Smog chokes Beijing as Paris climate talks get under way

Smoke billows out from the cooling towers (L) of a coal-fired power plant in Ahmedabad, November 20, 2015. REUTERS/Amit Dave

BEIJING/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The capitals of the world's two most populous nations, China and India, were blanketed in hazardous, choking smog on Monday as climate change talks began in Paris, where leaders of both countries are among the participants.

China's capital Beijing maintained an "orange" pollution alert, the second-highest level, on Monday, closing highways, halting or suspending construction and prompting a warning to residents to stay indoors.