LONDON: Gangs of suspected Somalian men have allegedly been terrorising Indian-origin shopkeepers and restaurant owners in Wembley and trashing their shops in targeted attacks of late. This follows the attack in Harlow last week, wherein a gang attacked Holi revellers. Wembley shopkeepers felt it could be the same group.Bob Blackman MP raised the Harrow attack in Parliament on Monday, stating: “Thugs from the Central Mosque attacked the annual Holi celebration in Harrow, attempting to assault over 1,000 peaceful worshippers. 20 attackers, one arrest… The Met has questions to answer.”Manek Chowk Indian restaurant on Ealing Road, Wembley, was attacked twice in the past week — March 5 and March 7. Videos showed the miscreants, most in thobes and all in face coverings, descending upon the restaurant and wrecking it. Another showed tables and chairs turned over, with food and crockery all over the place.A local PIO store owner, who witnessed the vandalism, said: “It started in Traders Wembley last Wednesday. Three men from Daman and Diu were beaten up in the toilets and left bleeding. It was a Somalian gang of young boys. Next, they targeted Manek Chowk. It was a gang of 15 to 20. They came from the mosque area and attacked the restaurant, and 10 or 12 youths got off the bus and joined them and started smashing the restaurant. They didn’t speak with anyone. They just started throwing tables and chairs. They attacked the tills and broke the lights. An Indian man who tried to intervene was hit with a bottle. It keeps happening after 8pm and is totally unprovoked.”Another video, shot March 6, showed a gang of masked men in thobes pulling fruit and veg boxes out at Panesar Food and Wine in Harrow Road, Wembley, throwing them on the ground and treading on them. “They destroy the places, video it and go. It looks like they are paid,” a local said.Both times, by the time police showed up, the gang had fled after causing destruction worth thousands of pounds.On Monday night, a Gujarati-origin man was stabbed in Ealing Road and rushed to A&E. A Brent Council spokesperson said: “Any violent or targeted intimidation of local businesses is utterly unacceptable and will not be tolerated in Brent. We encourage anyone with information or footage to come forward to the police without delay.”

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The streets of Patna erupted in celebration as local hero Ishan Kishan returned home following India’s historic T20 World Cup 2026 triumph. However, the festive atmosphere at Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport was briefly interrupted by questions regarding a growing social media storm. Former cricketer and politician Kirti Azad recently sparked a national debate by questioning the Indian team’s decision to take the World Cup trophy to a temple, a move Kishan handled with the same composure he showed against world-class bowlers during the tournament.

Ishan Kishan responds to Kirti Azad’s criticism over Indian team’s temple visit

The controversy began when India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and former BCCI Secretary and ICC Jay Shah visited a Hanuman temple in Ahmedabad to offer prayers with the silverware. Azad took to social media to express his reservations, noting that the victory belongs to “1.4 billion Indians of every faith” and suggesting that sports should remain transcendent of specific religious practices.

SHAME ON TEAM INDIA! 😡

When we won the World Cup under Kapil Dev in 1983, we had Hindu Muslim Sikh and Christian in the team.

We brought the trophy to our religious birth place our motherland India Bharat Hindustan

Why The Hell Is The Indian Cricket Trophy is being Dragged.…

— Kirti Azad (@KirtiAzaad) March 9, 2026

When pressed by journalists for his take on these comments, Kishan remained unfazed, refusing to let the negativity overshadow the nation’s sporting achievement.

“I have just won such a wonderful World Cup, please ask better questions, what can I say about what Kirti Azad said? Please ask some good questions. Tell me how it feels and how much fun it was,” Kishan told the media with a polite but firm smile. By shifting the narrative back to the collective joy of the win, Kishan effectively neutralized the attempt to politicize the team’s personal moments of gratitude.

Here’s the video:

#WATCH | Patna, Bihar | On India’s ICCT20WorldCup2026 win, Indian cricketer Ishan Kishan says, “It is a great thing for the entire nation and we hope that we play and win the same way in the future as well… I try that more players get inspired to advance ahead…”

On former… pic.twitter.com/MfBmqyvMfY

— ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2026

Also READ: Complete list of T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament winners ft. Sanju Samson

Ishan Kishan’s role in India’s dominant campaign in T20 World Cup 2026

While the off-field chatter continues, Kishan’s on-field statistics from the 2026 campaign tell the story of a player who has truly come of age. The left-handed wicketkeeper-batter was the engine room of India’s aggressive new-age T20 blueprint. Over the course of nine matches, Kishan amassed 317 runs at an impressive average of 35.22. What stood out most, however, was his staggering strike rate of 193.29, which consistently put opposition bowlers on the back foot during the powerplay.

Kishan’s tournament was defined by his ability to perform in high-stakes encounters. His masterclass against Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium, a blistering 77, set the tone for a massive 61-run victory that shifted the momentum in India’s favour during the group stages. He proved that he wasn’t just a flat-track bully but a reliable big-match player capable of anchoring an innings while maintaining a high scoring rate.

The pinnacle of his performance arrived in the grand finale against New Zealand. Facing a disciplined Kiwi attack, Kishan smashed 54 runs off just 25 balls. This explosive cameo was the catalyst that propelled India to a record-breaking total of 255/5, the highest ever recorded in a Men’s T20 World Cup final. As the celebrations continue across the country, it is this clinical batting display, rather than social media debates, that fans will remember for years to come.

Also WATCH: Sanju Samson receives grand welcome at Thiruvananthapuram airport after stellar T20 World Cup 2026 show

Michael Vaughan (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: After their early exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, the West Indies national cricket team and South Africa national cricket team have been stuck in Kolkata for more than a week, sparking criticism from former England captain Michael Vaughan.Vaughan questioned why England national cricket team managed to return home quickly while the other teams remain stranded. England were knocked out on March 5 but reportedly flew home within 36 hours. Meanwhile, West Indies were eliminated on March 1 and South Africa on March 4, yet both squads were still waiting in India days later.

Frustrated by the situation, Vaughan wrote, “Just to let you all know that the West Indies got knocked out of the World Cup on March 1st .. it’s now March 9th .. they are still stranded in Kolkata .. SA are in the same position .. !!!!!!!!!!!! This isn’t right … England got on a charter 36 hrs after being knocked out .. as should be the case for all teams ..”The issue has also been raised by players such as Quinton de Kock, David Miller, and West Indies coach Daren Sammy, who have expressed concerns about the delay.However, tournament organisers say the problem is not favoritism but travel restrictions. According to the International Cricket Council and Cricket West Indies, the delay is linked to airspace restrictions caused by rising tensions in the Middle East involving the US, Israel, and Iran. Several flight corridors across the Gulf region have been partially closed for safety.Flights heading to the UK can avoid the most affected zones by taking northern routes, which likely helped England return sooner. But routes to the Caribbean and South Africa pass closer to restricted Gulf airspace, leading to cancellations and permit issues. A charter flight planned earlier was reportedly cancelled due to missing overflight approvals.

NEW DELHI: The ruling NDA on Tuesday strongly defended Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla during a debate on a resolution seeking his removal, while opposition parties accused him of acting under government pressure and failing to conduct House proceedings impartially.The debate began after opposition members moved a resolution to remove Birla as Speaker, alleging bias and claiming he made “baseless” allegations about certain women MPs and did not allow Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to speak on critical issues.

Birla did not attend the proceedings, although the Constitution permits the Speaker to be present and defend himself during such debates. The discussion is expected to conclude on Wednesday, when Union Home Minister Amit Shah will respond to the resolution.

Opposition accuses Speaker of bias

Initiating the debate, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said the opposition had brought the motion to protect parliamentary democracy.The resolution, he said, was necessary to “save the Constitution” and the “dignity of the House”.“There was an expectation that the chair would be neutral. But research of uncorrected versions would show the number of times the Leader of Opposition (LoP) was interrupted. While the LoP was on his feet, another member was called upon (to speak),” Gogoi said.Citing remarks by former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Gogoi said the Speaker symbolises the freedom and dignity of the House.“Where is the freedom of speech now?” he asked.Gogoi added that opposition members share cordial relations with Birla personally but felt compelled to move the resolution.“But it is our responsibility to protect the dignity of the House and save the Constitution. It is to protect the faith of the people in democracy,” he said.Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant also questioned the Speaker’s conduct.“Please introspect why we had to bring the no-confidence motion. The House can’t function on anyone’s whims. We respect his authority. But he should not conduct himself under pressure and compromise independence,” Sawant said.Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra described it as “divine karma” that she was supporting a motion to remove Birla as Speaker, alleging she had been “wrongly” expelled from the Lok Sabha in 2023.She said the Speaker had set “less than graceful benchmarks” while presiding over the House.DMK leader T R Baalu called Birla a “gentleman” but criticised what he described as “harsh” action against opposition members and urged him to take corrective steps.

NDA says Speaker acted impartially

Members of the treasury benches rejected the allegations and defended Birla’s conduct, arguing that disciplinary action against opposition MPs was taken due to improper behaviour.Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress of targeting constitutional institutions since losing power in 2014.He said the resolution was an attempt to undermine the authority of the Speaker.Rijiju said Birla had remained impartial and provided the opposition with ample opportunity to speak in the House.He also quoted former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi to stress that decisions of the Speaker are final and must be respected by all members.The minister claimed that several opposition MPs had privately expressed discomfort with the resolution.According to Rijiju, 50 opposition members told him personally they were unhappy with the move but were supporting it due to political pressure.During his intervention, Rijiju also criticised Rahul Gandhi’s conduct in Parliament, saying he often skipped proceedings or left the House after delivering his speech.He added that Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra could be a better Leader of Opposition.Responding to Rijiju’s remarks, Priyanka Gandhi said she found it ironic that members of the ruling side were quoting Nehru.“He mentioned that I was laughing. I wanted to clear that I was laughing because the person they keep criticising day and night, that Nehru ji, they used a quote of Nehru ji for their own argument.”“They have suddenly started respecting Nehruji and that he strengthened democracy and gave such a speech,” she said.

NDA allies back Birla

NDA allies also supported the Speaker and criticised the opposition’s move.TDP MP Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu praised Birla’s handling of the Lok Sabha since 2019 and said parliamentary productivity had increased under his leadership.He said the resolution was brought “not to succeed but to create spectacular headlines”.JD(U) leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh described the motion as an attempt to pressure the Speaker.Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde attacked Rahul Gandhi and said the Leader of Opposition would face interruptions if he promoted what he called an “anti-India” agenda in Parliament.The debate on the resolution is expected to continue in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.