Asia's poor choking on filthy air

New Delhi

POLLUTED air is a "public health emergency", the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, adding nine out of 10 people globally breathe bad air that is blamed for more than six million deaths a year.

And the WHO warned that nearly 90-per cent of air pollution-related deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.

South-east Asia and the Western Pacific region - including China - are the hardest hit, the data showed.

South Asia is also badly affected, with the WHO saying poor air quality is responsible for the deaths of more th…