Air quality deteriorated to hazardous levels in New Delhi on Wednesday as toxic smog blanketed India, leaving residents of the capital complaining of “apocalyptic” scenes. The crisis also affected neighbouring Pakistan, with at least seven districts recording high levels of pollution.
The average air quality reading in New Delhi reached 366, placing it in the “very poor” category, according to India’s leading environmental authority, the Central Pollution Control Board. Swiss technology company IQAir, which analyses global pollution data, recorded an air quality index of 577 at noon and said New Delhi was the world's most polluted major city. A figure of more than 301 on its scale is considered “hazardous”.
The Indian capital has been enduring dangerous levels of smog in recent weeks as residents set off millions of fireworks for the Hindu festival of Diwali and farmers engage in the seasonal burning of crop waste. In Lahore, a city of 14 million and Pakistan’s cultural capital, the air quality index was recorded at 435 on Wednesday, according to IQAir. The reading was 700 on Tuesday and had on Monday reached 1,200.
“This is an apocalyptic situation,” New Delhi resident Maitri Deb told The National. "Nothing is visible because of this thick blanket of toxic pollution. The eyes are burning and I am feeling discomfort in breathing."
Neighbouring Indian cities were also affected by the smog, including Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurgaon. Experts say an air quality reading between 400 and 500 on the government's scale is equivalent to smoking 25 cigarettes a day.
The concentration of harmful PM2.5 particles in the air was 332 microns per cubic metre, more than 22 times the World Health Organisation's safe limit, according to IQAir. These fine particles penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream and are blamed for chronic respiratory and cardiac diseases.
Visibility in the morning was down to about 100 metres in New Delhi, according to the India Meteorological Department, as pollutants combined with winter fog and mist, prompting authorities at the city's airport to issue an alert.
“While landings and take-offs continue at New Delhi airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may be affected,” Indira Gandhi International Airport said.
CAT III is a navigation system that enables aircraft to land in low visibility.
Authorities have rolled out several measures in recent years in a bid to tackle the smog, including switching to electric buses and at times banning construction. However, air pollution remains severe, especially in November and December.
Last week, Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai said officials were keen to use cloud seeding to fight the problem in the hope that it would disperse the pollutants.
The Supreme Court this week ruled that it was a “fundamental right” to live in a pollution-free environment and reprimanded the government for a failure to enforce a ban on fireworks over Diwali that the court introduced in 2018.
Rawalpindi, Pakistan’s third-largest city, reported a reading of 300 on Wednesday, while Multan recorded 293, IQAir said. The two cities are in Punjab province, where more than 40,000 people have reportedly been treated for respiratory ailments since last month.
The UN Children's Fund warned this week that more than 11 million children in Pakistan's Punjab were exposed to health risks due to the unprecedented levels of air pollution. Authorities have closed educational institutions and public spaces for a week as a precaution.
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
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Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
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Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
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Day 3, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Just three balls remained in an exhausting day for Sri Lanka’s bowlers when they were afforded some belated cheer. Nuwan Pradeep, unrewarded in 15 overs to that point, let slip a seemingly innocuous delivery down the legside. Babar Azam feathered it behind, and Niroshan Dickwella dived to make a fine catch.
Stat of the day - 2.56 Shan Masood and Sami Aslam are the 16th opening partnership Pakistan have had in Tests in the past five years. That turnover at the top of the order – a new pair every 2.56 Test matches on average – is by far the fastest rate among the leading Test sides. Masood and Aslam put on 114 in their first alliance in Abu Dhabi.
The verdict Even by the normal standards of Test cricket in the UAE, this has been slow going. Pakistan’s run-rate of 2.38 per over is the lowest they have managed in a Test match in this country. With just 14 wickets having fallen in three days so far, it is difficult to see 26 dropping to bring about a result over the next two.
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Transfiguration
Director: Michael O’Shea
Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine
Three stars
More coverage from the Future Forum
SPECS
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
