Daily Briefing: Gig workers strike today; Khaleda Zia to be laid to rest

Good morning, Well, this is it, folks. It’s the last day of 2025. It’s a time for quiet reflection on the year that has passed, as well as anticipation of what 2026 has in store. If you’re planning a quiet night in or inviting friends home, be advised that quick commerce and food delivery services may be disrupted today. Gig workers across various platforms have called a strike over pay transparency, the blocking of worker IDs, the growing use of 10-minute deliveries, and a ban on the model. The strikes have been called by gig workers’ unions in Karnataka and Telangana, with support from the Delhi association.

On that note, let’s get to today’s edition👇

January 15 will see the first big elections of 2026, with Asia’s richest civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), up for grabs. The stage is set for a fierce contest amid the recalibration of political alliances. The BJP is riding high on its success in local body polls in the rest of Maharashtra. Our investigation today has found another advantage for the ruling-party legislators.

Over the past three years, more than 99 per cent of funds allotted by the BMC for development work went to wards in constituencies represented by Mahayuti lawmakers, an analysis of records obtained under the Right To Information (RTI) Act showed. Rs 1,476.92 crore of the overall Rs 1,490 crore funds sanctioned by the BMC for works such as road repairs, beautification and drainage upgrades, went to the ruling alliance of BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP. Only Rs 13.74 crores went to the Opposition.

👉 The findings raise questions of fair governance as infrastructural development offers ruling-party candidates more visibility. Read Vallabh Ozarkar’s investigation.

👉 We also spoke to nine MLAs, MLCs and MPs of the Opposition camp in Mumbai, who flagged stalled proposals despite reminders and appeals. Here’s what they had to say.

2025 witnessed one of the deadliest terror attacks on civilians, when 26 tourists were killed at Baisaran in Pahalgam. Once bustling with visitors navigating the bumpy, boulder-strewn trail and stopping for selfies, the road to Baisaran now lies deserted—closed pending a security review. The Indian Express trekked up to the meadow to speak with locals about how the attack changed everything. As the New Year dawns, hope still flickers. Naveed Iqbal reports.

Delay: The publication of draft rolls under the Special Intensive Revision exercise in Uttar Pradesh has been postponed once again to January 6. Provisional data accessed by The Indian Express shows that UP could have the highest deletions of 18.70% of the electorate from the rolls.

Blueprint: India doesn’t need just medal-winners but a sporting ecosystem that supports that talent. As India bids for the 2036 Olympics’ hosting rights, an Abhinav Bindra-led task force has flagged critical gaps in the current sporting administration. A 170-page report highlights ad-hoc decision-making, weak institutional continuity, and an absence of long-term professionalism within the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and state sports departments. Here are its recommendations.

Rest in peace: Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister, passed away on Tuesday, leaving behind a nation that stands on the precipice of political transformation. National elections are set for February 15 after a year of unrest, and for the first time, rival begums — Khaleda and ousted PM Sheikh Hasina — will not contest. Their shadows, however, will loom large. Shubhajit Roy writes about Khaleda’s legacy.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will travel to Dhaka to attend her funeral.

2025 was a relatively quiet year for sports. Yet, it delivered some spectacular moments. The year undoubtedly belonged to the women, as Harmanpreet Kaur and co clinched their first-ever World Cup title. A cohort of young woman athletes also emerged across events — from wrestling and boxing to archery and badminton. What’s in store for 2026? Mihir Vasavda explains

🎧I leave you with the latest episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, where we look back on the five figures who shaped Indian politics in 2025.

That’s all for today! See you in 2026! Sonal Gupta Business As Usual by EP Unny