<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="3">A smoke alarm was activated in a Russian service module on the International Space Station (ISS), the Russian space agency Roscosmos said on Thursday, and Russian news agencies reported that cosmonauts had smelled burning plastic.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="7">The RIA news agency quoted Roscosmos as saying all systems were later working properly. Plans for a space walk later on Thursday were still in force, the space agency said.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="8">Roscosmos said a smoke detector and an alarm were set off on the Zvezda service module, which provides living quarters for crew members on the ISS, when batteries were being recharged overnight.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="9">RIA, citing audio communications broadcast by the U.S. space agency NASA, reported that Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky had seen and smelled smoke and that French astronaut Thomas Pesquet said the smell of burnt plastic or electronics had spread from the Russian segment to the U.S. section.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="10">The space station has suffered a number of recent mishaps.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="11">Russian space officials said a software glitch and a possible human attention lapse caused the entire space station to pitch out of its normal flight position 250 miles (400 km) above Earth with seven crew members aboard in July.</p>


A smoke alarm was activated in a Russian service module on the International Space Station (ISS), the Russian space agency Roscosmos said on Thursday, and Russian news agencies reported that cosmonauts had smelled burning plastic.

A smoke alarm was activated in a Russian service module on the International Space Station (ISS), the Russian space agency Roscosmos said on Thursday, and Russian news agencies reported that cosmonauts had smelled burning plastic. The RIA news agency quoted Roscosmos as saying all systems were later working properly. Plans for a space walk later on Thursday were still in force, the space agency said. Roscosmos said a smoke detector and an alarm were set off on the Zvezda service module, which provides living quarters for crew members on the ISS, when batteries were being recharged overnight. RIA, citing audio communications broadcast by the U.S. space agency NASA, reported that Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky had seen and smelled smoke and that French astronaut Thomas Pesquet said the smell of burnt plastic or electronics had spread from the Russian segment to the U.S. section. The space station has suffered a number of recent mishaps. Russian space officials said a software glitch and a possible human attention lapse caused the entire space station to pitch out of its normal flight position 250 miles (400 km) above Earth with seven crew members aboard in July.

Smoke detected in Russian module on international space station: Report 

In Pics | California's Dixie Fire explodes to 'megafire'

New Yorkers had another bad air day as haze from the western wildfires blanketed the burrows. The smoke pushed the city's air quality index to 154 on Tuesday, the worst it has been in 15 years.

Smoke from western wildfires brings hazy skies to New York City

<p>New&nbsp;York&nbsp;and parts of the eastern United States and Canada were shrouded in a gray smoky haze Tuesday from fires burning in western United States and Canada.</p>

<p>New&nbsp;York&nbsp;state's environmental protection services issued an air quality advisory, which is automatically triggered when fine particle matter is expected to rise above 35 micrograms per cubic metre of air.</p>

<p>An expert from the agency said it is not uncommon for smoke from fires in the west of the country to reach the&nbsp;New&nbsp;York&nbsp;area, but they usually remain high enough to not affect air quality.&nbsp;This time, the smoke was lower than usual, the expert said.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/day-of-mourning-death-toll-from-flooding-in-western-europe-hits-200-399331"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;'Day of mourning': Death toll from flooding in western Europe hits 200</strong></a></p>

<p>The phenomenon was set to dissipate on Wednesday with the arrival of a cold front in the&nbsp;New&nbsp;York&nbsp;region, said a spokesperson for the US National Weather Service.</p>

<p>Several large fires have ravaged the western United States in recent days -- notably in California, Nevada and Oregon, where the dangerous Bootleg Fire is still raging, even though the fire season has only just begun.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Canada, more than 2,000 people have been evacuated in recent days in the province of Ontario, the most populous in the country, and more than 200 fires were active in the province and neighboring Manitoba, according to official figures Tuesday.</p>


New York and parts of the eastern United States and Canada were shrouded in a gray smoky haze Tuesday from fires burning in western United States and Canada. New York state's environmental protection services issued an air quality advisory, which is automatically triggered when fine particle matter is expected to rise above 35 micrograms per cubic metre of air.

New York and parts of the eastern United States and Canada were shrouded in a gray smoky haze Tuesday from fires burning in western United States and Canada. New York state's environmental protection services issued an air quality advisory, which is automatically triggered when fine particle matter is expected to rise above 35 micrograms per cubic metre of air. An expert from the agency said it is not uncommon for smoke from fires in the west of the country to reach the New York area, but they usually remain high enough to not affect air quality. This time, the smoke was lower than usual, the expert said. Also read | 'Day of mourning': Death toll from flooding in western Europe hits 200 The phenomenon was set to dissipate on Wednesday with the arrival of a cold front in the New York region, said a spokesperson for the US National Weather Service. Several large fires have ravaged the western United States in recent days -- notably in California, Nevada and Oregon, where the dangerous Bootleg Fire is still raging, even though the fire season has only just begun. In Canada, more than 2,000 people have been evacuated in recent days in the province of Ontario, the most populous in the country, and more than 200 fires were active in the province and neighboring Manitoba, according to official figures Tuesday.

New York issues pollution alert amid smoke from wildfires in west and Canada

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<p>A brutal start to the wildfire season in the western United States and Canada worsened Thursday as a massive&nbsp;Oregon&nbsp;blaze exploded in dry, windy conditions and a new California blaze threatened communities devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire.</p>

<p>Wildfire officials raised their preparedness level to the highest tier -- the earliest such move in a decade -- and Canada's military joined evacuation efforts, as the region reels from the effects of consecutive heat waves that experts say have been worsened by global warming.</p>

<p>"This fire is going to continue to grow -- the extremely dry vegetation and weather are not in our favour," said Joe Hessel, who is leading a team tackling&nbsp;Oregon's 227,000-acre Bootleg Fire.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We have 15 large wildfires burning over 360,000 acres w/5,000+ firefighters addressing the fires throughout Oregon &amp; Washington. Get the most updated information about wildfires burning in the Pacific NW, please check: <a href="https://t.co/C2sliXNvCa">https://t.co/C2sliXNvCa</a> <a href="https://t.co/lGMvcBmXcR">pic.twitter.com/lGMvcBmXcR</a></p>
— Forest Service NW (@ForestServiceNW) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForestServiceNW/status/1415705560381493250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Burning through the equivalent of 130,000 soccer fields, the Bootleg Fire some 250 miles south of Portland is the largest active blaze in the US, bellowing heavy smoke visible from space that is blanketing parts of neighbouring Washington and Idaho.</p>

<p>Firefighters have been dispatched from as far away as San Francisco to tackle the massive blaze, which is showing "extreme" growth through drought-affected brush and due to hot, dry and breezy conditions.</p>

<p>It began more than a week ago and is just seven per cent contained, has destroyed 21 homes and threatening almost 2,000 more.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/wildfire-ravages-canada-amid-record-heat-396331#lytton-hit-with-forest-fire-396318"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Wildfire ravages Canada amid record heat</strong></a></p>

<p>The inferno is just one of around 70 large fires burning some one million acres (400,000 hectares) in the US alone.</p>

<p><strong>'Deja vu'</strong></p>

<p>The governor of the northwestern state of Montana on Wednesday declared a statewide wildland fire emergency.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And in California, the newly ignited Dixie Fire began ripping through land near the town of Paradise which was razed by the notorious 2018 Camp Fire -- the deadliest in the state's modern history, killing 86 people.</p>

<p>"The fire started just a couple of miles [away], on the same road, as the Camp Fire in 2018," David Little of the North Valley Community Foundation, set up to help Camp Fire victims, told the Los Angeles Times.</p>

<p>"It's really a sense of deja vu that's uneasy."</p>

<p>The Dixie Fire doubled in size overnight and was zero per cent contained, but was moving away from populated areas such as Paradise.</p>

<p>Elsewhere in California the much larger Beckwourth Complex -- a combination of two blazes sparked by lightning last week -- neared 100,000 acres Thursday.</p>

<p>Last year was the worst in California's modern history by acres burnt, but 2021 is currently outpacing even that record destruction. The fire season is starting earlier and ending later each year, while much of the state is in the grip of a severe multi-year drought.</p>

<p>In Canada, the armed forces are now participating in wildfire evacuations in British Columbia for the first time since the fires began, a military source told AFP.</p>

<p>Air quality alerts have been issued in many parts of British Columbia due to smoke from forest fires.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As of Thursday afternoon, the province had 309 fires, 23 of which started in the last two days.</p>

<p>Scientists say heatwaves arriving in the western US and Canada in late June would have been "virtually impossible" without human-caused climate change.</p>

<p>Human activity has driven global temperatures up, stoking increasingly fierce storms, extreme heatwaves, droughts and wildfires.</p>


A brutal start to the wildfire season in the western United States and Canada worsened Thursday as a massive Oregon blaze exploded in dry, windy conditions and a new California blaze threatened communities devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire.

A brutal start to the wildfire season in the western United States and Canada worsened Thursday as a massive Oregon blaze exploded in dry, windy conditions and a new California blaze threatened communities devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire. Wildfire officials raised their preparedness level to the highest tier -- the earliest such move in a decade -- and Canada's military joined evacuation efforts, as the region reels from the effects of consecutive heat waves that experts say have been worsened by global warming. "This fire is going to continue to grow -- the extremely dry vegetation and weather are not in our favour," said Joe Hessel, who is leading a team tackling Oregon's 227,000-acre Bootleg Fire. We have 15 large wildfires burning over 360,000 acres w/5,000+ firefighters addressing the fires throughout Oregon & Washington. Get the most updated information about wildfires burning in the Pacific NW, please check: https://t.co/C2sliXNvCa pic.twitter.com/lGMvcBmXcR — Forest Service NW (@ForestServiceNW) July 15, 2021 × Burning through the equivalent of 130,000 soccer fields, the Bootleg Fire some 250 miles south of Portland is the largest active blaze in the US, bellowing heavy smoke visible from space that is blanketing parts of neighbouring Washington and Idaho. Firefighters have been dispatched from as far away as San Francisco to tackle the massive blaze, which is showing "extreme" growth through drought-affected brush and due to hot, dry and breezy conditions. It began more than a week ago and is just seven per cent contained, has destroyed 21 homes and threatening almost 2,000 more. Also read | Wildfire ravages Canada amid record heat The inferno is just one of around 70 large fires burning some one million acres (400,000 hectares) in the US alone. 'Deja vu' The governor of the northwestern state of Montana on Wednesday declared a statewide wildland fire emergency. And in California, the newly ignited Dixie Fire began ripping through land near the town of Paradise which was razed by the notorious 2018 Camp Fire -- the deadliest in the state's modern history, killing 86 people. "The fire started just a couple of miles [away], on the same road, as the Camp Fire in 2018," David Little of the North Valley Community Foundation, set up to help Camp Fire victims, told the Los Angeles Times. "It's really a sense of deja vu that's uneasy." The Dixie Fire doubled in size overnight and was zero per cent contained, but was moving away from populated areas such as Paradise. Elsewhere in California the much larger Beckwourth Complex -- a combination of two blazes sparked by lightning last week -- neared 100,000 acres Thursday. Last year was the worst in California's modern history by acres burnt, but 2021 is currently outpacing even that record destruction. The fire season is starting earlier and ending later each year, while much of the state is in the grip of a severe multi-year drought. In Canada, the armed forces are now participating in wildfire evacuations in British Columbia for the first time since the fires began, a military source told AFP. Air quality alerts have been issued in many parts of British Columbia due to smoke from forest fires. As of Thursday afternoon, the province had 309 fires, 23 of which started in the last two days. Scientists say heatwaves arriving in the western US and Canada in late June would have been "virtually impossible" without human-caused climate change. Human activity has driven global temperatures up, stoking increasingly fierce storms, extreme heatwaves, droughts and wildfires.

'Extreme' wildfires and heavy smoke grip western US and Canada

<p>Fire at industrial units in south London sent thick smoke across the British capital on Monday. Two people were treated for smoke inhalation.</p>

<p>At the height of the fire, about 100 firefighters tackled the flames in three commercial units under railway arches at Elephant and Castle, near the River Thames.</p>

<p>London Fire Brigade said that six cars and a telephone box also caught fire.</p>

<p>London mayor Sadiq Khan said that the fire was brought under control. A police officer and a member of the public were treated for smoke inhalation.</p>

<p>"I want to thank our brave emergency services... who acted quickly to ensure both residents and passengers at the nearby station were safely evacuated," Khan said.</p>

<p>London Fire Brigade said that it had sent 15 fire engines to tackle the fire. It said that it received dozens of emergency calls</p>

<p>"The cause of the fire is not known at this time," it added. But the Metropolitan Police said it was not believed to be terror related.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Fire at industrial units in south London sent thick smoke across the British capital on Monday. Two people were treated for smoke inhalation. At the height of the fire, about 100 firefighters tackled the flames in three commercial units under railway arches at Elephant and Castle, near the River Thames.

Fire at industrial units in south London sent thick smoke across the British capital on Monday. Two people were treated for smoke inhalation. At the height of the fire, about 100 firefighters tackled the flames in three commercial units under railway arches at Elephant and Castle, near the River Thames. London Fire Brigade said that six cars and a telephone box also caught fire. London mayor Sadiq Khan said that the fire was brought under control. A police officer and a member of the public were treated for smoke inhalation. "I want to thank our brave emergency services... who acted quickly to ensure both residents and passengers at the nearby station were safely evacuated," Khan said. London Fire Brigade said that it had sent 15 fire engines to tackle the fire. It said that it received dozens of emergency calls "The cause of the fire is not known at this time," it added. But the Metropolitan Police said it was not believed to be terror related. (With inputs from agencies)

Fire in south London sends plumes of smoke across capital

Peruvian shamans, with rattles, smoke, and pictures of the Andean country's two presidential candidates, are trying to predict the winner of a polarised run-off election set to take place on June 6. Polls are currently showing that contest could be tight.

With rattles and smoke, Peru shamans predict election outcome

<p>A raging pandemic along side apparent changes in climate may sound like a deadly combo, but it’s our contemporary reality.</p>

<p>While wildfires ravaged parts of Oregon, California, and Washington in the United States, its effects are now being felt across the pond. The wildfires in the US have worsened air quality and evacuated thousands of people.</p>

<p><strong>Europe eclipsed</strong></p>

<p>According to the World Meteorological Organization, the impact of these fires is now being felt across the Atlantic Ocean, ranging as far as Finland.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Monday, the organisation shared a map showing particulate matter from the wildfires eclipsing the southern areas of Norway, Sweden, and Finland, along with some parts of the United Kingdom.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The smoke from the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CaliforniaFires?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CaliforniaFires</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OregonFires?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OregonFires</a> has crossed the Atlantic and reached <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Finland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Finland</a>.<br />
Aerosol optical depth from <a href="https://twitter.com/CopernicusECMWF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CopernicusECMWF</a> Atmosphere Monitoring Service<a href="https://t.co/JP0iRGp5aV">https://t.co/JP0iRGp5aV</a> <a href="https://t.co/esV3fATKUC">pic.twitter.com/esV3fATKUC</a></p>
— World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/WMO/status/1307990230696431617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>The fires had eclipsed the United States last week, hazing cities, and making air quality unfit for humans.</p>

<p>Even though the particulate matter may not be felt by people on the ground, its gradual impact on the air quality will be evident.</p>

<p>NASA had shown projections last week about particulate matter from the wildfire smoke affecting almost every state in the US.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/firefighters-in-us-northwest-aided-by-weather-as-winds-drive-california-blaze-328772" hreflang="en">Firefighters in US northwest aided by weather, as winds drive California blaze</a></p>

<p>San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland witnessed improvement in air quality in recent days, with weather patterns flushing the wildfire smoke to the east.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier, millions were exposed to unhealthy air after fires fuelled by lightning wreaked havoc in August. The damage was doubled due to the fires that followed in Washington and Oregon.&nbsp;</p>

<p>California’s “Bobcat Fire” is currently the most active fire scene in the US. It has toasted 165 square miles. This makes it one the largest fires ever in Los Angeles County.</p>

<p>Just this year alone, California has witnessed some of its largest wildfires ever!</p>


A raging pandemic along side apparent changes in climate may sound like a deadly combo, but it’s our contemporary reality. While wildfires ravaged parts of Oregon, California, and Washington in the United States, its effects are now being felt across the pond.

A raging pandemic along side apparent changes in climate may sound like a deadly combo, but it’s our contemporary reality. While wildfires ravaged parts of Oregon, California, and Washington in the United States, its effects are now being felt across the pond. The wildfires in the US have worsened air quality and evacuated thousands of people. Europe eclipsed According to the World Meteorological Organization, the impact of these fires is now being felt across the Atlantic Ocean, ranging as far as Finland. On Monday, the organisation shared a map showing particulate matter from the wildfires eclipsing the southern areas of Norway, Sweden, and Finland, along with some parts of the United Kingdom. The smoke from the #CaliforniaFires #OregonFires has crossed the Atlantic and reached #Finland. Aerosol optical depth from @CopernicusECMWF Atmosphere Monitoring Servicehttps://t.co/JP0iRGp5aV pic.twitter.com/esV3fATKUC — World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) September 21, 2020 × The fires had eclipsed the United States last week, hazing cities, and making air quality unfit for humans. Even though the particulate matter may not be felt by people on the ground, its gradual impact on the air quality will be evident. NASA had shown projections last week about particulate matter from the wildfire smoke affecting almost every state in the US. Also read: Firefighters in US northwest aided by weather, as winds drive California blaze San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland witnessed improvement in air quality in recent days, with weather patterns flushing the wildfire smoke to the east. Earlier, millions were exposed to unhealthy air after fires fuelled by lightning wreaked havoc in August. The damage was doubled due to the fires that followed in Washington and Oregon. California’s “Bobcat Fire” is currently the most active fire scene in the US. It has toasted 165 square miles. This makes it one the largest fires ever in Los Angeles County. Just this year alone, California has witnessed some of its largest wildfires ever!

Wildfire smoke from US crosses the Atlantic Ocean; seen in parts of Finland, UK

<p>Australia's New South Wales is struggling with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-bushfires-rage-and-choke-sydney-australian-pm-denies-link-to-climate-policies-263569">worst levels of air pollution</a> ever recorded as smoke emanating from bushfires has caused a spike in hospital visits and causing poor visibility for drivers.</p>

<p>Sydney, the country's most populous city, woke up to a thick haze, and blood-red sun, for the fourth consecutive day on Friday, even as a cooler change brought some relief for firefighters battling scores of wildfires across the country's southeast.</p>

<p>The harbour city of Sydney peaked at number eight on the Air Visual global rankings, where it now at number ten - a rare appearance for the city. This effectively makes it one of the most polluted cities in the world. It ranks above Jakarta and Shenzhen, and just below Mumbai and Kolkata.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison is now facing mounting pressure to find a solution as critics slam him for not doing enough. He recently claimed that the bushfire had nothing to do with his climate policies, including the one that supports the coal industry.</p>

<p>"The suggestion that Australia, by having some trade-off where we could have higher emissions reduction targets, which would destroy jobs in regional communities, if we did that, then we wouldn't be having these fires. That is just not true," Morrison told 3AW radio.</p>

<p>Morrison's conservative government has committed to the Paris Agreement to reduce its emissions by 26-28 per cent&nbsp;from 2005 levels by 2030. Critics point out that current projections suggest it will not meet that target and have called on the government to put in place policies to address the shortfall.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Hazardous thick layer of bushfire smoke covers Sydney</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/australia-hazardous-thick-layer-of-bushfire-smoke-covered-sydney-263107/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>"The impacts of the ongoing drought and recent bushfires have led to some of the highest levels of air pollutants recorded in New South Wales since air quality monitoring began during the millennium drought," a spokeswoman for the state's Department of Planning, Industry and Environment said in an email.</p>

<p>Workers heading into the city and children going to school donned masks <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bushfire-threat-spreads-wreaks-havoc-in-australia-as-sydney-chokes-263481">to deal with the hazardous air quality</a> while 55 bush and grass fires still burned across the state after two weeks.</p>

<p>The smoke coming from the bushfires contains particulate pollution, which gets absorbed into the bloodstream. According to the NSW Health Ministry, the number of people showing up at hospital emergency departments has increased.</p>

<p>Authorities have also advised drivers to practice caution in New South Wales and South Australia owing to low visibility.</p>

<p>The bushfires have already left at least four people dead and destroyed more than 400 homes across two states since the start of November. Fires are still burning in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland states.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hazardous-bushfire-smoke-blankets-sydney-residents-warned-to-stay-inside-263070">Bushfires are common in Australia</a>, but the fire season this year began much earlier than usual, with temperatures reaching 40-degree celsius. Three years of drought have also added to the menace, with help from high winds.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from Reuters)</em></p>


Australia's New South Wales is struggling with the worst levels of air pollution ever recorded as smoke emanating from bushfires has caused a spike in hospital visits and causing poor visibility for drivers.

Australia's New South Wales is struggling with the worst levels of air pollution ever recorded as smoke emanating from bushfires has caused a spike in hospital visits and causing poor visibility for drivers. Sydney, the country's most populous city, woke up to a thick haze, and blood-red sun, for the fourth consecutive day on Friday, even as a cooler change brought some relief for firefighters battling scores of wildfires across the country's southeast. The harbour city of Sydney peaked at number eight on the Air Visual global rankings, where it now at number ten - a rare appearance for the city. This effectively makes it one of the most polluted cities in the world. It ranks above Jakarta and Shenzhen, and just below Mumbai and Kolkata. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is now facing mounting pressure to find a solution as critics slam him for not doing enough. He recently claimed that the bushfire had nothing to do with his climate policies, including the one that supports the coal industry. "The suggestion that Australia, by having some trade-off where we could have higher emissions reduction targets, which would destroy jobs in regional communities, if we did that, then we wouldn't be having these fires. That is just not true," Morrison told 3AW radio. Morrison's conservative government has committed to the Paris Agreement to reduce its emissions by 26-28 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030. Critics point out that current projections suggest it will not meet that target and have called on the government to put in place policies to address the shortfall. Watch: Hazardous thick layer of bushfire smoke covers Sydney "The impacts of the ongoing drought and recent bushfires have led to some of the highest levels of air pollutants recorded in New South Wales since air quality monitoring began during the millennium drought," a spokeswoman for the state's Department of Planning, Industry and Environment said in an email. Workers heading into the city and children going to school donned masks to deal with the hazardous air quality while 55 bush and grass fires still burned across the state after two weeks. The smoke coming from the bushfires contains particulate pollution, which gets absorbed into the bloodstream. According to the NSW Health Ministry, the number of people showing up at hospital emergency departments has increased. Authorities have also advised drivers to practice caution in New South Wales and South Australia owing to low visibility. The bushfires have already left at least four people dead and destroyed more than 400 homes across two states since the start of November. Fires are still burning in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland states. Bushfires are common in Australia, but the fire season this year began much earlier than usual, with temperatures reaching 40-degree celsius. Three years of drought have also added to the menace, with help from high winds. (With inputs from Reuters)

Australia bushfires: Record air pollution numbers recorded in New South Wales, Sydney chokes

<p>Strong winds stoked more than 100 fires across Australia's east coast on Tuesday, blanketing Sydney in hazardous smoke and prompting health warnings for the country's most populous city.</p>

<p>Australia is prone to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lack-of-forecast-rains-to-prolong-australian-bushfires-threat-261992">bushfires</a> in its dry, hot summers, but fierce blazes have been sparked early, in the southern spring, by a long drought and soaring temperatures.</p>

<p>Wildfires have so far this month claimed at least four lives, burnt about 2.5 million acres&nbsp;of farmland and bush and destroyed more than 300 homes.</p>

<p>Powerful winds fanned around 130 fires that have been burning across New South Wales and Queensland states for several days and pushed smoke south to form a thick haze over Sydney, home to around 5 million people.</p>

<p>Officials said the air quality above parts of the harbour city was measured at 10 times hazardous levels on Tuesday and advised people to stay indoors as much as possible as the smoke lingers over coming days.</p>

<p>"We know that heatwaves cause severe illness, hospital admission and even deaths and that people are more sensitive to heatwaves early in the season," Richard Broom, director of environmental health at NSW Health said In an emailed statement.&nbsp;"The combination of heat and poor air quality adds to the risk."</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Massive bushfires in Australia</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/massive-bushfires-in-australia-bushfires-continue-to-pose-a-major-threat-261880/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">In NSW, firefighters were scrambling to strengthen <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lack-of-forecast-rains-to-prolong-australian-bushfires-threat-261992">fire containment</a> lines ahead of forecast higher temperatures for much of the rest of the week.</div>

<p>"More than 1,300 firefighters are working on these fires, undertaking backburning operations and strengthening containment lines ahead of forecast hot, dry and windy weather, with seven areas under a total fire ban," the NSW Rural Fire Service said in a statement.</p>

<p>The current bushfire crisis has mostly been contained to the east coast of NSW and Queensland states, but officials in South Australia warned on Tuesday that forecast near-record temperatures raises the risks in that state.</p>

<p>Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said temperatures in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, will hit 42 degrees Celsius&nbsp;on Wednesday, which coupled with strong winds will create "catastrophic" fire danger conditions.</p>


Strong winds stoked more than 100 fires across Australia's east coast on Tuesday, blanketing Sydney in hazardous smoke and prompting health warnings for the country's most populous city.

Strong winds stoked more than 100 fires across Australia's east coast on Tuesday, blanketing Sydney in hazardous smoke and prompting health warnings for the country's most populous city. Australia is prone to bushfires in its dry, hot summers, but fierce blazes have been sparked early, in the southern spring, by a long drought and soaring temperatures. Wildfires have so far this month claimed at least four lives, burnt about 2.5 million acres of farmland and bush and destroyed more than 300 homes. Powerful winds fanned around 130 fires that have been burning across New South Wales and Queensland states for several days and pushed smoke south to form a thick haze over Sydney, home to around 5 million people. Officials said the air quality above parts of the harbour city was measured at 10 times hazardous levels on Tuesday and advised people to stay indoors as much as possible as the smoke lingers over coming days. "We know that heatwaves cause severe illness, hospital admission and even deaths and that people are more sensitive to heatwaves early in the season," Richard Broom, director of environmental health at NSW Health said In an emailed statement. "The combination of heat and poor air quality adds to the risk." Watch: Massive bushfires in Australia In NSW, firefighters were scrambling to strengthen fire containment lines ahead of forecast higher temperatures for much of the rest of the week. "More than 1,300 firefighters are working on these fires, undertaking backburning operations and strengthening containment lines ahead of forecast hot, dry and windy weather, with seven areas under a total fire ban," the NSW Rural Fire Service said in a statement. The current bushfire crisis has mostly been contained to the east coast of NSW and Queensland states, but officials in South Australia warned on Tuesday that forecast near-record temperatures raises the risks in that state. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said temperatures in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, will hit 42 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, which coupled with strong winds will create "catastrophic" fire danger conditions.

Sydney: People asked to stay indoors as hazardous smog from bushfires eclipses city

Smoke from forest fire turns skies red in Indonesia

<p>Saudi authorities controlled a fire at an Aramco factory in Abqaiq, Al-Arabiya TV reported early on Saturday (September 14).</p>

<p>Video obtained by Reuters showed the fire engulfing a multiple sections of the refinery.</p>

<p>The videographer who declined to be identified told Reuters in a message that he was woken up by sounds coming from the refinery and started filming the flames and smoke at 4:15am&nbsp;(0115 GMT).</p>

<p>"Everyone was horrified to hear sound of a bomb exploding constantly," he said.</p>

<p>Abqaiq, about 60 km (37 miles) southwest of Dhahran in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, contains the world's largest oil processing plant. Most Saudi oil exported from the Gulf is processed there.</p>

<p>The report from Al-Arabiya TV did not give further details, said Saudi authorities later will issue a statement on the fire.</p>


Saudi authorities controlled a fire at an Aramco factory in Abqaiq, Al-Arabiya TV reported early on Saturday (September 14). Video obtained by Reuters showed the fire engulfing a multiple sections of the refinery.

Saudi authorities controlled a fire at an Aramco factory in Abqaiq, Al-Arabiya TV reported early on Saturday (September 14). Video obtained by Reuters showed the fire engulfing a multiple sections of the refinery. The videographer who declined to be identified told Reuters in a message that he was woken up by sounds coming from the refinery and started filming the flames and smoke at 4:15am (0115 GMT). "Everyone was horrified to hear sound of a bomb exploding constantly," he said. Abqaiq, about 60 km (37 miles) southwest of Dhahran in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, contains the world's largest oil processing plant. Most Saudi oil exported from the Gulf is processed there. The report from Al-Arabiya TV did not give further details, said Saudi authorities later will issue a statement on the fire.

Flames and smoke rise over Aramco refinery in Saudi Arabia

<p>Alaska's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/paris-no-more-under-heatwave-alert-231966">heat wave</a> is driving <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/wildfires-and-power-cuts-plague-europe-as-heatwave-breaks-records-231553">wildfires</a> and melting glaciers, choking the state’s biggest cities with smoke and bloating rivers with meltwater.</p>

<p>In Anchorage, home to about 40 per cent of Alaskans, the National Weather Service issued a dense smoke advisory on Sunday warning against the prolonged outdoor activity, along with advisories for the elderly and the sick to stay indoors.</p>

<p>The culprit is the Swan Lake wildfire to the south in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, which has burned since a June 5 lightning strike and consumed more than 68,000 acres, fire managers said.</p>

<p>To the north, in Fairbanks, fire officials ordered evacuations in two areas and told residents in a third to be prepared to leave because of the Shovel Creek Fire, which had grown to 5,568 acres by Sunday.</p>

<p>"People should GO, evacuate NOW. Leave immediately. DO NOT delay leaving," the evacuation order said.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Massive heatwave hits Europe</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-massive-heatwave-hits-europe-231329/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>In all, there were 354 wildfires covering 443,211 acres in Alaska as of Sunday morning, according to state and federal fire managers.</p>

<p>Along with the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, which had multiple active fires, iconic spots with fires burning include Denali National Park and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.</p>

<p>Record warmth and near-record warmth in most of the state has created flammable conditions from the Canadian border in the east to the Bering Sea coast in the west.</p>

<p>Anchorage was one of the areas that saw <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/europes-heatwave-burns-on-but-eases-from-record-highs-231887">record-breaking heat</a> in June, which followed a record-warm spring for Alaska as a whole, said Rick Thoman, a Fairbanks-based climate scientist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy.</p>

<p>"This very warm weather, on top of the warm May, the very early snowmelt, then we had those two weeks of lightning strikes -- it’s the classic setup," Thoman said.</p>

<p>Melting glaciers and mountain snowfields are bloating rivers and streams across a large swath of south-central Alaska, the NWS said.</p>

<p>The melt has brought water levels to flood stage at the Yentna River northwest of Anchorage on Sunday, said NWS forecaster Bob Clay.</p>


Alaska's heat wave is driving wildfires and melting glaciers, choking the state’s biggest cities with smoke and bloating rivers with meltwater. In Anchorage, home to about 40 per cent of Alaskans, the National Weather Service issued a dense smoke advisory on Sunday warning against the prolonged outdoor activity, along with advisories for the elderly and the sick to stay indoors.

Alaska's heat wave is driving wildfires and melting glaciers, choking the state’s biggest cities with smoke and bloating rivers with meltwater. In Anchorage, home to about 40 per cent of Alaskans, the National Weather Service issued a dense smoke advisory on Sunday warning against the prolonged outdoor activity, along with advisories for the elderly and the sick to stay indoors. The culprit is the Swan Lake wildfire to the south in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, which has burned since a June 5 lightning strike and consumed more than 68,000 acres, fire managers said. To the north, in Fairbanks, fire officials ordered evacuations in two areas and told residents in a third to be prepared to leave because of the Shovel Creek Fire, which had grown to 5,568 acres by Sunday. "People should GO, evacuate NOW. Leave immediately. DO NOT delay leaving," the evacuation order said. Watch: Massive heatwave hits Europe In all, there were 354 wildfires covering 443,211 acres in Alaska as of Sunday morning, according to state and federal fire managers. Along with the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, which had multiple active fires, iconic spots with fires burning include Denali National Park and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Record warmth and near-record warmth in most of the state has created flammable conditions from the Canadian border in the east to the Bering Sea coast in the west. Anchorage was one of the areas that saw record-breaking heat in June, which followed a record-warm spring for Alaska as a whole, said Rick Thoman, a Fairbanks-based climate scientist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy. "This very warm weather, on top of the warm May, the very early snowmelt, then we had those two weeks of lightning strikes -- it’s the classic setup," Thoman said. Melting glaciers and mountain snowfields are bloating rivers and streams across a large swath of south-central Alaska, the NWS said. The melt has brought water levels to flood stage at the Yentna River northwest of Anchorage on Sunday, said NWS forecaster Bob Clay.

Alaska’s heat wave fuels dangerous smoke, melts glaciers

<p>Health ministry has asked all state governments in the country not to partner with the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) because of its links to tobacco giant Philip Morris International Inc, a letter seen by Reuters showed.</p>

<p>Established in 2017, the FSFW focuses on eliminating the usage of cigarettes and works towards smoking cessation using new technologies and alternative products. It says it works independently, but the World Health Organization (WHO) has said there are "clear conflicts" due to the $80 million in annual funding the foundation receives from Philip Morris.</p>

<p>At least three Indian anti-tobacco groups earlier this year wrote to the federal health ministry in New Delhi calling for the rejection of any possible partnerships with FSFW, according to copies of their representations seen by Reuters.</p>

<p>Health ministry has sent a letter, dated June 24, to chief secretaries of all states, saying they should not partner with FSFW and also advised other departments and institutions in their region accordingly.</p>

<p>The ministry said Philip Morris was funding FSFW as well as manufacturing and promoting harm-reduction smoking devices. Reuters has previously reported Philip Morris has plans to launch its iQOS smoking device in India which it says is less harmful than conventional cigarettes.</p>

<p>"Any collaboration with the Foundation for a Smoke Free World should be avoided in the larger interest of Public Health," a senior health ministry official, Sanjeeva Kumar, wrote in the letter, which was reviewed by Reuters.</p>

<p>The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, which is led by former WHO official Dr&nbsp;Derek Yach, said it "operates with complete independence from Philip Morris" and was committed to full transparency about who its funders were.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Philip Morris, which has a stated longer-term vision to replace cigarette sales with products such as its iQOS device, in a statement, said FSFW was "an independent body governed by its own independent Board of Directors".&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Tobacco in India</strong></p>

<p>In recent years, the Indian government has intensified its tobacco-control efforts, raising cigarette taxes and ordering companies to print bigger health warnings on cigarette packs.</p>

<p>India has 106 million adult smokers, second only to China, and more than 900,000 people die each year in India due to tobacco-related illnesses.</p>

<p>A federal health ministry official said on Sunday the letter on FSFW had been sent as a preventive measure to dissuade states from any collaboration with the foundation, and similar instructions were likely to be sent to other federal ministries.</p>

<p>The FSFW said there were no projects with any state government institutions in India. "We seek partnerships with all who share our goal to end smoking in the world," a spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In May, FSFW said its team was committed to working with others "to accelerate an end to smoking in this generation" in India. It also invited people to study its strategic plan.</p>

<p>That same month, Philip Morris in a press statement said it had urged the Indian government to create a regulatory environment for devices such as its iQOS.</p>

<p>When the FSFW was launched in 2017, the WHO had said it will not partner with the foundation and asked governments around the world and public health communities to follow the agency's lead.</p>


Health ministry has asked all state governments in the country not to partner with the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) because of its links to tobacco giant Philip Morris International Inc, a letter seen by Reuters showed.

Health ministry has asked all state governments in the country not to partner with the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) because of its links to tobacco giant Philip Morris International Inc, a letter seen by Reuters showed. Established in 2017, the FSFW focuses on eliminating the usage of cigarettes and works towards smoking cessation using new technologies and alternative products. It says it works independently, but the World Health Organization (WHO) has said there are "clear conflicts" due to the $80 million in annual funding the foundation receives from Philip Morris. At least three Indian anti-tobacco groups earlier this year wrote to the federal health ministry in New Delhi calling for the rejection of any possible partnerships with FSFW, according to copies of their representations seen by Reuters. Health ministry has sent a letter, dated June 24, to chief secretaries of all states, saying they should not partner with FSFW and also advised other departments and institutions in their region accordingly. The ministry said Philip Morris was funding FSFW as well as manufacturing and promoting harm-reduction smoking devices. Reuters has previously reported Philip Morris has plans to launch its iQOS smoking device in India which it says is less harmful than conventional cigarettes. "Any collaboration with the Foundation for a Smoke Free World should be avoided in the larger interest of Public Health," a senior health ministry official, Sanjeeva Kumar, wrote in the letter, which was reviewed by Reuters. The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, which is led by former WHO official Dr Derek Yach, said it "operates with complete independence from Philip Morris" and was committed to full transparency about who its funders were. Philip Morris, which has a stated longer-term vision to replace cigarette sales with products such as its iQOS device, in a statement, said FSFW was "an independent body governed by its own independent Board of Directors". Tobacco in India In recent years, the Indian government has intensified its tobacco-control efforts, raising cigarette taxes and ordering companies to print bigger health warnings on cigarette packs. India has 106 million adult smokers, second only to China, and more than 900,000 people die each year in India due to tobacco-related illnesses. A federal health ministry official said on Sunday the letter on FSFW had been sent as a preventive measure to dissuade states from any collaboration with the foundation, and similar instructions were likely to be sent to other federal ministries. The FSFW said there were no projects with any state government institutions in India. "We seek partnerships with all who share our goal to end smoking in the world," a spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters. In May, FSFW said its team was committed to working with others "to accelerate an end to smoking in this generation" in India. It also invited people to study its strategic plan. That same month, Philip Morris in a press statement said it had urged the Indian government to create a regulatory environment for devices such as its iQOS. When the FSFW was launched in 2017, the WHO had said it will not partner with the foundation and asked governments around the world and public health communities to follow the agency's lead.

India asks states not to partner with foundation funded by tobacco giant Philip Morris International

<p>A plane carrying US First Lady Melania Trump was forced to turn back Wednesday after smoke appeared in the cabin, journalists on the flight said.</p>

<p>She was on her way from Washington to Philadelphia when there was "a minor mechanical issue," according to her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham.</p>

<p>"Everything is fine and everyone is safe," Grisham said in a statement.</p>

<p>The airplane returned to Joint Base Andrews, an air force facility used by the White House outside Washington, DC.</p>

<p>CNN and other US networks said that reporters aboard the plane noticed smoke in the cabin and were told to hold wet towels over their faces if it got worse.</p>

<p>The smoke dissipated and the aircraft returned without further incident.</p>

<p>Trump was on her way to visit a Philadelphia hospital specializing in treatment of mothers with opioid use disorders and babies born with addictions to drugs they were exposed to while still in the womb.</p>


A plane carrying US First Lady Melania Trump was forced to turn back Wednesday after smoke appeared in the cabin, journalists on the flight said. She was on her way from Washington to Philadelphia when there was "a minor mechanical issue," according to her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham.

A plane carrying US First Lady Melania Trump was forced to turn back Wednesday after smoke appeared in the cabin, journalists on the flight said. She was on her way from Washington to Philadelphia when there was "a minor mechanical issue," according to her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham. "Everything is fine and everyone is safe," Grisham said in a statement. The airplane returned to Joint Base Andrews, an air force facility used by the White House outside Washington, DC. CNN and other US networks said that reporters aboard the plane noticed smoke in the cabin and were told to hold wet towels over their faces if it got worse. The smoke dissipated and the aircraft returned without further incident. Trump was on her way to visit a Philadelphia hospital specializing in treatment of mothers with opioid use disorders and babies born with addictions to drugs they were exposed to while still in the womb.

Melania Trump's plane turns back after smoke appears in cabin

<p>Indian series 'Smoke' produced by Eros is set for its journey to Cannes. The series will premiere at global entertainment content market MIPCOM 2018 at Cannes under the ‘Made in India Originals’ category.<br />
<br />
The movie is to hit the international screen on the 15th of October, 2018 in France.<br />
<br />
'Smoke', is an Indian drama that revolves around crime. The episodic drama includes Kalki Koechlin, Mandira Bedi, Jim Sarbh, Amit Sial, Gulshan Devaiah, Satyadeep Mishra, Neal Bhoopalam, Prakash Belawadi and late Tom Alter. Neel Guha is the director of the show.<br />
<br />
The teaser was launched on Wednesday. The show has eleven episodes.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The premiere of the show will be aired at MIPCOM. Karsh Kale, who has revived Asian underground genre of music is the composer for the film.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Ridhima Lulla, CCO of Eros Group said that she is privileged to get to showcase the episodic drama to a global audience before it airs on television.<br />
<br />
“‘Smoke’ couldn’t be more different from our first series ‘Side Hero’, where we launched our originals with a self-deprecatory comedy, a relatively untested genre.<br />
‘Smoke’ on the other hand is a gritty, dark crime drama portraying the never seen side of Goa. There’s no place in India quite like Goa and the show with its unique take on the paradise state makes for a perfect choice out of India to be launched at MIPCOM,” Lulla added.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Indian series 'Smoke' produced by Eros is set for its journey to Cannes. The series will premiere at global entertainment content market MIPCOM 2018 at Cannes under the ‘Made in India Originals’ category.

Indian series 'Smoke' produced by Eros is set for its journey to Cannes. The series will premiere at global entertainment content market MIPCOM 2018 at Cannes under the ‘Made in India Originals’ category. The movie is to hit the international screen on the 15th of October, 2018 in France. 'Smoke', is an Indian drama that revolves around crime. The episodic drama includes Kalki Koechlin, Mandira Bedi, Jim Sarbh, Amit Sial, Gulshan Devaiah, Satyadeep Mishra, Neal Bhoopalam, Prakash Belawadi and late Tom Alter. Neel Guha is the director of the show. The teaser was launched on Wednesday. The show has eleven episodes. The premiere of the show will be aired at MIPCOM. Karsh Kale, who has revived Asian underground genre of music is the composer for the film. Ridhima Lulla, CCO of Eros Group said that she is privileged to get to showcase the episodic drama to a global audience before it airs on television. “‘Smoke’ couldn’t be more different from our first series ‘Side Hero’, where we launched our originals with a self-deprecatory comedy, a relatively untested genre. ‘Smoke’ on the other hand is a gritty, dark crime drama portraying the never seen side of Goa. There’s no place in India quite like Goa and the show with its unique take on the paradise state makes for a perfect choice out of India to be launched at MIPCOM,” Lulla added.

 Web series 'Smoke'  featuring Kalki Koechlin is all set for its journey to Cannes

<p>About twenty-six people have been hospitalised with several suffering smoke inhalation in Myanmar due to a&nbsp;massive fire that broke in a garbage dump last week.</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The fire broke out on the outskirts of Myanmar's largest city Yangon. The foul smell from the burning garbage has since then affected over dozens.&nbsp;</p>

<p>About 600 firefighters and members of security forces in the country are striving hard to put out the fire since April 21.</p>

<p>The firefighters are facing challenges in battling the flames and smoke under the burning heat.They also lack proper protective equipment.</p>

<p>The authorities also resorted to artificial rain after importing fire suppression bio-foam from neighbouring Thailand.</p>

<p>The flames have spread across nearly a third of the 300-acre landfill in Yangon’s northern township of Hlaing Thar Yar.</p>

<p>While the authorities have managed to bring the fire under control but they are still struggling to extinguish it completely.</p>

<p>The problem highlights the growing waste problem in Yangon city of Myanmar. With over five million population the city lacks proper long-term waste management solution.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 17-year-old landfill takes about half of the city’s daily trash of more than 2,500 tons.</p>

<p>Myanmar has sought medical help from the World Health Organization and other aid agencies, state-run newspaper in Myanmar reported on Saturday.</p>

<p>The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.</p>

<p><br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from Reuters)</em><br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>


About twenty-six people have been hospitalised with several suffering smoke inhalation in Myanmar due to a massive fire that broke in a garbage dump last week

About twenty-six people have been hospitalised with several suffering smoke inhalation in Myanmar due to a massive fire that broke in a garbage dump last week. × The fire broke out on the outskirts of Myanmar's largest city Yangon. The foul smell from the burning garbage has since then affected over dozens. About 600 firefighters and members of security forces in the country are striving hard to put out the fire since April 21. The firefighters are facing challenges in battling the flames and smoke under the burning heat.They also lack proper protective equipment. The authorities also resorted to artificial rain after importing fire suppression bio-foam from neighbouring Thailand. The flames have spread across nearly a third of the 300-acre landfill in Yangon’s northern township of Hlaing Thar Yar. While the authorities have managed to bring the fire under control but they are still struggling to extinguish it completely. The problem highlights the growing waste problem in Yangon city of Myanmar. With over five million population the city lacks proper long-term waste management solution. The 17-year-old landfill takes about half of the city’s daily trash of more than 2,500 tons. Myanmar has sought medical help from the World Health Organization and other aid agencies, state-run newspaper in Myanmar reported on Saturday. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined. (With inputs from Reuters)

Dozens suffer in Myanmar in week-long landfill fire

<p>At least three loud blasts were heard and three clouds of smoke could be seen in the sky above the centre of Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on Wednesday, according to Reuters witnesses.</p>

<p>There was no immediate comment from the government.</p>


At least three loud blasts were heard and three clouds of smoke could be seen in the sky above the centre of Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh

At least three loud blasts were heard and three clouds of smoke could be seen in the sky above the centre of Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on Wednesday, according to Reuters witnesses. There was no immediate comment from the government.

Loud blasts heard in Saudi capital Riyadh

<p>Bengaluru&#39;s 1,000-acre Bellandur Lake, which caught fire on Friday, is now under cooling operations after 5,000 army personnel and fire-fighting equipments&nbsp;were deployed to bring the fire that raged for seven hours, under control.</p>

<p>Bellandur Lake, the biggest water body of the city, which is full of pollution and toxic foam, could be seen with massive plumes of smoke billowing over it even from a distance.</p>

<p>The fire started at one spot&nbsp;on Friday evening but spread in two other places again. A jet fighter was appointed to curb the fire.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to media reports, residents living on the Yemlur side of Bellandur spotted smoke in the lake known to be full of sewage, chemical effluents and construction debris around noon on Friday. Shortly thereafter, flames started rising.</p>

<p>Fire department officials are reportedly making concerted efforts to bring the fire under control under the supervision of Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority (KLCDA) officials.</p>

<p>The cause of the fire is being attributed to locals burning the grassy land near the lake to get a fresh crop to feed their cattle.</p>

<p>Some areas located away from the waterbody are still burning.</p>


Bellandur Lake, the biggest water body of the city, which is full of pollution and toxic foam, could be seen with massive plumes of smoke billowing over it even from a distance

Bengaluru's 1,000-acre Bellandur Lake, which caught fire on Friday, is now under cooling operations after 5,000 army personnel and fire-fighting equipments were deployed to bring the fire that raged for seven hours, under control. Bellandur Lake, the biggest water body of the city, which is full of pollution and toxic foam, could be seen with massive plumes of smoke billowing over it even from a distance. The fire started at one spot on Friday evening but spread in two other places again. A jet fighter was appointed to curb the fire. According to media reports, residents living on the Yemlur side of Bellandur spotted smoke in the lake known to be full of sewage, chemical effluents and construction debris around noon on Friday. Shortly thereafter, flames started rising. Fire department officials are reportedly making concerted efforts to bring the fire under control under the supervision of Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority (KLCDA) officials. The cause of the fire is being attributed to locals burning the grassy land near the lake to get a fresh crop to feed their cattle. Some areas located away from the waterbody are still burning.

Cooling operations underway after fire at Bengaluru's Bellandur Lake

<p>A volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali sent plumes of grey smoke and steam thousands of metres into the air on Sunday for the third day&nbsp;in a week, triggering flight cancellations which have left thousands of tourists stranded, officials said Sunday.</p>

<p>Mount Agung spewed smoke and ash as high as 4,000 metres (13,123 feet) Sunday morning, causing at least 28 departing or arriving flights to be delayed or cancelled, said a spokesman for Bali&#39;s airport.</p>

<p>Indonesia&#39;s volcanology centre has put out a red alert warning airlines of a possible eruption, with a likely significant emission of ash into the atmosphere. But as of Sunday afternoon Bali&#39;s Ngurah Rai airport was still open.</p>

<p>The decision to delay or divert flight was up to individual airlines, said airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim.</p>

<p>&quot;We try to make the airport as comfortable as possible for the passengers affected. So far we have provided special rooms for them to unpack their luggage and video entertainment so they can relax a bit,&quot; Ahsanurrohim told AFP.</p>

<p>At least 2,000 passengers are affected by the flight disruption, mostly tourists from Australia.</p>

<p>&quot;I am meant to be at work tomorrow. How am I going to pay my bills?&quot; said Sydney-based tourist Jake Vidler.</p>

<p>Several domestic flights have also been cancelled such as to the nearby island of Lombok, also a popular tourist destination east of Bali. The wind has blown Mount Agung&#39;s ash in that direction.</p>

<p>&quot;I&#39;ve received a refund from my airline. Now I&#39;m trying to go to Lombok by boat, hopefully the harbour is open,&quot; said Ismono, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing nearly 1,600 people.</p>

<p>It rumbled back to life in September and authorities raise the alert to the highest level, forcing 140,000 people living nearby to evacuate.</p>

<p>The volcano&#39;s activity decreased in late October and many people returned to their home as the alert was lowered to the second-highest level.</p>

<p>But Mount Agung rumbled again last Tuesday, forcing 25,000 people to seek shelter. Authorities urged people living within 7.5 kilometres (4.5 miles) of the mountain to evacuate.</p>

<p>The mountain spewed smoke and ash on Saturday for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption&nbsp;- one which is caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Mount Agung spewed smoke and ash as high as 4,000 metres Sunday morning, causing at least 28 departing or arriving flights to be delayed or cancelled

A volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali sent plumes of grey smoke and steam thousands of metres into the air on Sunday for the third day in a week, triggering flight cancellations which have left thousands of tourists stranded, officials said Sunday. Mount Agung spewed smoke and ash as high as 4,000 metres (13,123 feet) Sunday morning, causing at least 28 departing or arriving flights to be delayed or cancelled, said a spokesman for Bali's airport. Indonesia's volcanology centre has put out a red alert warning airlines of a possible eruption, with a likely significant emission of ash into the atmosphere. But as of Sunday afternoon Bali's Ngurah Rai airport was still open. The decision to delay or divert flight was up to individual airlines, said airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim. "We try to make the airport as comfortable as possible for the passengers affected. So far we have provided special rooms for them to unpack their luggage and video entertainment so they can relax a bit," Ahsanurrohim told AFP. At least 2,000 passengers are affected by the flight disruption, mostly tourists from Australia. "I am meant to be at work tomorrow. How am I going to pay my bills?" said Sydney-based tourist Jake Vidler. Several domestic flights have also been cancelled such as to the nearby island of Lombok, also a popular tourist destination east of Bali. The wind has blown Mount Agung's ash in that direction. "I've received a refund from my airline. Now I'm trying to go to Lombok by boat, hopefully the harbour is open," said Ismono, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing nearly 1,600 people. It rumbled back to life in September and authorities raise the alert to the highest level, forcing 140,000 people living nearby to evacuate. The volcano's activity decreased in late October and many people returned to their home as the alert was lowered to the second-highest level. But Mount Agung rumbled again last Tuesday, forcing 25,000 people to seek shelter. Authorities urged people living within 7.5 kilometres (4.5 miles) of the mountain to evacuate. The mountain spewed smoke and ash on Saturday for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption - one which is caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater.

Dozens of flights cancelled or delayed as Bali volcano spews smoke

<p>A policeman was killed and over 100 people wounded as Pakistani forces fired rubber bullets and lobbed tear gas in a bid to disperse an Islamist sit-in that has virtually paralysed the country&#39;s capital for weeks.</p>

<p>Smoke and tear gas filled the air as the roughly 8,500 elite police and paramilitary troops in riot gear were also seen throwing rocks and using slingshots in the ongoing bid to clear 2,000 or so hardline demonstrators which began soon after dawn.&nbsp;</p>

<p>AFP reporters at the site said more protesters were arriving, though it was difficult to tell how many. Trees had been cut down to block roads, and protesters were burning tyres.<br />
<br />
Pakistan&#39;s media regulator barred local TV channels from broadcasting live images from the scene as violence intensified.</p>

<p>(Also Read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-orders-tv-channels-to-go-off-air-during-crackdown-on-islamist-protest-25090"> Pakistan orders TV channels to go off air during crackdown on Islamist protest</a>)<br />
<br />
At least 110 injured people have been taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, a spokesman from the hospital told AFP, adding that 66 of them were members of the security forces.&nbsp;</p>

<p>An Islamabad police spokesman confirmed that a policeman was killed in the fighting after he was struck in the head by a rock. Television footage showed a police van and demonstrators&#39;&nbsp;tents on fire.<br />
<br />
The sit-in by the little-known hardline group called Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan (TLYRAP) has blocked a main highway used by thousands of commuters since November 6, causing hours-long traffic snarls and enraging commuters.</p>

<p>The protesters are demanding that Pakistan&#39;s law minister Zahid Hamid resign over a hastily-abandoned amendment to the oath that election candidates must swear.</p>

<p>Demonstrators have linked it to blasphemy - a highly contentious issue in Muslim Pakistan - and claim the oath was softened to enable the participation of Ahmadis, a long-persecuted Islamic minority sect.</p>

<p>Local media reported that small protests - each with several dozen TLYRAP supporters - were breaking out in other cities, including Karachi and Lahore, as the Islamabad operation dragged on through Saturday.</p>

<p>An Islamabad police official had said before the violent clashes that the operation sought to avoid any loss of life on either side.</p>

<p>The sit-in has also cost the life of an eight-year-old child whose ambulance could not reach a hospital in time due to the blocked roads, a statement from Pakistan&#39;s Supreme Court confirmed this week.</p>

<p>Despite the protest&#39;s relatively small initial size, authorities have hesitated to act against it, citing fears of violence as the demonstrators have vowed to die for their cause.</p>

<p>But government inaction has drawn the fury of the courts as well as millions of residents in Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi. The Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court have issued blistering criticism and threatened to hold officials in contempt for their inaction.</p>

<p>Analysts and critics have accused the government of bungling its response to the protest and allowing a minor issue to grow into a headline-grabbing and potentially dangerous situation.</p>

<p>It set an alarming precedent, that &quot;anytime anyone is upset with the government, the capital may be choked and the government will bend its knees,&quot; warned Zeeshan Salahuddin of the Center for Research and Security Studies, a think tank in Islamabad.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Smoke and tear gas filled the air as the roughly 8,500 elite police and paramilitary troops in riot gear were also seen throwing rocks and using slingshots in the ongoing bid to clear 2,000 or so hardline demonstrators which began soon after dawn

A policeman was killed and over 100 people wounded as Pakistani forces fired rubber bullets and lobbed tear gas in a bid to disperse an Islamist sit-in that has virtually paralysed the country's capital for weeks. Smoke and tear gas filled the air as the roughly 8,500 elite police and paramilitary troops in riot gear were also seen throwing rocks and using slingshots in the ongoing bid to clear 2,000 or so hardline demonstrators which began soon after dawn. AFP reporters at the site said more protesters were arriving, though it was difficult to tell how many. Trees had been cut down to block roads, and protesters were burning tyres. Pakistan's media regulator barred local TV channels from broadcasting live images from the scene as violence intensified. (Also Read: Pakistan orders TV channels to go off air during crackdown on Islamist protest) At least 110 injured people have been taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, a spokesman from the hospital told AFP, adding that 66 of them were members of the security forces. An Islamabad police spokesman confirmed that a policeman was killed in the fighting after he was struck in the head by a rock. Television footage showed a police van and demonstrators' tents on fire. The sit-in by the little-known hardline group called Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan (TLYRAP) has blocked a main highway used by thousands of commuters since November 6, causing hours-long traffic snarls and enraging commuters. The protesters are demanding that Pakistan's law minister Zahid Hamid resign over a hastily-abandoned amendment to the oath that election candidates must swear. Demonstrators have linked it to blasphemy - a highly contentious issue in Muslim Pakistan - and claim the oath was softened to enable the participation of Ahmadis, a long-persecuted Islamic minority sect. Local media reported that small protests - each with several dozen TLYRAP supporters - were breaking out in other cities, including Karachi and Lahore, as the Islamabad operation dragged on through Saturday. An Islamabad police official had said before the violent clashes that the operation sought to avoid any loss of life on either side. The sit-in has also cost the life of an eight-year-old child whose ambulance could not reach a hospital in time due to the blocked roads, a statement from Pakistan's Supreme Court confirmed this week. Despite the protest's relatively small initial size, authorities have hesitated to act against it, citing fears of violence as the demonstrators have vowed to die for their cause. But government inaction has drawn the fury of the courts as well as millions of residents in Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi. The Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court have issued blistering criticism and threatened to hold officials in contempt for their inaction. Analysts and critics have accused the government of bungling its response to the protest and allowing a minor issue to grow into a headline-grabbing and potentially dangerous situation. It set an alarming precedent, that "anytime anyone is upset with the government, the capital may be choked and the government will bend its knees," warned Zeeshan Salahuddin of the Center for Research and Security Studies, a think tank in Islamabad.

One dead, over 100 injured as Islamist sit-in paralyses Islamabad

<p>The national capital received some rainfall late Friday&nbsp;cleaning up some of the smog.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a> witnessed overnight drizzle: Visuals from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rajpath?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rajpath</a> <a href="https://t.co/GP3gsdPC0J">pic.twitter.com/GP3gsdPC0J</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/931700262271463425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Pollution levels decreased further on Friday as Delhi received rainfall in some parts of the city, and is expected to witness more such drizzles on Saturday as well, an official from the MET department told the media.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Due to a disturbance in the western part of the country, overnight rain hit the national capital, reports say.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The approximate Air Quality Index of Delhi, which was measured at 363 on Thursday, decreased to 310 on Friday.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Visuals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Visuals</a> from Rajpath after overnight drizzling: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a>&#39;s Anand Vihar at 260, Punjabi Bagh at 251, Siri Fort at 236, Shadipur at 214 in Air Quality Index; all of them fall in &#39;Very Unhealthy category&#39; <a href="https://t.co/DIJh030LfO">pic.twitter.com/DIJh030LfO</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/931701867918135296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>An AQI value between 301 and 400 is said to be under the &lsquo;very poor&rsquo; category of pollution.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Levels of particulate matter also decreased throughout the day in Delhi-NCR after showing a slight high on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">49 trains delayed, 14 rescheduled and one cancelled: Visuals from New <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a> Railway Station <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pollution?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pollution</a> <a href="https://t.co/1cq0W4oOnS">pic.twitter.com/1cq0W4oOnS</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/931703944480309249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>As rains continue to hit the capital, the pollution levels and particulate matter are expected to decrease, making the air cleaner, reports added.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, as many as 49 trains were delayed while 14 rescheduled and one cancelled due to smog.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Due to a disturbance in the western part of the country, overnight rain hit the national capital

The national capital received some rainfall late Friday cleaning up some of the smog. #Delhi witnessed overnight drizzle: Visuals from #Rajpath pic.twitter.com/GP3gsdPC0J — ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2017 × Pollution levels decreased further on Friday as Delhi received rainfall in some parts of the city, and is expected to witness more such drizzles on Saturday as well, an official from the MET department told the media. Due to a disturbance in the western part of the country, overnight rain hit the national capital, reports say. The approximate Air Quality Index of Delhi, which was measured at 363 on Thursday, decreased to 310 on Friday. #Visuals from Rajpath after overnight drizzling: #Delhi's Anand Vihar at 260, Punjabi Bagh at 251, Siri Fort at 236, Shadipur at 214 in Air Quality Index; all of them fall in 'Very Unhealthy category' pic.twitter.com/DIJh030LfO — ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2017 × An AQI value between 301 and 400 is said to be under the ‘very poor’ category of pollution. Levels of particulate matter also decreased throughout the day in Delhi-NCR after showing a slight high on Thursday. 49 trains delayed, 14 rescheduled and one cancelled: Visuals from New #Delhi Railway Station #Pollution pic.twitter.com/1cq0W4oOnS — ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2017 × As rains continue to hit the capital, the pollution levels and particulate matter are expected to decrease, making the air cleaner, reports added. Meanwhile, as many as 49 trains were delayed while 14 rescheduled and one cancelled due to smog.

Overnight drizzle in Delhi may help ease up pollution

<p>After several days of &#39;hazardous&#39; smog, Delhi can now heave a sigh of relief as the weather office predicts light rains, which might help clear the air in the smog-covered national capital.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Met office predicts light showers on Saturday evening and Sunday. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The sky will be generally cloudy. There is a possibility of light rain or thunderstorm in the afternoon or evening,&quot; an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Delhi has been battling a think blanket of smoke for almost a week and Delhi government has been taking several steps including the introduction of &#39;odd-even&#39; scheme which is set to commence for five days from&nbsp;the November 13. &nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the Met department, humidity levels in the national capital have risen to 91 per cent this morning, PTI reports said.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Light showers may be expected on Saturday evening as well as on Sunday, according to reports.?

After several days of 'hazardous' smog, Delhi can now heave a sigh of relief as the weather office predicts light rains, which might help clear the air in the smog-covered national capital. Met office predicts light showers on Saturday evening and Sunday. "The sky will be generally cloudy. There is a possibility of light rain or thunderstorm in the afternoon or evening," an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Delhi has been battling a think blanket of smoke for almost a week and Delhi government has been taking several steps including the introduction of 'odd-even' scheme which is set to commence for five days from the November 13. According to the Met department, humidity levels in the national capital have risen to 91 per cent this morning, PTI reports said.

Light showers expected in Delhi, may help clear smog

<p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;If winters are here can the smog be far behind?&rdquo;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">If you live in Delhi or for that matter in north-west India, chances are you must have listened to this resigned lament at least once every year before the onset of winters.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Smog, a combination of smoke and fog, has a corrosive quality and plays havoc with your respiratory system. In Delhi and the adjoining National Capital Region (NCR), the problem has grown over the years and has assumed dangerous proportions during the last decade and a half.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">During the 1980s and 90s, the problem of smoke and smog had started raising its ugly head but at that time the reasons were different. The use of diesel as fuel in buses and auto-rickshaws as well as the indiscriminate burning of waste was considered to be the main culprits. So when the city shifted to CNG (compressed natural gas) for autos and buses, there was an immediate improvement in the ambient air quality.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>Smog, a combination of smoke and fog, has a corrosive quality and plays havoc with your respiratory system.</h5>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">However, in the first decade of the 21st century, all the gains made due to the implementation of CNG were lost because of a host of reasons. &nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Still, the menace can be fought but a multipronged action needs to be taken in a mission mode.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">But before talking about the solutions we should know the causes of smog in Delhi and the limitations they will put on the solutions implemented in the future.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Delhi is geographically predisposed to suffer from the haze. Proximity to arid zones of Rajasthan, increasing desertification coupled with erratic wind flow patterns during winter creates a situation where even moderate pollution can lead to long spells of haze.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Adding to this, many new and old sources of pollution have conspired to choke Delhi in the last two decades. &nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Right now the city suffers from smog due to four main reasons &ndash; burning of crop stubble in Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, the presence of polluting industries in the NCR region, very high density of diesel-run automobiles as well as constant and widespread construction activities.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Let&rsquo;s begin with crop residue burning. Earlier, when the crops were harvested by hand, they would get easily mixed with the soil when tractors were used since the stubbles left behind were very small. Now long staffs of stubbles are left behind because of the mechanised thrashers and harvesters, leaving no option for the farmers but to burn them.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Technicians, scientists and engineers should come together to find a solution to this problem on an emergency basis and the government should financially help the farmers to introduce new methods of harvesting their crops once they are in place. Penalising them alone wouldn&rsquo;t work.</p>

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<h5>Now long staffs of stubbles are left behind because of the mechanised thrashers and harvesters, leaving no option for the farmers but to burn them.&nbsp;</h5>
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<p>Most of the industries, in and around Delhi fall into the category of MSMEs or Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises. They use diesel and furnace oil, two of the most polluting fuels, as their sources of energy.&nbsp;A thorough research has already been done and various government agencies suggest that a cleaner fuel in the form of natural gas is available and can readily be provided to these industries.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">The industry, on the other hand, fears it will escalate their cost of production and make their product unviable in the market. The government should sponsor a scheme to compulsorily change their fuel use.&nbsp;We should remember that these small enterprises operate on very little margins so they would need government help to make a transition to cleaner fuel. Tax holidays and soft loans to implement fuel transition and technology installation can be a way forward.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Third, there should be a complete ban on construction activities between the months of October to March.&nbsp;In a growing economy, construction activities will happen and should happen. But it should be made time specific in the context of NCR to stop its ill effect on health during a season which increases pollutant levels in the air.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Fourth, is automobiles. Here, the people&rsquo;s participation is needed. The government should seriously consider banning certain types of automobiles for personal use, especially diesel driven SUVs and other big cars, and encourage people to use public transport as much as they can.&nbsp;For this, the government will also have to provide last mile connectivity and improved bus services which are reliable and comfortable. Bicycle lanes should be strictly followed and a heavy penalty should be imposed on those who violate it.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Finally, the coal-fired power plant in Delhi should be phased out and the government should force the distribution companies to source electricity from gas-fired power plants and solar farms from Rajasthan.&nbsp;It may increase the power bills a bit, but that&rsquo;s a small price to pay for clean and healthy air.&nbsp;</p>


Delhi chokes from burning of crop stubble in Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, the presence of polluting industries in the NCR region, very high density of diesel-run automobiles as well as constant and widespread construction activities.?

“If winters are here can the smog be far behind?” If you live in Delhi or for that matter in north-west India, chances are you must have listened to this resigned lament at least once every year before the onset of winters. Smog, a combination of smoke and fog, has a corrosive quality and plays havoc with your respiratory system. In Delhi and the adjoining National Capital Region (NCR), the problem has grown over the years and has assumed dangerous proportions during the last decade and a half. During the 1980s and 90s, the problem of smoke and smog had started raising its ugly head but at that time the reasons were different. The use of diesel as fuel in buses and auto-rickshaws as well as the indiscriminate burning of waste was considered to be the main culprits. So when the city shifted to CNG (compressed natural gas) for autos and buses, there was an immediate improvement in the ambient air quality. Smog, a combination of smoke and fog, has a corrosive quality and plays havoc with your respiratory system. × However, in the first decade of the 21st century, all the gains made due to the implementation of CNG were lost because of a host of reasons. Still, the menace can be fought but a multipronged action needs to be taken in a mission mode. But before talking about the solutions we should know the causes of smog in Delhi and the limitations they will put on the solutions implemented in the future. Delhi is geographically predisposed to suffer from the haze. Proximity to arid zones of Rajasthan, increasing desertification coupled with erratic wind flow patterns during winter creates a situation where even moderate pollution can lead to long spells of haze. Adding to this, many new and old sources of pollution have conspired to choke Delhi in the last two decades. Right now the city suffers from smog due to four main reasons – burning of crop stubble in Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, the presence of polluting industries in the NCR region, very high density of diesel-run automobiles as well as constant and widespread construction activities. Let’s begin with crop residue burning. Earlier, when the crops were harvested by hand, they would get easily mixed with the soil when tractors were used since the stubbles left behind were very small. Now long staffs of stubbles are left behind because of the mechanised thrashers and harvesters, leaving no option for the farmers but to burn them. Technicians, scientists and engineers should come together to find a solution to this problem on an emergency basis and the government should financially help the farmers to introduce new methods of harvesting their crops once they are in place. Penalising them alone wouldn’t work. Now long staffs of stubbles are left behind because of the mechanised thrashers and harvesters, leaving no option for the farmers but to burn them. × Most of the industries, in and around Delhi fall into the category of MSMEs or Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises. They use diesel and furnace oil, two of the most polluting fuels, as their sources of energy. A thorough research has already been done and various government agencies suggest that a cleaner fuel in the form of natural gas is available and can readily be provided to these industries. The industry, on the other hand, fears it will escalate their cost of production and make their product unviable in the market. The government should sponsor a scheme to compulsorily change their fuel use. We should remember that these small enterprises operate on very little margins so they would need government help to make a transition to cleaner fuel. Tax holidays and soft loans to implement fuel transition and technology installation can be a way forward. Third, there should be a complete ban on construction activities between the months of October to March. In a growing economy, construction activities will happen and should happen. But it should be made time specific in the context of NCR to stop its ill effect on health during a season which increases pollutant levels in the air. Fourth, is automobiles. Here, the people’s participation is needed. The government should seriously consider banning certain types of automobiles for personal use, especially diesel driven SUVs and other big cars, and encourage people to use public transport as much as they can. For this, the government will also have to provide last mile connectivity and improved bus services which are reliable and comfortable. Bicycle lanes should be strictly followed and a heavy penalty should be imposed on those who violate it. Finally, the coal-fired power plant in Delhi should be phased out and the government should force the distribution companies to source electricity from gas-fired power plants and solar farms from Rajasthan. It may increase the power bills a bit, but that’s a small price to pay for clean and healthy air.

Smog: No easy way out for Delhi

<p>Hypothetically, time travels in my head, always take me to an imaginary window, through which I can see lush green trees across the street. Maybe after a cup of tea, practise yoga, inhaling the fresh air and while travelling to another place, cross a fresh stream or any water body that is responsible for providing drinking water to the city. Time and space window shopping, is a few minute luxury, always failing to the gravity of reality.</p>

<p>The alarming deterioration of air quality in and around my city, especially this time of the year always attracts multiple reports from various angles, parallel planes with other issues, and studio debates on the white smog. While all this goes on, we still breathe. We breathe the analogies, theoretical solutions, and short-term bans. All the while still choking on a constant deteriorating air of the National Capital Region and then like any particulate matter which cannot be seen, yet harmful for lungs as it can be absorbed by the body, we settle down at a corner away from the action.</p>

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<h5>Prolonged exposure to particulate air pollution is associated with the adverse cardiovascular event.</h5>
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<p><strong>Bad air, bad blood</strong></p>

<p>Various scientific studies prove that prolonged exposure to particulate air pollution is associated with the adverse cardiovascular event.</p>

<p>Both gaseous air pollutants (ie, ozone, sulphur and nitric oxides, carbon monoxide) and particulate matter (pm) cause adverse effects on health. However, the most serious effects are related to the particulate matter.</p>

<p>When we inhale polluted air with high levels of pm 2.5, due to their characteristic small size it penetrates beyond the upper respiratory tract into alveoli of the lungs, and from there enter into the circulation system.</p>

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<h5>The World Health Organisation calculates the urban air pollution is an important cause of global mortality, being responsible for almost 700,000 premature deaths.</h5>
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<p>These particulate matters also consist of many toxic substances (eg: metals) which leads to oxidative stress, i.e. impaired performance of cells caused by the presence of too many oxygen molecules in them and fibrinolysis, a process which prevents blood clots formation.</p>

<p>Few other toxins lead to blood clot formation in the arteries, thus considerably increasing the chances of a heart stroke. The World Health Organisation calculates the urban air pollution is an important cause of global mortality, being responsible for almost 700,000 premature deaths.</p>

<p><strong>The saga of an outsider: particulate matter</strong></p>

<p>The human immune system consists of many policemen known as the antibodies, their job is to check any infiltration of foreign bodies called antigen. In case they identify such antigen, pass the intelligence information to all the other forces (enzymes and other immune bodies).</p>

<p>Their job is to surround the foreign body and start killing it. Such intra body war-like scenario often gives out silent signals like itching and reddening of the area.</p>

<p>When a similar heightened process occurs in lungs due to the particulate matter, a foreign body settling in alveoli, the muscles in the airways of the lungs constrict, as a result the person find difficulty in breathing.</p>

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<h5>India accounts for a quarter of deaths caused worldwide by the two most chronic respiratory diseases COPD and asthma.</h5>
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<p><strong>The facts</strong></p>

<p>According to a recent survey: 35 per cent kids from Indian metro cities have asthma, whereas, about 22 million Americans have asthma. There are 5.4 million people with asthma in the UK, in every 10 seconds, someone is having a potentially life-threatening asthma attack in the UK.</p>

<p>India accounts for a quarter of deaths caused worldwide by the two most chronic respiratory diseases, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and asthma, according to the latest global burden of disease study.</p>

<p><strong>Perspective beyond obvious</strong></p>

<p>With each blow on the environment, we must realise that we are pushing the human race towards a vulnerable and low-quality lifestyle. We must have lost faith in ourselves, otherwise, we would have never doubted the power of one person dedicated to a good cause. The fact that we are casual about our habits and passive to surrounding problems, expose a threatening world in coming days. With the fast depletion of the basic resources, we are almost walking on the edge of time, where we might have to change few definitions in the social science books.</p>

<p>One of the leading physicists, Stephen Hawkings believes that human stupidity and pollution are the biggest threat to the mankind.</p>

<p>Even in a divided world, the sorrow of the environment unites us. Before the grief turns a threat to existence, lets at least make an attempt towards a better future.</p>


The continuous deterioration of air quality is leading to various cardiovascular diseases and breathing problem

Hypothetically, time travels in my head, always take me to an imaginary window, through which I can see lush green trees across the street. Maybe after a cup of tea, practise yoga, inhaling the fresh air and while travelling to another place, cross a fresh stream or any water body that is responsible for providing drinking water to the city. Time and space window shopping, is a few minute luxury, always failing to the gravity of reality. The alarming deterioration of air quality in and around my city, especially this time of the year always attracts multiple reports from various angles, parallel planes with other issues, and studio debates on the white smog. While all this goes on, we still breathe. We breathe the analogies, theoretical solutions, and short-term bans. All the while still choking on a constant deteriorating air of the National Capital Region and then like any particulate matter which cannot be seen, yet harmful for lungs as it can be absorbed by the body, we settle down at a corner away from the action. Prolonged exposure to particulate air pollution is associated with the adverse cardiovascular event. × Bad air, bad blood Various scientific studies prove that prolonged exposure to particulate air pollution is associated with the adverse cardiovascular event. Both gaseous air pollutants (ie, ozone, sulphur and nitric oxides, carbon monoxide) and particulate matter (pm) cause adverse effects on health. However, the most serious effects are related to the particulate matter. When we inhale polluted air with high levels of pm 2.5, due to their characteristic small size it penetrates beyond the upper respiratory tract into alveoli of the lungs, and from there enter into the circulation system. The World Health Organisation calculates the urban air pollution is an important cause of global mortality, being responsible for almost 700,000 premature deaths. × These particulate matters also consist of many toxic substances (eg: metals) which leads to oxidative stress, i.e. impaired performance of cells caused by the presence of too many oxygen molecules in them and fibrinolysis, a process which prevents blood clots formation. Few other toxins lead to blood clot formation in the arteries, thus considerably increasing the chances of a heart stroke. The World Health Organisation calculates the urban air pollution is an important cause of global mortality, being responsible for almost 700,000 premature deaths. The saga of an outsider: particulate matter The human immune system consists of many policemen known as the antibodies, their job is to check any infiltration of foreign bodies called antigen. In case they identify such antigen, pass the intelligence information to all the other forces (enzymes and other immune bodies). Their job is to surround the foreign body and start killing it. Such intra body war-like scenario often gives out silent signals like itching and reddening of the area. When a similar heightened process occurs in lungs due to the particulate matter, a foreign body settling in alveoli, the muscles in the airways of the lungs constrict, as a result the person find difficulty in breathing. India accounts for a quarter of deaths caused worldwide by the two most chronic respiratory diseases COPD and asthma. × The facts According to a recent survey: 35 per cent kids from Indian metro cities have asthma, whereas, about 22 million Americans have asthma. There are 5.4 million people with asthma in the UK, in every 10 seconds, someone is having a potentially life-threatening asthma attack in the UK. India accounts for a quarter of deaths caused worldwide by the two most chronic respiratory diseases, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and asthma, according to the latest global burden of disease study. Perspective beyond obvious With each blow on the environment, we must realise that we are pushing the human race towards a vulnerable and low-quality lifestyle. We must have lost faith in ourselves, otherwise, we would have never doubted the power of one person dedicated to a good cause. The fact that we are casual about our habits and passive to surrounding problems, expose a threatening world in coming days. With the fast depletion of the basic resources, we are almost walking on the edge of time, where we might have to change few definitions in the social science books. One of the leading physicists, Stephen Hawkings believes that human stupidity and pollution are the biggest threat to the mankind. Even in a divided world, the sorrow of the environment unites us. Before the grief turns a threat to existence, lets at least make an attempt towards a better future.

The future seems blurred through smog and dust

<p>British firefighters said on Friday they were investigating the cause of smoke on an underground train at Oxford Circus station in the centre of London&#39;s main shopping district, although police said the incident was not being treated as suspicious.</p>

<p>&quot;We are continuing to investigate smoke issuing at platform level at #OxfordCircus tube station,&quot; London Fire Brigade said on Twitter alongside a picture which showed smoke billowing out of the open doors of a train.</p>

<p>The station was closed while emergency services responded to the report, the city&#39;s transport authority said.</p>

<p>Police said they had been called to the station after reports of a fire alert, but that they were not treating the incident as suspicious.</p>

<p>One commuter posted a picture on Twitter which showed passengers covering their mouths with jumpers and clothing in a smoky train carriage.</p>


Police said they had been called to the station after reports of a fire alert, but that they were not treating the incident as suspicious

British firefighters said on Friday they were investigating the cause of smoke on an underground train at Oxford Circus station in the centre of London's main shopping district, although police said the incident was not being treated as suspicious. "We are continuing to investigate smoke issuing at platform level at #OxfordCircus tube station," London Fire Brigade said on Twitter alongside a picture which showed smoke billowing out of the open doors of a train. The station was closed while emergency services responded to the report, the city's transport authority said. Police said they had been called to the station after reports of a fire alert, but that they were not treating the incident as suspicious. One commuter posted a picture on Twitter which showed passengers covering their mouths with jumpers and clothing in a smoky train carriage.

British firefighters investigate reports of smoke at London's Oxford Circus station

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