A US Navy destroyer intercepted two oil tankers trying to leave Iran on Tuesday, a day after US President donald trump According to a US official quoted by Reuters, the blockade was announced with the aim of putting pressure on Tehran.The official told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the ships had left Chabahar Port The warship in the Gulf of Oman was contacted by radio, who instructed them to turn back. It is not known whether additional warnings were issued.The incident marks the initial phase of Washington’s blockade enforcement, aimed at forcing Iran to end what US officials describe as effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy chokepoint through which about a fifth of the global oil supply flows.The move comes after the failure of talks aimed at ending hostilities in the ongoing Iran-US-Israel conflict, which began on February 28, is now in its second month, and is currently under a two-week ceasefire. Trump has linked the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to a temporary ceasefire agreement set to expire next week. A statement from US Central Command said the six merchant ships “followed instructions to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman”, adding that no ships had passed through there since the blockade began on Monday.However, maritime tracking data indicate that at least three ships departing from Iranian ports managed to transit the Strait of Hormuz despite a US-declared naval blockade, although some ships later turned back, according to Kpler data cited by AFP.The ships identified include the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Christiana, the Comoros-flagged tanker Elpis and the bulk carrier Argo Maris, which reportedly passed through the chokepoint after carrying out cargo operations at Iranian ports. It is also believed that the activities were part of a wider group of at least seven Iran-linked vessels that transited the strait after the blockade was imposed on Monday.According to the military, more than 10,000 US personnel, more than a dozen warships and several aircraft are involved in the operation. Washington says it will continue to ensure freedom of navigation for ships traveling to or from Iran.However, experts have urged caution over its effectiveness. “We don’t know yet how effective it is. We’re still in the second day,” said Noam Redan of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, noting that some ships linked to Iran have disabled the tracking system.Analysts say that if this blockade continues, tensions may increase and there may be retaliatory action from Tehran. It could also put pressure on the fragile ceasefire and further destabilize regional security.Iranian threats over shipping have already driven up global oil prices by nearly 50%. Nearly 5,000 people have been killed in the hostilities, while thousands of US strikes have weakened Iran’s military infrastructure.However, analysts warn that Tehran still remains a challenge to Washington, citing its more radical leadership and hidden stockpiles of highly enriched uranium. Redan warned that there was still a possibility of retaliation if pressure increased, saying, “We are in a testing phase.

प्रधानमंत्री मोदी की जनसभा जरूर थी लेकिन उसमें सतही तौर पर चुनावी कुछ भी नहीं था. ये एक ऐसी बैठक थी जिसमें पीएम ने विपक्ष पर निशाना नहीं साधा. इसके बजाय उन्होंने उत्तराखंड के प्रति अपने प्यार और स्नेह को दोहराया। बताया गया कि डबल इंजन से राज्य को कैसे फायदा हो रहा है. साथ ही यह भी समझाने की कोशिश की कि डबल इंजन और उनकी सरकार दूसरों से कैसे अलग हैं।

जसवन्त सिंह सेना मैदान में एक बड़ा मंच बनाया गया था. आमतौर पर ऐसे कार्यक्रम में इतनी बड़ी संख्या में पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री, वर्तमान सांसद और कैबिनेट मंत्री मौजूद नहीं होते हैं. उत्तराखंड में इतनी मौजूदगी एक संदेश भी दे रही थी. इतने सारे नेताओं का एक साथ मंच पर आना बीजेपी की एकजुटता और चुनावी ताकत की ओर इशारा कर रहा था. बता रहे थे कि कैसे टीम मोदी की तरह टीम धामी भी अगले चुनावी रण में उतरने के लिए तैयार है.

तीसरी बड़ी बैठक से बीजेपी को मिली दिशा

दो महीने के भीतर उत्तराखंड में तीसरी बड़ी बैठक एक संदेश भी दे गई. पहले गृह मंत्री अमित शाह की हरिद्वार में और फिर रक्षा मंत्री राजनाथ सिंह की हलद्वानी में जनसभा. राजनीतिक विश्लेषक प्रधानमंत्री मोदी की इस जनसभा को इस बने माहौल को आगे बढ़ाने में नई दिशा देने वाला मान रहे हैं.

ये भी पढ़ें…देहरादून: केदारनाथ हेली सेवा के लिए टिकटों की ऑनलाइन बुकिंग आज से, शाम 6 बजे खुलेगा पोर्टल; 22 अप्रैल से सेवाएँ

मोदी ने भी भीड़ का मूड भांप लिया

पीएम मोदी ने जहां मां डाटकाली की पूजा की, वहीं गोरखाली में उनका अभिनंदन भी किया. इसे पश्चिम बंगाल विधानसभा चुनाव से भी जोड़कर देखा जा रहा है. राजधानी के डाटकाली टनल से लेकर 12 किमी लंबे राजनीतिक गलियारे तक उमड़ी भारी भीड़ से पीएम मोदी को राज्य की राजनीति के साथ-साथ लोगों के मूड का भी अंदाजा हो गया. उन्होंने मंच से देरी का जिक्र कर इसकी पुष्टि भी की.

TOI correspondent from Washington: MAGA supremo Donald Trump’s theological clash with Pope Leo, the spiritual head of more than a billion Catholics, has triggered a backlash from his own conservative base, with Republican leaders, Christian activists and late-night comedians, for once, converging on the same punchline.What was once dismissed as another burst of Trumpian bravado when he attacked the Pope — and followed it up with a surreal AI-styled image of himself portraying a Christ-like savior — has instead landed awkwardly with the Christian conservatives who are the backbone of his political coalition, raising questions about whether his famously flexible support also has limits. “It never really looks good for politicians to clash with the Pope. It rarely ends up happening,” Republican Senator Thom Tillis said, echoing a sentiment quietly echoed in GOP circles. Others were less diplomatic, describing the episode as an unnecessary provocation that bordered on blasphemy.Late night television, America’s unofficial ministry of satire, delved into the phenomenon. “In what hospital does a doctor wear open-toed sandals and hold a ball of divine energy instead of a stethoscope? Nothing says ‘medical professional’ like a first-century linen tunic and a mysterious orb of light. If my surgeon walks in wearing a red sash and clutching the Holy Spirit, I’m getting a second opinion,” quipped. seth meyers.Elsewhere, the jokes came thick and fast. Jimmy Kimmel rejected Trump’s quip that the Pope was “weak on crime”, saying with a comical shrug: “What does the Pope have to do with crime? He’s not Batman, he’s the Pope. That’s what happens when you sell the Bible instead of reading it.” Jimmy Fallon said: “Some people walk on water. Trump walks on his press releases.” And stephen colbert Offered what may become the episode’s defining line: “Trump picked a fight with the Pope — finally, a feud where both sides claim infallibility.”The farce took an even weirder turn when Internet sleuths spotted what they claimed was a familiar face in the image: The figure being “fixed” resembled deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein: “Maybe the weirdest part? The guy Donald Jesus Trump is fixing looks a whole lot like Epstein. Even AI can’t keep him away from his best friend, Jeff,” wrote one comic. Was finished.Not all satirists spared even the Vatican. One late-night host proposed a ceasefire on general grounds, saying, “Look, President Trump, I know the Vatican has been critical of your policies, but you have to remember that at the end of the day, you and the Catholic Church both historically care deeply about the same thing: covering up sex scandals.”Yet beneath the humor lies a more consequential political question. Trump has long enjoyed enduring support from white evangelical voters and conservative Catholics, many of whom have ignored his personal controversies in favor of policy victories on the courts, religious freedom and cultural issues. That coalition has proven remarkably resilient, surviving incidents that could paralyze a traditional presidency.However, this time the uneasiness is more pronounced. For devout voters, the issue is not just political tone but religious imagery – an area where symbolism matters.Nevertheless, signs of complete breakdown are limited. Some supporters argue that the confrontation with the Vatican strengthens Trump’s outsider credentials, casting him – once again – as a disruptor unafraid to challenge secular or sacred institutions. In that reading, Rome’s criticism may function less as a liability than as evidence of authenticity. For now, the episode is a vivid reminder of the strange alchemy of Trump-era politics, where scandals often turn into spectacle — and where, as one comic said, the goal appears to be “turning scandals into sermons.”“

अजय राय: उत्तर प्रदेश में वोटर लिस्ट को लेकर बड़ा राजनीतिक विवाद सामने आया है. उत्तर प्रदेश कांग्रेस कमेटी के अध्यक्ष अजय राय ने विशेष गहन पुनरीक्षण (एसआईआर) प्रक्रिया पर गंभीर आरोप लगाए हैं। उन्होंने इस पूरी प्रक्रिया को अवैध बताया और कहा कि यह लोकतंत्र के साथ धोखा है. अजय राय के मुताबिक इस प्रक्रिया से सीधे तौर पर लोगों के मताधिकार का हनन हुआ है. उन्होंने चुनाव आयोग की भूमिका पर भी सवाल उठाए और कहा कि इस मामले की गहराई से जांच होनी चाहिए.

आरटीआई के जवाब पर विवाद, प्रक्रिया पर सवाल
अजय राय ने कहा कि आरटीआई कार्यकर्ता अंजलि भारद्वाज द्वारा मांगी गई जानकारी के जवाब में चुनाव आयोग ने कहा कि एसआईआर से संबंधित कोई आदेश या फाइल उपलब्ध नहीं है. इस पर अजय राय ने सवाल उठाया कि जब कोई आधिकारिक आदेश नहीं है तो यह प्रक्रिया कैसे की जा रही है. उन्होंने आरोप लगाया कि यह पूरी कार्रवाई कहीं बीजेपी के इशारे पर तो नहीं हो रही है.