Thousands of devotees waded into the foul waters of the Yamuna river in the Indian capital Monday for a Hindu festival, amid political wrangling over the sacred but severely polluted waterway.At dusk, worshippers stood waist-deep in the river’s brown waters to offer prayers to the sun god Surya as the setting orb sank into the haze blanketing New Delhi’s skyline, marking the annual Chhath festival.Unlike previous years, the scene was free of the thick layers of white foam that have long symbolised the Yamuna’s toxic condition.”At least this time it feels like a river, even if dirty,” said 35-year-old homemaker Kanchan Devi.”Earlier it was like going into a filthy drain.”The Yamuna river, a major tributary of the Ganges, continues to suffer from severe pollution despite repeated clean-up pledges.At one location in south Delhi in 2021, faecal bacteria levels exceeded safe health limits by 8,800 times.The river’s dismal condition was a key issue in Delhi elections earlier this year that saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) return to power in the sprawling megacity of more than 30 million people.One of the Hindu nationalist party’s main campaign promises was to clean the river.Delhi’s Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said Monday that becuase of her government’s efforts, “after many years, our brothers and sisters will be able to worship the sun on the banks of the Yamuna.” – ‘Cosmetic’ -“This water is now in such a condition that aquatic creatures can live very well in it, whereas earlier, even a mosquito could not thrive in this water,” Gupta told reporters.But opposition leaders have called the clean-up “cosmetic”, alleging that chemicals had been used to mask the froth without addressing the fundamental causes of the pollution: untreated sewage and industrial effluents.Laboratory analysis conducted earlier this month indicated that the faecal count in the river had reduced since last year but remained far from safe at most sites.”All said and done, it is certainly better than before,” said Sanjay Paswan, a carpenter.”I have been coming here for a decade. The difference is clear.”Delhi’s pollution crisis extends beyond its rivers.The capital is routinely blanketed by toxic smog each winter, a deadly combination of emissions from crop burning, factories and traffic.Despite years of government initiatives, little progress has been made, and the pollution is blamed for thousands of premature deaths annually.Earlier this month, air quality worsened sharply, following widespread use of fireworks during the Hindu festival of Diwali.Although bans have been imposed in previous years, enforcement has been weak due to the deep religious significance of fireworks for many devotees.This year, the Supreme Court eased restrictions, allowing the use of so-called “green” firecrackers that are designed to emit fewer particulate pollutants.At the Chhath festivities too, firecrackers lit up the sky, leaving the air acrid with the smell of burnt sulphur.Revellers, though, said they were not concerned.”At least the water is clean and so is the riverbank,” said daily wage labourer Sanjay Prasad.

Optimism grew Monday that Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping will end their bruising trade war during talks this week, as the US president touched down in Tokyo on the latest leg of an Asian tour.Trump said en route to close US ally Japan that he was hopeful of a deal when he sees Xi on Thursday, while also indicating he was willing to extend his trip in order to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.”I have a lot of respect for President Xi and we are going to I think… come away with a deal,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One, adding that he aimed to go to China “in the earlier part” of 2026.The optimism boosted stock markets, with Japan’s Nikkei surpassing 50,000 points for the first time.As dozens of people gathered at Haneda Airport to take photos, the presidential plane — also bearing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent — landed at sunset.Sporting a golden tie, Trump boarded a helicopter to take him into the bright lights of the Japanese metropolis in time for an evening audience with the emperor.”A great man,” Trump said afterwards.On Tuesday, Trump was expected to meet new conservative Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and make a speech on the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, docked at the US naval base Yokosuka.”I hear phenomenal things. (Takaichi) was a great ally and friend of Shinzo Abe, who was my friend,” Trump said, referring to the assassinated former premier.- ‘Framework consensus’ -Trump’s Asia trip, his first tour of the region since returning to office, kicked off in Malaysia on Sunday with a flurry of agreements on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.He also moved to mend fences with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, but not with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, ruling out a meeting any time soon.”Canada has been ripping us off for a long time and they’re not going to rip us off any more,” Trump said.The greatest prize for Trump — and for global markets — remains a China deal.Trump is due to meet Xi on Thursday in South Korea for their first face-to-face talks since the 79-year-old Republican’s return to the White House.Before Trump’s arrival in Malaysia, Bessent and China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng held two days of trade talks, seeking an agreement to avoid additional 100 percent tariffs due to come into effect on November 1.Negotiators from Beijing and Washington have both confirmed a “framework” has been agreed.”The two sides… reached a framework consensus on reciprocal solutions to current pressing economic and trade issues,” China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, according to a state media readout of his Monday call with Rubio.Earlier on Air Force One, Bessent said they had “a framework for President Trump (and) President Xi to decide”.- ‘Hot’ trucks -On Friday, Takaichi announced in her first policy speech that Japan would be spending two percent of gross domestic product on defence this fiscal year.But Washington, which has around 60,000 military personnel in Japan, wants Tokyo to spend more, potentially matching the five percent of GDP pledged by NATO members in June.Most Japanese imports into the United States are subject to tariffs of 15 percent, less painful than the 25 percent first threatened.However, Trump also wants Japan to import more American products like rice, soybeans and cars, including “hot” Ford F-150 pickup trucks.Questions also surround Japan’s commitment to invest $550 billion in the United States, as specified in their July trade deal.”What I expect is that, since he (Trump) is someone who acts decisively, things might move in a positive direction for Japan,” said Tokyo resident Sayaka Kamimoto, 45.- Kim meeting? -Trump is due in South Korea on Wednesday for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, and will meet President Lee Jae Myung.Trump has also fuelled speculation that he could hold face-to-face talks with North Korea’s Kim while on the Korean peninsula.The two leaders last met in 2019 at the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the border area separating the two Koreas.”I would love to meet with him if he’d like to meet. I got along great with Kim Jong Un. I liked him. He liked me,” Trump said on Air Force One.Asked if he would extend his trip to enable a meeting, he said: “Well, I hadn’t thought of it, but I think the answer would be yeah, I would, I would do that, sure.”