutions it's a year since spain asked for help from the e.u. and the i.m.f. to save them this is. the big story in the wake of surprise announcement from russia's first couple on thursday president putin's wife ludmilla of the divorce after nearly thirty years of marriage in the first joint public appearance more than a year the couple told russian t.v. why they calling it a day so much due to the sort of voters he was in the regions to my job and all my activities mean i'm an absolutely public figure some people enjoy this and som

the fires burned out of control in peat swamp forests on the island of sumatra, sending large plumes of smog across the sea. the result was the worst haze in singapore's history, for the third day in a row. the u.s. today upped the military ante in a growing confrontation with syria's assad regime. president obama notified congress that 700 u.s. troops plus patriot missiles and fighter planes will stay in jordan, until further notice. he said the kingdom asked that they remain after joint military exercises ended yesterday. the decision follows the u.s. move to begin arming the syrian rebels. the president nominated james comey today to be director of the f.b.i. comey is best known for blocking bush white house officials from renewing a warrant-less wire-tapping program in 2004. at the time, he was deputy attorney general. today, the president took note of comey's reputation, at a time of new debates over surveillance. > he is that rarity in washington sometimes. he doesn't care about politics. he only cares about getting job done. at key moments when it has jim understands in time o

the fires burned out of control in peat swamp forests on the island of sumatra, sending large plumes of smog across the sea. the result was the worst haze in singapore's history, for the third day in a row. the u.s. today upped the military ante in a growing confrontation with syria's assad regime. president obama notified congress that 700 u.s. troops plus patriot missiles and fighter planes will stay in jordan, until further notice. he said the kingdom asked that they remain after joint military exercises ended yesterday. the decision follows the u.s. move to begin arming the syrian rebels. the president nominated james comey today to be director of the f.b.i. comey is best known for blocking bush white house officials from renewing a warrant-less wire-tapping program in 2004. at the time, he was deputy attorney general. today, the president took note of comey's reputation, at a time of new debates over surveillance. >> he is that rarity in washington sometimes. he doesn't care about politics. he only cares about getting job done. at key moments when it has jim understands in time

the coffee blends are originated on the indonesian island of sumatra and is produced when the paradoxurus ease coffee cherries, digest them and then the beans are extracted, cleaned and roasted. >> apparently when day digest is they get things on a. >> a cannot be worth it, but what is in our break room. >> check out this kid 10 who cheated death. he was trapped inside of this, the car. from oregon, to california. an animal activist stated that they had a pop the car on the tow truck and they found the cat. they were able to pull out and it was mailed norris at one of the eyes were swollen. he will be checked out by a bed and then he will be available. >> during this commercial break i know you would think of a better name for this cat. >> maybe this defeat him some coffee beans. >> coming up on the kron 4 morning news. a lawsuit and the mlb as san jose it attempts to get the oakland athletics to the south bay. >> president obama is about to deliver a speech in berlin, this issue, he is pushing will be coming up. >> here is a live look at the pretrial against ariel castro. we will be righ

the coffee blends originate on the indonesian island of sumatra and is produced when the paradoxurus eats coffee cherries, digests them and then the beans are >> mark morning news. san jose is suing the mlb in athletics to the south bay. details coming up. the miami heat come up with the win against the spurs last night to push game 7 of we'll be right back. [ man ] we have a go for auto sequence start. t-minus 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... ignition. [ male announcer ] launch your internet experience on at&t's newly expanded advanced digital network and connect more wi-fi-enabled devices at home. [ female announcer ] call to get u-verse high speed internet starting at $14.95 a month -- a guaranteed price for 12 months. or ask how to get your choice of a kindle fire hd, sonos play:3 or xbox 360 free with other qualifying internet offers. [ male announcer ] and get more speed for wi-fi gaming, more reliability than ever and more connectivity between devices. [ female announcer ] so call to get u-verse high speed internet starting at $14.95 a month -- a guaranteed price for 12 months. or ask how to