Daily Briefing: Iran on the brink; BMC polls today

Good morning, The India Open badminton Super 750 tournament is underway in Delhi. Some of the world’s top shuttlers have gathered, but an unwelcome visitor was seen in the stands at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex on Wednesday — a monkey. Officials said that the monkey was promptly removed after it was spotted. However, the incident came just a day after a Danish player, Mia Blichfeldt, had criticised the “unhealthy” conditions in the training area, flagging the presence of pigeons and bird-poop littering. Another Danish player, Anders Antonsen, the current World No.3, shared on social media that he had pulled out of the tournament due to the “extreme pollution” in New Delhi and had been fined for it. These issues have taken the spotlight as India prepares to host the Badminton World Championships later this year. The Badminton World Federation told The Indian Express in a statement that a comprehensive review of all tournament facilities and operational processes was underway to guide improvements in preparation for the World Championships.

On that note, let’s get into the rest of today’s edition👇

Iran is witnessing its worst domestic unrest as the government cracks down on protestors, who have been demonstrating against economic hardships and the theocratic regime since December.

The toll: A human rights group estimates that over 2,500 people have already been killed by security forces in the crackdown. At least 100 security personnel have also been killed during the demonstrations. Iran’s judiciary chief on Wednesday signalled fast trials and executions for detained protestors.

Battle-ready: Tension mounted further in the region, as US President Donald Trump urged Iranians to continue protesting, saying that “help is on its way”. The US has said it would strike the Iranian establishment if it doesn’t stop killing protestors, despite warnings from Tehran that it would retaliate with attacks on US bases across West Asia.

👉 What options does the US have to engage with Iranian authorities? If diplomatic channels fail, the US could look at calibrated attacks or a ground offensive. Shubhajit Roy explains what that means for the region.

👉 In our Opinion pages today, Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf analyses what it would take to overturn the regime, and why the US would have to choose a decisive response to shift the balance of power.

Meanwhile, India has issued an advisory to all nationals living in Iran to avoid protest sites. An estimated 10,000 Indians are living in Iran, who have been advised to register with the embassy and leave the country.

Voting day: Mumbai is all set for a high-stakes battle as it heads to the polls after a four-year gap. Over 1.03 crore voters will cast their ballots today to elect a new general body of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The counting will be held on Friday. An undivided Shiv Sena ruled over the BMC, but the 2022 split has turned the civic polls into a contest for legacy and legitimacy.

A total of 29 municipal corporations, including Thane, Pune and Navi Mumbai, are up for grabs. Follow live updates.

Heist crew: Canada has formally requested India to extradite Preet Panesar, a 33-year-old key accused in the 2023 theft of gold valued at $20 million. The Indian Express had earlier traced Panesar to a rented house in Mohali, following which the ED had searched the premises and filed a case against him. Panesar is now learnt to have shifted to another location, also on the outskirts of Chandigarh.

Take a print: The Finance Ministry shifted from the North Block at Raisina Hill to the new complex, Kartavya Bhavan, last year. However, due to “significant constraints” in installing the printing press at the new premises, the Ministry will fall back on the old facility at North Block to print the final copies of the Union Budget 2026-27.

Slick: Nearly a decade into prohibition in Bihar, liquor smugglers have turned to increasingly inventive ways to stay ahead of the enforcement agencies and slip past the checkpoints in the dry state. In the latest episode, the police found themselves taking a horse into custody in West Champaran, while the Railway Protection Force busted a consignment hidden in the engine room of a passenger train. Read.

The dragon rises: China, a manufacturing powerhouse, has long had a trade surplus, i.e. its earnings through exports exceed what it pays for imports. In 2025, the trade surplus climbed to a record high of $1.2 trillion, despite the US imposing steep tariffs on China. Udit Misra explains how the Trump tariffs may have reduced China’s trade surplus with the US, but did little to stop Beijing’s global domination.

An Indian Navy crew has scripted history, completing an arduous 17-day journey from Gujarat’s Porbandar to Muscat in Oman, sailing on a “stitched ship”. Their vessel was unlike any — modelled after a fifth-century ship depicted in a painting in the Ajanta caves, and built using ancient Indian shipbuilding techniques. It has a stitched-plank construction that doesn’t require nails or metal fasteners, and moves with square sails, trailing oars and with the help of wind, instead of engines and propellers. Read all about the voyage.

🎧 I leave you with today’s ‘3 Things’ podcast episode, where we discuss the spread of superbugs in Delhi, a parasite threatening India’s edible oil industry, and the row over 10-minute deliveries.

That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta Business As Usual by EP Unny