PM Modi at Somnath temple in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district on Sunday

AHMEDABAD/RAJKOT: India must remain vigilant against “merchants of appeasement” who are still active and hatching conspiracies to divide the country, PM Modi said Sunday while projecting Gujarat’s ancient Somnath temple as a model of resistance to what he termed “religious terrorism”. PM Modi carried the broader theme of resilience to the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference in Rajkot, where he assured investors that the country offers “extraordinary certainty” amid global turbulence. At a rally in Somnath, where the shrine was rebuilt over centuries of pillage by invaders, the PM accused unnamed historians and politicians of obfuscating what had happened. “Those with a mindset of religious extremism tried to disguise religious terrorism as merely motivated by wealth. They even wrote books to conceal the cruel history of hatred, atrocities and terrorism,” he said.PM Modi: In face of great global uncertainty, India stands outPM Modi said the temple’s history was inseparable from the valour of protectors like Raval Kanhardev, Veer Hamirji and Vegda Bhil, who never received due recognition for thwarting a succession of attempts to destroy the shrine. “There are no parallels anywhere in the world to Somnath’s retaliation against religious terrorism.” Harking back to how Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel faced hurdles after pledging to renovate Somnath and objections by some quarters to former President Rajendra Prasad’s 1951 temple visit, the PM said the “same forces” continue to pursue that agenda. “Only their methods have changed. In place of swords, they are now using vile means against India,” he said. In Rajkot, 200km from Somnath, PM Modi cited recent assessments by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and rating agencies S&P and Fitch as evidence of rising global confidence in India’s economy. S&P upgraded India’s rating outlook after 18 years, he said, while IMF has described the country as the engine of global growth. “In the face of great global uncertainty, India today stands out,” PM Modi said. “There’s political stability, continuity in policy, and the rapid expansion of the neo-middle class with rising purchasing power.” The PM pointed to sectoral shifts, saying that from importing nine of every 10 mobile phones in 2014, India now ranks second globally in manufacturing handsets. The country has also become the largest consumer of mobile data and hosts the world’s largest real-time digital payments platform through UPI, he said. It has the third-largest startup ecosystem, ranks among the top three in solar power generation and has emerged as the third-largest aviation market, PM Modi said. “This Reform Express won’t halt,” PM Modi said before reprising his Red Fort punchline, “Yehi samay hai, sahi samay hai (This time is the right time).”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is closely monitoring escalating unrest in Iran and that he wishes peace and prosperity for the people of Iran. Describing the ongoing situation as “yoke of tyranny”, he said that Israel and the world respect the courage of protestors.In a video released by his office of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said, “We all hope that the Persian nation will soon be freed from the yoke of tyranny, and when that day comes, Israel and Iran will once again be loyal partners in building a future of prosperity and peace for both peoples.”“Israel is closely monitoring events in Iran,” he further added, “The people of Israel and the entire world are in awe of the tremendous courage of Iran’s citizens.”

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also echoes the Israeli PM’s statement in a video he later shared on X. He said, “We also see the people of Iran. And frankly, we wish them much success. We support their struggle for freedom. We think they deserve freedom, we think they deserve a better future.”He further went on to express that Israel has had a “huge problem” with the Iranian regime and accused Iran of being an exporter of terrorism and radicalism.“We don’t have any hostility with the people of Iran. We have a huge problem, which is not only our problem, it’s a regional and international problem with the Iranian regime, which is the number one exporter of terrorism, radicalism. We have just heard what the Americans had described about their deed in Venezuela. It’s a really vicious regime.”The comments came as Netanyahu and US secretary of state Marco Rubio held a meeting focused on Iran’s internal turmoil and discussing possibilities of US intervention in the matter. While details of the discussion were not disclosed, Israeli officials said coordination with Washington remained “critical.”Earlier on Sunday, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that if the United States attacked Iran, “both the occupied territory and centres of the US military and shipping will be our legitimate targets.” An Israeli military official later said the army was “preparing defensively” and would be ready to respond if necessary.The United States has not signalled plans for imminent action, but tensions have risen sharply since Iran accused Washington and Israel of inciting nationwide protests aimed at destabilising Iran.Iran has been gripped by days of deadly demonstrations, initially sparked by rising living costs but quickly expanding into broader anti-government protests challenging the theocratic leadership that has ruled since 1979. Authorities have blamed foreign interference, while protesters have called for sweeping political change.

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has arrested seven people linked to a transnational cybercrime syndicate that used illegal SIM box technology to defraud citizens across India. Investigators said the accused, including a Taiwanese national and a woman, had links to Chinese, Cambodian and Pakistani scam networks. A SIM box is a device that holds multiple SIM cards and enables fraudsters to bypass legitimate telecom networks by rerouting international calls through local numbers. Police said the accused exploited this technology to carry out a large-scale “digital arrest” scam. The accused have been identified as Parvinder Singh (38), Shashi Prasad (53), I-Tsung Chen (30), Sarbdeep Singh (33), Jaspreet Kaur (28), Abdus Salam (33) and Dinesh K (30), residents of Delhi, Mumbai, Punjab and Taiwan. According to police, the racket, operational since Sept last year, is estimated to have cheated thousands of victims of around Rs 100 crore. Victims received calls from fraudsters impersonating Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) officials. The callers falsely accused them of links to terror incidents such as the Pahalgam attack and the Delhi blasts, threatened immediate arrest and coerced them into transferring money under intense psychological pressure. Investigators found that the fraud calls were deliberately routed through low-frequency 2G networks to evade real-time location tracking. Though the calls appeared to originate from Indian numbers, they were actually placed from abroad—primarily Cambodia—and routed into India via SIM box installations. Police said the syndicate used sophisticated techniques to evade detection, including overwriting and rotating IMEI numbers and merging multiple SIM box units into a single virtual system. This resulted in call records showing the same number originating from multiple cities on the same day, misleading law enforcement agencies. DCP (IFSO) Vinit Kumar constituted a team that first arrested Shashi Prasad, custodian of a SIM box setup in Delhi, and Parvinder Singh, an active facilitator. The duo allegedly operated from five locations in the capital, knowingly enabling international cyber fraud. Further investigation led to the arrest of I-Tsung Chen at Delhi’s international airport. Police described him as the operational backbone of the syndicate, responsible for smuggling and configuring SIM box devices in India. Interrogation revealed his alleged links to a Taiwan-based organised crime network led by gangster Shang Min Wu, known for kidnapping, financial fraud and money laundering. Analysis of the Delhi setup pointed to additional SIM box hubs in Mohali, Punjab, resulting in the arrest of Sarbdeep Singh and Jaspreet Kaur. Both had previously worked in Cambodia-based scam centres and were allegedly recruited by a Pakistani handler who funded and controlled SIM box installations in India. The probe later uncovered attempts to install SIM box systems in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, and Malad, Mumbai, leading to the arrests of Dinesh K and Abdus Salam. Police said Dinesh had undertaken multiple foreign trips to Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia, suspected to coordinate with cryptocurrency facilitators and financial handlers to launder extorted funds. Investigators said the scam operated through an international command-and-control structure, with Indian operations forming only the last link. Cambodia allegedly served as the recruitment and training base, Chinese nationals supplied and configured SIM box hardware, a Pakistani handler facilitated funding and IMEI manipulation, while Nepal functioned as a remote control centre directing operations in India. Police have seized 22 SIM box devices and 120 foreign SIM cards of China Mobile. Technical analysis revealed more than 5,000 compromised IMEI numbers and nearly 20,000 SIM cards embedded in the network. Further investigation is underway.

The Chicago Bears’ dramatic Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers came at a heavy cost, with the franchise suffering a brutal injury setback that could define its playoff run. Linebacker T.J. Edwards and offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo have both been ruled out for the remainder of the postseason.The Bears pulled off an emotional comeback at Soldier Field, keeping their Super Bowl hopes alive. However, the celebrations were short-lived once head coach Ben Johnson confirmed that both starters suffered season-ending injuries during the game.

Injury setbacks rock Bears’ playoff hopes

Edwards, a key leader in the middle of Chicago’s defense, went down in the third quarter. Medical evaluations later revealed a fractured fibula, an injury that immediately ended his postseason availability. Edwards had been one of the Bears’ most consistent performers all season, providing stability, communication, and physicality at linebacker.Trapilo’s injury followed late in the fourth quarter, delivering another tough blow. The young offensive tackle exited with a patellar tendon injury, which Johnson described as serious enough to rule him out for the rest of the playoffs. Trapilo had taken over the left tackle role late in the regular season and quickly became a crucial part of the offensive line rotation.

Bears turn to depth as pressure mounts

With Edwards sidelined, the responsibility now shifts to D’Marco Jackson, who stepped in after the injury against Green Bay. Jackson has shown flashes when given extended snaps and even earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors earlier in the season. Still, replacing Edwards’ experience and on-field leadership will be a major challenge in a high-stakes playoff environment.On offense, Chicago must reshuffle its line to protect the quarterback against elite postseason defenses. Theo Benedet is expected to be the next man up at left tackle. The Bears also have Braxton Jones available after his return from injured reserve, but he has yet to see game action following a long absence, making his usage uncertain.Chicago’s playoff run has been built on resilience, physical defense, and timely execution. Losing two starters one on defense and one on offense tests that formula at the worst possible moment. While the Bears remain confident in their depth, there is no denying that Edwards and Trapilo leave significant gaps.As the Bears prepare for the divisional round, the focus now shifts from celebration to survival. January football rarely forgives injuries, and Chicago will need contributions from every corner of its roster to keep its postseason dream alive.Also Read: Keon Coleman injury update: Will Bills WR play this week vs. Jaguars?

BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari sitting on a ‘dharna’ in a police station after the alleged attack (PTI)

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Sunday criticised the West Bengal Police following an alleged attack on the convoy of party leader and leader of opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari.Also Read: Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari accuses TMC workers of attacking his convoy; sits on dharna at police station“Efforts were made to file a police report. This attack happened in the presence of the police, but no FIR was registered. If even the leader of the opposition is attacked, you can understand (how the situation is),” senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said at a press conference in Delhi.Prasad, a former Union minister, recalled how a BJP delegation led by him nearly failed to enter West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali, where local strongman Shahjahan Sheikh — linked to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) — had been accused of sexual assault by multiple women.“If my security personnel and the central forces had not been there, we would have been unable to enter the village,” he added.Adhikari, a former TMC leader who joined the BJP in December 2020 ahead of the West Bengal assembly polls in April–May 2021, alleged that his convoy was attacked by Trinamool Congress workers. The incident took place in Paschim Medinipur on Saturday night.“Tonight, around 8:20 pm, while I was returning from Purulia at Chandrakona Road in Paschim Medinipur district, I was viciously attacked by TMC goons. The police personnel were mute spectators. The TMC’s desperation is showing, resorting to thuggery because they can’t face the heat of the people’s rising anger,” he posted on X.Meanwhile, a state BJP leader said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a report on the incident from Adhikari’s office.“The MHA has sought a report regarding the attack. The LoP’s office is preparing a detailed report, which will soon be sent to them,” the leader told news agency PTI.The next West Bengal assembly elections are expected in April–May.