News Dabba for 04 April 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 Pm Modi's meeting with Bangladesh Bangladesh's chief advisor, removal of South Korea's president, to protests following the clearance of Waqf bill.

PM Modi raises concerns over safety of Hindus in Bangladesh, Hindustan Times

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday underlined India's concerns over the safety and security of minorities, including Hindus in Bangladesh, Hindustan Times reports as per the ministry of external affairs. “PM Modi reiterated India's support for democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. He underlined Prof. Yunus India's desire to forge a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said. The report adds, Modi met Bangladesh's chief advisor Muhammad Yunus for the first time since ousted Sheikh Hasina fled to India. Read the full report here.

Huge protests in Kolkata, Chennai after Waqf Bill clears Parliament, NDTV reports

Thousands gathered on the streets of Kolkata, Chennai and Ahmedabad on Friday to protest the Waqf Amendment Bill passed by Parliament this week. NDTV reports that visuals from the Bengal capital showed a large crowd waving the national flag and carrying posters proclaiming 'we reject Waqf amendment' and 'Reject Waqf Bill' gathering at public meeting sites. Many of the protests were organised by the Joint Forum for Waqf Protection, the report says. It adds that Visuals of the protests from Ahmedabad suggested a more charged atmosphere, while similar scenes were witnessed in Chennai, where actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam had announced a statewide protest. Read the full report here.

Al Jazeera: US says Israel has turned two-thirds of Gaza into no-go zones

Israel has now restricted Palestinians’ access to roughly two-thirds of Gaza, either by declaring large areas as no-go zones or issuing forced displacement orders, Al Jazeera reports according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Among the restricted areas is a large swath of southern Rafah, where Israel’s military issued a new displacement order on March 31, declaring it was returning to “fight with great force”. The report says that the restrictions also cover parts of Gaza City, where Israeli troops launched a new ground offensive on Friday morning to expand their “security zone”. Read the full report here.

India Today on Annamalai bowing out of Tamil Nadu BJP chief race

K Annamalai firmly ruled himself out of running for party’s Tamil Nadu state presidency on Friday, India Today reports. Speaking to the media in Coimbatore, Annamalai said: “I want the party to have a bright future. Many have given their lives for the growth of this party. I always wish the best for this party.” Senior journalist TS Sudhir, in his piece, had noted that Annamalai’s exit as the BJP’s Tamil Nadu chief was imminent, the report says. Annamalai, who had been extremely vocal about the BJP’s alliance with the AIADMK, recently softened his stance on the regional party. Read the full report here.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ousted: The Straits Times

The Straits Times reports that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment is now final. In a verdict released on April 4, the country’s Constitutional Court ruled to uphold the President’s impeachment, stripping the 65-year-old of his presidential powers with immediate effect.  The report says Yoon had plunged his country into political chaos when he declared martial law in the late hours of Dec 3, 2024, only to be forced to overturn his decision by the country’s National Assembly a few hours later. Read the full report here.