Orange skies, toxic air spark student protests

A haze of frustration: Student protesters holding a poster that reads ‘Declare the wildfires as national disaster’ amid heavy haze outside the Central Kalimantan governor’s office in Palangkaraya. — AFP

Hundreds of students protested in Palangkaraya, demanding the government do more to tackle a wildfire crisis that has shrouded their city and the wider region in toxic haze for months.

The students, many wearing surgical masks, gathered under an eerily orange sky with severely reduced visibility and waved banners urging authorities to declare a national emergency to free up more aid.