Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after the United States launched a new wave of attacks on targets inside the country. Iran’s top joint military command said the strategically important waterway had been closed to all traffic, including oil tankers and commercial ships, and warned that any ship attempting to pass through would be fired upon.The announcement came hours after US forces launched additional strikes across Iran under orders from US President Donald Trump. Iranian state media also reported various explosions, air defense activity and alleged clashes between US and Iranian forces around the Strait of Hormuz.

Hegseth hints at fresh attack on Iran

Before the operation began, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that the US military would take military action against Iran. He suggested that the campaign could continue beyond one night.Speaking from U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida, Hegseth said, “The attacks that happen tonight will be strong, they will be obvious. If they happen tomorrow night, they will be strong and they will be obvious.”He also indicated that key Iranian facilities could be targeted and said the strikes would advance US military objectives while strengthening Washington’s diplomatic position. Hegseth also warned about Trump “hitting hard,” as he put it, “because President Trump said we would hit Iran hard and we will.”He said Tehran still had an “opportunity to make a deal” with Washington despite the military action.

CENTCOM announces new attacks on Iran

The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) later confirmed that additional strikes had begun.In a statement, CENTCOM said, “U.S. Central Command forces, at the direction of the Commander in Chief, launched additional self-defense strikes at 5:15 pm ET today against multiple targets in Iran. These attacks are in response to Iran’s unjustified and continued aggression.

Explosions and air defense activity reported across Iran

Following the US announcement, Iranian media reported explosions and air defense activity in several parts of the country.Mehr news agency said air defense systems were activated in western Tehran. Explosions were also reported in Bandar Abbas, the southern cities of Sirik and Minab, Qeshm Island, Hengam Island and the northern city of Gorgan.An explosion heard in Fars Province was later attributed to the activation of air defense systems outside the city.Iranian state media later reported an explosion in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, although there were no immediate details on damage or casualties.IRNA later reported that the explosions in Qeshm and Hengam were caused by projectiles “all of military nature”.

conflict on the strait of hormuz

As military activity intensified, Iranian media reported a direct confrontation near the Strait of Hormuz. The Mehr news agency said there were intense clashes and firing between US forces and IRGC naval units in the strategic waterway.The report said US forces had targeted seven coastal locations, including areas around Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Qeshm Island and Hengam Island.Amid increased military activity, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that its air defense forces had intercepted a plane in Gulf airspace. According to the Mehr news agency, the IRGC said it fired the missile at an F-16 fighter jet that violated “Gulf airspace”, causing the aircraft to turn away.

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz

The confrontation culminated with Iran’s announcement that it was closing the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. Iran’s top joint military command announced that the waterway would be closed to oil tankers and commercial shipping and warned that any ship attempting to cross the strait would be “shot at”.

IRGC reportedly targets ships in Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy has reportedly targeted two ships attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran announced the closure of the strategic waterway, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.The report claimed that the ships were “violating vessels” that tried to transit the strait despite orders to stop all maritime traffic. Earlier, Iran’s top joint military command had directed all ships, including oil tankers and commercial ships, to stay out of the Strait of Hormuz and warned that any ship attempting to pass through there would be targeted.

Fact Check: Did Kylian Mbappe leave France camp to spend time with rumored girlfriend Ester Expósito? (Image via Getty Images)

Did kilian mbappe Departure from team camp just hours after victory against Northern Ireland?

Yes, according to Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid star player Kylian Mbappe left the national team camp just hours after the match against Northern Ireland.But it has not been confirmed whether Kylian Mbappe went to Madrid to be with his girlfriend Ester Expósito or not. According to reports, Kylian Mbappe’s departure due to personal reasons was officially cleared after the match.Although there have been claims that he has been spotted with his girlfriend Ester Expósito in Madrid, this has not yet been confirmed.

Kylian Mbappe and girlfriend Ester Exposito have caused outrage among many

This has also sparked heated debate among fans as many have criticized him for his behaviour.One fan wrote toAnother fan posted, “Truly, Mbappé went from being a team star to a team star at both his club and national team.”A third fan posted: “What a bummer, what a poor professional. I hope Madrid get rid of this parasite as soon as possible.”Another fan wrote, “That guy handed them a World Cup, made it to two finals, and in France they blasted him with insults for not winning it. Let him clear his head and leave him alone.”A fifth fan said, “He scored 4 goals in the World Cup final, and they question his commitment to the national team. Sometimes they give him too much stick.”However, Kylian Mbappe and girlfriend Ester Expósito have maintained silence.

Representative Image (AI Generated)

New Delhi: Pakistan has increased its space surveillance power manifold by launching a series of six Earth Observation (EO) satellites in the last one and a half year. These EO or spy satellites can be used by Pakistan to keep an eye on India’s borders, army deployment and military assets.Pak launches 6 satellites in one year; Expert warns, it can be used for spying on IndiaAlthough the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) was established in 1961, Pakistan launched its first satellite only in 1990. Even payloads launched with the help of foreign launchers over the past several decades were less than a dime a dozen. However, between January 2025 and April 2026, Pakistan surprisingly launched six EO satellites, mostly with the help of Chinese rockets.The six EO satellites, launched by SpaceX-Falcon 9 on January 14, 2025, are Pakistan Air University PAUSAT-1; Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite-Earth Observation 1 (PRSC-EO1) launched by China’s Long March-2D rocket on January 17, 2025; PRSS-2 EO by a Chinese rocket on July 31, 2025; Hyperspectral satellite HS-1 by China’s Long March on October 19, 2025; PRSC-EO2 launched by China’s Smart Dragon-3 on February 12, 2026; and PRSC-EO3 by the Chinese Long March-6 on April 25 this year.Group Captain Ajay Ahlawat (retd), now a defense analyst, told TOI, “There is no mystery about these satellites as all payload launches are recorded with ITU (International Telecommunication Union). We (India) also do not miss out. These EO satellites have been designed to see things in more detail and have improved Pakistan’s visibility over Indian territory for at least 3-4 years. In contrast, India has not been able to launch a single surveillance satellite in the last one year. Our payload is ready. But there is no rocketry system. After several recent failures, ISRO is worried and not confident about successful launches.“Our NavIC system has also become vulnerable as only three navigation satellites are in space against the requirement of minimum four, forcing our strategic forces to depend on foreign navigation systems like GPS and GLONASS for missile navigation,” the defense expert said. Group Captain Ahlawat (Retd) suggested that until ISRO fixes its rocket problems, India should get its payloads that are critical for major space missions to be launched from friendly space agencies like Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana or Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome.Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai (Retd), also a defense analyst, recently said in his blog, “When the EO-3 satellite is passing over South Asia in daylight, the PRSC-S1 is passing over the same geography in darkness, and vice versa. Since the optical satellite requires daylight and the SAR satellite does not, both satellites together provide what cannot be achieved alone, in the entire 24-hour cycle of the South Asian theatre. Compressed revision cycles approaching persistence in operational terms.“Writing about India’s satellite plans, Pillai further wrote, “India’s Space-Based Surveillance Phase-III program – SBS-3 – approved in October 2024 and accelerated after Operation Vermillion, envisages a constellation of 52 surveillance satellites to be deployed in the second half of this decade. The intention is good, but the sequencing problem is acute: China’s already dense military satellite network and the overhead ISR threat from this China-enabled Pakistani constellation are now operational, While the first launches of SBS-3 are only expected to begin around 2026 and full deployment is generally not anticipated before 2029.“

The district administration also directed officials to seek clarification from their subordinate staff and submit detailed, fact-based reports along with supporting documents

Ghaziabad: : The district administration has issued show cause notices to five officials whose performance was found to be well below the target set during a recent review of preparations for the ongoing census exercise.According to officials, a review of the House Listing Block (HLB) work revealed a substantial gap between the number of blocks allotted and the number of blocks completed in many urban and semi-urban areas of the district. The Administration found that despite repeated instructions and monitoring, progress in these areas was well below expectations.District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Mandar directed officials to explain the reasons for the poor progress in their respective jurisdictions and warned that negligence in completing census duties could attract action under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948, besides departmental disciplinary proceedings.Data reviewed by the district administration showed that in Modinagar, only 96 out of 253 allotted HLBs were completed, while in Khoda Municipality, 383 out of 1,040 allotted blocks were completed. Loni Municipality reported that 842 out of 1,393 HLBs were completed, while only 83 out of 173 allotted blocks in Muradnagar recorded progress. The performance of Loni tehsil administration was also found deficient, only 62 out of 152 HLBs could be completed.In a notice issued to the officials concerned, Mandar described the pace of work as “extremely slow and unsatisfactory” and said it was not in line with the targets set by the state and central government. He also said that the Chief Secretary had expressed displeasure over the slow progress of census preparations in some areas.Officials said the administration has held several review meetings and has repeatedly directed officials to closely monitor the work of enumerators and supervisors. However, the expected improvement was not visible on the ground. The notice said it appears that the authorities concerned have failed to ensure effective supervision and accountability among the field staff, resulting in delay in completion of the exercise.The district administration also directed officials to seek clarification from their subordinate staff and submit detailed, fact-based reports along with supporting documents. Officials said the replies would be carefully examined and if the explanations were found unsatisfactory, strict action could be initiated.The administration stressed that timely completion of the house listing phase is important for the smooth implementation of the nationwide census program and warned that any delay will be viewed seriously.

Dana White (Image via Getty)

UFC CEO Dana White is already building excitement for the upcoming lightweight title bout between Ilya Topuria and Justin Gaethje. The two stars are set to meet at UFC White House on June 14 as part of the America250 celebration and many fans believe it could be one of the most action-packed fights of the year. Topuria started the fight with great energy. Recent years have seen the reigning champion go unbeatable, and he has taken out some of the top names in the sport. Meanwhile, Gaethje is still one of MMA’s most aggressive and knockout powerful fighters and one of the most dangerous.Speaking to UFC on TNT Sports, White shared why he believes the matchup is so exciting. He pointed to the strengths of both fighters and said that fans should expect an exciting fight when they finally step into the cage together. White was particularly impressed by Topuria’s confidence and ability to thrive under pressure. The UFC boss believes quality is one of the biggest reasons why the Georgian-Spanish fighter has become such a dominant force in the two weight classes.

Dana White praises Ilya Topuria as Darius du Plessis reveals Justin Gaethje’s potential path to victory

While discussing the fight with UFC on TNT Sports, White praised Topuria’s recent performance and highlighted his fearless approach. “Imagine him and Gaethje going toe-to-toe. Both guys have the ability… to have nasty, nasty knockout power. Do you understand? This kid doesn’t back down. He just comes in with complete confidence in his hands, complete confidence on his chin, knocking out guys who have never been knocked out before.“The numbers support White’s praise. Topuria’s professional record is 17–0, with 15 total wins. Gaethje, meanwhile, has a record of 27-5 and has earned 20 knockout wins during his career.Yet not everyone believes the fight is one-sided. UFC middleweight champion Darius du Plessis shared a different thought during a recent interview with Fight Forecast. He believes Gaethje has the tools necessary to challenge the undefeated champion.“He’s not intimidated. He’s not afraid of Ilya Topuria. Ilya is very calculating, and he hits very hard. I believe Ilya has much better grappling and wrestling. I believe the key to his victory will be his leg kicks.”Du Plessis also suggested that Gaethje should avoid trading at close range for a long period.“He has devastating leg kicks. Ilya has been dropped with head kicks many times before in his career. So, using those kicks, setting up, but not standing up and hitting in that pocket. That’s not going to be his answer. Setting up that knockout shot, that’s what’s going to happen.”

Patna: : Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Wednesday transferred Rs 1,100 to the bank accounts of over 94 lakh beneficiaries of various social security schemes. Narendra Modi Set the record for being the country’s longest serving elected Prime Minister.The Chief Minister transferred funds under six schemes of the state government, including to senior citizens, widows and disabled persons, during a program organized here. Bihar Bhavan in New Delhi.“A total amount of around Rs 1,100 crore was transferred on Wednesday,” a release from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.Last year, the state government had increased the monthly pension of senior citizens, widows and disabled people from Rs 400 to Rs 1,100 per month.Speaking on the occasion, the CM said, “It is the responsibility of our government to provide social security to the poor, underprivileged and needy sections of Bihar. We provide the benefits of various social security pensions to the elderly, widows and disabled persons above 60 years of age. On the auspicious occasion of PM Narendra Modi Ji completing the longest tenure as the elected Prime Minister, today we are crediting almost Rs 1,100 per month in the accounts of more than 94 lakh people. We are sending an amount of Rs 1,100 crore.” Beneficiaries of these schemes.”He said that from now on, the state government will transfer the amount to the accounts of the beneficiaries on the 10th of every month.The CM also said that people aged 60 years or above who are not getting the benefits of the Social Security Pension Scheme should apply soon to get the benefits. Also, people who are deprived of pension due to the Aadhaar number not being linked, should link their Aadhaar soon and avail the benefits of the Social Security Pension Scheme.CM’s Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh and Local Commissioner Manoj Kumar were present at Bihar Bhawan, while State Social Welfare Minister Shweta Gupta, Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit, Additional Chief Secretary HR Srinivas, District Magistrates of all the districts and beneficiaries were connected through video conferencing.

AI image used for representation purposes

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is ready to hit the stock market this week. According to various analysts, this could become the largest stock market debut in history, with the company expected to raise approximately $75 billion at a valuation of approximately $1.77 trillion.Elon Musk is expected to reserve an unusually large portion of the offering for individual investors, potentially more than 20 percent of the shares on sale, compared to 5-7 percent typically allocated in an IPO. Brokerages are bracing for demand that could far exceed supply as retail investors look for a chance to buy into a company that has been largely inaccessible during its two decades as a private enterprise, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis.For many of these investors, the appeal goes beyond SpaceX’s business fundamentals. It’s also a bet on Musk, whose supporters helped turn Tesla into one of the world’s most valuable companies and whose ventures continue to attract loyal followers.

Should you invest? What investors and analysts are saying

As anticipation grows ahead of the listing, investors and analysts are divided on whether SpaceX is worth buying at its expected valuation. The WSJ quoted retail investors, financial advisors and market analysts as offering wildly different views on the IPO, highlighting both enthusiasm for Elon Musk’s rocket company and concern over its lofty valuation.Some people ‘can’t wait’ to buy shares while others are more cautious and completely dismissive, saying, ‘Avoid it like the plague.’Deen Nouri, a 41-year-old fintech entrepreneur who has spent years listening to Musk’s interviews and says Tesla stock is about 85 percent of his net worth. When SpaceX begins trading, he plans to buy. “What is there to think about?” Noori said.He described himself as a believer in the entrepreneurial vision of a future driven by artificial intelligence and space exploration. “Under the leadership of Elon Musk, you have an unlimited industry,” he said.The company is expected to reserve more than 20 percent of the IPO shares for retail investors, which is much higher than the normal allotment. Even this may not be enough. Brokerage firms expect strong demand from investors who have watched SpaceX’s rise from the sidelines while private shareholders have captured most of its profits.Wall Street is already preparing for a frenzy. The Merrill Lynch office in Houston recently held an information session for clients complete with SpaceX-branded baseball caps. Meanwhile, Robinhood expects huge demand through its IPO access program. CEO Vlad Tenev said that in the past, brokerages had to convince companies to allocate shares to retail investors.“We really had to scratch and scratch and ask for grace,” Tenev said. “Almost every major IPO of the result has been on Robinhood’s platform.”However, not everyone is convinced the enthusiasm is justified. “I think most retail investors should avoid trading like the plague,” said veteran fund analyst Dave Nadig, who expects extreme volatility once stocks begin trading. “This is one of the greatest moments I’ve had getting popcorn,” he said.

Historical data shows that nearly a quarter of IPO stocks lose at least half their value within three years of listing.Tamar June, a technology executive who remembers buying Yahoo stock on its first day of trading in 1996, is among those still hoping to secure SpaceX shares. June said, “I get it – that guy’s a little weird.” “But think about the ideas they have implemented.”Others say the enthusiasm is unlike anything seen in recent years. “This is a perfect storm for extreme retail excitement and demand,” said Mike Tracy, chief market analyst and vice president of risk at Apex Fintech Solutions. “Fasten your seat belt,” he said.Jeff Judge, a financial planner in Maryland, believes much of the demand has less to do with financial metrics than Musk’s celebrity. “Most of the interest is emotional, which is the honest truth,” the judge said.That loyalty has helped Tesla build a shareholder base dominated by retail investors, and some potential buyers see the same potential in SpaceX.Even some people who believe in Musk are being cautious about the IPO. North Carolina-based sales manager Josh Hill said he expects SpaceX to dominate the space industry in the long term. “Long-term, this is no easy task,” Hill said. But when asked if he would buy shares on the first day of trading, his answer was more measured. “The price has to go down,” Hill said. “Otherwise, I’m probably not a buyer.”Amid the mix of reactions, another thing worth noting is that the financial picture is much less straightforward. SpaceX was unprofitable last year with a loss of $4.9 billion, and its valuation has soared by more than 2,000 percent in recent years. At the IPO price, the company is valued at about 93.6 times annual sales, while the S&P 500 trades at about 3.3 times sales. Critics argue that many of the biggest gains have already accrued to private investors and that retail traders may be buying with extreme optimism.(Disclaimer: The recommendations and views given by experts on the stock market and other asset classes are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)