Taj Mahal gets air purifier as Indian capital chokes

New Delhi banned half the Indian capital's private cars from its roads on Monday as the megacity's 20 million people spluttered with stinging eyes in the worst pollution in three years. As smog levels exceeded those of Beijing by more than three times, authorities also parked a van with an air purifier near the Taj Mahal - the iconic 17th-century marble mausoleum 250 kilometres (150 miles) south of Delhi - in a bid to clean the air in its surrounds. With the pollution causing a rush of respiratory complaints at hospitals and the diversion of 37 flights on Sunday, a new law came into effect restricting cars from the capital's roads to alternative days, depending on if their number plate ends in an odd or even number.  More than 600 police teams were deployed at road intersections in the capital with the power to hand out fines of 4,000 rupees (nearly $60) to transgressors Exempt from the restrictions were Delhi's seven million motorbikes and scooters, public transport and cars carrying only women, stoking criticism that the measures were ineffective. "There is smoke everywhere and people, including youngsters, kids, elderly are finding it difficult to breathe," Delhi's chief...