Month: June 2025

The Axiom Mission 4 launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 2:31 am Eastern Time (12 Noon IST).

This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. The crew is traveling to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The targeted docking time is approximately 7 am Eastern Time (4pm IST) on Thursday, June 26.

Once docked, the astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprised of science, outreach, and commercial activities. Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, is in command of the mission, while Indian Space Research Organization Astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla serves as pilot. The two mission specialists are European Space Agency project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.

The astronauts are using the new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit which provides them with advanced capabilities for space exploration while providing NASA with commercially developed human systems needed to access, live and work on and around the Moon. The advanced spacesuits ensure astronauts are equipped with high-performing, robust equipment and are designed to accommodate a wide range of crew members.

The Ax-4 mission is going to be conducting major research. The research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe.

This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date

NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) are collaborating to launch several scientific investigations.

These studies include examining muscle regeneration, growth of sprouts and edible microalgae, survival of tiny aquatic organisms, and human interaction with electronic displays in microgravity.

The first private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 1, lifted off in April 2022 for a 17-day mission aboard the orbiting laboratory. The second private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 2, also was commanded by Whitson and launched in May 2023 with four private astronauts who spent eight days in orbit. The most recent private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission 3, launched in January 2024; the crew spent 18 days docked to the space station.

The International Space Station is a convergence of science, technology, and human innovation that enables research not possible on Earth. For more than 24 years, NASA has supported a continuous human presence aboard the orbiting laboratory, through which astronauts have learned to live and work in space for extended periods of time. (ANI)

Bollywood actor Aditya Roy Kapur channelled his inner Rahul Jaikar from ‘Aashiqui 2’ to deliver an impressive singing performance at the album launch of ‘Metro…In Dino’ in Mumbai on Tuesday.

The Aditya Roy Kapur fans were in for a treat after their favourite actor took the stage to perform his debut song ‘Ishq Hah Ya Tharak’ at the film’s album launch. While the song hasn’t been officially released yet, it is expected to drop soon.

Aditya is set to debut as a singer in his upcoming film ‘Metro…In Dino’ which is directed by Anurag Basu. It also stars Sara Ali Khan, Ali Faizal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkana Sen, Neena Gupta and Anupam Kher in the lead roles.

The ‘Night Manager’ actor took the stage to perform his debut song. He donned a blue shirt and jeans for the event. Aditya was joined by Pritam on the stage.

The duo was then joined by the film’s lead cast. The stars danced on the peppy beats of the song, creating a fun vibe on the stage at the album launch of the film.

At the album launch, Arijit Singh also surprised his fans by performing virtually. Pritam connects Arijit on a call, which later turns into a mesmerising performance from the singer.

Earlier, at the recent musical launch of ‘Metro… In Dino’s’ soulful track ‘Zamaana Lage’, music composer Pritam revealed that the actor Aditya Roy Kapur has lent his voice to the songs in the film.

Pritam lauded Aditya Kapur for his musical skills and said that the ‘Aashiqui 2’ actor has given his voice to multiple songs in the movie, as seen in several musical films.

At the ‘Zamaana Lage’ song launch event in Mumbai, Pritam said, “Musical-based stars sing their own songs, and in this too (‘Metro…In Dino’), the musicals that have been filmed on Adi have been sung by him. He is sounding amazing.”

Another special flight carrying 282 Indian nationals stranded in conflict-hit Iran landed safely in New Delhi on Wednesday, taking the total number of people evacuated under Operation Sindhu to 2,858.

“282 Indian nationals were evacuated from Iran on a special flight that arrived in New Delhi from Mashhad at 00:01 hrs on 25th June. With this, 2858 Indian nationals have been brought home from Iran,” the Ministry of External Affairs stated in a post on X.

The operation was launched amidst the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, which had gripped the region for the past couple of weeks before a ceasefire was agreed on Tuesday.

The evacuees, upon arrival at the national capital, expressed their relief and gratitude to the Indian Government and the Indian Embassy in Iran for their safe evacuations.

One individual described the conditions there, noting that the situation had improved in the region.

“The condition is better now. Two to four days ago, the situation was completely unpredictable. The Indian Embassy made suitable arrangements for us. We did not face any trouble,” he said.

Another evacuee, Syed Adil Mansoor, shared his experience, stating, “I am feeling good. The situation there is normal. The Indian Embassy has supported us very much. The ground staff also worked really hard. I am thankful to them.”

Mohammad Asim, another evacuee, echoed the same sentiments, noting, “We are just coming from Iran. The Indian Embassy made very good arrangements for us. We did not face any trouble.”

The appreciation for the Indian Embassy’s efforts was a common theme among the returnees, with one individual expressing, “I am feeling good. I thank god that I am here now. I am thankful to the Indian Embassy there for their good conduct. I am grateful to this (Indian) government.”

Earlier on Tuesday, another special flight carrying 281 Indian nationals, along with three Sri Lankan and two Nepalese citizens stranded in Iran, arrived safely in New Delhi.

The evacuees were welcomed by the Minister of State for the Ministry of External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita.

“Update: Operation Sindhu MoS Pabitra Margherita warmly received 281 Indian, 3 Sri Lankan & 2 Nepalese nationals evacuated from Iran. They arrived in New Delhi on a special flight from Mashhad at 1500 hrs on 24 June. 2576 Indian nationals have now been brought home from Iran as part of Operation Sindhu,” the MEA stated in a post on X.

Speaking to reporters, the MoS exhorted that the Indian government is committed to providing assistance to the needy people and has extended help to neighbouring countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka.

“Our government is always committed to provide every kind of help and assistance at the time of need to the people who are in the stress. This is the 11th batch that we are bringing from Iran. The total number of evacuees from Iran stands at 2576. By three flights from Israel, we brought 594 Indian nationals back safely to their homes along with the people from our neighbouring countries, Nepal and Sri Lanka. We are extending support to our international neighbouring friends. So, the total is 3180 Indian nationals brought back safely to India under Operation Sindhu,” he stated.

Meanwhile, US President Trump, on Tuesday, announced a ceasefire agreement between the two conflict-gripped nations after Iran attacked US military bases in Qatar and Iraq in response to the US strikes on its nuclear facilities.

However, moments after the announcement, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) carried out a limited strike on an Iranian radar installation north of Tehran, following which Iran launched two ballistic missiles at Israel, as reported by The Times of Israel.

Trump expressed his strong disapproval of Israel and Iran “violating the ceasefire”, he announced, and said that the two countries have been fighting “so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f*** they’re doing.”

Shortly after, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office in a statement noted that after a conversation between Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel has “refrained” from further attacks on Iran.

This came following a series of escalating military actions in the region when Israel initially conducted coordinated strikes against Iranian nuclear and military sites on June 13.

Following this, Iran retaliated with strikes on Israeli military infrastructure, and the US joined the conflict with precision strikes on Iran’s three key nuclear facilities – Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. (ANI)

US President Donald Trump has slammed CNN for its report suggesting that the US strikes did not destroy nuclear sites in Iran. Trump said CNN, along with The New York Times, teamed up to “demean one of the most successful military strikes in history” and termed it “fake news.”

He reiterated his claim that the US has completely destroyed nuclear sites in Iran. According to him, both the media outlets faced backlash from the people.

In a statement shared on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump stated, “FAKE NEWS CNN, TOGETHER WITH THE FAILING NEW YORK TIMES, HAVE TEAMED UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEMEAN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MILITARY STRIKES IN HISTORY. THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED! BOTH THE TIMES AND CNN ARE GETTING SLAMMED BY THE PUBLIC!”

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114741478150368433

The findings, first reported by CNN, citing seven individuals briefed on the assessments, noted that the early evaluation from the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) suggested that the attacks only caused a temporary disruption, possibly setting Tehran’s nuclear program back by a few months.

The findings based on a battle damage assessment by US Central Command contradict public claims made by US President Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who asserted that the US “completely obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, CNN reported.

As per CNN, citing intelligence sources, the centrifuges in Iran’s nuclear facilities remain mostly functional, and enriched uranium stockpiles were likely moved before the strikes.

The US strikes targeted Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, which inflicted heavy damage to above-ground structures, such as power infrastructure and facilities involved in uranium metal conversion, but failed to neutralise Iran’s underground enrichment systems, as reported by CNN.

As per CNN, citing officials, the US used its B-2 bombers that dropped over a dozen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs during the assault; underground components remained largely intact.

Israel, which conducted their own strikes before the US operation, also found less damage at Fordow than anticipated; however, it was earlier believed that the combined efforts may delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions by up to two years, as reported by CNN. The long-standing doubts over whether the US’s Massive Ordnance Penetrators could penetrate Iran’s deeply buried nuclear sites.

Earlier on Tuesday (local time), Trump has stated that Iran will “never be able to rebuild” its nuclear facilities after recent American airstrikes carried out under “Operation Midnight Hammer” over the weekend while claiming that the sites were now “under rock”, referring to Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Taking to his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote, “IRAN WILL NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES!” (ANI)

India’s torrid run with head coach Gautam Gambhir at the helm in Test format hit a new low after a record-shattering five-wicket defeat against England in the series opener at Headingley.

Shubman Gill immersed himself in the harsh reality of the red-ball format as his era as India’s Test captain began with the bitter taste of defeat. England’s ‘Bazball’ reigned supreme after an enticing opening Test that was settled after five days of grit, resilience, and patience from both sides.

In pursuit of a 371-run target, Ben Duckett’s fiery 149 and Joe Root’s composed 53* steered England past the finish line, sealing their second-highest chase in the format.

Even though Gambhir has transformed India into a T20I powerhouse and Champions Trophy winner, he has yet to make a promising impression in the red-ball format.

Since kicking off the home series against New Zealand last October, India has lost seven of their last nine Tests. The dreadful run included a whitewash at home by the Kiwis, a 3-1 defeat in Australia and now a five-wicket bashing at the hands of England.

During this shambolic run, India dominated Australia in Perth with a resounding 295-run triumph and was saved by the weather gods in Brisbane, which washed away the Test and forced the contest to be settled as a draw.

Apart from Gambhir’s horror show in Test format, India’s vice-captain Rishabh Pant has ventured on a winless streak when he scored an away Test ton for India.

In 2018, he struck 118, and India lost the Test against England. A year later, he remained unbeaten on 159 in Australia, which ended in a draw. In 2022, he delivered a rollicking 100* in South Africa, but India succumbed to a defeat. In the same year, he hammered 146 in England, which went in vain, and finally came his recent 134 and 118, which in England have come in a losing cause.

In the latest five-wicket defeat, India became the first team to lose a Test match with five individual batters scoring centuries. Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), Shubman Gill (147), KL Rahul (137) and Rishabh Pant (134 and 118) were the century scores for India. Along with this, India aggregated 835 runs in the Headingley Test, which is the fourth-highest for any team to end up on the losing side. (ANI)

Veteran singer-actor Bobby Sherman has passed away. He was 81.

As per Variety, Sherman breathed his last on Tuesday, as per Variety.

His wife, Brigette Poublon Sherman, had announced three months ago that the entertainer had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

In posting the news of his death to Instagram Tuesday morning, Poublon Sherman wrote, “It is with the heaviest heart that I share the passing of my beloved husband, Bobby Sherman. Bobby left this world holding my hand — just as he held up our life with love, courage, and unwavering grace through all 29 beautiful years of marriage. I was his Cinderella, and he was my prince charming. Even in his final days, he stayed strong for me. That’s who Bobby was–brave, gentle, and full of light.”

She continued, “As he rested, I read him fan letters from all over the world — words of love and gratitude that lifted his spirits and reminded him of how deeply he was cherished. He soaked up every word with that familiar sparkle in his eye. And yes, he still found time to crack well-timed jokes — Bobby had a wonderful, wicked sense of humor. It never left him. He could light up a room with a look, a quip, or one of his classic one-liners.”

Sherman came to fame as a regular for two seasons on the ABC series “Here Come the Brides” in 1968-1970 and quickly parlayed that into an even bigger career as a singing star. Sherman was especially beloved by adolescent and pre-teen girls for his hit singles and television appearances, coming to be literally the poster boy for the power of bubblegum music for a few years. With his suitable-for-wall-pasting photo spreads in magazines like Tiger Beat and 16, Sherman was rivaled only by Donny Osmond and David Cassidy in his power to mesmerize with a soothing voice and cuddly good looks, according to Variety.

Besides his wife, Sherman is survived by two sons, Tyler and Christopher, and six grandchildren. (ANI)

SpaceX has announced that all systems involved in the launch for the Axiom Mission 4 were “looking good” as NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are targeting a 2:31 am EDT launch ( (Noon IST) on Wednesday of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

In a post on X, SpaceX on Tuesday (local time) stated that the weather was 90 per cent favourable for liftoff on Wednesday evening (local time).

“All systems are looking good for Wednesday’s launch of Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station, and weather is 90 per cent favourable for liftoff,” SpaceX stated.

The Axiom-4 mission will be launched from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

The mission holds much significance for India’s space capabilities, as the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will be piloted by India’s Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla after launching on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket.

For Group Captain Shukla, this will be an opportunity to emulate fellow Indian Air Force Officer Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on April 3, 1984 as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme, becoming the first Indian in space.

The Group Captain will now be rewriting history, as he is set to become the second Indian in space and the first to visit the ISS.

The four-member crew, which has been in quarantine in Florida, will be commanded by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and now Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight.

The mission specialists are ESA project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

The Ax-4 mission will “realise the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While Ax-4 marks these countries’ second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station.

For ISRO and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, this mission lays the groundwork for India’s space roadmap, with the country’s first human Space mission “Gaganyaan” scheduled for the first quarter of 2027 and to land an Indian on the Moon by 2040. (ANI)

As part of its commitment, DGCA had issued an order on June 19 to initiate a focused assessment of the aviation ecosystem to strengthen safety measures across the aviation sector. Two teams led by the Joint Director General, DGCA, carried out comprehensive surveillance during night and early morning hours at major airports, including Delhi and Mumbai, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement.

The surveillance covered multiple critical areas such as flight operations, airworthiness, ramp safety, air traffic control (ATC), communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS) systems, and pre-flight medical evaluations. Throughout the surveillance, ground activities and aircraft movements were closely monitored to check the compliance of regulatory requirements and to identify weak areas for improvement, according to the ministry.

Multiple cases wherein the reported defects reappeared many times on the aircraft, indicating the ineffective monitoring and inadequate rectification action on the defects/repeated defects; Ground handling equipment’s such as baggage trollies, BFL, etc were found unserviceable; Line maintenance stores, tool control procedures were not followed.

During maintenance of aircraft, the work order was not followed; The unserviceable thrust reverser system and Flap Slat Lever were not locked; During maintenance, safety precautions found not taken by AME as per AMM; at places, the AME was not attending to the snag rectification; Defect reports generated by the aircraft system, were not found recorded in the technical logbook; Several life vests were not properly secured beneath their designated seats; The corrosion-resistant tape on the right-hand side winglet’s lower blade was found to be damaged, ministry stated in a release.

Similarly at an airport, centre line marking of runway was observed faded; The rapid exit taxiway, green centre lights were not unidirectional; the obstruction limitation data has not been updated for last three years and no survey has been performed despite many new constructions around the vicinity of aerodrome; number of vehicles in the ramp area were found without speed governors. These vehicles were withdrawn by cancelling their AVP, and the drivers’ ADP were suspended, the release said.

A simulator was checked and found not to match the aircraft configuration. The software was also not updated to the current version, it added.

Civil Aviation Ministry said that a domestic flight of a scheduled carrier was cancelled due to worn tyres, and it was released only after the required rectification was carried out. All the findings observed during the surveillance have been communicated to the concerned operators for taking necessary corrective actions within seven days.

This process of comprehensive surveillance will continue in future to detect hazards in the system in line with the Order No. DGCA-22034/2/2025-FSD on June 19. (ANI)

Former actress and ‘Bigg Boss’ fame Sana Khan on Tuesday announced the demise of her mother, Saeeda.

Taking to Instagram, she wrote, “Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. My beloved mother Mrs Saeeda has back returned to Allah after struggling with a bad health condition (sic).”

“Namaz-e-janaza will be performed at Oshiwara Qabrasthan after Isha salat @ 09.45. Your prayers for my mother will be helpful (sic)” the post further read.

Sana’s Instagram is filled with her videos with her mother.

In 2023, the former actor shared a video in which her mother could be seen tying her shoelaces, saying “there is no love more honest and selfless than a mother’s love.”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ct1GhE6gzsY/?

“There is no love more honest and selfless than a mother’s love. Had to post this coz we always forget the love n sacrifices they make for us. No matter how old ur u will always be a chota bacha for them Ps: Can’t even bend down to tie my laces I was crying then n even now while I m writing this watching this video. Can’t wait to give the same love back to my child and I truly truly hope to be atleast half as her,” she captioned the post.

Speaking of Sana, in 2020, she announced her decision to retire from showbiz to dedicate her life to serving humanity and following the teachings of Islam. (ANI)

A Republican lawmaker has nominated US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, crediting him with brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran and preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, Fox News reported. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., in a letter to the Nobel Committee, called Trump’s role “extraordinary and historic.”

According to Fox News, Carter stated that Trump had helped end “the armed conflict between Israel and Iran and prevent the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism from obtaining the most lethal weapon on the planet.”

Trump had declared on Monday that the “12 Day War” was coming to an end, with a ceasefire scheduled to take effect overnight Tuesday. The hostilities began when Israel launched a preemptive strike on Iran, citing its advancing nuclear weapons programme. The conflict escalated with both sides exchanging rocket fire, and the US conducting airstrikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend.

Iran retaliated on Monday by firing rockets at a US air base in Qatar, though the attack was preceded by a warning to both American and Qatari officials. No injuries were reported.

“President Trump’s influence was instrumental in forging a swift agreement that many believed to be impossible,” Carter wrote. “President Trump also took bold, decisive actions to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions and ensure that the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism remains incapable of acquiring a nuclear weapon.”

He added that Trump’s leadership embodied the ideals of the Nobel Peace Prize–“the pursuit of peace, the prevention of war, and the advancement of international harmony.” Carter praised Trump for showing “both courage and clarity,” and said the ceasefire brought a “rare glimpse of hope.”

Trump also shared the news on his social media platform Truth Social, posting a screenshot of the Fox News article and the letter submitted to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee.

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/114738897443252470

Fox News noted that this is not Trump’s first nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. Earlier this year, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., nominated Trump, citing the global impact of his 2024 re-election victory.

According to the Nobel Prize website, 338 candidates have been nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize so far. (ANI)