As the political fervor intensifies in the national capital, Delhiites have braced themselves for the crucial sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections taking place today. With voting for all seven parliamentary seats being held today, the city is witnessing heightened security measures and meticulous preparations in polling booths to ensure a seamless voting process.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s open and what’s closed in Delhi on May 25:
What’s Closed?
Liquor Outlets: In adherence to the directives issued by the Election Commission of India, all liquor stores and licensed premises in Delhi, along with the adjoining cities of Faridabad and Gurugram, will remain closed from 6 pm on May 23 to 6 pm on May 25.
Educational Institutes: With the mercury soaring and heatwave conditions persisting, schools and educational institutions in the national capital will remain closed on polling day, ensuring the safety and well-being of students and staff.
Banks: In observance of the fourth Saturday of t..

He came here – to pinch a macabre quote from Agatha Christie, the Queen of Crime – to die.
Bangladesh MP Anwarul Azim Anar came to Kolkata on May 12 for medical treatment. He was staying with a friend, Gopal Biswas, till he went missing a few days later. He was last seen at a high-end apartment complex in New Town, on the outskirts of the Bengal capital, where he was likely murdered and his body skinned, chopped up, and pieces stuffed into plastic packets dumped across the city.
Who killed Mr Anar? Why? Where did he go on May 14? These are some of the questions police in Kolkata and Bangladesh’s Dhaka are racing to answer. Cops in the former city have made some progress on the first question; an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant, Jihad Hawladar, has been arrested and has confessed to his involvement in the murder of the MP and the dismemberment of the body.
And now Dhaka Police may have answered another question – how was Mr Anar lured to his death?
They are looking into the role of Shilas..

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hoping to win a third term, today said that he believes God has chosen him for a purpose, and he will continue working till that task is done. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, PM Modi said it is his duty to serve those who have faith in him.
“You will find people who use the foulest abuses (for me), and you will also find those who express good things. My duty is to ensure that those who express faith should not be hurt or disappointed,” he said.
“Some may call me crazy, but I am convinced that ‘Parmatma’ (God) sent me for a purpose. Once the purpose is achieved, my work will be one. This is why I have completely dedicated myself to God,” the Prime Minister added.
PM Modi said that God guides him to do a lot of work, but does not reveal the larger scheme.
“He (God) does not reveal his cards, just keeps making me do things. And I cannot dial him directly to ask what’s next,” he said.
Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP is seeking to win the ong..

Shikhar Dhawan, the renowned India opener, has admitted that he has entered a phase of transition and will soon stand on the threshold of a new chapter in his life. Scoring a century in his Test debut and raising his bat high in the air to celebrate his ton in his hundredth ODI game, Dhawan has tasted success throughout his illustrious career. But the journey of an athlete is not everlasting; it eventually comes to an end. The 38-year-old has been away from the international circuit for a while now, as he last donned the Blue Jersey in an international match in December 2022. While he continues to drift away from the international stage, he has still been a regular face in the Indian Premier League. But after Punjab Kings crashed out of this season, a section of social media users have been speculating about the future of the seasoned batter.
While addressing his journey, Dhawan admitted that his cricketing career is going through a “transition.” He is taking things as they come, showi..

An IIT Kanpur alum who quit her high-paying corporate job to become a fitness coach is going viral online for sharing her inspiring career journey. In a LinkedIn post, Priyanka Gupta, who lives in Bengaluru, shared that after graduating from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, she started chasing the “golden ticket to financial stability” and worked at several big companies including Byju’s and Walmart. However, despite making big bucks she still wasn’t entirely passionate about her job and decided to take the plunge to do something more and something that she could truly call her own.
Sharing her journey, Ms Gupta wrote, “I left a big MNC and my IIT pedigree attachment. Now I help professionals stay fit and live longer. Like many of my fellow IIT buddies, right after graduation, I started chasing that golden ticket to financial stability. I was responsible for supporting my family and this was the most apparent path.”
However, after 5 years in the corporate sector, Ms Gu..

Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins revealed that it was head coach Daniel Vettori’s idea to introduce Shahbaz Ahmed as the impact substitute, a move that turned out to be the game-defining moment of Qualifier 2. In the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Sunrisers have heavily relied on their pace bowling set-up to get them across the finishing line. But on Chepauk, Cummins took everyone by surprise after introducing the spin duo of Ahmed and Abhishek Sharma.
Shahbaz added 18 runs with the bat and picked up a three-wicket haul while bowling in the middle overs. Along with Abhishek Sharma, the left-arm spinner ensured that the IPL final would be a rematch between the Qualifier 1 teams – SRH and Kolkata Knight Riders.
“That was Vettori’s choice, he likes his left-arm orthodox and wanted as many left-arm orthodox as possible,” Cummins said on bringing in Shahbaz as an impact sub, after the game.
Abhishek didn’t have his usual destructive outing with the bat against Ra..

The sixth phase of voting in the ongoing Lok Sabha election has begun in 58 seats across seven states and one Union Territory (UT). Delhi and Haryana are voting in a single phase. Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are being held simultaneously in Odisha.
Till 9 am, 10.8% voter turnout was recorded. The highest voter turnout in Phase 6 was recorded in West Bengal 16.5% and the lowest turnout was reported from Odisha.
By the end of today, elections will be completed in 486 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats. Polling will also be completed in Haryana, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir. The Election Commission has asked poll officers and authorities to take adequate measure to mitigate the effects of rising temperatures in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh due to a heatwave across north India.
Voters in the following seven states and one union territory will cast their ballots: Eight seats each in Bihar and Bengal, seven in Delhi, 10 in Haryana, four in Jharkhand, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, and the final seat i..

A video featuring a heated argument between a female passenger and a cab driver has sparked a debate online. The clip shows the woman abusing and insulting the driver after her cab broke down mid-journey. She accuses the driver of being rude and questions why he is wandering with a “cheap” car. In the video, she also threatens to take legal action against the driver and demands a cash refund for the deducted fare, despite the driver explaining to her that refunds are handled through Uber’s app.
The clip opens with the woman launching a tirade at the driver. Despite the Uber driver’s pleas for understanding, she continues to belittle the driver’s livelihood by insulting his cab as inadequate and accuses him of being “badtameez” (rude). The cab driver, in his defence, explains that he relies on the job, however, the woman disregards his pleas and mocks his status. The driver then threatens to report her behaviour to Uber, but the woman’s ego remains unhinged. She threatens the driver wi..

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar voted in Delhi today for the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections.
S Jaishankar- who happened to be the first male voter at his designated polling booth – also got a certificate for voting.
“I was the first male voter in this booth,” Mr Jaishankar said holding up his certificate.
The Foreign Minister expressed his confidence that the voters of Delhi would once again support the Modi government
“We want people to come out and cast their votes as this is a decisive moment for the country. I’m confident that the BJP will come back to power in the polls,” he said.
Mr Jaishankar later also posted his photograph with the certificate on X – earlier known as Twitter.
Cast my vote in New Delhi this morning.
Urge all voting today to turnout in record numbers and vote in this sixth phase of the elections. pic.twitter.com/FJpskspGq9

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) May 25, 2024Voting is taking place today in eight seats each in Bihar and Bengal,..

VVS Laxman’s reluctance to become the Indian team’s head coach is an open secret but with the former batting stalwart’s stint as NCA’s ‘Head of Cricket’ ending in September this year, it remains to be seen how BCCI manages to retain him in the set-up. While Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Gautam Gambhir is believed to be the favourite among available options for the BCCI, it is still not clear whether secretary Jay Shah has spoken to the national team’s senior stars about Gambhir’s unanimous acceptability.
Shah, in a statement on Friday to deny reaching out to any Australian candidates, also dropped hints that the Board is looking for an Indian coach, who has come through the ranks and knows the cricketing ecosystem inside out.
Laxman seems to be the most obvious successor given that the stylish former from Hyderabad has been an interim India coach during his nearly three-year stint at NCA (National Cricket Academy).
But he hasn’t applied for the post which will be both physically and men..