Delhi

New Delhi, Nov 5 (PTI) Tourists, including foreigners, visiting Delhi ahead of Diwali on Monday complained of having a tough time due to increasing air pollution as a thick haze engulfed the city, with some even cutting short their trips citing health concerns.

Some of them said pollution masks were proving ineffective as the air quality has turned "severe", forcing them to visit hospitals to seek treatment for breathlessness, allergy and irritation.

Emily, from Amsterdam, said she was cutting short her visit to Delhi due to the deteriorating air quality.

Washington, Nov 5; PTI:  India, China and Japan are among eight countries temporarily allowed to continue buying Iranian oil as they showed significant reduction in oil purchase from the Persian Gulf country after the US reimposed crippling sanctions on Tehran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday.

Pompeo vowed that the US will be "relentless" in pressuring Iran as he announced the list of the countries temporarily exempted from the US sanctions during a press conference broadcast live.

New Delhi, Nov 3 (PTI) A criminal defamation complaint has been filed against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor before a court here for his alleged "scorpion" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In his complaint, Delhi BJP leader Rajeev Babbar said his religious sentiments were hurt.

New Delhi, Nov 5 (PTI) Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday alleged that the Narendra Modi-led government did not fulfil the promises it made five years ago and said it had achieved "nothing".

The former finance minister said the BJP-led government began its term with promises of development, jobs and depositing money into people's bank accounts, but now it is promising grand temples, statues and doles.

New Delhi, Nov 5 (PTI) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday welcomed the acquittal of its chief Arvind Kejriwal in a criminal defamation case filed by a former aide of Congress leader Sheila Dikshit and said political battles should not be fought in courts.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal granted relief to the Delhi chief minister citing lack of evidence against him.

New Delhi, Nov 5 (PTI) Delhi recorded its worst air quality of the season on Monday, with the pollution levels inching towards 'severe plus emergency' category due to a change in wind direction and rampant stubble burning in neighbouring states.

The PM2.5 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) and PM10 concentrations touched 365 and 503 respectively, touching the 'severe-plus emergency' category, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said that PM Modi is like ‘Anaconda’ who is swallowing the independence of national institutions like CBI and RBI.

A clash between BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, BJP workers, and AAP workers erupted during the inauguration of Signature Bridge in Delhi.

Police officials escorted Tiwari away from the venue.

BJP Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari, was not invited for the inauguration ceremony.

AAP leader Dilip Pandey said that the BJP workers thrashed AAP volunteers and local people, and accused Tiwari for resorting to “hooliganism”.

NEW DELHI, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Following Indian apex court's recent order banning the polluting fire-crackers, the Made-in-China electronic crackers, or e-crackers, have indeed created a buzz in the markets in Indian capital.

The Chinese e-crackers are as per the norms set by the court, as they do not emit smoke and also produce light and sound, thereby suitably dubbed as environment-friendly.

Bursting fire-crackers is an integral part of celebrations during the festival of lights or Diwali, one of the major festivals celebrated across India with much pump and show.

New Delhi, Nov 4 (PTI) With the Ram Mandir movement gathering momentum, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said no Hindu text condones the use of violence to get one's way and scriptures say people should build Ram in their hearts.

"In fact, if anything, there is a scripture that says build Ram in your heart. And if Ram is built in our heart it should little matter where else he is or he is not, because he is everywhere," Tharoor said in an exclusive interview to PTI.