News highlights: CBI conducts searches at residence of former AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak

Latest news highlights: Catch all the latest news updates from around the world here

The AAP on Thursday slammed the CBI searches at the residence of its senior leader Durgesh Pathak as a "politically motivated" move aimed at derailing the party's preparations for the 2027 Gujarat Assembly elections. Pathak is the party's co-incharge for Gujarat.

  Rafael Grossi, who heads the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency, has warned that Iran is moving dangerously close to developing nuclear weapons capability. He made this statement shortly before traveling to Tehran for crucial talks with Iranian authorities regarding the nation's controversial nuclear program.

  Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Samajwadi Party, accusing it of exploiting Dalits for political gains under the guise of its recent PDA (Pichhde, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) campaign.

In a series of posts on X, the BSP leader said that the SP, much like other parties, was attempting to incite tension and violence by using Dalits as political tools.

"It is well known that like other parties, SP too is trying to create an atmosphere of tension and violence by pushing forward Dalit individuals from their party. The controversial statements, blame games, and programmes being run under this strategy reflect their deeply selfish political motives," Mayawati wrote. 

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasised in federal court on Wednesday that he bought Instagram and WhatsApp because he saw value in the companies not to take out competitors, as the Federal Trade Commission alleges in a historic antitrust trial.

 

Zuckerberg took the stand for the third day in the trial, wrapping up his testimony as the first witness Wednesday afternoon. He took questions from Meta attorney Mark Hansen, who has argued that his client hardly has a monopoly in social media, as the FTC claims, and still faces stiff global competition.

 

This is my job," Zuckerberg said. "I need to understand what is going on, and I need to push our teams to move quickly to learn about what is going on in a very competitive market.

10:56 AM

JD(U) poster asserts Nitish to continue in Bihar CM's post till 2030

NDA's alliance partner JD(U) put up a large poster outside its party office here asserting that Nitish Kumar would continue in the post of the Bihar chief minister till 2030, after his Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini said the BJP will win the polls in the eastern state "under the leadership of Samrat Choudhary".

 

10:53 AM

Iran confirms 2nd round of nuclear talks with US will be in Rome

Iran confirmed Wednesday that the next round of nuclear talks with the United States this weekend will be held in Rome after earlier confusion over where the negotiations would be held. The announcement by Iranian state television came as Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian formally approved the resignation of one of his vice presidents who served as Tehran's key negotiator in its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

10:24 AM

News update: CBI conducts searches at residence of former AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak

10:05 AM

Two militants arrested in Manipur

Two militants belonging to different proscribed outfits have been nabbed in Imphal Valley districts of Manipur, police said on Thursday. An active member of Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) was arrested in Phayeng village in Imphal West district on Wednesday. A bulletproof jacket and helmet, a telescope and other items were seized from the possession of the militant who was identified as 32-year-old Angom Ajoy Meitei, a police officer said.

10:05 AM

PM Modi pays tributes to Chandra Shekhar on birth anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tributes to former prime minister Chandra Shekhar on his birth anniversary, and said he always kept the country's interests supreme in his politics.PM Modi said on X that his efforts for social harmony and nation-building will always be remembered.

9:21 AM

Fire breaks out in Shaheen Bagh residential building, no casualties

A fire broke out in a residential building in the Shaheen Bagh area of the national capital during the early hours of Thursday, according to the Fire Department. Eight fire tenders were rushed to the scene to bring the situation under control after the department received an emergency call in the early morning hours today.