What happens to your body when you breathe toxic air like Delhi’s?

As the toxic smog enveloping Delhi worsened this week, authorities in the Indian capital imposed the most stringent set of restrictions on movement of vehicles and people in the Indian capital.

The restrictions included a halt to all construction activity, a ban on diesel trucks, the closure of schools and colleges, and a recommendation for offices to shift to a work from home model.

The average air quality index in Delhi increased to 494 on Tuesday, well beyond the “severe plus” category for air pollution.

According to Swiss Air Quality Index monitoring group IQAir, the concentration of PM2.5 in the air increased to 737 on Monday, about 150 times the WHO limit, making Delhi, home to more than 30 million people, the world’s most polluted city.

PM2.5 refers to tiny particulate matter that can penetrate deep into human lungs and even enter the bloodstream.

Being exposed to such a high level of PM2.5 is equivalent to smoking 50 cigarettes a day, Dr Nikhil Modi, respiratory and critical care consultant at the Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, told The Indian Express.

A study published in June analysed over 40 years of data to reveal that air pollution caused 135 million premature deaths over the last four decades. Asia had the “highest number of premature deaths attributable to PM 2.5 pollution”, at over 98 million people, in this period, with India and China accounting for the bulk of the fatalities.

The WHO previously said the “combined effects of ambient air pollution and household air pollution” were associated with around 6.7 million premature deaths worldwide every year.

As air quality worsens, pollutants enter the lungs and trigger allergic rhinitis, irritation in the nose, persistent headaches, as well as skin conditions like dermatitis and eczema. Prolonged exposure to AQI this high usually leads to asthma, pulmonary disease and, in extreme cases, lung cancer.

High levels of PM2.5 can also cause chronic kidney and liver diseases, hyper irritability, memory loss, and neuroinflammatory disorders.

“In the heart, it contributes to hypertension, heart attacks, and heart failure. The brain is also affected, with links to cognitive decline, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, even strokes. On the skin, air pollution can trigger different types of dermatitis,” Arup Halder, pulmonologist at the CMRI Hospital, told Business Standard.

He explained that ultrafine particles less than 0.1 micron in diameter enter the bloodstream from the lungs and harm the heart by causing hypertension, ischemia and heart attacks, especially in winter. The particles can also enter the brain – triggering headaches, dementia, and compromised neurological development in children – kidneys, and even reproductive organs.

Pregnant women are at greater risk since polluted air can damage the placenta and disrupt foetal growth and development, which in turn makes the child vulnerable to several diseases in adulthood.

“The impact is particularly serious among pregnant women and young children because it affects the growing organs of the foetus and young child and is likely to have permanent effects on physical and cognitive development,” Dr Soumya Swaminathan, a former WHO chief scientist, told Health Policy Watch.

A study published in Nature in 2022 found that over 40 per cent of the 2 million stillbirths reported across 137 countries in 2015 were caused by exposure to PM2.5 levels exceeding the WHO limit. That is a total of more than 800,000 stillbirths.

According to another study published in 2021, about 30 per cent children in Delhi suffered from obstruction in air flow or asthma. Compared to children in relatively less polluted states, children in the Indian capital not only suffered from higher rates of asthma, but also allergic rhino-conjunctivitis, eczema, cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain or tightness.

In 2023, according to a report in Down to Earth, the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi reported a 30 per cent rise in patients with respiratory illnesses on days the pollution in the city was recorded as severe.

A hospital in north Delhi, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, saw 50 new cases of respiratory illnesses daily on average between 2 November and 10 November last year.

“People including children and senior citizens are struggling to breathe and we deeply regret this situation,” Delhi’s environment minister Gopal Rai said on Tuesday.

Authorities have advised the elderly, children and people suffering from respiratory, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and similar chronic diseases to stay indoors until the air quality improves.

The annual pollution crisis in Delhi worsened over the weekend as air quality deteriorated to the worst level this year and a thick blanket of smog hung over the national capital region.

A survey last week found that nearly half of Delhi’s residents sought medical help for respiratory problems due to the severe air pollution and 81 per cent reported related health issues.

Four in 10 households consulted a doctor, the survey by LocalCircles found, with the more severe patients visiting city hospitals.

Is Australia v India on TV? How to watch Test series

Australia and India reignite their rivalry as the two Test heavyweights contest the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in an eagerly-anticipated series.

For the first time since 1992, the pair will contest five matches across Australia’s five largest cities as India seek to continue their recent Test success against their hosts.

The last four series have all fallen India’s way, though Pat Cummins’s side did secure World Test Championship triumph over Rohit Sharma’s men at The Oval last summer.

Can Cummins and co use home comforts to their advantage to claim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2015?

Here’s everything you need to know.

Australia and India will contest five Test matches between late November and early January. The schedule for the series is as follows:

1st Test – Optus Stadium, Perth: 22-26 November

2nd Test – Adelaide Oval: 6-10 December

3rd Test – The Gabba, Brisbane: 14-18 December

4th Test – Melbourne Cricket Ground: 26-30 December

5th Test – Sydney Cricket Ground: 3-7 January.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the series live on TNT Sports and discovery+, with live coverage of every day of every Test provided by the broadcaster.

Those watching in Australia, meanwhile, can tune in live and free on Seven and streaming service 7plusSport via a variety of devices. Hindi commentary will also be provided. Fox Cricket will also provide coverage.

For viewers in India, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be telecast on the Star Sports network and live-streamed on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website.

If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

Australia are without all-rounder Cameron Green due to a back injury, and have reshuffled their top order: Steve Smith slides down to a more familiar position at number four after opening earlier in the year, with Nathan McSweeney set for his first involvement in international cricket partnering Usman Khawaja at the top of the order.

India captain Rohit Sharma will miss the first Test after the recent birth of his second child. Jasprit Bumrah will captain in his stead, while fellow top-order batter Shubman Gill has also been ruled out with a fractured thumb. Devdutt Paddikal is likely to return to the side after making his debut against England in March.

Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Chaos as pilots refuse to fly after duty hours amid Delhi smog

An Air India flight from Paris to New Delhi was diverted due to smog in Delhi and the pilots’ inability to perform low-visibility landings, according to reports.

The flight AI-2022 departed from Paris at 10pm on Sunday and was originally set to arrive in New Delhi at 10.35am on Monday. However, it was diverted to Jaipur – in the neighbouring state of Rajasthan – that morning due to smog in the capital, as the pilots were not certified for low-visibility landings, according to the sources.

The situation worsened when the pilots refused to continue flying, citing fatigue and Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) regulations which lay down guidelines on rest and specify how many hours a pilot can fly in a year, NDTV reported.

Air India did not issue an official statement, but sources quoted by the outlet indicated that arranging an alternative flight would have taken more time than transporting the passengers to Delhi by bus. The airline sent passengers to the national capital by bus from Jaipur angering travellers, including those with infants.

“Shameful and pathetic management from @airindia today as flight #AI2022 from CDG-DEL diverted to JAI. Pax stranded at JAI asked to spend 5 hrs inside the aircraft and then to take a bus from JAI to DEL. My wife and two months old is suffering and I am helpless,” Vishal P, a passenger on the flight wrote on X.

Many others criticised the Tata-owned carrier’s management for not arranging an alternative flight to Delhi.

Giridhara Upadhayaya, another passenger, wrote on X: “@airindia is not helping passengers from Paris to Bengaluru stranded in Jaipur since 12 noon. There is a mother with 2 months baby and they are not in the mood to assist. Very inhuman staff…(sic).”

The Independent has reached out to Air India for a comment.

Meanwhile, the toxic smog engulfing Delhi has been visible from space as satellite images captured the Indian national capital’s “severe” air pollution crisis recently.

Modi’s party told to take down campaign ad targeting Muslims

A campaign ad by prime minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist ruling party was taken down from social media after it was attacked for promoting anti-Muslim sentiment.

The ad was released on Saturday as part of the BJP’s campaign in the eastern state of Jharkhand, which voted in the second phase of the regional election today. It showed Muslims seemingly taking over a Hindu family home in an apparent reference to “infiltration” from Bangladesh, which has been mentioned by the prime minister and his home minister Amit Shah.

In the ad, a Hindu man opens the door to see a crowd of seemingly poor men, women and children, dressed in skull caps and hijabs, entering his home. The Hindu woman of the house, wearing a mangalsutra and a bindi, covers her nose while looking concerned as the man screams: “They are ruining our home.”

One of the intruders, wearing a torn brown vest, tells the homeowners: “We have come because of the government you voted for,” in an apparent reference to the state’s ruling alliance of the Congress party and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. “So your home should be destroyed as well. Why only our slum,” he adds, as the ad accuses the state government of “minority appeasement”.

The ad was taken down after Congress complained against the “misleading and divisive” video to the Election Commission of India, the constitutional authority responsible for administering elections in the country.

The commission directed the BJP to remove the ad, posted on the party’s Jharkhand social media channels. It also asked the state election chief to send a notice to the BJP and submit an “action taken” report.

Jharkhand election officer, K Ravi Kumar, told the Hindustan Times that a police complaint had also been filed in the matter.

Denouncing the advertisement, Congress member Jairam Ramesh called it a blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

“A complaint has just been lodged with the Election Commission on a most disgusting ad relating to Jharkhand,” he wrote on X. “It not only brazenly and blatantly violates the ECI’s Model Code of Conduct, it is also an act of serious criminality. We hope the ECI will act immediately and pursue this matter to its logical conclusion.”

The ad also drew criticism beyond the Congress party.

Mehbooba Mufti, leader of a regional party in Jammu and Kashmir, called the ad “deplorably communal” and a betrayal of India’s secular principles.

In a statement on X, she said: “BJP’s advertisement campaign in Jharkhand assembly elections should make Kashmiri leadership turn in their graves who, despite Jammu and Kashmir being a Muslim-majority state, opted to join a secular democratic India.”

She labelled the ad “pure poison” and said it “contradicts the foundational ideals and secular fabric of the nation”.

The controversy comes amid a heated campaign during which Mr Modi’s party has consistently targeted the state’s coalition. Mr Modi earlier this month described the opposition alliance as an “infiltrators” alliance and “mafia’s slave”, alleging that it supported Bangladeshi infiltrators at the expense of Jharkhand’s tribal population.

“Appeasement politics has reached its pinnacle in Jharkhand, where the JMM coalition is busy supporting Bangladeshi infiltrators. If this continues, the tribal population in Jharkhand will shrink. This is a threat to tribal society and the country,” Mr Modi said during a rally in Garhwa as he alleged the state government was allowing “infiltrators” to settle in Jharkhand for political gain.

His home minister, Amit Shah, echoed the accusations and vowed legal action against an alleged land grab by infiltrators. Speaking in Seraikela, he said, “Infiltrators are grabbing land by marrying our daughters. We will bring a law to prevent transfer of land to infiltrators if they marry tribal women. We will also form a committee to identify infiltrators to drive them out and reclaim land grabbed by them.”

North Korea sent more howitzers in new shipment to Russia, Seoul says

North Korea sent more artillery systems to Russia in a recent shipment of conventional arms, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on Wednesday.

Pyongyang exported 170mm self-propelled guns and 240mm multiple rocket launch systems to aid the Russian war effort in Ukraine, the National Intelligence Service said in a briefing, according to lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun who was in attendance.

According to a Ukrainian intelligence assessment from Saturday, Russia received around 50 self-propelled howitzers and 20 multiple launch rocket systems from North Korea.

The Russian military did not operate these types of artillery systems, Mr Lee said, so North Korea likely also sent trainers along.

Seoul’s latest claims about Pyongyang’s involvement in the Ukraine war came only a week after Russian social media circulated pictures purportedly showing North Korean ”Koksan” 170mm self-propelled guns arriving in the country by rail.

Mr Lee also said that there were around 10,900 North Korean soldiers in Kursk, fighting alongside Russian airborne troops and marines to repel a Ukrainian invasion of the border region launched in August.

Russia and North Korea signed a mutual defence treaty during president Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang earlier this year that obligates each to rush to the other’s aid in the event of an attack.

Intelligence assessments from Washington, Seoul and Kyiv in the last few weeks said North Korea was deeply involved in the war, which just passed 1,000 days, with its soldiers reported to be fighting Ukrainian troops.

North Korean foreign minister Choe Son Hui’s meeting with Mr Putin in Moscow earlier this month possibly laid the groundwork for a visit by Kim Jong-un, another lawmaker, Park Sun-won, quoted the spy agency as reporting.

The lawmaker further said the spy agency was ascertaining North Korean troop losses and surrenders in Ukraine amid conflicting information.

North Korea’s alleged involvement in the Russian war effort has sparked furious responses from Kyiv’s allies in Europe and the US. Using North Korean soldiers showed that Mr Putin was not closer to winning the war but ready to escalate it, said Austrian foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg.

The authorisation by US president Joe Biden for Ukraine to use American missiles like ATACMS to hit deeper inside Russia is also claimed to be a response to North Korea’s decision to send soldiers.

Analysts, however, said the move would have limited impact on the war. “To really impose costs on Russia, Ukraine would need large stockpiles of ATACMS, which it doesn’t have and won’t receive because the United States’ own supplies are limited,” said Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at Defence Priorities.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the rockets would speak for themselves. “Today, many in the media are talking about the fact that we have received permission to take appropriate actions,” he said. “But blows are not inflicted with words. Such things are not announced,” he said of the announcement.”

Airline apologises after passengers stranded in Phuket for 80 hours

Nearly 100 passengers of an Air India flight to Delhi were stranded in Phuket, Thailand, for more than 80 hours due to repeated “technical issues”.

Some of the frustrated travellers—who included children and elderly persons—voiced their grievances on social media, claiming insufficient communication and support from the airline.

The flight, originally scheduled for 16 November, was initially delayed by six hours due to a technical fault. Passengers reported being asked to board, only to be deboarded an hour later as the flight was cancelled. Despite assurances that the fault had been resolved, the aircraft was forced to return to Phuket two and a half hours after taking off due to another problem.

FlightRadar, a flight-tracking app, showed the aircraft making a brief journey before returning to Phuket.

Some of the passengers took to social media to express their exasperation and distress over the situation.

“Please look into this on urgent basis. We are stranded in Phuket,” a passenger wrote on X, tagging the Indian civil aviation ministry.

“Air India boarded us on a plane which was not entirely fit for flying. That’s a huge risk and potentially life threatening.”

“Stuck in Phuket for 2 days, more than 48 hours,” another complained. “Please refund my money @airindia so I can make other travel arrangements.”

Air India expressed regret and blamed a “technical issue” for the repeated delays.

“While our staff on the ground made effort to minimise their inconvenience, providing all on-ground assistance including hotel accommodations and meals, some of the guests were also reaccommodated on alternatively available flights,” the Indian airline said in a statement.

An unnamed airline source told NDTV that some 40 passengers remained in Phuket, while the rest had been put on alternative flights.

Another Air India flight, from Paris to Delhi, was diverted to Jaipur because of heavy smog in the capital. The pilots of the plane then allegedly refused to fly further because they had finished duty hours. The stranded passengers were taken to Delhi by bus.

The passengers lashed out at the airline for the “shameful and pathetic management”.

“Shameful and pathetic management from @airindia today as flight #AI2022 from CDG-DEL diverted to JAI. Pax stranded at JAI asked to spend 5 hrs inside the aircraft and then to take a bus from JAI to DEL. My wife and two months old is suffering and I am helpless,” Vishal P posted on X.

The Independent has reached out to the airline for comment.

Seoul Metro apologises for calling Chinese tourists ‘villains’

Seoul Metro has apologised after an employee caused controversy recently by posting a derogatory online response to a public complaint about Chinese-language announcements in subway stations.

In response to a complaint, posted on 26 October about “excessive Chinese announcements” in subways and palaces, Seoul Metro wrote on the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s website that groups of Chinese people can become noisy and disruptive, calling them “villains”.

“When two or more Chinese gather together, they can get noisy and make a ruckus, turning into villains,” it said.

It even suggested adding announcements promoting order among them: “It is necessary we broadcast Chinese announcements encouraging order and good conduct on trains, putting out an enlightening reminder against disorder.”

“We will review the possibility of broadcasting announcements only in Korean and English in the future,” it added.

However, Seoul Metro later denied reviewing any plan to limit announcements to Korean and English.

The post drew backlash for being inappropriate, for exhibiting racial and cultural bias, and for its exclusionary tone.

Seoul Metro issued a statement after the controversy grew and publicly apologised for “the inappropriate language and content regarding Chinese tourists in the response to the complaint”.

The operator promised to provide “special training” for all employees, including those handling complaint responses, to prevent similar incidents in the future. The company also committed to enhancing its services and implementing stricter content review processes before public release.

“We will also ensure that the head of the department replies to such complaints, or at least check the content of the responses,” the company said.

“We will make every effort to create a subway environment that foreign tourists can use more conveniently and foster a culture that recognises diversity in our organisation.”

Since president Yoon Suk-yeol took office, South Korea has strengthened ties with the US and Japan while distancing itself from China.

This shift, coupled with negative media coverage, has fueled anti-China sentiment among young South Koreans, Chung Jae-hung, an expert from the Sejong Institute, was quoted as saying by the Chinese state-run paper The Global Times.

A study conducted in March 2022 by the Sinophone Borderlands research team at Palacky University in Olomouc, Czech Republic, said that 80 per cent of South Koreans held a negative perception of China.

Myanmar overtakes Syria as country with highest landmine casualties

Myanmar has overtaken Syria as the country with the highest number of casualties from landmines and explosive remnants of war, a report has found.

The Landmine Monitor 2024 report found that in 2023, Myanmar recorded 1,003 casualties, although it says the true number may be significantly higher due to under-reporting.

The extensive use of landmines surged following the 2021 military coup, with both the military junta and armed resistance groups deploying them, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) said in the report.

Casualties occurred in every region except the fortified capital, Naypyidaw.

“This flagship report records a shocking number of civilians killed or injured by antipersonnel mines, including children,” Tamar Gabelnick, director of the ICBL said in a statement.

“Any use of antipersonnel mines by any actor under any circumstances is unacceptable and must be condemned. All countries that have not yet done so should join the Mine Ban Treaty to turn back this tide and end the suffering caused by these vile weapons.”

The Mine Ban Treaty, which came into effect on 1 March 1999, prohibits the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of antipersonnel mines. It also mandates victim assistance, mine clearance, and the destruction of stockpiles. To date, 164 countries have joined the treaty.

Civilians, including children in Myanmar, are frequently the victims, and reports indicate the military uses civilians as human shields in mine-affected areas and extorts payments from farmers whose livestock trigger mines.

Landmines have increasingly been placed in civilian areas, the report found, including urban zones controlled by the military, often disguised as everyday objects, further endangering non-combatants.

Last year, Syria recorded the second-highest number of casualties from landmines and explosive remnants of war, with 933 victims. Afghanistan and Ukraine followed, each reporting more than 500 casualties in 2023.

Globally, civilians made up 84 per cent of casualties, with children accounting for more than a third of those affected.

“Civilians continued to bear the brunt of the harm caused by these weapons, with 84 per cent of recorded casualties being civilians, where the status was known. Children accounted for more than a third of all civilian casualties,” the statement from ICBL said.

The report states that “non-state armed groups used mostly improvised antipersonnel mines in 2023 and 2024 in Colombia, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Palestine (Gaza) and increasingly in the Sahel region of Africa”.

“Behind these disturbing casualty statistics are people trying to rebuild lives after the devastating impacts of mines,” Elea Boureux, project manager for the Landmine Monitor said.

“Far too many victims cannot access adequate medical care, rehabilitation services, or other support. During the upcoming Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty, the international community should commit to providing appropriate, affordable, inclusive, and accessible services to victims,” she added.

At least 58 countries and regions remain affected by landmine contamination, the report says, but significant progress was made last year, it adds. The 33 states with mine clearance obligations under the Mine Ban Treaty cleared 281.5 sq km of land – an area larger than the UK – the largest amount since 2019.

Cambodia and Croatia led these efforts, together accounting for 75 per cent (over 209 sq km) of the total land cleared.