Delhi chokes on toxic smog after Diwali festival
New Delhi was shrouded in a thick blanket of toxic smog Monday after millions of Indians lit firecrackers to mark the Diwali festival, with authorities reporting record levels of pollution in parts of the capital. The reading for the number of pollutants in the atmosphere breached the 1,000 microgram mark for the first time in one neighbourhood in south Delhi — 10 times the World Health Organisation’s recommended level. Gufran Beig,...
Tunisia looks to branch out into wine tourism
Although Tunisia’s tourism industry seems to be going through an unending chill, Mohamed Ben Sheikh is convinced there are good days ahead thanks to the nation’s vineyards. Standing on a hillside on his land, he says, “Our country is rich in local produce.” Among these assets, the ancient culture of winemaking is undergoing something of a revival in this overwhelmingly Muslim-majority country which has a...
Strong twin quakes rock central Italy
Two strong earthquakes rocked central Italy Wednesday, toppling buildings and injuring dozens of people, according to initial reports, two months after a devastating tremor killed nearly 300 in the same region. The first 5.5 magnitude quake sent people running out of their houses, likely saving lives when the second, more destructive, 6.1 magnitude one struck two hours later. But rescuers working through the night and in the rain were...
Chinese officials ‘interfered’ with air pollution data
Police have arrested officials in charge of environmental protection in central China after they were accused of tampering with air quality monitoring data, local media said Tuesday. “Staff members interfered with the monitoring station a number of times, blocking the equipment with a cotton thread, which disrupted the collection of data,” the Huashang Bao newspaper said. The “abnormal” readings, collected in...
Hunting gastronomic gold in Italy’s truffle country
“It is not a job. It’s a passion, a real sickness!” It is the early hours of the morning and Giovanni Sacchetto is explaining why chilly autumn nights find him trailing by moonlight through the woods around Alba in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Sacchetto, 64, and his beloved companion Dora, a sprightly Lagotto Romagnolo gundog, are on the hunt for white truffles, the hard-to-find fungi famed amongst foodies for their earthy...
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