Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s nominee for US Defense Secretary, expressed confidence in his confirmation despite GOP doubts. Speaking to journalists, Hegseth emphasized his commitment to prioritizing military effectiveness, as directed by Trump. He highlighted discussions with Senate leaders and Armed Services Committee members, focusing on aligning the Defense Department with global threats and fostering a strong “war fighting ethos.” Hegseth also underscored the importance of maintaining military lethality and removing distractions from the Pentagon’s mission. He recently spoke with Megyn Kelly for further details. n18oc_crux

Syrian rebels are said to have encircled the key city of Hama “from three sides”, a war monitor has said. Hama is strategically located in central Syria and, for the army, it is crucial to safeguarding the capital Damascus.The rebels are now present at a distance of three to four kilometres from Hama,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The UK-based Observatory said that Assad’s forces were “left with only one exit towards Homs to the south.”Meanwhile, Assad’s forces and Iran-backed militias are trying to push back rebels from the edge of Hama, Syrian army sources told Reuters. It comes as Russian airstrikes hit civilian areas overnight in a bid to push back fighters gaining ground just kilometers away from Hama. Hama’s fall would put major pressure on President Bashar al-Assad after the capture of Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, last week. n18oc_world n18oc_crux0:00 INTRODUCTION3:06 HTS CHIEF VISITS ALEPPO CITADEL4:18 REBELS SAID TO CAPTURE MiG-23 JET5:40 RUSSIA BLAMES “EXTERNAL FORCES” FOR SYRIA CRISIS

The emergency measures under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) dealing with air pollution in Delhi and neighbouring areas can be withdrawn in view of the downward trend noticed in the Air Quality Index or AQI level, said the Supreme Court on Thursday. 

The top court was hearing a matter over measures to curb air pollution in Delhi-NCR areas.

Delhi’s air quality improved today with the AQI settling in the ‘moderate’ category at 161 after the city faced persistent air pollution since last one month.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is among the main reasons for air pollution in Delhi-NCR and several steps are being taken to encourage farmers to use paddy residue for animal feed and industrial purposes, a top Union environment ministry official told parliamentarians on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the National Green Tribunal or NGT sought a response from the Centre on the “persistent air pollution crisis” in the national capital.

The NGT was hearing the matter where it had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of a media report based on a study about the reasons for air pollution being emissions from thermal plants and the prevailing weather conditions.

“As per the article, a recent study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has revealed that thermal power plants in the region are responsible for emitting 16 times more air pollution than the pollution caused by stubble burning,” a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said in an order passed on November 27. 

The green body also said that as per the article, weather conditions in Delhi were exacerbating the pollution crisis and calm winds and dropping temperatures, also known as cold air traps, had hindered the dispersal of pollutants by trapping dust, smoke, and other harmful particles in the air.