Iran warned of “broader” and “crushing” attacks after Donald Trump said the US would act “very fast” in the war. In a national address, Trump repeated that the US would finish the job quickly but gave no timeline. Iran’s military said recent US and Israeli strikes were “insignificant”. It added the two countries have “incomplete” information about its capabilities. Global markets reacted with concern. Oil prices rose to $106 a barrel, while Asian stocks fell. The conflict is also dividing people within Iran, with differing views on the war’s impact.

Iran said Indian ships are safe despite disruption in the Strait of Hormuz after recent attacks. The Iranian embassy said, “Our Indian friends are in safe hands, no worries.” Iran has allowed passage to “friendly nations” including India. At least eight Indian ships have exited the route. These include LPG carriers with about 94,000 tonnes of cargo. However, several vessels remain stranded with crude oil, LNG and LPG meant for India. Officials said both Indian and foreign ships are affected. The route handles about 20% of global energy trade. The situation has raised concerns over supply disruptions. (PC: NDTV)

The Bharatiya Janata Party and Trinamool Congress blamed each other after seven judicial officers were gheraoed in Malda. The officers were held for about eight hours during an SIR exercise and rescued around midnight. BJP leader Debjit Sarkar said the protest was “orchestrated” and illegal. He alleged TMC mobilised people fearing loss of votes. The TMC denied the charge. Leader Kunal Ghosh said, “The EC is now monitoring everything… They must explain why such a thing occurred.” The Election Commission of India was also criticised over security. Protests were linked to claims of voter name deletions. (PC: HT)

Indian markets cut early losses and moved near flat by afternoon. The BSE Sensex rose slightly, while the Nifty 50 stayed almost unchanged. Both had fallen nearly 2% earlier after Donald Trump said the US would hit Iran “extremely hard”. Markets recovered as the rupee strengthened to 92.94 against the dollar after central bank steps. IT stocks led the rebound. Shares of Infosys, TCS, HCLTech and Tech Mahindra gained. Still, the weekly trend remains weak. Indices are down about 0.6% this week, marking a sixth straight weekly decline. (PC: India Today)

Surya Kant, the Chief Justice of India, criticised the West Bengal government after seven judicial officers were held hostage in Malda. He said he was monitoring the situation till 2 am. The officers were surrounded for over nine hours by people whose names were removed from voter lists. The Supreme Court of India called the act “calculated and motivated”. It asked the Election Commission of India to get a probe done by CBI or NIA. Justice Joymalya Bagchi said all leaders must condemn the incident. The court ordered strict security for officers. (PC: NDTV)

The ongoing Iran conflict has raised concerns over undersea internet cables in the Gulf and Red Sea. These cables carry most of the world’s data. Experts say nearly 60% of India’s internet traffic passes through this route from Mumbai to Europe. Any damage could affect services across the country. The International Telecommunication Union says most global data depends on such cables. Industry expert Amajit Gupta said, “It is not as if the internet will ever be shut down, but it could get slowed down.” If cables are hit, data may shift to other routes. This can cause slower speeds, delays, and service issues. (PC: X)

The Aam Aadmi Party has asked the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to remove Raghav Chadha as its Deputy Leader in the Upper House. The party also said he should not get speaking time from its quota.   AAP has proposed Ashok Mittal as the new Deputy Leader.   The move comes days after Chadha was dropped from the party’s list of star campaigners for upcoming Assembly elections. There was no official reason given for the decision. The request has been sent to the Secretariat for further action. (PC: The Indian Express)

NASA launched its Artemis II mission, sending astronauts into orbit around Earth. It is the first crewed Moon mission in nearly 50 years. Astronaut Reid Wiseman said, “We go for all humanity,” during liftoff. The launch was powerful and smooth. The spacecraft will stay in Earth’s orbit for about 24 hours. The crew will carry out system checks during this time. Officials said the crew is “safe, secure and in great spirits”. If checks go well, the mission will move toward the Moon. The 10-day mission will circle the Moon but not land. (PC: BBC)

Global markets fell after Donald Trump warned Iran of an “extremely hard” strike. Oil prices rose sharply as fears of a wider war grew. Brent crude jumped over 6% to about $107 per barrel. US crude also saw a strong rise after his speech. Trump said US military goals would be met “very shortly”. But he warned of more action if no deal is reached. Indian markets dropped in early trade. Sensex fell nearly 2%, while Nifty also declined. Trump said countries using the Strait of Hormuz must “take care of that passage”. Bitcoin and other digital assets also slipped after the remarks. (PC: HT)

An oil painting by Raja Ravi Varma has set a new auction record in India. ‘Yashoda and Krishna’ sold for Rs 167.2 crore at a Mumbai auction. It was bought by industrialist Cyrus Poonawalla after a short bidding war. The price is higher than the earlier record held by MF Husain’s ‘Untitled (Gram Yatra)’. The painting was expected to sell for much less. Poonawalla said the work is a “national treasure”. He added it should be shown to the public. Painted in the 1890s, the artwork shows Yashoda with child Krishna in a quiet home scene. (PC: India Today)