NEW DELHI: The Embassy of India on Monday issued an advisory asking Indian nationals in several parts of Mexico to remain indoors following a major security operation that killed a top cartel leader and sparked widespread violence.Mexican authorities said Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was wounded in a clash with soldiers in Tapalpa and died while being flown to Mexico City.“Dear all Indian nationals in Mexico: There are ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity, Indian nationals in Jalisco State (areas of Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, and Guadalajara), Tamaulipas State (areas of Reynosa and other municipalities), areas of Michoacan State, Guerrero State, and Nuevo Leon State should shelter in place until further notice,” the Indian Embassy said.“For assistance please contact the Embassy of India at +52 55 4847 7539,” it added.Officials said six suspected cartel gunmen were killed in the operation, three soldiers were wounded and taken to hospital in the capital, and two suspects were arrested. Authorities also seized a cache of weapons, including rocket launchers capable of taking down aircraft and destroying armoured vehicles.The strike in western Jalisco was described by officials as one of the most significant blows to organised crime since the arrests of Joaquín Guzmán and Ismael Zambada García, co-founders of the Sinaloa cartel. Within hours of the announcement, cartel gunmen set vehicles ablaze, blocked highways and clashed with security forces, spreading retaliatory violence across at least five states and paralysing transport networks.Amid the unrest, the United States Department of State and Canadian authorities also urged their citizens in parts of Mexico to shelter in place due to violence, road blockages and flight cancellations.

NEW DELHI: In a multi-state counter-terror operation, the Delhi Police special cell busted a terror module comprising radicalised individuals affiliated with the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Eight suspects, seven of whom are Bangladeshi nationals with Indian Aadhaar cards, have been arrested.A major terror attack was averted with the arrests. A temple in Chandni Chowk was one of the targets with its images being found in the suspects’ devices. The car bomb blast reported last Nov had happened near this temple located near the Red Fort.The operation kicked off after a series of provocative posters were pasted at metro stations. The poster incident in Delhi was revealed to be a calculated act of psychological warfare and a test of the module’s mobility. On Feb 8, CISF had filed a complaint with the police that unknown individuals had affixed pro-Pakistan and pro-terror posters at the Janpath and other Metro stations, a major security breach before the AI summit.The posters eulogised slain terrorist Burhan Wani and had slogans like “India stop genocide & Free Kashmir”, while others contained Urdu slogans which, when translated, stated “Hum Pakistani Hain, Pakistan Hamara Hai” (We are Pakistani, Pakistan is ours) and celebrated “Kashmir Solidarity Day”. A case was registered and investigation was transferred to the Special Cell. A team comprising ACP Lalit Mohan Negi, inspectors Sunil Rajain and Dheeraj was formed to trace the digital and physical trail left by the perpetrators. The initial investigation was conducted by DCP Kushal Pal Singh’s team from the Metro Police.By conducting technical analysis of mobile data and transit patterns, the suspects were located in Kolkata. On Feb 15, the Special Cell identified a hideout in the Majherpara area of Hatiara Gote, Kolkata. In a swift raid, the first two suspects were apprehended: 31-year-old Umar Faruk, a resident of Aswintola in Malda, West Bengal, and 31-year-old Robiul Islam, a Bangladeshi national from the Thakur Gaon district.During interrogation, Faruk revealed a chilling timeline of radicalization and intent besides the location of his aides.On Feb 21, simultaneous raids were conducted in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu and six suspects were nabbed. The arrested individuals were identified as 32-year-old Mohammed Mizanur Rehman from Bogura district, 34-year-old Mohammed Sefayat Hossain from Jhalakathi district, 40-year-old Mohammed Zahidul Islam from Bogura, 40-year-old Mohammed Liton from Bogura, 27-year-old Mohammed Uzzal from Bogura, and 32-year-old Umar from Bogura. Police seized 10 mobile phones filled with radicalising content, 25 credit and debit cards, 5 POS machines , and original Bangladeshi passports and identity cards that the suspects had attempted to discard or hide.

Mumbai: CM Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the state govt will present a detailed report on the Rs 30-lakh crore MoUs signed at World Economic Forum in Davos last month as well as the status of past deals. Earlier in the day, the opposition demanded a white paper on such past agreements.After the opposition once again boycotted the customary tea party on the eve of the budget session, Fadnavis told reporters at the state guest house, Sahyadri, that 13 bills will be introduced during the one-month session. He said two bills are pending from the previous session and all of them will be passed. “We shall give sufficient time for discussions,” he said. He said the death of deputy CM Ajit Pawar meant it had fallen upon him to present the budget. The opposition, which addressed the media separately, also cited the plane crash to question govt. “Govt has given only two lines of explanation that no one should raise questions about the accident. Why not? Is it a conspiracy or an accident? This is being discussed all over the country,” said Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar. The CM pointed to NCP (SP)’s absence at the opposition’s press conference, a six-page letter from the opposition being signed by a former MLA of the Sharad Pawar group and numerous grammatical errors in the letter that highlighted 18 issues. Sena (UBT) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav later said NCP (SP) netas arrived late for the meet owing to some communication gap. “But we are all together as MVA,” he asserted. While Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray pointed to the vacant posts of the leader of opposition in both Houses and asked why the Mahayuti govt was “afraid” of the post when it has the brute majority, Fadnavis said the decisions are to be taken by the assembly speaker and the legislative council chairman. Congress MLC Satej Patil demanded the resignation of FDA minister Narhari Zirwal from NCP over a bribery case involving a staffer attached to his office in Mantrayala. The CM said his name had not cropped up in the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) investigation. Acknowledging that the incident affects govt’s image, Fadnavis said, “We have zero tolerance towards corruption and that is why you see so many cases of action being taken. I have given clear instructions to ACB that if any such act of corruption is found in his office, then it must take action.” Thackeray also took a dig at Mahayuti, saying there is a growing rivalry among its ministers, likely referring to Fadnavis and deputy Eknath Shinde, on who govt’s “infra man” is. He also slammed govt for giving just Rs 5 lakh compensation to the family of the Mulund Metro concrete parapet crash victim. Alleging that the new India-US trade deal “will break the backs of farmers”, Wadettiwar pointed to the ongoing farmer suicide crisis in Maharashtra. Shinde urged the opposition to attend the budget session and not sit on the steps of Vidhan Bhavan and oppose govt. “Govt will address all issues raised by the opposition in the House,” he said.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday used the 131st episode of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat to highlight the power of organ donation, sharing the story of a one-year-old from Kerala whose parents chose to donate her organs after her death.“There can be no greater sorrow than parents losing their child,” he said, referring to Aalin Sherin Abraham. He spoke of the unimaginable grief of losing a child so young, with her entire life ahead of her. Yet, amid that pain, her parents, Arun Abraham and Sherin, decided to donate their daughter’s organs — a decision he described as an act of immense courage and humanity.PM Modi said their choice reflected strength and compassion in the face of personal tragedy. Aalin, he noted, may no longer be among us, but her name has been added to the list of the country’s youngest organ donors.Turning to the broader picture, he said awareness about organ donation is steadily increasing in India, helping patients in need while strengthening medical research. He cited examples of transplant recipients who have gone on to lead active lives.Lakshmi Devi from Delhi completed a 14-kilometre trek to Kedarnath after a heart transplant. Her heart had been functioning at just 15 percent before she received a donor organ. Gaurang Banerjee from West Bengal has visited Nathula, 14,000 feet above sea level, twice after a lung transplant. In Rajasthan, Ramdev Singh from Sikar, who underwent a kidney transplant, is now active in sports.“These inspiring examples show how one noble decision can transform many lives,” the Prime Minister said, urging citizens to view organ donation as a collective responsibility.The appeal, framed through stories of loss and renewal, reinforced a simple message: a single decision can give someone else a second chance at life.

NEW DELHI: The State Names Authority headed by chief minister Rekha Gupta has changed the names of nine metro stations in Delhi.The authority, which considered proposals to change names of 21 metro stations, retained 12, modified seven and renamed two, according to a statement from the chief minister’s Office.Gupta said the names of the metro stations were finalised in line with public sentiments and local identities.The modified station names are: Uttari Pitampura-Prashant Vihar (earlier Prashant Vihar), Jagatpur-Wazirabad (earlier Jagatpur), Nanak Pyau-Derawal Nagar (earlier Derawal Nagar), Khanpur-Vayusainabad (earlier Khanpur), Nanaksar-Sonia Vihar (earlier Sonia Vihar), Shri Ram Mandir Mayur Vihar (earlier Mayur Vihar Pocket 1), and Mangolpur Kalan-West Enclave (earlier West Enclave).Further, North Pitampura was renamed as Haiderpur Village and Pitampura as Madhuban Chowk in accordance with their local identities, the statement said.The names retained as originally proposed in the detailed project reports are: Majlis Park, Bhalaswa, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Deepali Chowk, Yamuna Vihar, Bhajanpura, Khajuri Khas, Soorghat, Jharoda Majra, Burari, Pushpanjali and Maujpur-Babarpur.The chief minister said the metro stations are not merely points of transit, but also reflect the identity and cultural significance of the areas they serve. Therefore, each name was finalised only after careful and considered deliberation.Key factors, including local identity of the areas, their historical, social and cultural significance, and recommendations received from local public representatives and citizens were discussed in finalising the names, she said, adding that such proposals will be considered in future as well, if found reasonable.

Benjamin Netanyahu and PM Modi (File photo)

NEW DELHI: “Global power that is India,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday as he spoke ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forthcoming visit, scheduled for next week, praising India’s growing stature on the world stage.Highlighting the special bond between New Delhi and Tel Aviv, Netanyahu posted on X from the official account of his office, saying, “This week, expression will be given to the special relationship that has been forged over recent years between Israel and the global power that is India, and between myself and its leader, Prime Minister Modi.”

He added, “We are personal friends; we speak frequently on the phone and visit one another. I have visited India, and Modi has visited here. We waded together in the waters of the Mediterranean, and much water has flowed since then in the Mediterranean, the Ganges, and the Jordan, though less in the Jordan.”This will be PM Modi’s second visit to Israel, following his landmark 2017 trip, when he became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the country.Israeli PM Netanyahu earlier in the day said that both sides would seek to further strengthen economic, diplomatic and security cooperation during the visit.“On Wednesday, the Prime Minister of India will arrive. He will deliver a speech at the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), and I am sure you will all be there. We will also hold an innovation event in Jerusalem and visit Yad Vashem together,” Netanyahu said at the start of a meeting of government officials.Israeli PM Netanyahu said the relationship between India and Israel has grown stronger over the years and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit would help deepen it further.“The fabric of this relationship has grown tighter, and he is coming here so we can tighten it further through a series of decisions related to strengthening cooperation between our governments and countries. This includes economic, diplomatic and security cooperation,” Netanyahu said.On the diplomatic front, he outlined a broader regional vision. “In the vision I see before me, we will create an entire system, essentially a ‘hexagon’ of alliances around or within the Middle East. This includes India, Arab nations, African nations, Mediterranean nations (Greece and Cyprus), and nations in Asia that I won’t detail at the moment. I will present this in an organized manner,” he said.“The intention here is to create an axis of nations that see eye-to-eye on the reality, challenges, and goals against the radical axes, both the radical Shia axis, which we have struck very hard, and the emerging radical Sunni axis. All of these nations share a different perception, and our cooperation can yield great results and, of course, ensure our resilience and our future,” Netanyahu added.During PM Modi’s visit, Netanyahu said Israel would “promote cooperation in high-tech, AI, and quantum computing.”“I say AI and quantum not because they are the future, but because they are the present. We, of course, want to be among the world’s leading nations in these fields,” he said.PM Modi’s upcoming visit comes against the backdrop of the Board of Peace meeting held on February 19. The Board of Peace initiative originated from US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan endorsed by the UN Security Council, but has since expanded beyond its initial scope. Administration officials said around 35 nations had committed to join, while 60 received invitations. Trump has suggested the new body could take on roles currently performed by the United Nations.At the recent AI Impact Summit 2026 held in New Delhi, Ilan Fluss, former Ambassador and Emerging and Disruptive Technologies (EDTs) Policy Coordinator at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighted Israel’s commitment to innovation, responsible development and expanded bilateral cooperation in emerging technologies.Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, Fluss described artificial intelligence as a transformational moment comparable to major historical global shifts.An Israeli delegation visited India for the AI Summit and held bilateral meetings with Indian government representatives aimed at strengthening technological collaboration.Meanwhile, the global network israel.com on Sunday announced the launch of a new news portal, israelnews.in, targeted at Indian readers.