Latest news LIVE: Delhi-NCR shrouded by haze, air quality 'very poor'

Earlier in the day, Javadekar said that stubble burning is not a major factor for air pollution in Delhi-NCR. Stay tuned for thr latest news of the day:

The national capital's air quality hit an eight-month low on Thursday with stubble burning accounting for only six per cent of the city's PM2.5 concentration, according to government agencies.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitor, SAFAR, said the wind direction was partly favourable for the transport of smoke from farm fires and "hence, an increase in contribution in Delhi's PM 2.5 (concentration) is expected".

Delhi recorded a 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of 312. The last time the air quality hit such a poor level was in February with an AQI 320. The 24-hour average AQI was 276 on Wednesday, which falls in the 'poor' category. It was 300 on Tuesday, 261 on Monday, 216 on Sunday and 221 on Saturday.

Being in denial will not help, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday after Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar asserted that stubble burning contributes to only 4 per cent air pollution.

Taking to Twitter, the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sought to know why pollution has suddenly increased in Delhi-NCR in the last fortnight if stubble burning causes only 4 per cent pollution. 

Earlier in the day, Javadekar said that stubble burning is not a major factor for air pollution in Delhi-NCR.

National Conference President Farooq Abdullah has convened a meeting at his residence today for chalking out the future course of action on 'Gupkar Declaration' with regard to the special status of Jammu and Kashmir which was revoked by the Centre last year. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who was released from detention after 14 months on Tuesday, will also attend the meeting.

Stay tuned for the latest news of the day.

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Traders said prices pared losses after the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported an increase in U.S. petroleum demand last week that helped reduce crude stockpiles, while distillate inventories dropped by the most since 2003 as Hurricane Delta cut oil production and shut Gulf Coast refineries. [EIA/S]

 

Brent futures fell 23 cents, or 0.5%, to $43.09 a barrel by 1:21 p.m. EDT (1721 GMT), while U.S. crude fell 18 cents, or 0.4%, to $40.86. Earlier, both benchmarks were down more than $1 a barrel.

 

"Obviously there was a major impact from the hurricane," said Phil Flynn, senior analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago, noting "there were some bullish overtones in the report ... like the big drop in distillates."

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The offer was made by US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer days before the World Trade Organization's (WTO) release on Tuesday of a report authorising Brussels to slap counter-tariffs on US goods over subsidies to planemaker Boeing.

 

Lighthizer's proposal, however, is unlikely to win support from the EU, which appears set to ask the WTO at an Oct. 26 meeting to endorse $4 billion in EU tariffs on US goods. The imposition of $7.5 billion of US tariffs over Airbus subsidies has already started to hit European goods.

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Exports stood at $26.02 billion in September 2019.

 

The country's imports contracted 19.6 per cent to $30.31 billion in September. It was $37.69 billion in the same month last year.

 

The trade deficit narrowed to $2.72 billion, compared to a shortfall of $11.67 billion in the year ago-month.

 

Gold imports declined by nearly 53 per cent to $601.43 million in September.

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