APEC blue

When is unhealthy air acceptable air? In the Balkans, it depends who you believe: mobile apps or state data.

The quality of air in the region has become a hot topic since the capitals of Bosnia and Serbia, Sarajevo and Belgrade, made the top 10 in the list of most polluted cities on the planet.

Manufacturing activity in China accelerated in March, according to official data released March 31, exceeding forecasts as factories increased production with the end of seasonal anti-pollution measures.

Six cities in the Balkans have made it into the top ten most polluted cities in Europe in data published by the Guardian newspaper.

The newspaper analysed data on ultra-fine pollution particles, called PM2.5, from the World Health Organisation, WHO, finding that the town of Tetova in north-western Macedonia was the most polluted city in Europe excluding Turkey.

US President Barrack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping reached a historic agreement on the reduction of their greenhouse gas emissions, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Beijing on November 10-12.

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