Stage set for high-stakes Bengal Phase 2 polls; UAE to exit OPEC, OPEC+; and more

The big talking point of this episode of News Today is the final and second phase assembly poll in West Bengal. Stage is set for the second phase of polls in Bengal tomorrow, which will be held across 142 assemblies. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress has filed a complaint against Uttar Pradesh IPS officer Ajay Pal Sharma alleging voter intimidation. In Maharashtra, the Anti-Terrorism Squad is investigating a stabbing incident in Mira Road where a suspect allegedly targeted security guards based on religious identity. Internationally, the United Arab Emirates announced its withdrawal from OPEC and OPEC+, citing a shift in national energy strategy amid a global supply crisis. Other reports include a tribal man in Odisha carrying his sister's skeletal remains to a bank to access savings due to documentation issues, and a ten-year-old Indian chess prodigy, Aarit Kapil, securing an International Master norm. Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a football match in Sikkim during statehood celebrations, as the ruling party secured victories in Gujarat local body polls.