Latest news with #N95
The Sun
a day ago
- Climate
- The Sun
Sarawak haze risk rises as biomass burning intensifies outside state
KUCHING: Sarawak may experience haze in the coming days if biomass burning outside the state worsens, warns the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB). The state's air quality has shown rising Air Pollutant Index (API) readings since July 19, with 15 areas now in the moderate range. NREB confirmed no unhealthy API readings yet but noted four hotspots in Sarawak between July 14 and 20. In contrast, Kalimantan recorded 114 hotspots, 93 in just the last two days. 'The southwest monsoon could bring transboundary haze, worsening Sarawak's air quality,' the board stated. To mitigate risks, NREB has activated its haze operations room, suspended controlled burning permits, and issued open burning prohibitions. Public awareness campaigns are ongoing, urging reduced outdoor activities and N95 mask use for high-risk groups. Open burning offenders face fines up to RM100,000 or five years' jail under Sarawak's environmental laws. The public is encouraged to report fires via NREB's hotline (082-447488 / 082-319500), with whistleblower protections assured. – Bernama
India Today
2 days ago
- General
- India Today
Student gets into Hansraj, says parents won't send due to Delhi's air pollution
A Reddit user from Chandigarh, who secured admission to Hansraj College under the University of Delhi (DU), shared their disappointment as their parents refused to let them study in Delhi due to the city's severe air student, who cleared the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) 2025, expressed their frustration in a post titled, 'Got into Hansraj College, but my parents don't want to send me because of Delhi's pollution. Feeling helpless.'advertisement'Hey everyone, I'm from Chandigarh and I gave CUET this year. After failing in 3 competitive exams and going through a rough year mentally, I finally got something I truly wanted - admission into Hansraj College, Delhi University. I've worked really hard for this, and it felt like all the struggle finally paid off,' the user wrote. They added, 'But now, just when everything was falling into place, my parents are refusing to send me because of Delhi's pollution. I understand it's a valid concern, but it feels like my dreams are getting crushed right when I'm this close to achieving them.'The user further sought suggestions from others on how to convince their parents: 'Please suggest some solid points I can put forward to help them understand. If anyone has faced something similar or has advice, it would really mean a lot. I feel stuck and honestly pretty heartbroken. I don't want to let this opportunity slip away.'Take a look at the viral Reddit post here: Social media users had plenty to say about it. 'Explain to them that getting into Hansraj and wasting that opportunity would be sheer stupidity,' a user user added, 'Brother, look at Delhi's population - many are surviving and thriving in DU despite the pollution. Besides, the colleges have a pretty green and clean environment. Then look at India's population - the competition is fierce. If you miss Hansraj, there are lakhs waiting to grab your seat in the second allotment.''Ask them to buy you an air filter for your room and tell them you'll wear an N95 mask. Tell them that this college means a lot to you and that it will help you build confidence,' one of the users this week, Delhi University released the Common Simulated Ranks for undergraduate admissions on July 15 at 5:00 pm. According to the data, BCom (Hons.) topped the preference list with 48,336 first choices, followed by BA (Hons.) Political Science (15,295) and BSc (Hons.) Zoology (12,722).- Ends
The Spinoff
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Spinoff
Chaos on Courtenay: Inside Ray Chung's unruly, incomprehensible campaign rally
The controversial mayoral candidate's rally devolved into a mess of yelling, finger-pointing and claims of assault. I'm not sure where to start. I'm not even sure I understand what I just witnessed. On Tuesday night, Wellington mayoral candidate Ray Chung and his oxymoronically-named party Independent Together hosted a campaign rally – the final event in its Zero Rates Roadshow – at The Grand on Courtenay Place. By the end of the night, it deteriorated into the political equivalent of chimpanzees throwing their faeces at each other. It was an online flame war playing out in real life. It's always a risky proposition for a politician to host a large public campaign event while actively in the throes of a high-profile scandal. Chung has been at the centre of the media spotlight after revelations that he sent emails to three council colleagues spreading salacious and unverified rumours about Wellington mayor Tory Whanau having a drug-fuelled sexcapade with his neighbour's son. I had attended another Independent Together event the previous night in Miramar, and it went mostly according to plan; deep in suburbia, surrounded by close supporters. It was a different situation entirely in the centre city, a dark and mysterious realm full of young lefties and overly opinionated public servants who were driven to madness aeons ago by excessive consumption of oat milk and the hypnotic powers of the bucket fountain. The majority of the crowd were supporters of Independent Together, but about a quarter of the room showed up intending to disrupt, or at least watch the chaos unfold. Better Wellington campaign director Alistair Boyce laid out the plan for the evening: he would explain Independent Together's five 'campaign pillars', then each candidate would give a short speech, then a Ray Chung campaign video, a speech from Chung, and finally, they would open the floor to questions. The speeches mostly went to plan. The candidates stayed on script, almost identical to the previous night, though some seemed rattled by the larger and less agreeable crowd. Then came the time for the Q+A. The yelling began immediately. A man near the front bellowed at Chung, 'Will you apologise? Will you apologise?'. The crowd chanted back at him, 'Out, out, out'. A woman standing behind the yelling man stood up and started clapping in his ear. Judy Rohloff, who founded Wellington Rates Revolt and seemed to have appointed herself as Chung's enforcer, marched towards him and wagged a finger in his face. The poor security guards of The Grand looked completely lost. 'You may want to leave of your own accord,' Boyce said, but the man stayed seated. Before the hullabaloo had quietened down, three more people were on their feet and shouting. A woman in a red shirt and an N95 mask tried to ask something, but I couldn't hear it because she was drowned out by a man screaming: 'Take your mask off! Get out of here! Mask off!' She walked to the front of the room, raising her arms and clapping as the crowd roared abuse at her, then left. She seemed to be protesting a specific cause, but I have no idea what it was. Boyce directed the next question to an older woman who asked a long question about Chung's email controversy. The crowd yelled back and forth, 'Sit down', 'No, let her speak'. She stuck to her guns and eventually concluded with something along the lines of 'how are you going to persuade voters that you are a person they can trust?'. Boyce didn't want Chung to address it: 'Can we talk on the pillars?' Ignoring the pleas of his campaign director, Chung agreed to answer the question: 'That happened a few weeks after I was elected. We'd been to a lot of presentations about how we should have integrity on council, how we should not do anything to embarrass the council and all of these things. So when it happened, I didn't know what to do, so I asked three of my trusted colleagues, people I knew before I was on council for many years. That's why I sent it out, almost three years ago. Yep, you're absolutely right, I shouldn't have done it…' Just as Chung started to admit personal fault, Boyce cut him off. 'Ray's acknowledged that and he's apologised on the video for it, can we move on please? Please sit down.' (The video that Chung's campaign video released addressing the controversial emails notably did not contain an apology.) There were a couple of friendly questions from supporters. One person asked Chung about how he would ensure the council's chief executive wouldn't undermine his policies as mayor. Chung gave a slightly rambling answer, and again Boyce spoke over him to explain Independent Together's policy more succinctly. A woman at the back stood up. 'I have a question for Mr Chung.' 'No, no, wait your turn,' Boyce said as the crowd booed her. He directed the next question to a man holding a clipboard. Fifteen seconds later, the back of the room erupted with a scream: 'You did that on purpose, asshole.' It was the same woman. 'Look at my seat, it's wet,' she declared, holding her folding chair above her head. She pointed accusingly at a man in a suit whom she claimed had poured a drink on her. 'Look at him, he wet my seat!'. The crowd chanted 'out, out, out'. She held the chair aloft again. 'This is assault! This is assault! Look at him, he's the assaulter.' A man behind me called out 'good job, buddy'. Rohloff marched towards the chair-holding woman and scolded, 'shut up, you're a nutjob'. Another voice called out: 'Is this how you want to treat women, Ray Chung?' Security once again tried to intervene but couldn't decide what to do after competing sides of the crowd started bleating their case. A woman standing behind the ordeal asked, 'Are you all actors? Are you all actors?' (If they were, it was a thoroughly entertaining performance.) The moment there was a slight lull in the noise, an older woman stood up and started repeatedly demanding Chung take a stance on Israel: 'Will you declare Wellington an apartheid free-zone? Will you?' The rumble from the crowd grew louder. Rohloff confronted her, demanding she leave, this time with Historic Places Wellington chair Felicity Wong as reinforcement. 'No, I'm waiting for an answer,' she said, standing firm. All semblance of a Q+A session was abandoned. The entire room was talking at once, multiple people were on their feet yelling their questions, statements and abuse. All seven candidates were on their feet, huddling with Boyce, unsure what to do. Another woman stood up in the front row, turned to face the crowd and gave an impassioned speech with lots of arm waving. 'Apologise to the women of Wellington,' she demanded at the top of her lungs. Her furore didn't seem directed at Chung, though, because most of the crowd roared in support. 'If we had any common sense you lot would get in,' she said, directed to the candidates, followed by something about women's toilets. A young woman in a keffiyeh had been trying to ask a question all night and, realising that the meeting was about to implode, took the moment to project above the crowd: 'I have a question for Ray Chung.' The crowd jeered back 'No', 'no', 'go away' but she continued, 'what are three policies that you would enact as mayor to ensure a respectful code of conduct among the council.' There was a momentary stunned silence at the realisation that it was actually a decent question. Boyce didn't want to allow it: 'can we draw the questions to the pillars that we are campaigning on please?' She continued: 'Please answer the question, I feel like that's a really fair question to ask.' Chung looked lost and turned to Boyce for support. Rolhoff grabbed the mic and jumped to his defence. 'Have you never, ever made a mistake?' she asked. The rest of her speech was drowned out by more shouting, but the crowd applauded when she finished. She hugged Chung and Wong, and Boyce regained control of the mic. 'Thank you for attending, please vote Independent Together, please vote Ray Chung for mayor.' Half of the crowd jumped to their feet in applause. The rest continued yelling at each other. I sidled away home while the cacophony of arguments continued. What did I learn? Nothing, really, except that this year's local body elections are going to be really, really, unbelievably stupid.
Montreal Gazette
14-07-2025
- Climate
- Montreal Gazette
Environment Canada warns of heat and smoke in Montreal
By After a weekend filled with humidity and heavy rain, Environment Canada issued an air quality statement and a heat warning for Montreal on Monday. 'When there is an extreme heat event occurring with poor air quality, prioritize keeping cool,' the advisory reads. The weather agency says smoke from the Canadian Prairies is leading to 'poor air quality and reduced visibility' in the city, but conditions are expected to improve by Tuesday — just as the intense heat will be setting in. 'As smoke levels increase, health risks increase. Limit time outdoors. Consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events,' the notice reads. 'You may experience mild and common symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough. More serious but less common symptoms include wheezing, chest pains or severe cough. If you think you are having a medical emergency, seek immediate medical assistance.' Environment Canada says people who are likely to be affected — including seniors, pregnant people, young children, babies, anyone with a chronic illness or who works outside — should 'reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors and seek medical attention if experiencing symptoms.' Windows and doors should also be kept closed as much as possible when inside and indoor air should be protected from wildfire smoke through a 'good quality air filter' in the ventilation system, among other things. For anyone outside, the weather agency suggests a respirator mask, like an N95, can help. Heat to settle in Tuesday A heat warning is also in effect for Montreal and the surrounding areas, with the warm weather expected to return on Tuesday and Wednesday. The forecasts highs are 31 to 33 C, but with combined humidity, it will feel closer to 40, and nights will also be warm, with lows from 20 to 23 C. The weather agency recommends checking in on older adults, those living alone and other at-risk people multiple times a day. Montrealers should also be on the lookout for early signs of heat exhaustion, including headache, nausea, dizziness, thirst, intense fatigue and dark urine. The weather agency says to call 911 if experiencing heat stroke symptoms. These include red and hot skin, dizziness, nausea, confusion and change in consciousness. 'While you wait for medical attention, try to cool the person by moving them to a cool place, removing extra clothing, applying cold water or ice packs around the body,' the warning reads. During intense heat, it's recommended to drink water often, close blinds and shades, turn on air conditioning or use a fan, and move to the coolest space in your home. 'If your living space is hot, move to a cool public space such as a cooling centre, community centre, library or shaded park,' Environment Canada says.
CBC
14-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Air quality statement issued for Hamilton and area
Environment Canada has issued an air quality statement for Hamilton, Burlington and parts of Niagara and area. On Monday, the Air Quality Health Index was seven, or high risk, on Monday morning, and is expected to go down to five Monday evening. "Smoke from forest fires over northern Ontario has moved into the area, causing the air quality to deteriorate," Environment Canada said Monday morning. The high risk air quality could continue until Tuesday for some areas, according to Environment Canada. The weather agency recommends people limit outdoor time if possible, keeping doors and windows closed and using an air filter. "If you must spend time outdoors, a well-constructed, well-fitting and properly worn respirator type mask (such as a NIOSH-certified N95 or equivalent respirator) can reduce your exposure to the fine particles in the smoke," said the statement. The area is also in the middle of a heat wave that is set to last until Thursday that is seeing humidex values of 35 to 40, so Environment Canada recommends prioritizing staying cool. Common, mild symptoms during an air quality statement include "eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough."
