A report by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir has revealed that three of the world's four most polluted cities are in India. Loni in Uttar Pradesh state was ranked the most polluted city globally in 2025, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 112.5 micrograms per cubic meter—22 times higher than the World Health Organization's (WHO) safe limit of 5 micrograms per cubic meter. Byrnihat and the capital, New Delhi, also featured prominently. The report further indicated that all of the world's 25 most polluted cities are located in India, Pakistan, and China, with Pakistan being named the most polluted country overall.
Domestically, sharp political criticism has emerged as opposition leader Rahul Gandhi labeled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy "a universal joke." Gandhi's remarks came amid reports that Pakistan is positioning itself as the "lead mediator" to broker an end to the conflict between the US regime and Iran. Gandhi stated, "Our foreign policy is Prime Minister Modi's personal foreign policy. You can see the result of this. It's a universal joke." According to the Financial Times, Pakistan's Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir allegedly spoke to US President Donald Trump, pitching Islamabad as a potential venue for talks involving senior figures from the Trump administration and Iran.
Prime Minister Modi, addressing the upper house of Parliament, warned Indians to brace for the long-term economic impact of the ongoing US-Iran conflict, citing potential disruptions to energy supplies and inflation. He claimed the government is working to safeguard national interests and maintain stability, with seven empowered groups monitoring fuel, supply chains, and inflation. Modi also purportedly stated that India is engaging diplomatically with both sides of the conflict and encouraging a peaceful resolution.
Other pressing issues in India include gold prices surging to historic highs, straining wedding budgets and forcing families to scale back or recycle old gold. The Ministry of Health has warned against the unregulated use and sale of GLP-1-based weight-loss drugs, as low-cost generics enter the market. Meanwhile, in Maharashtra state, the leopard population has increased nearly fourfold over the past decade, leading to the relocation of some animals to the Vantara mega-zoo run by the Reliance Foundation. India's Supreme Court has cleared the facility of any wrongdoing in animal sourcing.
Source: www.dw.com