February 7 News Live: US set June deadline for Ukraine-Russia deal, says Zelenskyy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appreciated the maiden speech of BJP nominated MP C Sadanandan Master in the Upper House of the Parliament, saying it showed his "moral strength and conviction".

In a letter to the MP, Modi also appreciated the "calm and confident manner" in which Sadanandan had put forward his points during the recent speech.

The PM said that while Sadanandan may be relatively new to the Parliament, "but you bring with yourself a lifetime of service and commitment to the ideology of nation first".

"When I heard you speak, I could see the moral strength and conviction in your words," Modi said in his letter to the MP.

Modi, in his letter, also said that Sadanandan's courage was widely known in Kerala, but when he displayed his artificial limbs in the Upper House, "it surprised people in the Parliament and across the length and breadth of India".

Congress MP Manickam Tagore, who has been demanding a share in power with the DMK in Tamil Nadu, has wondered how the party's Puducherry unit with higher vote share compared to the Dravidian major could not lead the alliance in the Union Territory.

He claimed the Congress in the UT commanded over 26 per cent of the votes and that it deserved recognition for its performance. His reaction comes close on the heels of the DMK election in-charge for Puducherry and Lok Sabha MP S Jagathrakshakan's visit there earlier this week, and him skipping meeting the Congress leaders there.

"Will the party with 8 per cent of the votes in the alliance lead the combine or the party with 26 per cent votes lead? Why should the Congress party be spoken about in a disparaging manner in the alliance? It will not be good if this continues," Tagore, the Virudhunagar MP, said in a post on the social media platform 'X' on February 6.

Assembly elections in Puducherry, along with Tamil Nadu, are likely in April. The AINRC-led NDA coalition government is running the government there.

The Congress had contested 14 seats in the 2021 Assembly election but won two while the DMK contested from 13 and emerged victorious in 6 out of the 30 constituencies the combine had contested.

The grand old party was not included in the initial talks with the DMK, a source said. Later, speaking to reporters, Jagathrakshakan said the final decision on alliance and seat-sharing would be taken by the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.

Search and rescue operations were underway on Saturday (February 7) at the illegal coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, where 25 people died in a blast, police said.

The explosion occurred on Thursday (February 5) at the mine in the Thangsku area of Umsngat village, prompting authorities to begin large-scale search and rescue operations involving multiple agencies, they said.

Several people are still missing, and the rescue teams are looking for them, they added.

Meanwhile, a suo motu FIR has been registered at Khliehriat police station under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act and the Explosive Substances Act, police said.

So far, two accused, Forme Chyrmang (36) of Jalaphet Pordung village and Shamehi War (42) of Sutnga Pohwailong village, have been arrested in connection with the incident.

The SIT probing the Sabarimala gold loss cases is interrogating UDF convener and Congress MP Adoor Prakash, sources said on Saturday (February 7).

The LDF has been raising allegations against Prakash after a photograph surfaced of him, along with prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty, meeting Congress leader Sonia Gandhi at her residence.

Responding to the allegations, Prakash said he had met Potty on multiple occasions and had attended programmes organised by him, but asserted that he had no connection with the Sabarimala gold loss case.

He maintained that Potty was a resident of his constituency and that he knew him as an Ayyappa devotee.

Normalcy begins to return in parts of Manipur's Churachandpur district on Saturday (February 7) morning after two days of protests, police said.

The violent protests began on Thursday (February 5) after three BJP legislators from the Kuki-Zo and Hmar communities joined Meitei MLAs to form a government in the ethnic strife-hit state.

MLA Nemcha Kipgen joined the Y Khemchand Singh-led government as deputy chief minister, while LM Khaute and N Sanate supported her.

The demonstrations were largely confined to the stretch between Tuibong and Kangvai in Churachandpur town, unlike earlier instances when disturbances had spread across the district headquarters, police said.

Two tribal bodies imposed a "total shutdown" in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur, while rallies were held in Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal districts, alleging that the legislators betrayed their community.

The Kuki-Zo groups have been demanding a separate administrative unit for them, as the violence that broke out in May 2023 deeply divided the state on ethnic lines, with members of the two communities not venturing into each other's areas.

The Trump administration has shared an official map of India depicting the entire Jammu and Kashmir region and Aksai Chin within Indian borders, marking a significant departure from long-standing American policy on the disputed territories.

The map was released on Saturday (February 7) by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) alongside details of a new interim trade agreement between India and the United States.

“From tree nuts and dried distillers’ grains to red sorghum and fresh and processed fruit, the US–India Agreement will provide new market access for American products,” the USTR said in a post on X, which featured the India map prominently.

The depiction is notable because previous US government maps typically used dotted lines or labels to indicate Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as disputed territory. In contrast, the latest graphic omits any such markings, effectively ignoring Pakistani and Chinese claims over Jammu and Kashmir and Aksai Chin.

The release of the map coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump announcing a framework agreement aimed at reducing trade tariffs between the two countries. Under the interim arrangement, New Delhi and Washington agreed to lower duties on several categories of goods, with tariffs reduced to 18 percent, signalling a renewed push to strengthen bilateral trade ties.

The map’s portrayal is likely to draw attention in diplomatic circles, given the sensitivity surrounding territorial claims in the region and the US’s earlier neutral positioning on the disputes.

CPI’s Kerala state secretary Binoy Viswam on Saturday (February 7) expressed confidence that the LDF would form its third consecutive government after winning the upcoming assembly polls, and said the new chief minister would be decided after the results.

“The ‘Left ideology’ will lead the ruling LDF in the crucial elections,” he said while talking to the media.

When asked whether Pinarayi Vijayan would continue to be the CM if the LDF comes to power again, Viswam said it would be discussed among the coalition partners and the final decision would be taken by the CPI(M).

"It will be decided after the voting and the LDF gets the majority. All parties (within LDF) will discuss the matter. Based on that, the major party will take the final decision. Here CPI(M) is the major party and so they will decide," he said.

The Left leader further said that CM Vijayan has a prominent role in the campaigning as he has been the head of the LDF government which has ruled the state for the past 10 years. The stands and policies adopted by him definitely have their significance, Viswam said. He also said as a major party in the LDF, the CPI(M) has the "political maturity" to select the new chief minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Madurai has been rescheduled from February 28 to March 1, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran has said, and claimed that a few parties would join the NDA ahead of his visit.

Stating that the BJP has planned a massive meeting in Madurai in which all the NDA leaders will share the dais with the Prime Minister, Nagenthran said Modi was likely to visit the Tirupparankundram Murugan temple. The Prime Minister will address the rally at Mandela Nagar near the Madurai airport. The people in the area are in anguish that they could not light the Karthigai Deepam atop the Deepathoon (stone pillar) despite a court ruling in their favour, Nagenthran said.

Speaking to reporters in Tirunelveli on February 6, Nagenthran took a dig at actor-politician Vijay over the Madras High Court confirming Rs 1.5 crore fine levied by the Income Tax department on the actor and said, "They started blowing the whistle (against him). We will play the drums now."

Whistle is the election symbol of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam founded by Vijay. The actor has been highly critical of the BJP and its ally the AIADMK and had said that the battle in the upcoming Assembly election was only between the TVK and the DMK.