Kuala Selangor's air quality hits unhealthy level with API of 137
An API reading between 101 and 200 is considered unhealthy, while 51 to 100 is considered moderate.
PETALING JAYA - The Air Pollutant Index (API) in Kuala Selangor is at an unhealthy level of 137 as of 11.35am on July 24.
According to the Department of Environment's Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS), out of their 68 stations, 64 have recorded moderate levels while three areas fall under the good category.
An API reading between 101 and 200 is considered unhealthy, while 51 to 100 is considered moderate.
Currently, Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam in Selangor have an API of 92, followed by Johan Setia in Selangor and Nilai, Negri Sembilan with 89.
Other areas with slightly higher readings include Petaling Jaya with 85 and Cheras in Kuala Lumpur with 84.
In Sarawak, the API readings range from 74 to 59, while in Sabah they range from 78 to 52.
The areas with good API readings are Langkawi, at 40 , Kangar, Perlis at 42 , and Balik Pulau, Penang at 50 . THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Asia At least 2 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border
Asia Live: Thai-Cambodia border clash
Singapore Boy, 15, charged after being caught with vapes 5 times; ordered to stay 2 years in S'pore Boys' Home
Business MOM probing work injury claim flagged by late Sumo Salad boss Jane Lee: MOS Dinesh
Business New tie-up offers insurance savings for SMEs committed to workers' health and well-being
Singapore What's key to a good life? Most Singapore residents choose emotional and mental well-being
Singapore Astronomer executives' Coldplay scandal: Why it went viral and the obsession with public shaming
World Trump was told he is in Epstein files, Wall Street Journal reports
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Straits Times
Gaza mother worries time running out for evacuation of malnourished daughter
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox GAZA CITY - Stroking the hair of her emaciated daughter on a hospital bed in Gaza City, Nasma Ayad fears time is running out for a medical evacuation of the malnourished eight-year-old to avoid the fate of her sister, who died last month. "I feel I'm slowly losing my daughter, day after day - everything she's suffering from is multiplying," Ayad said. With few medical supplies and limited food, treating malnourished Palestinian children with complicated conditions in war-shattered Gaza has become increasingly difficult, according to medical staff and humanitarian agencies. Jana received treatment for malnutrition last year at an International Medical Corps clinic in the central town of Deir al-Balah after showing signs of weakness and delayed growth. Though she improved, the frequent interruption of healthcare services and increasing scarcity of food - as Israeli forces who control all access to Gaza have kept up their offensive against Hamas militants - led to a relapse, Ayad said. She weighs just 11 kilograms (24 pounds) and has trouble seeing, speaking or standing up. "She started having an edema, which is fluid retention that makes the limbs and the body swell and store water because of the lack of protein and food," said Suzan Marouf, a therapeutic nutritionist at Patient Friend's Benevolent Society Hospital. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Tech Reporting suspected advanced cyber attacks will provide a defence framework: Shanmugam Business Singapore's US tariff rate stays at 10%, but the Republic is not out of the woods yet World As China-US tariff truce talks drag on, what are prospects for a 'big deal' for Trump? Singapore Thundery showers expected on most days in first half of August Singapore SPH Media awards three journalism scholarships to budding newsroom talent Singapore Synapxe chief executive, MND deputy secretary to become new perm secs on Sept 1 Singapore 5 women face capital charges after they were allegedly found with nearly 27kg of cocaine in S'pore Business Sumo Salad had valid insurance coverage for work injury claims: MOM Jana's sister, Joury, died on July 20. The child had kidney problems exacerbated by malnutrition, her mother said. Gaza's spiralling humanitarian crisis prompted the main world hunger monitoring body on Tuesday to assess that a worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding, and that immediate action is needed to avoid widespread death. Images of emaciated Palestinian children have shocked many around the world. Gazan health authorities have reported more and more people dying from hunger-related causes. The total now stands at 156, among them 90 children, most of whom died in the past few weeks. Ayad had hoped both her girls could be evacuated to safety to receive treatment outside the Gaza Strip. Health officials had added them to a list of patients who were in need of evacuation last September. But the evacuations never transpired. Though it was too late for Joury, her mother still holds out some hope for Jana. "I am calling for the urgent referral of Jana as soon as possible to be treated outside the country," she said. With the international furore over Gaza's ordeal growing, Israel announced steps over the weekend to ease aid access. But the U.N. World Food Programme said on Tuesday it was still not getting the permissions needed to deliver sufficient aid. Israel and the U.S. accuse Hamas of stealing aid - which the Islamist group denies - and the U.N. of failing to prevent this. The United Nations says it has seen no evidence of Hamas diverting much aid. Hamas accuses Israel of causing starvation and using aid as a weapon, which the Israeli government denies. REUTERS
Straits Times
14 hours ago
- Straits Times
US plans Medicare, Medicaid coverage for weight-loss drugs, Washington Post reports
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox GLP-1 drugs have gained popularity for their ability to reduce body weight by suppressing appetite and slowing digestion. WASHINGTON - The Trump administration is planning an experiment to cover weight-loss drugs under Medicare and Medicaid, the Washington Post reported on Aug 1, citing documents from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. GLP-1 drugs, originally developed for type 2 diabetes, have gained popularity for their ability to reduce body weight by suppressing appetite and slowing digestion. But their high cost – typically between US$5,000 (S$6,490) and US$7,000 per year – has raised concerns about long-term affordability. The proposed plan would permit state Medicaid programs and Medicare Part D insurance plans to voluntarily cover GLP-1 drugs, including those from market leaders Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, the report said. Lilly and Novo are leaders in the weight-loss drug market, which some analysts expect could bring in more than US$150 billion in revenues by the next decade. Lilly's shares were up nearly 2 per cent in premarket trading. The initiative is slated to begin in April 2026 for Medicaid and January 2027 for Medicare. If it clears the way, it would mark a shift in federal policy after the administration said earlier this year that the programs would not cover weight loss drugs. A proposal under the Biden administration had also aimed to expand access to the medications. The Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Lilly and Novo did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. REUTERS
Straits Times
15 hours ago
- Straits Times
SGH medical team comes home after Dhaka mission to help treat burn victims from fighter jet crash
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Dr Jolin Wong (left) and Dr Irene Wong from SGH's Department of Surgical Intensive Care checking on a burn patient in Dhaka. SINGAPORE – A team of nurses and doctors from the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) that went to Bangladesh to help treat burn victims of a fatal fighter jet crash has returned home. The eight-member team, comprising five nurses and three doctors, flew to Dhaka in stages, after an air force jet crashed into a school compound on July 21. More than 30 people were killed, and another 170 or so were injured. About 80 victims were hospitalised for a raft of injuries including serious burns. Many of the victims were children. A call for help came from the Bangladesh High Commission office in Singapore, asking for medical reinforcements, said Associate Professor Ong Yee Siang, who is SGH head of plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery. On July 22, a team headed to Dhaka, led by SGH senior consultant Chong Si Jack and comprising nurses Jovan Lim and Poon Lai Kuan, as well as SingHealth international collaboration office director Vijaya Rao. On July 24, a second group left for the Bangladeshi capital, this one comprising doctors Jolin Wong and Irene Wong, and nurse clinicians Chester Chow, Wei Guiru and Tan Kwee Yuen. Teaming up with medical staff in Dhaka, the Singapore team helped with burn dressings, surgical excisions and skin graft operations, said Prof Ong. The team also lent its expertise to Dhaka hospital staff in areas like caring for critically ill patients, infection prevention and control protocols, he added. Doctors in Singapore also pitched in remotely, making themselves available for teleconsultations. Singapore and Bangladesh have longstanding ties in sharing expertise on treating burn victims. In 2016, public healthcare cluster SingHealth and the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka inked a deal that paved the way for efforts aimed at strengthening Bangladesh's burn management programme, said Prof Ong. SingHealth also helps train medical professionals and shore up expertise in caring for burn patients as part of the deal that was renewed in 2024, he added. SGH is among the Singapore hospitals that fall under the SingHealth umbrella. In 2017, an SGH team visited the National Institute of Burns and Plastic Surgery – among the largest burn units in the world – to treat burn victims and carry out clinical training. De facto Bangladeshi prime minister Muhammad Yunus met the Singapore team on July 27 in Dhaka, along with other medical staff from China and India, who also helped with treatment and medical support. Dr Yunos, a Nobel laureate, said: 'These teams have come not just with their skills, but with their hearts. Their presence reaffirms our shared humanity and the value of global partnerships in times of tragedy.' He added that many lives were saved because the teams showed up in Dhaka quickly and helped. Dr Yunus put up a Facebook post about the meeting, and added that charge d'affaires Mitchel Lee, who heads the Singapore High Commission in Dhaka, was also at the meeting. The Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet in the July 21 incident had experienced mechanical failure and crashed into a building that was part of Milestone School and College. It was a school day and students were attending classes when the plane hit the two-storey building at 1.06pm.
