Latest news today (February 7): Presenting FE’s Breaking News today. We will keep you updated on all major news, views and much more throughout the day.
Pakistanis will vote on Thursday to elect a new government to rule the cash-strapped country amid a spree of violence including deadly blasts on the eve of the general elections in which the front-runner former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is believed to have the backing of the powerful military. With former prime minister Imran Khan in jail, Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is tipped to emerge as the single largest party in the elections.
Former Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, 74, died from asphyxiation due to submersion after his helicopter crashed into a lake in southern Chile. An autopsy conducted by Chile’s Legal Medical Service in Valdivia confirmed the cause of death. His remains were later sent to the Chilean capital for state honors.
The Gujarat legislative assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the BJP government to implement the education department’s decision to teach ‘Bhagavad Gita’ in schools. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supported the resolution, while Congress members initially protested but later voted in favour, leading to the unanimous passing of the government resolution in the House.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday. This was the first visit of the Janata Dal (United) supremo after he dumped the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) and the INDIA bloc to form a new government with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar. The meeting took place five days ahead of Nitish Kumar’s government’s scheduled floor test which is on February 12. (PTI)
The Uniform Civil Code Uttarakhand 2024 Bill, introduced by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami-led state government, passed in the House. After passing the UCC Bill in the Assembly, Uttarakhand became the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code. (ANI) (READ MORE)
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AA) supremo Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned by a district court on February 17 after the Enforcement Directorate filed a petition against him in the alleged illegal liquor scam case. (Read More)
The Uttarakhand state Assembly may pass the UCC Bill today, latest reports say.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked, “During the Congress regime spanning 10 years, the Indian economy was plagued by what was termed as the ‘fragile five.’ The Congress-led government was notorious for policy paralysis. In contrast, over the course of our 10 years in governance, India has consistently ranked among the top five economies globally. Our tenure will be distinguished by bold and decisive actions.”
Nestle India reported a nearly 16% rise in fourth-quarter profit before a one-time charge on steady urban demand for its products including its Nescafé range of coffees and KitKat chocolates. Profit before exceptional items and tax grew to 9.94 billion rupees ($119.81 million) for the three months ended Dec. 31 from 8.59 billion rupees a year earlier. (Reuters)
The Reserve Bank will announce its Monetary Policy decision on February 8. While most analysts expect the Central Bank to maintain status quo in terms of broad policy rates, all eyes are on the liquidity situation. While the tighter liquidity condition could spark a debate on possible easing, expectations of inflation remaining higher than RBI’s 4% target suggests a cautious approach. (Read More)
Latest TV reports say that a fire has been reported at a temple in Chennai. A News18 report says that some drunkards poured petrol at the entrance of the temple.
Russia launched a missile strike on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities during Wednesday morning rush hours, Ukraine‘s Air Force said, with several blasts heard in the country’s capital when air defence systems were engaged in repelling the attack. (Read More)
Atishi, AAP leader and Minister in Arvind Kejriwal government, has slammed the Enforcement Directorate for the Tuesday raids. She said that ED officers who raided residences of AAP’s ND Gupta, others didn’t specify the case under which action was taken. She also said that officers didn’t carry out any searches during the 16-hour raids on Tuesday. The AAP minister further added that ED raids are being carried out to crush Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, defame him.
The suspect in the Delhi Public School RK Puram bomb threat case sent the email through the dark web using a VPN, according to police. The incident occurred last Friday, prompting a police investigation after the school received the threatening email.
On the occasion of India Energy Week 2024 currently underway in Goa, ONGC signed a cooperation agreement with TotalEnergies to carry out methane emissions detection and measurement campaigns using TotalEnergies’ pioneer AUSEA (Airborne Ultralight Spectrometer for Environmental Applications) technology.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. President Droupadi Murmu had addressed the joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on January 31, the first day of the Budget Session.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, led the inaugural 2024 meeting of the UAE Anti-Narcotic Council.
In a bid to enhance voter awareness and promote greater participation in the electoral process, the Chief Electoral Officer of Himachal Pradesh, Maneesh Garg, announced the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on Tuesday.
Former Chilean President Sebastian Pinera passed away in a helicopter crash in Chile, reported CNN. The chopper carrying the conservative billionaire crashed in the Los Rios area of southern Chile, according to a statement from his office on Tuesday.