Morning Digest: Kuki-Zo, Meitei civil society groups to meet in Delhi on April 5; PM Modi, Yunus set aside differences to hold talks on contentious issues, and more

Here is a select list of stories to start your day.

Manipur crisis: Kuki-Zo, Meitei civil society groups to meet in Delhi

First time since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur in May 2023, civil society groups from the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities are all set to hold a dialogue on Saturday (April 5, 2025) at a meeting organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in Delhi.

Modi, Yunus set aside differences to hold talks on minorities, boundary tensions, and Hasina

Setting aside the tensions of the past eight months in their first meeting since the regime change in Dhaka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus held talks on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC regional summit in Bangkok on Friday (April 4, 2025).

Congress MP Mohammed Jawed, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi move Supreme Court against Waqf Bill

Congress MP Mohammed Jawed challenged the Waqf (Amendment) Bill of 2025 in the Supreme Court on Friday, hours after the proposed law was cleared by the Parliament after a prolonged deliberation in the Rajya Sabha.

AIMPLB seeks appointment with president to express concern over Waqf Bill passed by Parliament

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has sought an urgent appointment with President Droupadi Murmu to express their concern on the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Bill by Parliament before she gives her assent to it. AIMPLB spokesperson S.Q.R. Ilyas, while releasing the content of the letter written by General Secretary of the Board Maulana Fazlur Rahim Mujaddadi, said on Friday (April 4, 2025) that the amendment introduced by the bill includes significant changes that impact the administration and autonomy of the Waqf Institution, which have historically played a crucial role in the religious and charitable activities.

Srinagar’s Jama Masjid closed for Friday prayers; NC MP says ‘denied space to speak on Waqf Bill’

In the wake of passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, the authorities on Friday (April 4, 2025) closed down central Jama Masjid in Srinagar and disallowed congregational prayers. Meanwhile, National Conference Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah alleged he was not allowed to speak on the Bill in the Parliament.

Trump tariffs: Sectors in India that find themselves in a spotlight 

U.S. President Donald Trump’s “liberation day” reciprocal tariffs announced Wednesday marred all expectations of any relief from the trade policy that has unnerved markets for weeks now. India would face 26% tariff rates in addition to a baseline tariff of 10%. Mr. Trump argued India subjected U.S. to 52% tariff rates in contrast to Washington charging “almost nothing for years and years and decades”.

Evidence that SFI leader was tortured in custody, Calcutta HC says

Calcutta High Court on Thursday (April 3, 2025) said that they have found evidence of custodial torture of a Students Federation of India (SFI) activist at the Medinipur Police station. The case was heard at Justice Tirthankar Ghosh’s court. Questions were raised about custodial torture and why the police had only submitted CCTV footage of 13 hours within the 17 hours of available footage from the police station. He asked about the four hours of missing footage in this case. 

NIA opposes Anand Teltumbde’s plea to travel abroad, cites risk of absconding

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has opposed a plea by academician Anand Teltumbde, an accused in the Elgar Parishad case, seeking permission from the Bombay High Court to travel abroad for academic engagements. The agency argued that Mr. Teltumbde poses a flight risk and might seek asylum if allowed to leave the country.

IPL 2025 LSG vs MI | Super Giants hold nerve at the crunch, edge Mumbai Indians in a nail-biter

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) trapped Mumbai Indians (MI) in a death-overs squeeze to secure a 12-run win from a seemingly lost position in IPL 2025 at the Ekana Stadium here on Friday.

Tsunami warning issued for Papua New Guinea after a strong magnitude 6.9 earthquake

A tsunami warning has been issued for Papua New Guinea after a strong magnitude 6.9 earthquake on Saturday (April 5, 2025) morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

West Bengal teachers’ appointment cancellation: WBSSC says cannot complete recruitment in three months 

After the appointments of 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff were cancelled by a Supreme Court order on Thursday, the West Bengal School Service Commission on Friday (April 4, 2025) said that it cannot complete a fresh appointment process in three months. The Supreme Court had said that “non-tainted” candidates will have the right to apply to their previous departments or autonomous bodies to continue in service with those entities.

ICMR team blames bird flu and other factors for Narasaraopet girl’s death  

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday held a review meeting with a delegation from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) that arrived in the State to study the recent death of a girl in Narasaraopet exhibiting symptoms of the H5N1 bird flu virus. After their visit to Narasaraopet, the ICMR team met the Chief Minister at the Secretariat and discussed the factors that led to the girl’s death.

Published - April 05, 2025 06:17 am IST