Pollution hangs over Indian capital as farm stubble fires rage

New Delhi’s air quality was at its worst this season on Thursday, as winds heavy with toxic smoke from polluting vehicles and smoldering crop waste fires in neighboring states lingered low over the Indian capital. Average air pollution this month hit its worst in two years after farmers made an early start on burning crop stubble left in their fields after harvests. Just over half of Delhi’s 36 monitoring stations had readings above 400 on a scale of 500, indicating “severe” pollution that authorities say can affect healthy people and seriously harm any who are already ill. The index of overall air quality (AQI), measuring the concentration of microscopic particles known as PM2.5, which can be deadly, was at an eight-month high. Deteriorating air quality has already caused a spike in respiratory infections, doctors have said.Delhi’s government is working to clear the toxic air by restricting construction and other dust-raising activities, Environment Minister Gopal Rai has said.

US Presidential Debate: Insults and interruptions mar first Trump-Biden debate

President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden battled fiercely over Trump's record on the coronavirus pandemic, healthcare and the economy in a chaotic and bad-tempered first debate marked by personal insults and Trump's repeated interruptions. Trump bulldozed his way through the 90-minute debate, trying to goad Biden nearly every time he spoke, claiming that Democrats were trying to steal the November presidential election with mail-in ballots and declining to condemn white supremacist groups when asked to do so. Moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News never established control of the debate, with Trump repeatedly ignoring his calls to let Biden speak. The two White House contenders talked over each other and lobbed insults in a breathtaking political brawl that made it hard for either to make a point. The stakes were enormous as the two candidates took the stage five weeks before the Nov. 3 Election Day. As of Tuesday evening, more than 1.3 million Americans already had cast early ballots. With time running out to change minds or influence the small sliver of undecided voters.For Trump, 74, Tuesday's debate represented one of the few remaining chances to change the trajectory of a race that most opinion polls show him losing, as the majority of Americans disapprove of his handling of both the pandemic and protests over racial injustice. Biden, 77, has held a consistent lead over Trump in national opinion polls, although surveys in the battleground states that will decide the election show a much closer contest. It was hard to determine whether the debate would move the needle.

Apple is about to open its first floating store that's shaped like a giant sphere

The rumours are indeed true! Apple Marina Bay Sands, the first Apple store in the world that floats on the water, is opening soon in Singapore. This is Singapore’s third Apple Store, with the first one opening on Orchard Road in 2017, followed by a second at Jewel Changi Airport last year. During a visit to Singapore in December 2019, Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly commented on the busyness of the current locations, adding that the city-state `could use a third store.` Apple’s worldwide retail network may be struggling during the coronavirus pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped the company from indulging in its penchant for pricey-looking, unique, and outlandish exterior design. The iPhone maker’s going to open newest retail location in Singapore on the city-state’s waterfront. It can claim a world’s first title: it’s the only Apple retail shop on the planet that floats on water.The opening comes at a challenging time for the retail sector as lockdowns and other measures linked to the deadly coronavirus prompt more people to shop online. Apple closed all of its stores outside of China in March 2020 and since then has been opening and closing sites according to local conditions regarding the severity of the pandemic. Singapore’s Apple Stores reopened on June 24 with shorter-than-usual operating hours. In a bid to reduce the risk of staff and customers getting infected, Apple Stores are now requiring everyone entering the premises to submit to a touchless temperature check and wear a mask. Additional measures such as limited store occupancy, social distancing, and regular sanitization of surfaces are also in place.

China orders U.S. to close consulate in Chengdu

The ministry also ordered the consulate general to cease operations.

“The current situation between China and the U.S. is something the Chinese side does not want to see,” the foreign ministry said in a Chinese-language statement translated by CNBC.

“The responsibility lies entirely with the U.S. side,” the statement added. “We again urge the U.S. side to immediately revoke its relevant wrong decisions, to create necessary conditions for the two countries’ relationship to return to normal.”

The U.S. Embassy in Beijing declined to comment.