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India’s efforts to combat air pollution by using cloud seeding in its sprawling capital New Delhi appear to have fallen flat, with scientists and activists questioning the effectiveness of the move.Cloud seeding involves spraying particles such as silver iodide and salt into clouds from aircraft to trigger rain, that can wash pollutants from the air.Delhi authorities, working with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, began trials last week using a Cessna aircraft over parts of the city.But officials said the first trials produced very little rainfall because of thin cloud cover.”This will never ever do the job, it’s an illusion,” said Bhavreen Kandhari, an environmental campaigner in Delhi. “Only when we clean up sources of air pollution can we control it.”The government has spent around $364,000 on the trials, according to local media reports.Each winter, thick smog chokes Delhi and its 30 million residents. Cold air traps emissions from farm fires, factories and vehicles.Despite various interventions — such as vehicle restrictions, smog sucking towers, and mist-spraying trucks — the air quality ranks among the worst for a capital in the world.A day after the latest trial, levels of cancer-causing PM2.5 particles hit 323, more than 20 times the daily limits set by the World Health Organization. It will likely worsen further through the season.A study published in The Lancet Planetary Health last year estimated that 3.8 million deaths in India between 2009 and 2019 were linked to air pollution.There are also questions about the long-term impact of the chemicals sprayed themselves.While the US Environmental Protection Agency notes “limited” studies suggest silver iodide does not pose an environmental or health risk, it acknowledges the impact of more widespread use is “not known”.- ‘Research process’ -Environmental activists say even if cloud seeding produces rain, the benefits are short-lived.Climate scientist Daniele Visioni at Cornell University said it was unclear how efficient it was in heavy polluted conditions.”It can’t create rain where there is no moisture in the air, but it just ‘forces’ some of the water to condense in one location rather than another,” he told AFP.”There is only one thing that can sensibly reduce pollution: avoiding the burning of fossil fuels.”Virendra Sachdeva, from Delhi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said it was too early to dismiss the cloud seeding experiment as a “scientific failure”.”It is a part of the research process, and success is not always achieved in the first attempt,” he told reporters.However, two atmospheric scientists at IIT Delhi called the cloud seeding plan “another gimmick”.”It is a textbook case of science misapplied and ethics ignored,” Shahzad Gani and Krishna Achutarao wrote in The Hindu newspaper.Mohan George, from the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, said artificial rain was not the answer.”The levels of pollution will come back almost immediately as rain stops,” the scientist told AFP.When it does work, it will increase precipitation in one area — while potentially decreasing it for another.- ‘Costly spectacle’ -Cloud seeding, first developed in the 1940s, has been used in various countries to induce rain, clear fog, and reduce drought, but with mixed results.China used it during the 2008 Beijing Olympics in an attempt to control the weather.Gani and Achutarao said Delhi’s pollution causes — unchecked emissions and seasonal crop burning — are well known.So too are the solutions — cleaner fuel, better waste management and stricter enforcement of rules.”Instead of reinforcing these priorities, parts of the scientific ecosystem — researchers, advisors, and institutions — are lending credibility to a costly spectacle that will do little to address the sources of the crisis,” they said.

US Vice President JD Vance has defended saying that he hopes his wife Usha — who was raised as a Hindu — converts to Christianity.A fervent Catholic who himself converted in 2019, Vance said on Friday that pushback against his remarks reeks of “anti-Christian bigotry.”The 41-year-old was asked about raising their three children in an interfaith marriage at a Turning Point USA event honoring assassinated right-wing activist Charlie Kirk at the University of Mississippi on Wednesday.”Do I hope eventually that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved in by church? Yeah, I honestly do wish that,” he said. “But if she doesn’t, then God says everybody has free will, and so that doesn’t cause a problem for me.”Vance, who has been tipped by President Donald Trump as a likely candidate in the 2028 US election, then responded to criticism of his remarks on social media.Replying to one critic who accused him on X of throwing the Second Lady’s religion “under the bus” to placate right-wingers, Vance replied: “What a disgusting comment, and it’s hardly been the only one along these lines.””She is not a Christian and has no plans to convert, but like many people in an interfaith marriage — or any interfaith relationship — I hope she may one day see things as I do,” Vance wrote.Usha Vance was born in San Diego to parents who emigrated from India. She told Fox News in 2024 that her parents’ Hindu religion helped make them “really good people.”Vance was raised as an evangelical in a chaotic and sometimes deprived upbringing that he described in his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.”The couple met at Yale Law School and married in 2014.Since Vance’s conversion to Catholicism five years later, he has frequently spoken about how his faith has informed his conservative political views.

Winning the ODI World Cup could be a turning point for the women’s game in cricket-crazy India, captain Harmanpreet Kaur said on Saturday, and encourage more girls to take the field.Hosts India face South Africa in the final in Mumbai on Sunday, with both teams hoping to win the women’s one-day showpiece for the first time in its 52-year history.India have been runners-up twice, in 2005 and 2017, and reached their third final after beating seven-time champions Australia in a thriller.”Last time when we reached the final and came back to India, we saw a big change,” Kaur told reporters.”Women’s cricket moved ahead and we saw many girls on the ground. So I am sure that if we win this final, we will see many more changes and we will see more cricket, not only on the international level but also on the domestic level.””So I think we are really looking forward to that moment when we will see women’s cricket in a more serious manner and we will see more girls (playing),” she said.Indian players like Kaur and Smriti Mandhana have become household names in the world’s most populous nation since the Women’s Premier League T20 tournament began in 2023.Jemimah Rodrigues played a champion’s knock with an unbeaten 127 to help India chase down a record 339 against Australia in Thursday’s semi-final.”I think it’s a proud moment for me and the entire team,” Kaur said.”I am sure the entire country must be also very proud of the way we have played the last two games and, yeah, it’s a big day.”South Africa, led by Laura Wolvaardt, beat four-time winners England to reach their first ODI World Cup final.Wolvaardt said the pressure on the home team could work in South Africa’s favour.”I think with the whole crowd behind India, probably a sold-out stadium, it’s going to be a very exciting opportunity,” Wolvaardt said.”But at the same time, I think it puts a lot of pressure on them as well. So yeah, I think it sort of plays in our favour, hopefully.”Kaur said a new winner will be good for the sport.”Because of that we are seeing more excitement,” she said. “And for us to reach the final is also very special, not only for us but for the Indian fans who have been a big support for us.”

The Maldives began implementing a smoking ban Saturday on anyone born after January 2007, becoming the only nation with a generational prohibition on tobacco, the Health Ministry said.The move, initiated by President Mohamed Muizzu earlier this year — which came into effect on November 1 — will “protect public health and promote a tobacco-free generation”, the ministry said.”Under the new provision, individuals born on or after January 1, 2007 are prohibited from purchasing, using, or being sold tobacco products within the Maldives,” it added.”The ban applies to all forms of tobacco, and retailers are required to verify age prior to sale.”The measure also applies to visitors to the nation of 1,191 tiny coral islets scattered some 800 kilometres (500 miles) across the equator and known for its luxury tourism.The ministry said it also maintains a comprehensive ban on the import, sale, distribution, possession, and use of electronic cigarettes and vaping products, applicable to all individuals regardless of age.Selling tobacco products to an underage person carries a penalty of 50,000 rufiyaa ($3,200), while using vape devices carries a fine of 5,000 rufiyaa ($320).A similar generational ban proposed in Britain is still going through the legislative process, while New Zealand — the first country to enact such a law against smoking — repealed it in November 2023, less than a year after it was introduced.

India batsman Shreyas Iyer has been discharged from hospital after lacerating his spleen when falling heavily in a one-day clash against Australia, cricket officials said Saturday.The 30-year-old vice-captain doubled over in pain after pulling off a sensational catch to remove Alex Carey in the third ODI in Sydney last week.The Indian ODI vice-captain was forced off the field and hospitalised.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said Saturday that he is “now stable and recovering well”, and that “he has been discharged from the hospital”.”Shreyas will continue to stay in Sydney for follow-up consultations and will return to India once he is deemed fit to fly,” it added.Iyer is not part of India’s T20 squad, which will play five matches in Australia that will serve as a tune-up for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February-March.He has scored 2,917 runs from 73 ODIs at an average of 47.81 since his ODI debut in 2017.

Bangladesh’s dock workers escalated a strike on Saturday at the country’s biggest port, Chattogram, protesting plans by the interim government to lease operating licences to a foreign company.The walkout, which began in small numbers in October, has now grown to around 200 workers at the port — Bangladesh’s main trade gateway and a vital hub in the global garment supply chain.”Foreign expert operators would increase the foreign investment and enhance the efficiency,” Chattogram Port Authority chairman S. M. Moniruzzaman told AFP.Bangladesh, the world’s second-largest garment exporter, relies heavily on Chattogram port — formerly known as Chittagong and strategically located on the Bay of Bengal — for most of its imports and exports.According to state-run news agency BSS, UAE-based DP World has expressed interest in operating the port’s New Mooring Container Terminal, and Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller–Maersk in the Laldia Container Terminal on the city’s outskirts.In October, Mohammed Yousuf, senior secretary at the Ministry of Shipping, said that “agreements are expected to be signed by December” with Bangladesh’s interim administration.The interim administration, which took over after the government of Sheikh Hasina was toppled in a mass uprising in August 2024, will be replaced after elections in February.The port move has sparked anger among some.”We don’t know if the new authority will hire us or restructure the entire system,” striking docker Nur Uddin, 55, told AFP on Saturday. “Do they even have the mandate? They are an interim government,” said Iliyas Bhuiyan, 56, another dockworker.But supporters say foreign expertise could modernise operations.”We need a globally reputed operator to increase the port’s capacity,” said Kabir Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association (BAFFA).”It will enhance cargo handling, boost revenue, and strengthen the country’s reputation.”But critics argue that leasing the facilities undermines control.”It makes no sense to lease the terminals that we developed and have been operating for the past 40 years,” said Azam J. Chowdhury, chairman of the Bangladesh Ocean Going Ship Owners’ Association (BOGSOA).

Pace bowlers Faheem Ashraf and Salman Mirza registered their best international T20 figures to guide Pakistan to a nine-wicket win over South Africa in Lahore on Friday.Ashraf grabbed 4-23 and Mirza snared 3-14 to dismiss South Africa for just 110 before opener Saim Ayub struck an unbeaten 71, helping Pakistan easily knock off the runs.The win levelled the series at 1-1 after South Africa won the first match in Rawalpindi by 55 runs on Tuesday. The third and final match is in Lahore on Saturday.Ayub’s 38-ball burst featured six fours and five sixes, the last coming off Donovan Ferreira to seal the victory, with Babar Azam also not out on 11.Pakistan raced to 54 in the seventh over with Sahibzada Farhan smashing three sixes as he made 28 before he was trapped leg-before by Corbin Bosch.Azam became the highest run-scorer in T20 internationals, surpassing India batsman Rohit Sharma’s total of 4,231 in 159 games. Azam now has 4,234 in 130 matches.Pakistan captain Salman Agha hopes his team can replicate their display in the series decider.”I am happy with this win,” said Agha. “They outplayed us in the last game but today we bowled well up front and now I hope this good work continues in the next match.”South African skipper Ferreira admitted the batting let his team down.”We didn’t give our bowlers enough to defend,” said Ferreira. “We don’t have much time to reflect on this so we need to put this behind and come strong tomorrow.”South Africa, sent in to bat, were jolted two balls into their innings when Mirza bowled Reeza Hendricks for nought.Naseem Shah had Quinton de Kock caught for seven before Mirza dismissed Tony de Zorzi (seven) and Matthew Breetzke (five) in successive overs.From 23-4, Dewald Brevis and Ferreira added the highest stand of the innings of 26 before Ashraf stopped any revival with a haul of four wickets.Brevis hit three sixes in his 16-ball 25 — South Africa’s top score — as Ferreira added 15.Ashraf’s previous best of 4-27 was against Afghanistan in Sharjah last month while Mirza’s best of 3-20 came against Bangladesh in Dhaka earlier this year.

China and the United States should build “trust” in order to co-exist, Beijing’s defence minister said on Friday, but cautioned Washington about its “words and deeds” on Taiwan.Dong Jun met US counterpart Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian regional defence summit in Malaysia, a day after leaders Xi Jinping and Donald Trump held talks in South Korea.Trump and Xi did not discuss Taiwan on Thursday, the US president said, but Dong told Hegseth the “unification of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait is an irresistible historical trend”, according to a Chinese defence ministry readout.”The US side should be cautious in its words and deeds on the Taiwan issue and take a clear-cut stance firmly opposing ‘Taiwan independence’,” Dong said.China claims self-governing Taiwan as its territory. Under longstanding policy, the United States recognises only Beijing but provides weapons for the island’s self-defence. The Chinese statement also said Dong told Hegseth that their respective defence departments “should take concrete actions to implement the consensus reached by the heads of state”.He said they should also “strengthen policy-level dialogue to enhance trust and dispel uncertainty”, and build a bilateral military relationship “characterised by equality, respect, peaceful coexistence and stable positive momentum”.Hegseth described the meeting in the Malaysian capital as “good and constructive”.”I highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and emphasized U.S. concerns about China’s activities in the South China Sea, around Taiwan, and towards U.S. allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific,” Hegseth said in a post on social media platform X, using a US term for the Asia-Pacific region.But he later told journalists: “I said to Admiral Dong as well, our position on Taiwan remains unchanged, and President Trump has said that as well.”- US ‘does not seek conflict’ -Hegseth warned earlier this year that China was “credibly preparing” to use military force to upend the balance of power in Asia, remarks that drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing.”The threat China poses is real and it could be imminent,” Hegseth said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in late May which was attended by defence officials from around the world. China claims almost all of the South China Sea, despite overlapping claims with its neighbours.The US Navy has regularly sent ships to conduct “freedom of navigation” transits in the region, angering Beijing.Hegseth toned his comments down on Friday, saying that while the “United States does not seek conflict, it will continue to stoutly defend its interests and ensure it has the capabilities in the region to do so”.- Shared concerns -But he later told Philippines Defence Minister Gilbert Teodoro that Washington shared Manila’s “concerns about China’s coercion in the South China Sea, particularly recently in the Scarborough Shoal.”Last month, the Philippine government said one person was wounded when a water cannon attack by a China Coast Guard vessel shattered a window on the bridge of a fisheries bureau ship near the shoal. China seized control of the fish-rich shoal from the Philippines after a lengthy standoff in 2012.Teodoro called China’s actions “illegal”, adding areas Beijing claimed were “deep within our exclusive economic zone and historically known as part of the Philippines.” Hegseth also met several other top officials at a gathering of defence ministers from the 11-member ASEAN regional bloc, which was also attended by India’s Rajnath Singh.He and Singh signed a 10-year deal that will see deeper cooperation between the two nations. India will also buy US military hardware.”Our defence ties have never been stronger,” said Hegseth.burs-jhe/rsc

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to extend a temporary ceasefire and will hold another round of peace talks in Istanbul next week, aiming to defuse tensions after a deadly flare-up this month.The talks, set for November 6, follow the worst clashes between the South Asian neighbours since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.Until Turkey and Qatar mediated a ceasefire, more than 70 people were killed and hundreds wounded in violence that erupted after explosions in Kabul on October 9, which Taliban authorities blamed on Pakistan.”All parties have agreed on continuation of ceasefire,” Turkey’s foreign ministry said in a statement late on Thursday, adding that a monitoring mechanism would be established to ensure peace and penalise the violating party.The two sides had been holding talks in Istanbul under Turkish and Qatari mediation until Islamabad said Wednesday that the negotiations had collapsed.The following evening, Turkey announced that the warring parties had agreed to extend the truce.Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Friday the talks concluded with “agreement that both sides will meet again and discuss the remaining issues”. “The Islamic Emirate seeks good relations with other neighbouring countries, it also desires positive ties with Pakistan and remains committed to relations based on mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs, and not posing a threat to any side,” he said on X.Pakistan’s foreign ministry confirmed Friday “the ceasefire holds”.”We have taken note of assurances from the Afghan side on this issue,” foreign ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told journalists.Islamabad “hopes for a positive outcome” in the talks, and is “entitled to be this optimistic for the subsequent round” of negotiations, Andrabi said.- ‘Tired’ -Relations between the one-time allies, who share a 2,600-kilometre (1,600-mile) frontier, have deteriorated in recent years. Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring militant groups that stage cross-border attacks, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it says uses Afghan territory as a base.The Taliban government has consistently denied the allegations.”Our inflexible demand is attacks (should stop) from Afghan soil, and that the Afghan Taliban in Kabul should stop providing shelter to the TTP,” Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in remarks broadcast on state-run PTV.”We are Muslims, brothers, neighbours, but some (in Pakistan), consciously or unconsciously, are playing with fire and war,” Afghanistan’s Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani declared on Thursday.The border between the two countries has been closed for more than two weeks, biting into the earnings of conflict-weary traders.In Kandahar on the Afghan side, Nazir Ahmed, a cloth trader, told AFP both countries “will bear losses”.”Our nation is tired and their nation is also tired,” the 35-year-old said Wednesday.Abdul Jabbar, a vehicle spare parts trader in the Pakistani border town of Chaman, said “trade suffers greatly”.”Both countries face losses — both are Islamic nations,” he told AFP.The violence killed at least 50 Afghan civilians and wounded 447 others in one week, the United Nations mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) told AFP on Monday.Pakistan’s military said on October 12 that 23 personnel had been killed and 29 wounded, without detailing civilian casualties.

In a bustling Bangkok market, hundreds of wholesale vendors have been selling black clothing since dawn — several with hefty discounts — in honour of Thailand’s late former queen.Rows of black T-shirts at a small stall hang near a banner reading “black shirts 40 baht” — a fraction of the usual price of 200 to 500 baht ($6-15) — drawing a steady stream of shoppers.”We sell at this price so all Thais can wear black to pay respect to the queen mother,” said the business’s owner, Thanachote Siripadungdech, who launched the promotion shortly after the palace announced former queen Sirikit’s death.Sirikit, the mother of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, died on Friday last week at the age of 93.The royal family holds a central place in Thai society, with portraits of its members seen in homes, offices and public spaces across the country.Since Sirikit’s death, the government has declared a year-long mourning period for officials and urged the public to wear traditional Thai mourning colours of black or white for 90 days.The commerce ministry also has warned businesses against price gouging and set up a hotline for complaints.Some clothing stores in shopping malls and wholesale vendors have switched their stock to sombre hues, seeking to capitalise on the nation’s grief.But Thanachote, 53, said he had lost a significant sum in the past week by selling shirts at least 100 baht a piece below cost.”I am stable in life now and I have no debts so selling at a loss is fine by me,” he told AFP.”I just want to do something for the queen mother and the royal family,” added the vendor, dressed head-to-toe in black while fielding calls from suppliers in Thailand and China.”They had worked so hard for Thailand. Now it’s my time to pay back,” he said.Thanachote said he was giving away 200 shirts to senior citizens and low-income families.Nupap Khiaochaiyaphum, a 57-year-old farmer from northeastern Khon Kaen province, said she was grateful for the two free black polo shirts she got from his stall.”I have black shirts back in my hometown, but not here (in Bangkok),” she told AFP.”I love the monarchy so I will wear this to mourn the queen mother.”- ‘Selling at a loss’ -At another stall nearby, vendor Anut Pormsri and his assistant sat scrolling on their phones beneath a sign offering two black shirts for 100 baht.He said sales have plummeted compared to past royal mourning periods.”I used to sell a lot more,” Anut told AFP. “Now I am selling at a loss and hardly get any customers.”He said the low prices are both “a tribute and a clearance (discount)” on a large backstock of black shirts emblazoned with the Thai character for number nine which were made to mourn the late king Bhumibol Adulyadej, known as “Rama IX”.When Bhumibol, King Vajiralongkorn’s father and one of the world’s longest-reigning monarchs, died in 2016, the country observed a full year of mourning.At another stall, shop worker Chit Sopheak was selling shirts in various colours, including black, at regular prices, starting from 199 baht.He also said sales have dropped this year, and has recently only sold around 50 shirts a day, compared to up to 400 daily during the previous royal mourning period.”There is competition from online vendors,” he told AFP. “The economy also isn’t good now.”Analyst Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a former Thai diplomat and academic who studies the monarchy, noted a difference between the public mourning for Sirikit and the grief expressed for the late king, calling it “the clearest measure of how drastically Thailand’s political landscape has shifted”.”Older generations and state employees maintain dutiful compliance — observing government mandates for black attire and periods of official grief,” he told AFP.But the national mood in the past week has reflected “institutional observance” more than “organic, profound sorrow”, according to Pavin.Some vendors who spoke with AFP said their discounts were meant to express their personal appreciation and respect for the royal family.”I am thankful to be born in their majesties’ era,” said Thanachote.”I wasn’t born rich, but this kingdom gave me the chance to prosper.”