The US federal government has shut down, the first in nearly seven years, after Senate Democrats blocked a Republican funding bill. This impasse, driven by deep partisan divisions over spending and healthcare, leaves hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed and disrupts many government operations, with significant economic and public impacts.

Every year during winter season, as temperatures drop, toxic PM10 and PM2.5 levels spike across Indian cities, especially Delhi-NCR, blanketing it in deadly smog

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, globally in 2024, about 6,20,000 cases and 213 deaths were reported across multiple continents