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[00:00:08] Hello, this is your daily dose of news from Onmanorama. These are the major news stories of Saturday, April 12, 2025. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the state will not implement the Walk for Menment Act, distancing her government from the legislation passed by the centre amid violent protests, especially in Murshidabad. Over 100 people have been arrested, following unrest involving arson, stone pelting, and clashes with police.
[00:00:38] Banerjee urged people to maintain peace and resist provocation, blaming political mischief and misinformation for the violence. Meanwhile, BJP leaders, including Suvendu Adhikari and Sukanta Majumdar, demanded strict action and central intervention, accusing the state of appeasement politics and calling the violence a threat to democracy.
[00:00:59] UPI users across India faced transaction failures due to a technical glitch, marking the third such outage in less than two weeks, with previous incidents reported on March 26, and April 2. DownDetector flagged the disruption after 11.30 am, prompting the NPCI to acknowledge intermittent issues and assure users it was working on a fix.
[00:01:20] Despite its reliability and growing popularity, with transactions hitting a record 24.77 lakh crore in March, recent disruptions have raised concerns about the stability of the widely used, fee-free payment system. The Enforcement Directorate has issued possession notices for a movable asset worth 661 crore linked to the Congress-linked Associated Journals Ltd and the National Herald case.
[00:01:47] The ED, which began its probe in 2021 following a complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, alleges that Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, via the company Young Indian, acquired AJL properties valued at over Rs. 2,000 crore for just Rs. 50 lakh. Notices were posted at AJL properties in Delhi, Mumbai, and Lucknow, instructing occupants to vacate and rent payments to be redirected to the ED. Congress has condemned the move as political vendetta.
[00:02:17] Kukizo civil society organizations have strongly warned the Métis community against climbing Thangang Hill in Manipur's Churachandpur district, a site sacred to Métis, stating that any such move will be fiercely opposed. The groups are you that, in the absence of a political settlement with the Indian government, Métis have no right to enter what they consider Kukizo territory.
[00:02:38] They emphasized that any breach of the buffer zone separating Métis and Kukizo-dominated areas would be seen as a provocation, potentially escalating tensions in a region already scarred by ethnic violence since May 2023. Iran and the United States are set to hold high-level talks in Oman to restart negotiations over Iran's advancing nuclear program, with U.S. President Trump warning of military action if no deal is reached.
[00:03:05] Iran, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Ariki, remains cautious and insists on indirect talks, while Trump's envoy, Steve Witkof, pushes for direct engagement. Though both sides see a chance for progress, deep mistrust and unresolved issues persist. Iran, backed by Supreme Leader Khamenei, has ruled out discussions on its missile program. The talks come amid regional instability and growing fears of escalation if diplomacy fails.
[00:03:32] That brings us to the end of this episode. Thanks for listening to, Daily News Dose, from On Manorama. This newscast is produced using iVoice tools. Follow OnManorama.com for detailed updates on the latest news, and be sure to come back tomorrow.