- Indonesian authorities have arrested 72 people suspected of starting forest and peatland fires across Borneo and Sumatra .
- The blazes, driven by an El Nino pattern and a prolonged dry season, were deliberately set to clear land for plantations at a lower cost.
- Police are investigating 89 fire cases and tracing financial records to determine whether corporations ordered or funded the arson.
- Thousands of hot spots have been recorded across the region, prompting cloud-seeding and water-bombing operations involving dozens of helicopters.
- Dense smoke has crossed into neighbouring Malaysia, causing severe air pollution in Sarawak where nearly 600 schools were closed, affecting around 200,000 students.
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