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☆ Minnie Chan: Media groups raise concerns following report of ‘missing’ Hong Kong journalist in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Press freedom groups are voicing concern for veteran Hong Kong journalist Minnie Chan following a news report that she went missing after traveling to Beijing to cover a security forum in late October. The association, a trade union which advocates for press freedom, called for friends or relatives with information to get in touch. Chan is a highly regarded journalist in Hong Kong and among international audiences who closely follow China news. China ranks 179 out of 180 in the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index. It is the world’s largest captor of journalists and press freedom defenders with at least 121 detained, according to the organization.

Persons: Hong, Minnie Chan, “, Chan, ”, Cheng Lei, Haze Fan Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Press, Protect Journalists, Kyodo, China Morning, Beijing ”, China’s Foreign, Hong Kong Journalists Association, Bloomberg News, China Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, Hangzhou

☆ 2023 through the lens of Reuters photographers
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Reuters Photographers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters photographers were on the ground to capture it all as it unfolded - and much more. 649 photographers125 countries1.3 million photosOn Oct. 7, Hamas rampaged through southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. While this war and other stories took the spotlight off Ukraine, the conflict raged on in the country’s east. Amid the death and despair that marked 2023, humans still found ways to remember and to celebrate - and Reuters photographers looked for those stories, too. A Reuters photographer took a picture of an object drifting down to the coast in South Carolina after it was shot down, just one moment among many that made up the world in 2023.

Persons: Abdulalim Muaini, Donald Trump, Sam Bankman, Fried, King Charles III Organizations: U.S ., Reuters Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Turkey, Syria, Morocco, Europe, Canada, America, California, Congo, Darfur, Sudan, Haiti, U.S, rickety, Gaza, United States, Mexico, South Carolina

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — With Planet Earth running a fever, U.N. climate talks focused Sunday on the contagious effects on human health. “Climate change doesn’t need to be on a death certificate for us to be confident that climate change is causing deaths,” Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, WHO’s head of climate and health, said. Dubai, the largest city in oil-rich United Arab Emirates, often faces higher levels of air pollution than other places on Earth due to its location — and haze is common. The Dubai government, on its web site devoted to the environment, listed its Air Quality Index level mostly at “good” on Sunday. Switzerland-based IQAir, a technology company that sells air-quality monitoring products, listed Dubai as the city with the 18th-worst air quality in the world with “moderate” air quality levels as of noon local time on Sunday.

Persons: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, ”, —, Antonio Guterres, Guterres, John Kerry, ” Kerry, Vanessa, Tedros, Diarmid Campbell, ” Diarmid Campbell, Jon Gambrell, Peter Prengaman Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Health Organization, Conference, WHO, United, Associated Press, AP Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Dubai, U.N, —, U.S, United Arab Emirates, Persian, Switzerland

☆ A Buddy-Buddy Honeymoon
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Alyson Rogg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ah, the honeymoon, traditionally imagined as a lavender haze of candlelit dinners for two, beds adorned with fragrant rose petals, and bungalows perched over crystal-clear waters. Enter the buddymoon, a trend that’s gaining visibility on Instagram and TikTok. The couple, who have lived together since 2020, had already taken solo vacations. They considered their trip to the Greek island of Mykonos with 13 friends a rare opportunity. For those also interested in a honeymoon with a little company, here is a starter guide to help you plan.

Persons: “, ”, Irene Levine, Hannah Godwin, Dylan Barbour, influencers Locations: Pleasantville, N.Y, Paradise, Condécourt, France, Mykonos

CNN —The two occupants of a car that exploded Wednesday at the US-Canada Rainbow Bridge border crossing are dead, a law enforcement source told CNN. The FBI, New York State Police and US Customs and Border Protection are on the scene investigating. A vehicle was trying to enter the US side of the border, according to a spokesperson for the Niagara Falls mayor’s office. Debris is scattered about inside the customs plaza at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, in Niagara Falls, New York. There are four ports of entry between Canada and the US near Niagara Falls, according to US Customs and Border Protection.

Persons: Dominic LeBlanc, “, Derek Gee, ” Aaron Ferguson, CNN’s Laura Dolan Organizations: CNN, New York State, Public, FBI, New York State Police, US Customs, Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition, The Buffalo News Locations: Canada, New York, Buffalo , New York, Niagara Falls , New York, Niagara Falls

☆ Cricket World Cup 2023: Polluted air the common opponent
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Vijdan Mohammad Kawoosa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Air quality during 2023 Cricket World Cup matchesChart categorises the 2023 cricket World Cup matches held in 10 Indian cities by the air quality observed during the matches they hosted. Twenty matches were held in ‘unhealthy’ air quality, 11 in air that was ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 12 in ‘moderate’ air quality and only two in ‘good’ air quality. Average 24-hour PM 2.5 levels on all cricket World Cup match days between 1983 and 2019Chart shows average PM 2.5 concentration on match days at places that hosted a cricket World Cup match between 1983 and 2019. Of all the regions that have ever hosted a cricket World Cup match, the Indian subcontinent has seen the most polluted air. Map shows average annual PM 2.5 levels in 2019 across the world and locations that have ever hosted a cricket World Cup match.

Persons: Delhi’s Arun, Arun Jaitley, ITO, Chandika Hathurusinghe, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Suranga Lakmal, Mohammad Shami vomited Organizations: Sri Lankan, teams, Arun, ITO, Labs Inc, . Environmental Protection Agency, Delhi, United States Environment Protection Agency, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, World Health Organization, Indian, Matches, Daily, International Cricket Council, Endurance Locations: New Delhi, Delhi, Lahore, Pakistan, Australia, Netherlands, India, ITO, Sri Lanka, England, Indian, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Sri Lankan, U.S, Canberra, United States, China, Bangladesh

☆ ‘The Crown’: Behind the Photo of an Embrace That Changed Princess Diana’s Life
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Alex Marshall | More About Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As he got closer, he was stunned to realize it was the princess. Brenna was successful, Malka added, because he had spent so many years working in the region. After spotting the couple, Brenna said he spent the next few days stalking the boat, including climbing a cliff to get a better view. From that elevated position, about 400 meters away from Diana, he took several photos of Diana and Dodi in an embrace. The shots were almost blurred, Brenna said, because the heat haze meant he struggled to get the pair in focus.

Persons: Brenna, Bruno Malka, Diana, Dodi, Malka, he’d, ” He’d, ”, “ Organizations: Paris Match

☆ Smoky skies in Indian capital on Diwali as revellers defy firecracker ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Neha Arora | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Smoke plumes were visible across the sky as revellers let off firecrackers in the evening to mark the country's biggest festival. Every year government authorities or India's Supreme Court impose bans on firecrackers - but only rarely do those bans appear to be enforced. Globally, air pollution was the worst in India's eastern city of Kolkata, while Delhi was the fifth-most polluted, according to Swiss group IQAir. Doctors say the air quality is likely to worsen on Monday as smoke from firecrackers lingers in the air, potentially causing itchy eyes and irritation in the throat. Some Hindus resent the Diwali firecracker bans, which they see as an attempt to interfere with them observing their religious festivals.

Persons: Health Organization's, Deepak, Dr, Ram Manohar, Gopal Rai, Neha Arora, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Health, Ram Manohar Lohia, Delhi's, Thomson Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Kolkata, Delhi, Swiss

☆ Toxic Air Is No Reason to Stay Inside for Delhi’s Joggers and Yoga Fans
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Sameer Yasir | More About Sameer Yasir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A few steps into his early-morning run, Purushottam Sahu struggled to breathe. Overhead, a thick brown-gray haze blanketed the sprawling forest park in New Delhi where he and other joggers, yoga enthusiasts and dog owners were keeping to their daily habits despite official warnings against exerting themselves in the toxic air. “We are all jogging faster toward death,” said Mr. Sahu, 46. “Because we have no other choice.”Every year in the late fall, as air pollution in the Indian capital climbs to noxious extremes, the government takes emergency measures like closing schools, restricting traffic and banning construction. But for the region’s 30 million inhabitants, life must go on, and for many in this urban expanse of lush parks and morning strolls, that means trying to remain active.

Persons: Purushottam Sahu, ”, Sahu Locations: New Delhi

☆ 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

☆ An Epic Pilgrimage Across Three Great Religions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Aatish Taseer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +111 min

Before there was tourism, there was pilgrimage: a trip of endurance, hardship and ecstasy in celebration of one’s faith. On an epic pilgrimage of his own, one writer ventures into the heart of three great religions in Bolivia, Mongolia and Iraq. The Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala the day after Ashura. “They’re poor, but they come thousands of kilometers for the love of Imam Hussein.” PILGRIMAGE WAS A great equalizer. “Labaik ya Hussein,” came the solemn chorus of surrounding voices.

Persons: Eduardo Quintela Gonzáles, ” Quintela, JAN, “, ”, Quintela, Victor, Edith Turner, Chaucer, ferne, sondry londes, Vaishno Devi, Lyra Skinner, Lyra, Victoria Preston’s, —, Prophet Muhammad, Virgin Mary, Bath, Naipaul, Augustus, Ryan, garret, Virgin, Monica Machicao, Nicholas Casey, ” Monica, Casey, Evo Morales, sloughing, Columbus, Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Monica, glitzy cholets, Peru —, Viracocha, it’s, Pablo Quisbert, Leandro Chitarroni, Eichmann, Father Chitarroni, Father Chitarroni’s, Conquistadores ”, Fernando Cervantes, Bernabé Cobo, Quisbert, Edgar Quispe, Tatiana Huayhua, Francisco Tito Yupanqui, Mary, Yupanqui’s, su, Yupanqui, Chitarroni, she’s, Friar Abelino Yeguaori, Friar Yeguaori, Friar Yeguaori’s, Irene, Juana, hajji, Waka, Aracely Alcón, Santiago, Alcón, ‘, don’t, ” Alcón, Tito Yupanqui, Uma Marka, Pachamama, haggard, Amaru Fiorilo Barrios, he’d, ” Fiorilo, Fiorilo, who’d, Valeria Alcón, Laureano Jose Quisbert, Elena Ticona Flores, Eduardo Quintela’s, Ensamble, pang, padre, consolations, Sincrético, El, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, Axel, amauta, strode, La, Aatish Taseer, Saint Helena —, Constantine I, La Paz, Orgilbaatar Tsolmon, Orgil, Genghis Khan, Edward Gibbon, ” Orgil, Araniko’s, Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan’s, Kubla Khan, Coleridge, Kublai, Stalin, sybarite, Khamar, Dalai Lama, Lama, Christopher Kaplonski, ger, I’d, banshtai tsai, Prim, Egi, Munkhdul, Gandantegchinlen, Haidav, herder, “ Um sain, boltugai, Danzanravjaa, Zanabazar’s, Erdene, Mandakhtsog Monkhbaatar, Monkhbaatar’s, Dalai Lamas, prostrated, He’d, Zuu, she’d, Santiago de, L.K, Advani, Emperor Babur, Ram, kar sevaks, Ayodhya, Narendra Modi, Munkhbaatar Batchuluun, Henry Wallace, Franklin D, Potemkin, Munkhbaatar, Gerelmaa, Giimaa, She’d, Eduardo Quintela, Aracely, Santiago’s, Joseph Brodsky’s, Muhammad’s, Hussein, William Keo, ” Khuder, pillion, Labaik, Hussein ”, O Hussein, hearkened, Prophet, Ali —, Ali, Yazid, Imam, crackling, chickpeas, Imam Ali, Imam Hussein, Saddam Hussein, Tusi, Qasim, Imam Hussein’s, Khuder, “ Will, Najaf, prestes, — I, Yasir Yaseen, Ashura, Ali Akbar, Abbas, Ali Asghar, “ We’re, Francisco Goya’s, Hussein’s, Groom, Joseph, ” Wissam, Turfi, Saddam —, Arbaeen, Saddam, “ Imam Hussein, WE, Muhammad, Barnaby Rogerson, Prophet Muhammad ”, ” Ali, Muhammad — Muhammad, formlessness, Muqtada al, Abrams, chiding, Abu Musab Al, Zarqawi, Al Qaeda, William, “ They’re, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, flagellants, ruddy, stylishly, Hussein — shahid —, Farman Ahsan, Syed Salman Raza —, Saddam’s, ” Raza, William “, Ali Zayn al, Abidin, Labaik ya Hussein, thrall —, Lloyd, Susanne Rudolph — Organizations: CITY LA, LA, LA PAZ, Virgin, Crusaders, Dolorosa, Sun, The New York Times, Bolivian, Spain, La, Cordillera, Universidad Mayor de, Catholic, Good, La Paz, Dominican, Pakistan, Caesars, Nissan, Coke, Communists, Communism, ardor, Communist, Hyundai, flails, sacra, Apache, Mahdi Army, Al, ISIS, Karachi —, Princeton Locations: Bolivia, Mongolia, Iraq, Aatish Taseer Bolivia Mongolia Iraq, CITY LA PAZ, BOLIVIA, NAJAF, IRAQ, ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA, LA PAZ, La Paz, Bolivian, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, New York, Christian, British, sondry, India, Delhi, Varanasi, Europe, American, Mecca, Arabia, Long, Vino Tinto, Chile, Peru, Monica, Plurinational State, Bolivia —, Americas, Spain, Columbian, Aztec Mexico, Inca Peru, Calvary Hill, Virgen del Cerro, South America, Puerto Rico, Huatajata, ”, Argentine, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Mexican, revelry, Spanish, “, morena, La, “ India, multilayered, Potosí, Argentina, Warisata, Scotch, Santiago de Compostela, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Nations, El Alto, Buenos Aires, Bombay, Tibet, Bolivia’s, Yamuna Rivers, United States, Buddhist Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolian, Istanbul, Asia, Islam, China, Beijing, Dadu, Erdene Zuu, Soviet, Gobi, Los Angeles, gers, Qing China, Karnataka, Töv Province, Karakorum, Khamar, Erdene, Ukraine, Korea, Golden, Bayankhongor, Lhasa, Dalai, Inner Mongolia, Mongol, Nalaikh, Santiago, Santiago de Compostela and Canterbury, Bulgan Province, Somnath, Gujarat, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, ger, East German, Uvs Province, Pakistani, Indian, Tennessee, Najaf, Baghdad, Khuder, —, abayas, KARBALA, Kufa, Medina, Saudi Arabia, Karbala, Imam Ali, Bab, Kuwaiti, Bohras, South Asia, Tajikistan, Zaydis, Yemen, Alawites, Anatolia, Syria, Iran, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Sadr, U.S, Jordanian, Al Qaeda, Mesopotamia, Al, Multan, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan’s, Islamabad, Lahore, Kuwait, Karachi, Doha, Qatar

☆ 'Looksmaxxing' is the new TikTok trend for young men who want to be hot
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"Looksmaxxing" is the Tiktok trend taking hold among some young men who want to be better-looking. The New York Times wrote about the trend, which has shifted from a friendlier version on Tiktok, where handsome men give basic advice. The story points out that much of the TikTok version of the trend is simply helpful, basic advice, and the target audience is often young teenage men — a demographic that can be hygienically challenged. Calling these basic tips "looksmaxxing" — and treating it like getting "facial gains" — is silly. But this is the first time we're seeing swaths of young men gathering online to talk about it with these meme-y terms like "mogging" (looking hotter than someone else).

Persons: —, looksmaxxing, Latham, Dillion Latham, — they're, It's, Looksmaxxers Organizations: Service, The New York Times, GQ, 4chan Locations: British

☆ Malaysia drops plans for proposed transborder haze pollution bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO:The sun rises above Kuala Lumpur's skyline on a hazy day in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsKUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Malaysia will not proceed with a proposed bill to prevent transborder haze pollution, its environment ministry said, citing difficulties in obtaining the necessary information for prosecution purposes. "To enable the enforcement of a transboundary haze pollution bill, clear evidence that transboundary haze originates from neighbouring countries must be supported by sufficient data such as location maps, coordinates, landowner information and companies operating in the location of fires," the ministry said. It said such information was difficult to obtain as it involved matters of confidentiality, security and national sovereignty. Malaysia last month called on Indonesia and a grouping of Southeast Asian nations to take action as air quality worsened across the country due to fires in Indonesia.

Persons: Hasnoor Hussain, Danial Azhar, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Kuala Lumpur's, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, KUALA LUMPUR, Indonesia

NEW DELHI (AP) — A toxic blanket of grey smog hangs over New Delhi’s monuments and high-rises. Authorities are struggling to rein in severe air pollution levels, an annual and chronic health crisis that disrupts the lives of over 20 million in the city every year. On Tuesday, the air quality index veered close to the 400 mark for tiny particulate matter, a level considered hazardous and more than 10 times the global safety threshold, according to SAFAR, India’s main environmental monitoring agency. The severe air pollution crisis affects every resident in the city, but the millions who work outdoors are even more vulnerable. "If I had had employment back home, I wouldn’t have come to Delhi to work.”

Persons: SAFAR, ”, Srinivas Rao, Gulshan Kumar Organizations: DELHI, Authorities, Sri, Arun, Indian, Meteorology, Living Sciences Locations: Andhra Pradesh, India, New Delhi, Bangladesh, Pune . New Delhi, Bihar, ”, Delhi

☆ India's toxic smog season shuts down schools, revives 'odd-even' vehicle limits
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"The situation arising out of air pollution in the City is extremely worrying," Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena said in a Friday post on X, formerly Twitter. Good or satisfactory air quality corresponds to an index somewhere between zero and 100. The air quality index in Delhi on Monday was roughly 450, according to India's Central Pollution Control Board. Prolonged exposure to an air quality index above 300 can lead to respiratory illness and long-term health problems. According to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, these crop-burning fires cause pollution to peak in Delhi from Nov. 1 to Nov. 15.

Persons: Vinai Kumar Saxena, Saxena, Gopal Rai Organizations: Pollution Control, Control, Aam Aadmi Party Locations: New Delhi, India, Delhi, City

☆ 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, “

☆ Air pollution in India's New Delhi turns 'severe,' some schools shut
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Heavy smog seen engulfed amid rise in pollution levels at Barakhamba on Nov. 2, 2023 in New Delhi, India. People in New Delhi woke up to a thick layer of toxic haze on Friday, and some schools were ordered to be shut for two days as the air quality index (AQI) entered the "severe" category in several parts of the Indian capital. A filthy smog forms over Delhi every winter as cold, heavy air traps construction dust, vehicle emissions and smoke from crop stubble burning in neighboring states, causing a surge in respiratory illnesses among the city's 20 million people. New Delhi topped a real-time list on Friday of the world's most polluted cities compiled by Swiss group IQAir which put the India's capital's AQI at 611 in the 'hazardous' category. "Unfavorable meteorological conditions, sudden increase in the farm fire incidents and north-westerly winds moving the pollutants to Delhi are the major causes for sudden spike in AQI," the region's Commission for Air Quality Management said on Thursday.

Organizations: Residents, region's Commission, Air Quality Management Locations: New Delhi, India, Delhi, Swiss

Schools closed in New Delhi on Friday, while some diesel-burning vehicles were ordered off the roads and much of the city’s incessant construction was halted, as the authorities tried to mitigate the effects of a thick haze of pollution that has descended on India’s capital, a calamity that has come to be an annual blight. Despite the mandates, and an appeal to people to stay indoors, the measures provided little relief for the city’s many millions of residents. “Breathing becomes heavy and long,” said Ram Kumar, a 30-year-old from the city of Gorakhpur, in the more rural north of India, who supports his family back home by driving an auto-rickshaw in New Delhi. In June, during Canada’s worst-ever wildfire season, New York saw its skies turn orange from the smoke that wafted over, with residents suffering from that type of pollution at a concentration of about 117 micrograms per cubic meter. By comparison, on Friday afternoon in Delhi, the average was around 500, reaching 643 in some places.

Persons: ”, Ram Kumar Locations: New Delhi, Gorakhpur, India, “, New York, Delhi

NEW DELHI, Nov 3 (Reuters) - India's capital New Delhi was wrapped in a thick layer of toxic haze on Friday and some schools were ordered closed as the air quality index (AQI) plummeted to the "severe" category. In India, the annual average concentration of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) in the air is the highest in northern regions. Officials said they saw no immediate improvement in the air quality. Delhi hosts a World Cup match on Monday between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Poor air quality also caused respiratory problems, irritation in the eyes and restlessness in pet animals.

Persons: Aheed Khan, Ashwani Kumar, Prabhat Gangwar, Tanvi Mehta, Rajesh, Blassy Boben, Manoj Kumar, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: joggers, Residents, Officials, Control Committee, Farmers, Health, Friendicoes, Thomson Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Swiss, Pakistani, Lahore, Delhi, India, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka

☆ Air pollution sparks alarm, dims World Cup cheer in India
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Blassy Boben | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view shows residential buildings and a stadium shrouded in smog in New Delhi, India, October 27, 2023. Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 415 on a scale of 500 in the capital's Anand Vihar area on Thursday, indicating "severe" levels of pollution that can affect healthy people and those with existing ailments. The dip in air quality in the region during the winter months is often accompanied by a spike in respiratory illnesses, spurring school and factory closings. The worsening air quality has cast a shadow over the cricket World Cup as fans flock to stadiums across Indian cities. Players have expressed concern about the toxic air, with England's Joe Root complaining of breathing difficulties during a game and India's Rohit Sharma urging change for "future generations".

Persons: Altaf Hussain, Anand, Joe Root, India's Rohit Sharma, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, BCCI, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Delhi, Anand Vihar, Pakistan's Lahore, Swiss, India's Mumbai, AQI, Mumbai, Sri Lanka

☆ Air Pollution in India's New Delhi Turns 'Severe', Some Schools Shut
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Tanvi MehtaNEW DELHI (Reuters) - People in New Delhi woke up to a thick layer of toxic haze on Friday, and some schools were ordered to be shut for two days as the air quality index (AQI) entered the "severe" category in several parts of the Indian capital. "Unfavourable meteorological conditions, sudden increase in the farm fire incidents and north-westerly winds moving the pollutants to Delhi are the major causes for sudden spike in AQI," the region's Commission for Air Quality Management said on Thursday. Authorities ordered primary, or elementary, schools to remain shut on Friday and Saturday, while most construction work in the region has been suspended. This year, attention on the worsening air quality has cast a shadow over the cricket World Cup hosted by India, with financial capital Mumbai also suffering from a spike in the pollution levels. Delhi hosts a World Cup match next on Monday between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Persons: Tanvi Mehta, Lincoln Organizations: Residents, region's Commission, Air Quality Management, . Authorities Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Delhi, India, Mumbai, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka

☆ Haze lingers in Beijing as fog blankets parts of north China
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Vehicles move on a street in Beijing's Central Business District (CBD) as the city is shrouded in smog, in China November 1, 2023. REUTER/Tingshu Wang Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Hazy weather hung over Beijing on Wednesday with conditions in other parts of north China possibly worsening, forecasters said, although cold air sweeping in from the northwest is expected to help dissipate the smog. Experts attributed the haze in Beijing, which has lasted for several days, to poor atmospheric diffusion because of unseasonably weak cold air currents from the north. Visibility in most parts of Beijing dropped to less than 500 metres (546 yards), the China Meteorological Administration said. But from Thursday night, cold air is expected to push temperatures lower, possibly to new lows.

Persons: REUTER, Tingshu Wang, Gao, We're, Liu, Liz Lee, Ethan Wang, Xiaoyu Yin, Robert Birsel Organizations: Business, Rights, Beijing, China Meteorological Administration, Thomson Locations: China, Rights BEIJING, Beijing, Hebei province, Tianjin, Hebei, Jinan, Zhengzhou, Shijiazhuang

☆ China's smog-covered north on highest pollution alert as visibility drops
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Liz Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Northern province Hebei launched an anti-pollution emergency response, listing traffic safety controls for when necessary including suspending flight takeoffs and landings, temporarily closing highways and suspending ferries, China's meteorological bureau said in a notice. Authorities also warned road users to stop in safe parking areas when conditions required and asked people to stay indoors. Beijing said it would implement traffic control measures if the capital activates its highest air pollution warning. Experts said weak cold air currents from the north pole were a key factor behind the unusual weather. Cold air currents are forecast to stream in the north from Thursday night, creating conditions that could weaken and dissipate the haze, the weather forecaster said.

Persons: Liz Lee, Jamie Freed Organizations: Authorities, National Meteorological Center, NMC, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Northern, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Henan province, Shandong, Jiangsu province, China's, Shanghai

☆ Crab Nebula glows in a new light in Webb telescope image
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Crab Nebula is a well-studied supernova remnant located 6,500 light-years away in the Taurus constellation. The Crab Nebula has been studied by other space observatories like the Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble's Crab Nebula — Hubble's Crab Nebula NASA/ESA/J. Loll Webb's Crab Nebula — Webb's Crab Nebula NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/Tea TemimCapturing aspects of the ever-expanding Crab NebulaHubble captured the celestial object using an optical wavelength in 2005 (above left), while Webb’s latest infrared image (above right) revealed more of its structural details and inner workings. Yellow-white and green filaments, made of dust grains, appear in the Webb image for the first time.

Persons: James Webb, ”, Hester, Hubble, Webb Organizations: CNN, Telescope, Hubble, Princeton University, NASA, ESA, CSA, Webb Locations: China, Japan, New Jersey

☆ ‘Lewiston Strong’: After Mass Shooting, Residents Emerge With Grit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Jenna Russell | More About Jenna Russell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On a sparkling October morning, with peak fall foliage blazing red and yellow, the residents of Lewiston emerged from two long days of lockdown on Saturday into a city forever changed. Sidewalks came to life. And the families of 18 people killed by a mass shooter here on Wednesday night tried to move on in a haze of grief, their losses piling an almost unbearable weight on a place that prides itself on its resilience. Lewiston, Maine — a city of 36,000 that feels more like a small town — sits away from the picturesque harbors and privileged enclaves of the coastline, in the sprawling inland interior of this vast rural state. With a history bookended by two waves of immigration, a century apart, and hollowed out by the lost textile mills that once defined its economy, it is frequently described by outsiders with well-worn, vaguely disparaging adjectives.

Persons: — Locations: Lewiston, Lewiston , Maine

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