COP26, Unvaccinated European citizens, Ethiopia's ongoing war, Goncourt Prize

The Hindu festival of light is a joyous occasion that features fireworks, but the morning after seems to have given Mother Nature a hangover with thick seasonal smog this Friday in New Delhi. The smog is a reminder that as an energy crisis grips the planet, India is revving up its coal-fired power plants. However, it's not just India. Beijing is also choking with smog. Its leader Xi Jinping is among the noticeable no-shows at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.