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SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category on Friday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 225 at 9 am, while the minimum temperature settled at 9.1 degrees Celsius.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) SAMEER app, 25 monitoring stations in the city recorded air quality in the ‘poor’ category, while 14 stations were in the ‘moderate’ category.

As per the CPCB classification, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’ and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.

On the weather front, the national capital recorded a minimum temperature of 9.1 degrees Celsius on Friday morning.

The city witnessed a slightly chillier morning compared to Thursday, when the minimum temperature was recorded at 10.2 degrees Celsius.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature is expected to settle around 23 degrees Celsius.

Station-wise data showed that Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 9.0 degrees Celsius, which was 0.8 degrees Celsius below normal.

At Lodhi Road, the minimum temperature stood at 8.2 degrees Celsius, marginally 0.2 degrees Celsius above normal.

The Ridge station reported a minimum temperature of 10.3 degrees Celsius, which was 1.8 degrees Celsius below normal, while Ayanagar recorded a minimum temperature of 8.6 degrees Celsius, 1.9 degrees Celsius below normal.

The IMD has forecast shallow fog conditions to persist over Delhi on Friday and Saturday mornings.

Published on February 6, 2026

Officials pose for a group photograph during the 24th Indo-US Joint Technical Group Plenary Meeting hosted by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), in New Delhi. (@SpokespersonMoD/X via PTI Photo)(PTI02_05_2026_000401B)
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India and the US have discussed ways to strengthen collaboration in “critical and emerging defence technologies” to meet the evolving requirements at a key meeting hosted here, officials said on Thursday.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) hosted the 24th Indo-US Joint Technical Group Plenary Meeting in New Delhi on February 3 and 4, they said.

The meeting was co-chaired by Director General (Production Coordination and Services Interaction), DRDO, Chandrika Kaushik and Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies, Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, Michael Francis Dodd, the defence ministry here said.

The plenary was conducted in line with the vision and policy guidance of the framework for India-US Major Defence Partnership signed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in October 2025, officials said.

“The delegations reviewed the ongoing cooperation in defence science and technology, discussed associated challenges and examined proposals to further strengthen collaboration in critical and emerging defence technologies to meet the evolving requirements,” the ministry said in a statement.

The discussions also focused on enhancing the participation of university-affiliated research centres, defence laboratories,and industries in cooperative research and development initiatives, the officials said.

“Additionally, the meeting explored potential collaboration between the DRDO and the Defence Innovation Unit under the Innovation Bridge framework, concluded with the signing of a project agreement,” the ministry said.

The meeting involved participation of senior officials, scientists, and technocrats representing institutions and laboratories under the US Department of War and the Department of State, along with DRDO scientists and officials from India’s tri-Services, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of External Affairs and the National Security Council Secretariat.

Published on February 6, 2026

Crude oil futures traded higher on Friday morning despite de-escalation of tensions between Iran and US as both countries are scheduled to hold talks later in the day.

At 9.56 am on Friday, April Brent oil futures were at $67.93, up by 0.56 per cent, and March crude oil futures on WTI (West Texas Intermediate) were at $63.67, up by 0.60 per cent. February crude oil futures were trading at ₹5755 on Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) during the initial hour of trading on Friday against the previous close of ₹5746, up by 0.16 per cent, and March futures were trading at ₹5752 against the previous close of ₹5737, up by 0.26 per cent.

Despite increasing tensions between the US and Iran, officials from both countries are set to meet in Oman later on Friday. Market players feel that this meeting could help de-escalate tensions between the two countries and reduce the risk of a conflict in the region.

Reports said that both countries were seen disagreeing over the subject of the meeting. While Iran wants the talks be limited only to nuclear programme, US wants to discuss Iran’s missile arsenal also. Iran is one of the major oil producers. It is strategically located next to the Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the important shipping channels for crude oil transportation.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has said that he retains the right to ‘militarily secure and reinforce’ the American presence in Diego Garcia.

In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump said he had very productive discussions with the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the Island of Diego Garcia.

Terming it as the site of a major US military base strategically situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean, he said the base is of great importance to the national security of the US.

“We have the most powerful Military in the World. Our Military Operations, over the course of the last year, were successful because of the strength of our war fighters, modern capability of our equipment and, very importantly, the strategic location of our Military Bases for staging and other reasons. I understand that the deal Prime Minister Starmer has made, according to many, the best he could make. However, if the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers US operations and forces at our Base, I retain the right to Militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia. Let it be known that I will never allow our presence on a Base as important as this to ever be undermined or threatened by fake claims or environmental nonsense,” he said.

In a separate post, Trump said: “The United States is the most powerful Country in the World. I completely rebuilt its Military in my First Term, including new and many refurbished nuclear weapons. I also added Space Force and now, continue to rebuild our Military at levels never seen before. We are even adding Battleships, which are 100 times more powerful than the ones that roamed the Seas during World War II — The Iowa, Missouri, Alabama, and others.”

February nickel futures were trading at ₹1527.20 on MCX during the initial hour of trading on Friday against the previous close of ₹1538, down by 0.70 per cent.

On the National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), March jeera contracts were trading at ₹23865 in the initial hour of trading on Friday against the previous close of ₹23810, up by 0.23 per cent.

February guargum futures were trading at ₹10330 on NCDEX in the initial hour of trading on Friday against the previous close of ₹10393, down by 0.61 per cent.

Published on February 6, 2026