News Dabba for 15 January 2025: Five stories for a balanced news diet

Indie Journal brings you the daily updates that the internet is talking about through various news websites. Here's a glance through some of the National and International news updates, from Meta's apology for Zuckerberg's comment, India block allies sending a reminder to Congress, to South Korean investigators questioning arrested Ex President.

Meta apologises for Zuckerberg’s election remarks, Indian Express reports

Indian Express reports that Meta has apologised for its founder's remark on Indian elections after a parliamentary committee threatened it of summons. Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Meta while speaking on Joe Rogan podcast said that several governments, including the one in India, lost power in elections held after the Covid-19 pandemic. In its apology Meta called it an “inadvertent error”, the report says. Meta India’s Vice President of public policy Shivnath Thukral, via a post on social media platform X, said: “Dear Honourable Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw, Mark’s observation that many incumbent parties were not re-elected in 2024 elections holds true for several countries, BUT not India. We would like to apologise for this inadvertent error. India remains an incredibly important country for @Meta and we look forward to being at the heart of its innovative future.” BJP MP and chairperson of Parliament's committee on Communications and Information Technology Nishikant Dubey on Monday had said that the Parliamentary panel will summon representatives of Meta between January 20 and 24. Read the full report here.

Hindustan times: Rahul Gandhi slams RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's ‘true Independence’ statement

The leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Mohan Bhagwat saying the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief's remark that India got "true independence" after the Ram temple consecration amounts to treason and is an insult to every Indian. Hindustan Times reports that Gandhi was speaking on the occasion of the inauguration of the new Congress headquarters, ‘Indira Gandhi Bhawan’ on Kotla Road in New Delhi on Wednesday. The RSS chief had said the date of the Ram Mandir consecration should be celebrated as "Pratishtha Dwadashi" as the true independence of Bharat, which had faced “parachakra” (enemy attack) for several centuries, was established on this day, report highlights. Critising the statement The Rae Bareli MP said that to say that India did not get Independence in 1947 was an insult to every single Indian person, says the report. Read the full report here.

NDTV on India block allies sending a reminder to Congress Before Delhi Poll

A report by NDTV talks about the widening rift between India block as the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress threw their weight behind the Aam Aadmi Party and seemed to criticise the Congress, the group head, before the February 5 Delhi Assembly election. The AAP and the Congress are contesting the Delhi election independently. This development has fuelled further speculation about the survival of an INDIA bloc that put up a strong showing in last year's Lok Sabha poll, but has since slipped to multiple state poll defeats and bitter infighting, the report mentions. Infighting between the AAP and the Congress bubbled over into demands by the former that the latter be sacked as bloc leader and booted from the alliance, after Congress' Delhi leader, Ajay Maken, made some harsh comments targeting AAP boss Arvind Kejriwal. Delhi's 70 Assembly seats will vote in a single phase on February 5, with results to be declared three days later, on February 8. Read the full report here.

Iran president denies plot to kill Trump, calls for him to pursue peace, Al Jazeera reports

According to a report by Al Jazeera Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has denied suggestions that his country plotted to kill United States President-elect Donald Trump. Pezeshkian, in an interview with US media outlet NBC News, also insisted that Iran’s nuclear programme is peaceful and warned Trump against risking “war”. The interview was aired on Tuesday, less than a week before the inauguration of Trump, who during his first term implemented tough policies against Iran, says the report. The US Department of Justice In November charged an Iranian man in connection with an alleged plot by Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to assassinate the Republican leader. The alleged plan was thwarted by Law enforcement before any attack was carried out. Last year during the US election campaign Trump said that Iran might have been behind attempts to kill him. Read the full report here.

Reuters on South Korean investigators questioning arrested ExPresident Yoon in an insurrection probe

Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested and questioned on Wednesday by authorities in relation to a criminal insurrection investigation, Reuters reports, saying he was only cooperating with what he called an illegal probe to avoid violence. Yoon's arrest is the latest head-spinning development for one of Asia's most vibrant democracies. It is for the first time ever for the incumbent South Korean president to be arrested even though the country has a history of prosecuting and imprisoning former leaders, the report highlights. Yoon has been holed up at his hillside residence since lawmakers voted to stand him down after his short-lived declaration of martial law on Dec. 3. He has been guarded by a small army of presidential security that blocked a previous arrest attempt. After more than 3,000 police officers determined to arrest him marched on his residence, he agreed to come in for questioning.  Authorities now have 48 hours to question Yoon after which they must seek a warrant to detain him for up to 20 days or release him, says the report. Read the full report here.