Air pollution

Indonesia president found negligent over Jakarta filthy air

In a landmark decision, the court ordered monitoring stations and other measures to improve the capital's air.

The lawsuit was filed by residents in 2019 and the verdict has since been postponed several times.

Air pollution is reducing Jakarta residents' life expectancy by 5.5 years, US researchers say.

Persistent smog in the city of 10 million people is caused by heavy traffic and coal-fired power plants that have not been fitted with filters.

India air pollution at 'unbearable levels', Delhi minister says

In many areas of Delhi air quality deteriorated into the "hazardous" category on Sunday with the potential to cause respiratory illnesses.

Authorities have urged people to stay inside to protect themselves.

Mr Kejriwal called on the central government to provide relief and tackle the toxic pollution.

Schools have been closed, more than 30 flights diverted and construction work halted as the city sits in a thick blanket of smog.

Delhi residents panic as 'deadly smog' returns

Visibility is poor as pollution levels reached 30 times the World Health Organization's recommended limit in some areas.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) declared "a state of medical emergency" and urged the government to "make every possible effort to curb this menace".

People have been posting dramatic pictures on social media showing the extent of the problem.

'Alarming'

Pollution linked to one in six deaths

Almost all of these deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries, where pollution could account for up to a quarter of deaths. Bangladesh and Somalia were the worst affected.

Air pollution had the biggest impact, accounting for two-thirds of deaths from pollution.

Brunei and Sweden had the lowest numbers of pollution-related deaths.

Most of these deaths were caused by non-infectious diseases linked to pollution, such as heart disease, stroke and lung cancer.

UK to ban petrol and diesel cars from 2040

Ministers will also unveil a £255m fund to help councils tackle emissions from diesel vehicles, as part of a £3bn package of spending on air quality.

The government will publish its court-mandated clean air strategy later, days before a High Court deadline.

Campaigners said the measures were promising, but more detail was needed.

The government was ordered by the courts to produce new plans to tackle illegal levels of harmful pollutant nitrogen dioxide.

New Caledonia wants to tackle air pollution

The decision comes amid a large number of incidents of excessive air pollution in the Noumea area which have been measured by the organisation Scal Air.

At the behest of the Caledonia Together Party, the Congress agreed to limits similar to those in force in the European Union and in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation.

The decision will give businesses two years to lower emissions.

Warning over toxic air pollution in Sydney

A combination of hot still weather and pollution is being blamed for an excess of harmful ozone in the city's western suburbs.

New South Wales Health rated today's air quality as "poor" and said people with respiratory conditions, such as asthma, should take care.

Ozone is a colourless but pungent gas that can damage the lungs and cause chest pain, coughing and throat irritation when inhaled.

The gas is formed when nitrogen oxides from things like car exhausts and air conditioner fumes react with oxygen in the air on hot days.

Air pollution killing 4,000 in China a day, US study finds

Physicists at the University of California, Berkeley, calculated that about 1.6 million people in China die each year from heart, lung and stroke problems because of incredibly polluted air, especially small particles of haze.

Earlier studies put the annual Chinese air pollution death toll at 1 to 2 million, but this is the first to use newly released Chinese air monitoring figures.