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☆ Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi: 28 of her artworks mysteriously disappeared three decades ago. They’ve finally returned home to South Africa
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Gertrude Kitongo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Johannesburg, South Africa CNN —It was a phone call that changed everything. “We have some good news.”Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi had been waiting to hear those words for more than 30 years. Origins of an artistSebidi was born in 1943 near Hammanskraal, South Africa, north of Pretoria. One of artist Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi's early works, which often depict traditional, rural scenes of a time before European colonization came to the African continent. “We need those freedoms.”Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi’s exhibition is on display at the University of Johannesburg Art Gallery until May 17, 2024.

Persons: ”, Helen Sebidi, ” Sebidi, Sebidi, “, John Koenakeefe Mohl, Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi “, Mark Read, Everard, “ Helen, Read, Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi's, Helen Sebidi “, –, – Sebidi, Kim Berman, ’, Helen Sebidi's, Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi Sebedi, Gabriel Baard, ” Baard, ” Berman, Thabo Mbeki –, Jesper Osterberg, Gabriel Baard Baard, Everard Read, Helen Sebidi’s Organizations: South Africa CNN, South, CNN, Johannesburg Art Foundation, Everard Read, Galleries, Federated Union of Black Artists, Millary Colony, Arts, Nyköping Folk, School, University of Johannesburg, “, Smithsonian, Folk High School, Swiss Air Freight, University of Johannesburg Art, Swedish Embassy Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Sweden, Hammanskraal, Pretoria, New York, Swedish, Nyköping, Black, “, Stockholm, Sebidi

☆ Zermatt: Five skiers found dead, one missing in Swiss Alps
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Martin Goillandeau | Cnn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The bodies of five missing skiers were found in the Swiss Alps on Sunday evening, while rescuers are still searching for a sixth person, local police said on Monday. The family members were from the Valais canton, while the sixth person is from the canton of Fribourg. Police did not reveal the identities of the dead skiers, whose bodies were found in Tête Blanche on Sunday, Reuters reported. Search-and-rescue operations were launched on Saturday after the skiers went missing near the 3,706-meter-high (12,159 feet) Tête Blanche pass, en route to the village of Arolla. This call enabled him to be located in the Tête Blanche pass area, at an altitude of around 3,500 meters” (around 11,480 feet), police said.

Persons: Tête Blanche, Valais Cantonal Police Christian Varone, Valentin Flauraud, Blanche, Mont Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Police, Sunday, Valais Cantonal Police Christian, AP Police, “, Cantonal Police, Rescue Organization, Swiss Air Force Locations: Swiss, Zermatt, Blanche, Valais, Fribourg, Tête, Sion , Switzerland, Arolla, Canton, OCVS, Chamonix, France, Mont Blanc, Switzerland

Suryana has spent more than three decades living in the shadow of the power plant in northern Java, just 60 miles from Jakarta, Indonesia’s most populous city. Emissions from burning coal, which is highly polluting but relatively cheap, contribute up to a third of Indonesia’s air pollution according to Siti Nurbaya, Indonesia’s Environmental and Forestry Minster. The Indonesian government has called on residents to use public transportation and has given regulation and financial incentives to residents who want to shift from using gas or diesel-fueled vehicles to electric vehicles. The government is pushing to have more than 530,000 electric vehicles on the road in Indonesia by 2030. Because industry is contributing 30% to 40% of the air pollution in Jakarta, in addition to emissions from transportation,” Syuhada said.

Persons: Suryana, “ We’ve, ”, Ginanjar Syuhada, —, Siti Nurzanah, ” Nurzanah, Syuhada, “, Siti Nurbaya, Budi Karya, ” Syuhada Organizations: —, United Nations, Associated Press, World Health Organization, Air, Vital, Indonesia’s Ministry of Health, WHO, Jakarta Health Agency, Jakarta's Persahabatan, Persahabatan Hospital, Forestry, Transportation Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Java, Jakarta, Indonesia’s, United, Dubai, Swiss, Indonesian, New York

☆ 9 passenger airliners that have landed on Antarctica's rugged runways made out of blue ice
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

These planes land on rugged, unpaved runways mostly made of blue ice and compacted snow. PrivatAir's Boeing 737 and Smartwings' Boeing 737 MAXA Smartwings 737 MAX on Antarctica in January 2022. It was the first time the jet type landed on one of the continent's blue ice runways. Another Loftleider 757 is set to ferry Antarctic Ice Marathon runners to Union Glacier this December. Loftleider Icelandic Airlines' and Titan Airways Boeing 767Titan Airways' Boeing 767 on Antarctica.

Persons: —, George Hubert Wilkins, Glenn Jacobson, PrivatAir, NPI, Tim Hewette, Troll, Fang, Patrick Woodhead Organizations: Atlantic Airways, Boeing, Service, Lockheed Vega, Airbus, Australian Antarctic, Australian, Skytraders, Australian Antarctic Program, McMurdo, AAP, Norwegian Polar Institute, Swiss, NPI, Boeing's, Airlines, Titan Airways, Antarctic Logistics, Expeditions, Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions, Antarctic Ice, Russian Antarctic, Titan Airways Boeing, Norse Atlantic Airways, Emirates, White Desert Locations: Antarctica, Skytraders, Christchurch , New Zealand, Hobart, Australia's, Tasmania, Cape Town , South Africa, Czech, Chile, Russian, NPI, Norway, Cape Town, Russia's

☆ Pakistan’s Lahore is the latest megacity to shut down as pollution chokes swathes of South Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Lahore has become the latest megacity to shut down as pollution chokes swathes of South Asia, where nearly 50 million people have been breathing toxic air for nearly a week. Commuters make their way through a busy street amid smoggy conditions in Lahore on November 7, 2023. The PM2.5 levels in all these cities far exceed the World Health Organization’s limit and illustrate a growing concern for South Asian countries as they experience rapid industrializations and population booms that are fueling pollution levels. Commuters make their way along the Signature Bridge amid heavy smog conditions in New Delhi on November 9, 2023. The study also found that every single one of India’s 1.4 billion residents endures annual average pollution levels that exceed guidelines set by the World Health Organization.

Persons: Mohsin Naqvi, Arif Ali, Arun Sankar Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Lahore –, Getty, Getty Images Dhaka, Energy, Institute, University of Chicago, World Health Organization, Doctors Locations: Lahore, South Asia, Swiss, Pakistan’s Punjab, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, AFP, Pakistan, India, New Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, India’s, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangladesh, Delhi

☆ Toxic foam coats sacred river near New Delhi as Indian capital battles hazardous pollution
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A thick layer of toxic foam has once again coated parts of a sacred river near New Delhi as the Indian capital battles an acrid and noxious smog that has settled across the city. The pungent foam contains high levels of ammonia and phosphates, which can cause respiratory and skin problems, according to experts. Yamuna river covered with a thick layer of toxic foam due near Kalindi Kunj, on September 10, 2023 in New Delhi, India. The river is most polluted in areas surrounding Delhi, owing to the area’s dense population and high levels of waste. Pictures from September also showed toxic foam forming on the Yamuna.

Persons: Salman Ali, Surya Organizations: CNN, Press Trust of India, Hindustan Times Locations: New Delhi, India’s, Tamil Nadu, Kalindi, India, Delhi, Oslo, Beijing, Kolkata, Mumbai

☆ Choking New Delhi smog shutters schools and shrouds Cricket World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A throat-searing blanket of smog has enveloped New Delhi, forcing schools to shut and disrupting the Cricket World Cup as officials rush to contain a pollution crisis that has become an annual occurrence in the Indian capital. New Delhi started the week with a PM 2.5 concentration nearly 80 times the World Health Organization’s recommended limit, according to Swiss air quality company IQAir. Traffic moves on a road enveloped by fog and smog in New Delhi, India, on November 3, 2023. The study also found that every single one of India’s 1.4 billion residents endure annual average pollution levels that exceed guidelines set by WHO. A passenger plane ready to take off at IGI Airport amid heavy smog on November 5, 2023 in New Delhi, India.

Persons: ”, Prachi, Health Organization’s, Awesta Chaudhary, “, Chaudhary, Vipin Kumar, Suranjit Chatterjee Organizations: CNN, Cricket, Health, Bangladesh, Arun, Authorities, Energy, Institute, University of Chicago, WHO, IGI, Hindustan Times, Internal Medicine, Apollo Hospital Locations: New Delhi, Delhi, . New Delhi, India, Sri Lanka, New, “

☆ Marathoners in Beijing go maskless, unfazed by smog
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Liz Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Participants take part in the Beijing Marathon, at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China October 29, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Runners undeterred by thick smog engulfing the Chinese capital ran the Beijing Marathon maskless on Sunday, many wearing shorts in one of the warmest Octobers on record. Beijing was the fourth most-polluted major city in the world on Sunday, according to Swiss air-quality technology firm IQAir. Beijing's high on Sunday was 19 C (66 F), according to the national weather bureau. The weather bureau forecast weak cold air currents to last the rest of the month before beginning to cool in early November.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Fang Chong, Liz Lee, Ryan Woo, Han Xiao, Bernard Orr, William Mallard Organizations: Beijing, REUTERS, Rights, Beijing Marathon, Meteorological Centre, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Tiananmen, Haidian, Beijing's, Tangshan, Handan, Hebei

☆ Governments repatriate citizens from Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

REUTERS/Pilar Olivares Acquire Licensing RightsOct 12 (Reuters) - Governments around the world have arranged repatriation flights from Tel Aviv in reaction to the conflict in Israel. AUSTRALIAAustralia organised two special flights on Friday and Sunday to bring back citizens from Israel, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday. CANADACanada plans to operate evacuation flights for Canadians stranded in Israel, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Tuesday. ITALYItaly arranged for seven flights between Tuesday and Wednesday, the Italian foreign ministry said late on Tuesday, as part of efforts to repatriate about 900 Italian citizens from Israel. On Wednesday, Portugal had repatriated 152 Portuguese citizens directly from Israel, plus 14 citizens from other European countries.

Persons: Roseli Pereira, Pilar Olivares, Anthony Albanese, Alexander De Croo, Melanie Joly, Jan Lipavsky, Lipavsky, Elina Valtonen, Catherine Colonna, Annalena Baerbock, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Andrzej Duda, Mariusz Blaszczak, Margarita Robles, Tobias Billstrom, Srettha Thavisin, Oleg Nikolenko, Nikolenko, Alessandro Parodi, Tristan Chabba, Joao Manuel Mauricio, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Rio de, REUTERS, Argentinian, AUSTRALIA Australia, Spanish Air Force, Foreign, CANADA Canada, Centre for Israel, Jewish Affairs, Boeing, Foreign Ministry, European Union, Aviation, CZECH REPUBLIC Czech, Wednesday, Reuters, French Foreign, France, Condor, German Foreign Ministry, Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel . KAZAKHSTAN Air Astana, Astana Times, Norwegian Air, Sunday . Defence, Ben Gurion, SOUTH, Incheon Airport, Korean, Acting, Airbus, SWISS, THAILAND, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Airline KLM, Facebook, Romania, UNITED, UNITED STATES, U.S . State Department, . Delta Air Lines, U.S, Thomson Locations: Israel, Brazil, Tel Aviv, ARGENTINA, Rome, Argentina, AUSTRALIA, AUSTRIA Austria, Hörsching, Upper Austria, Cyprus, BELGIUM Belgium, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, Brasilia, Embassy of Brazil, CHILE, Athens, Madrid, COLOMBIA, CYPRUS, Cypriot, CZECH REPUBLIC, Czech, Oman, Prague, DENMARK, Danish, FINLAND Finland, FRANCE France, Israel's Tel Aviv, Paris, GERMANY German, Jordanian, Aqaba, ICELAND, Germany, Keflavík, Iceland, Icelandic, ITALY Italy, Almaty, MEXICO, Oslo, POLAND Poland, Polish, Poland, Ben, Ben Gurion Airport, PORTUGAL, Portuguese, Lisbon, Portugal, SOUTH KOREA, Seoul, KS, SPAIN Spain, Spain, Torrejon, SWEDEN, Swedish, SWITZERLAND Swiss, Zurich, Bern, NETHERLANDS, Netherlands, UKRAINE Ukrainian, Gaza, Europe, U.S, Gdansk

☆ Airlines cancel flights to Israel amid attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Airlines scrambled to cancel flights into Israel early Saturday after Palestinian militants launched a surprise attack, firing thousands of rockets from Gaza into nearby Israeli towns during a Jewish holiday. German airline Lufthansa also announced on Saturday it would drastically reduce flights to Tel Aviv. The safety of our guests and crew members has top priority for Lufthansa,” airline representatives wrote. News reported on Saturday Swiss Air, Austrian Airlines and Turkish Airlines had canceled flights to and from Israel. El Al, Israel’s national airline, said customers “may suspend flights without charge or cancel with a voucher without costs,” and set up an emergency hotline for customers who need to change their flights.

Persons: “, John F Organizations: New, New York CNN — Airlines, Palestinian, Ben Gurion International Airport, United Airlines, San Francisco International Airport, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Sunday, Kennedy International, Lufthansa, “, Lufthansa Group Airlines, Popular, Walla ! News, Saturday Swiss Air, Austrian Airlines, Turkish Airlines Locations: New York, Israel, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Greenland, San Francisco, Sunday Israel, New York City, Frankfurt, Popular Israeli, Walla, El

Forest and peat fires are an annual problem in Indonesia that strains relations with neighboring countries. In recent years, smoke from the fires has blanketed parts of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and southern Thailand. Hundreds of forest fires in South Kalimantan province in Borneo island made the smoke haze even more widespread, especially during the last week. The local government has also called the students to do online learning because the air quality is unhealthy. “We are still working to handle the forest and land fires in Borneo and Sumatra islands as well as possible.

Persons: Siti Nurbaya Bakar, shouldn't, Bakar Organizations: —, Indonesian, Forestry, Associated Press, Indonesia’s Meteorology, Agency Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, — Indonesia, Sumatra, Borneo, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesian, Malaysia’s, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, IQAir, Swiss, South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan

☆ Indonesia launches sky train in capital, hopes to ease traffic and pollution
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Indonesian President Joko Widodo speaks as he launches the Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Jakarta, Indonesia, August 28, 2023. The driverless, 41.2 km (25.6 miles) Light Rail Transit (LRT) system connects central Jakarta and its satellites cities in West Java, Bekasi and Depok. People in Greater Jakarta commonly use a 418 km (260 mile) Commuter Line which serve around 1.2 million passengers per day. The president blamed the pollution on excessive road traffic and industries using coal and said nearly 1 million vehicles enter Jakarta each day. "Jakarta is always on the top 10 of list of cities with the worst traffic jams," he said.

Persons: Joko Widodo, Antara, Hafidz Mubarak, Ananda Teresia, Martin Petty Organizations: Rail, REUTERS, Acquire, Rights, Monday, Swiss, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights JAKARTA, Greater Jakarta, West Java, Borneo, Nusantara, Southeast

☆ 2 cabin crew could be in big trouble after taking selfies on the wing of a Boeing 777
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

2 Swiss flight attendants were spotted posing for selfies on the wing of a Swiss Boeing 777. AdvertisementAdvertisementCabin crew for Swiss Air could be in big trouble after appearing to pose for selfies on the wing of a Boeing 777. The video begins with a female flight attendant posing for a picture pulling several poses, before being joined by a male colleague. SWISS cabin crew in serious trouble for taking selfies on a 777 wing in Buenos Aires. AdvertisementAdvertisementNo passengers were on the plane when the crew embarked on their stunt.

Persons: selfies, Michael Pelzer, Pelzer Organizations: Swiss Boeing, Swiss Air, Boeing, New York Post, Breaking Aviation Locations: Swiss, Buenos Aires, Argentina, SWISS

☆ Airline CEO works as a flight attendant and discovers how challenging it is to be 'attentive and charming' to passengers on a night flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The CEO of Lufthansa Airlines wrote a LinkedIn post detailing his experience working as a flight attendant. CEO Jens Ritter said he helped out staff on flights between Germany and the Middle East. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe CEO of Lufthansa Airlines worked as a flight attendant on a round-trip between Germany and the Middle East, serving passengers onboard the German airline. According to a Lufthansa spokesperson, Ritter worked on an outbound and return flight between Frankfurt in Germany and Bahrain. Ritter has been in charge of Lufthansa Airlines since last April.

Persons: Jens Ritter, Ritter, Carsten Spohr, –, Ritter isn't, Greg Foran, Laxman Narasimhan, what's, it's, Lee Peterson Organizations: Lufthansa Airlines, Morning, Lufthansa, Lufthansa Group, Swiss Air, Austrian Airlines, Airbus, LinkedIn, Air New Zealand, NDTV, WD Partners Locations: Germany, East, Frankfurt, Bahrain, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia

☆ Jakarta is the world's most polluted city. And Indonesia's leader has the cough to prove it
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Indonesia’s capital Jakarta is the world’s most polluted city, according to a new study, and the country’s president may have the cough to prove it. Uno said doctors were still diagnosing the cause of Widodo’s cough but added that it might be related to the worsening air quality, reported CNN affiliate CNN Indonesia. But in recent weeks air quality in the capital has become particularly bad, deteriorating to the worst in the world, according to data provided by IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company. On August 9, Jakarta topped its list of polluted cities after registering “unhealthy” air pollution levels nearly every day, the company said. “Air pollution is a serious problem in Southeast Asia,” said political analyst Bridget Welsh from the University of Nottingham.

Persons: Joko Widodo, IQAir, ”, Sandiaga Uno, Uno, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, ” Budi, Widodo, ” Widodo, Bridget Welsh Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Tourism, Creative, Sandiaga, CNN, CNN Indonesia, Central, IQAir, Skyscrapers, Getty, University of Nottingham, “ Locations: Hong Kong, Jakarta, Swiss, AFP, Greater Jakarta, Central Jakarta, Greater Jakarta Area, Jakarta –, Southeast Asia, Nusantara, East Kalimantan, Borneo

☆ Indonesia plans random emission tests on motorists as poor air chokes Jakarta
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JAKARTA, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Indonesia's capital will force drivers to undergo emission tests, officials said on Monday, amid deteriorating air quality that has made Jakarta one of the world's most polluted cities. Jakarta has been consistently ranked among the 10 most polluted cities globally since May and last week topped global rankings compiled by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. "We will start in Jakarta and when it gets better, we will expand it to greater Jakarta," environment minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar told a press conference. President Widodo also advised companies to impose hybrid working and urged weather modification in Greater Jakarta, saying dry weather was contributing to pollution. "Also, keep monitoring the industrial sector and power plants mainly surrounding Greater Jakarta," he told ministers.

Persons: Joko Widodo, Sandiaga Uno, Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Widodo, Ananda Teresia, Martin Petty, Susan Fenton Organizations: Swiss, Jakarta, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Jakarta, Greater Jakarta, Indonesia

☆ What to Know About Canadian Wildfires and U.S. Air Quality
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Dan Bilefsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

How has the smoke affected air quality in the American Midwest? On Tuesday, Canada’s wildfires were worsening air quality in Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee, among other places. In Chicago, the Air Quality Index reached 209 by noon on Tuesday, the worst reading of any major city in the world for the day, according to IQAir, a Swiss air-quality technology company. In Green Bay, Wis., the index was 175; in Grand Rapids, Mich., it soared to 255. Any reading above 100 on the index is a warning to people with respiratory conditions to take precautions.

Organizations: NASA Locations: Canada, Quebec, American, Europe, Coast, United States, New York City, Washington, Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Swiss, Green Bay, Wis, Grand Rapids, Mich

How has the smoke affected air quality in the American Midwest? Image Chicago on Tuesday, where the Air Quality Index reached “very unhealthy” levels. Canada wildfires Burned Hotspots Source: Canadian Wildland Fire Information SystemHow far has Canadian wildfire smoke spread? In Canada, Environment Canada warned Tuesday that air quality would deteriorate overnight in Toronto, Canada’s largest city and financial capital. Poor air quality has also buffeted Montreal, where the sun has appeared in recent days as a lurid red dot.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, Judson Jones Organizations: NASA, Agence France, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, Environment Locations: Canada, Quebec, American, Europe, Coast, United States, New York City, Washington, Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Swiss, Green Bay, Wis, Grand Rapids, Mich, East, ., Portugal, Spain, France, Toronto, Canada’s, Montreal, Mont Tremblant, Ontario, New York

☆ Smoky Air From Canadian Wildfires Blankets Midwestern Skies
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Julie Bosman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Chicago and much of the Upper Midwest were blanketed with a smoky haze from Canadian wildfires on Tuesday, leaving many residents of the nation’s third-largest city startled by the sudden decline in air quality and donning masks when they ventured outside. Chicagoans were largely spared severe effects from wildfires earlier this month, when dangerous smoke affected the Northeast and pockets of the Midwest for days on end. But they had no reprieve on Tuesday, when the authorities classified the air as unhealthy in the city and in other parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota. In Chicago, the Air Quality Index reached 209 by noon, the worst reading of any major city in the world for the day, according to IQAir, a Swiss air-quality technology company. Any reading above 100 on the index is a warning to people with respiratory conditions to take precautions.

Locations: Midwest, Chicagoans, Illinois , Wisconsin , Indiana , Michigan, Minnesota, Chicago, Swiss, Green Bay, Wis, Grand Rapids, Mich

☆ Air quality alert apps see spike in usage as Canada wildfires burn
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Some apps run on data crowdsourced from relatively affordable air quality sensors sold by companies such as PurpleAir and IQAir. Air quality apps and mapsOutdoor air quality-monitoring apps like AirNow, AirCare and AirVisual have been among the nation's most used apps in past years when wildfires raged in Oregon and California. Like most air pollution trackers, it uses a color-coded visual system to indicate whether air pollution levels are good to hazardous, or whether there is not enough data to issue a rating. These include a Fire and Smoke Map, which provides information on fire locations, smoke plumes and air quality, and the AirNow Interactive Map shows ozone and particulate matter from air quality monitors across the country. Indoor air matters, tooWhile outdoor air quality is important, society doesn't talk or do enough about indoor air quality, said Richard Corsi, University of California, Davis' incoming dean of the college of engineering, currently a professor and dean at Portland State University.

Persons: AirNow, Yanelli Nunez, Anna Kioumourtzoglou, Nunez, Richard Corsi, Davis, Corsi Organizations: CNBC, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, ZIP, Apple Watch, Huawei, Columbia University's Mailman, of Public Health, University of California, Portland State University Locations: North America, Europe, Quebec, Ontario, U.S, New York City, Oregon, California, Mexico, Canada, Macedonia, Australia, Swiss, Greater Los Angeles

☆ US schools cancel recess, skylines vanish behind Canada wildfire smoke
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. National Weather Service issued quality air alerts from New England to South Carolina. In Bethesda, Maryland, a high school moved its graduation ceremony indoors, while a Brooklyn, New York, elementary school postponed its "Spring Fling" dance party. The smoke is crossing the U.S. northern border from Canada, where wildfire season got off to an unusually early and intense start due to persistent warm and dry conditions. Rochester, New York, near the Canadian border, had the worst air quality in the country, according to IQAir, while six towns along Maryland's Eastern Shore and Delaware were ranked in the bottom 10 for air quality. "This is an unprecedented event in our city and New Yorkers must take precaution," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said.

Persons: Eric Adams, Tyler Clifford, Denny Thomas, Ken Li, Nancy Lapid, Joseph Ax, Mark Porter, David Gregorio Our Organizations: YORK, U.S, National Weather Service, D.C, Twitter, East Coast, York City, Thomson Locations: Vermont, South Carolina, East, Ohio, Kansas, Midwest, New England, Washington, Bethesda , Maryland, Brooklyn , New York, Montclair , New Jersey, New York, Canada, York, Delhi, Rochester , New York, Shore, Delaware, Manhattan, New, Toronto, Canada's, Quebec

Arif Ali | AFP | Getty ImagesAbout 90% of the global population in 2022 experienced unhealthy air quality, and only six countries met the World Health Organization's recommendations of safe air pollutant levels, according to a new report from Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. The report found that the top five most polluted countries in 2022 were Chad, Iraq, Pakistan, Bahrain and Bangladesh. Lahore's air quality worsened to 97.4 micrograms of PM 2.5 particles per cubic meter in 2022 from 86.5 in the year prior, making it the most polluted city in the world. The 2022 report used air quality data from more than 30,000 regulatory air quality monitoring stations and air quality sensors from 7,323 cities across 131 countries, regions and territories. "Too many people around the world don't know that they are breathing polluted air," Aidan Farrow, senior air quality scientist at Greenpeace International, said in a statement.

☆ 'I feel my eyes burn': Thailand says stay indoors as air pollution spikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] A view of the city amid air pollution in Bangkok, Thailand, February 2, 2023. REUTERS/Athit PerawongmethaBANGKOK, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Air pollution in Bangkok and neighbouring Thai provinces spiked past safe levels on Thursday, prompting authorities to urge people to stay indoors and avoid strenuous outdoor activity. The country's pollution control department said "stagnant weather conditions" were exacerbating vehicle emissions and seasonal fires on agricultural lands. The level in Bangkok and the surrounding areas is currently 70.5 micrograms per cubic metre. Every year, exposure to outdoor air pollution is estimated to cause 4.2 million premature deaths, according to the WHO.

☆ A VIP Boeing 747 Jumbo jet that spent just 42 hours in the air is being scrapped, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Boeing 747-8 that spent just 42 hours in the air is being dismantled, a report says. The $280 million jet was ordered for a Saudi prince, who died before it was delivered. Boeing repurchased the plane in April, but failed to find a new buyer and decided to scrap it. But when the crown prince died, no other member of the Saudi royal family expressed interest in taking on the jet. However, no buyer emerged for the jet and it is now be scrapped at the Arizona "boneyard".

☆ SWISS airline cabin crew to get pay rises of up to 18%
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ZURICH, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Cabin crew at airline SWISS will get pay rises of 4% to 18% under a new five-year contract agreed at the unit of Deutsche Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), the two sides said on Thursday. Rank-and-file members of the kapers union still need to sign off on the terms agreed in negotiations on a collective labour agreement (CLA), but the airline and union leaders hailed the deal that follows accords with SWISS ground and cockpit staff. The monthly starting salary will rise to 4,000 Swiss francs ($4,255) from January, and existing salaries will increase by at least 4% for all salary levels, the company said in a statement. "All in all, the improvements agreed under CLA23 will cost SWISS some 100 million Swiss francs in additional investment over the next five years," it said. ($1 = 0.9401 Swiss francs)Reporting by Michael ShieldsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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