Latest news with #SIM
Time of India
7 days ago
- Time of India
Robbers Blow Rs 80,000 on Nightclub After Rs 4.5 Lakh Heist in Delhi; Arrested in UP
New Delhi: Two men who went on an armed robbery spree in Shahdara district have been arrested after they used part of the stolen money to party at a nightclub. The duo allegedly committed two robberies at gunpoint — one near a metro station and another near a railway underpass — looting a total of nearly Rs 4.5 lakh. They reportedly spent Rs 80,000 on clubbing before being tracked down and arrested in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. According to police, the first incident took place on May 21, when an agent for a telecom company was intercepted near East Azad Nagar Metro Station while on his way to deposit Rs 1.16 lakh collected from SIM retailers. Two helmeted assailants on a bike confronted him, and one brandished a pistol before snatching a black bag containing the cash and fleeing the scene. The following day, the same suspects allegedly targeted another victim — an employee at a local shop — who was returning from the Jhilmil Industrial Area after collecting Rs 3.34 lakh. He was attacked near a temple in Shahdara. "The robbers grabbed his collar, knocked him down, and fled with his scooty, which contained the cash and some documents," said DCP (Shahdara) Prashant Priya Gautam. Both cases were registered under Sections 309 (robbery), 311 (robbery or dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 126 (wrongful restraint), and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). A joint police team from Krishna Nagar and Vivek Vihar police stations was formed to investigate. Officers reviewed CCTV footage from around the crime scenes and traced the suspects' routes before and after the robberies. One of the accused, Rameshwer Mathur alias Ramu (37), was arrested from his sister's house in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. He has a prior criminal record, including involvement in a murder case. Based on his confession, police apprehended his associate, Vijay (27), from Ghaziabad. During interrogation, the duo confessed to using part of the stolen money to settle personal debts and revealed they had spent approximately Rs 80,000 at a nightclub the night before their arrest. Further investigation is ongoing.
India.com
25-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Is Pakistan's High Commission In Delhi A Spy Nest In Diplomatic Disguise?
New Delhi: Is Pakistan running spy networks with immunity from its manicured lawns in New Delhi under the guise of diplomacy? Revelations from top intelligence sources claim that the Pakistan High Commission is serving as a covert command centre for the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) – turning visa desks into espionage recruitment hubs and exploiting diplomatic immunity to wage a silent war on Indian soil. The visa counters, which allegedly work for undercover ISI operatives, are not just stamping papers. They are screening citizens for potential saboteurs and a network of informants. Requesting a local SIM card from applicants, a seemingly mundane ask, becomes the entry ticket into a spider web of espionage. A 'yes' marks you as pliable. The next thing you know, you are passing military site photos or GPS coordinates to people you will never meet. The ISI has reportedly turned the high commission into a tactical operation zone. Public-facing departments such as visa issuance and grievance redressal have become strategic placement points. Their mission is to exploit and recruit operatives. Embedded within the mission and protected by diplomatic immunity, ISI agents are mapping India's security infrastructure. Sources claim the staff have been zeroing in on economically marginalised and and aggrieved communities in states like Uttar Pradesh whwre there is social unrest, poverty and employment. Their pitch? Not ideology, but opportunity. Poverty and injustice become pressure points and are weaponised by trained handlers who know exactly what buttons to push. 'People are being lured into espionage without even knowing they are part of larger conspiracy,' said a source and added, 'Some know exactly what they are doing.' It often starts with the High Commission's visa office. In the name of 'document verification' and paperwork delays, ISI officials allegedly examine applicant's pliability. Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra's arrest is just the beginning. She allegedly filmed 'vlogs' from security-sensitive areas and masked surveillance as social content. She is not alone. Reports suggest a surge in social media influencers moonlighting as unwitting informants – traded like tokens in a deadly intelligence game. Consider this: Mohammad Tarif, a resident of Nuh district, allegedly confessed to giving a SIM card to a High Commission employee. He reportedly even crossed into Pakistan. His case is not an outlier, it is a blueprint. Once you are in, the tasks escalate – survey troop movement, snap border fencing, report train schedules, etc. It is death by a thousand favors, each more damning than the last. Protected by the Vienna Convention, embassy staff cannot be easily persecuted or even interrogated even if intelligence agencies identify their roles in espionage. This immunity leads ISI operatives to act with impunity. To keep their operations away from the radar, ISI handlers rarely contact recruits directly in India. Instead, they funnel commands through middlemen based in countries like Nepal and the UAE. This layered system makes detection almost impossible, until someone slips. So, for how long will India tolerate what appears to be a foreign intelligence outfit operating with immunity under the veil of diplomacy? This is not only a border issue. It is a national security crisis festering in Lutyens' Delhi. And if the allegations are true, India is not dealing with diplomacy. It is fighting a silent invasion.
Straits Times
24-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Comeback kids: SIM students recognised after overcoming adversity and excelling in studies
Mr Premnath Suparamaniam (left) and Mr Jeremiah Ling received the 2025 SIM Chairman's Award for Resilience on May 8. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG SINGAPORE – Resilience has become a buzzword in recent times, with trade wars, market volatility and artificial intelligence disruptions adding to global uncertainty. Since 2023, Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) has given out the SIM Chairman's Award for Resilience to students who have overcome deep adversity while excelling in their studies and careers. There have been 10 recipients so far, including two announced this year. SIM chairman Euleen Goh, who personally funds each cash award of $3,000, says the accolade 'challenges conventional views of success'. Highlighting traits like perseverance and determination 'broadens the narrative of achievement, while fostering a more empathetic and inclusive society', she adds. She hopes this will help 'level the playing field for individuals from backgrounds that face greater odds'. The two awardees for 2024, who received their awards on May 8, 2025, returned to higher education at SIM following multiple setbacks. Here are their stories. How to push past a 'Why me?' mindset Before the age of 40, Mr Premnath Suparamaniam had hit rock bottom and gone through a series of personal, professional and financial failures. His business had collapsed, incurring debts that led to the repossession of his HDB flat. His first marriage broke down. Then he had a heart attack at age 33. Now 43 and remarried with a one-year-old son, Mr Premnath has sprung back from adversity stronger than before. He is now an account manager at BlackSky, a company that specialises in geospatial intelligence and satellite imaging and analytics. The mechanical engineering graduate from Nanyang Technological University attends night and weekend classes for his MBA (Master of Business Administration) in a part-time, two-year postgraduate programme offered by the University of Birmingham, in collaboration with SIM. He is about six months from completion. Mr Premnath's wife, a 43-year-old bank customer service officer whom he married in 2019, encouraged him to apply for the SIM Chairman's Award for Resilience. 'She said, 'You have gone through so much of life's challenges, this would be a place for you to tell your story.'' He adds: 'I want to remind other people who are my age – who may be in challenging situations – that there will be a second chance, and you have to maximise it when you get there. 'Do not get depressed; keep moving.' One of two recipients of the 2025 SIM Chairman's Award for Resilience is Mr Premnath Suparamaniam. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG His struggles started when his father, a lift technician, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2011 and died of the disease months later in 2012, at age 59. Mr Premnath was then a 30-year-old bachelor who was working as a representative in a firm that focuses on satellite imaging, also his current line of work. After his father's death, he became the sole breadwinner of his family, comprising his homemaker mother and a brother and sister. The burden of caring for his family weighed on him as he went from supporting his father in chemotherapy to paying the household's bills before his younger siblings launched their careers. In 2014, he started an events management business with $10,000 in capital. He had enjoyed participating in trade shows in his previous job at the satellite-imaging firm and wanted to strike out on his own. Mr Premnath, who was married by then, found that entrepreneurship was tougher than he thought. 'I had my strengths, but I still needed to sharpen my skills in areas like financial management, networking and sales pitches,' he says. His business folded a year later in 2015, incurring a 'heavy debt'. 'I couldn't make my mortgage payments and I still had to pay bills.' Although he eventually paid off his debts, his marital home, a five-room HDB flat in Sengkang, was repossessed in 2018. Also in 2015, Mr Premnath was having lunch one day when he felt the sensation of 'poking needles' and a constriction around his neck. His then wife rushed him to hospital where he found out he was having a heart attack, which landed him in hospital for a week. 'I felt cheated,' he recalls. 'I was taking care of myself, going to the gym and running. I was young and already going through so many personal challenges. I thought, 'Why me? Why me?'' Amid strain, his marriage of less than three years broke down. His divorce was finalised in 2017. 'That was my lowest point. I was confused and lonely. I felt quite lost. 'I then thought, 'What are my gaps? What should I do to readjust to get back to that point where I felt I was progressing in life?'' he recounts. He began to rebuild his life, starting with his health. He reduced his food portions, cut out rice at dinner time and took up brisk walking, losing 10kg in the process. He cycled through a few jobs – including as an insurance agent, a distribution manager at a telecommunications firm and a research project officer at a local university – before returning to his original industry in 2022. 'Along the way, I gained negotiation skills and learnt to deal with customers more effectively,' says Mr Premnath, who hopes that getting an MBA will give his career a boost. 'At each point of progress, I felt I was regaining a milestone, regaining what I had lost – marriage, stable finances, moving back to the satellite imaging industry.' He has also picked up many lessons on grit. He says: 'I learnt not only to embrace change, but also to anticipate it. I try to be more aware of my surroundings so that I can stay relevant and competitive. 'Everybody goes through bad periods, it's how you respond to it that makes a difference. When I started moving, life seemed to give me a direction.' Gaming instead of schooling Mr Jeremiah Ling's life took an abrupt twist in upper secondary school when he started skipping school for a day or two, then up to a month at a go. He was a 'bright kid' who sailed through Jiemin Primary School, before entering the Express stream in Orchid Park Secondary School. 'I developed the habit of truancy and lacked motivation and discipline. I didn't finish my homework and so I didn't want to face my teachers,' he recalls. 'It all snowballed. Because I didn't attend lessons, I didn't know what was going on, which meant, all the more, that I didn't want to go to class.' He was 'always the guy with the empty file, which had no homework or worksheets'. He estimates that he was present in school for less than 70 per cent of his Secondary 3 and 4 years, and even skipped classes once for a whole month. Concerned counsellors, teachers and even a vice-principal paid visits to his home, where he lived with his mother, to no avail. Mr Jeremiah Ling will soon complete his part-time Bachelor of Information Technology degree. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG During his periods of truancy, he stayed at home playing computer games all day, skipping meals bar the occasional cup of instant noodles, until his mother came home from work at night with 'dabao' (takeaway dinner). Mr Ling, now 26 and a software engineer, reflects: 'My mother didn't really have a choice. She couldn't carry me to school or force me to go. She could only keep asking me why I was not going to school, and ask me to go. My mum was definitely disappointed and scared for my future. My friends just accepted that I was like that, that Jeremiah was not in school. 'Looking back, I would say it was a lack of awareness. I didn't think about the future, neither did I have any direction. I would say I didn't like myself. My self-esteem was low, I guess.' His school almost did not let him take his O levels, he says. 'I didn't study anything, I gave up. I got into a Higher Nitec course, but I couldn't get into polytechnic. I wanted to get into poly because Express students normally at least make it to poly (after O levels),' he recounts. He failed three out of six O level subjects. He enrolled in a Higher Nitec course in Information Technology at ITE College Central. 'It felt the most familiar to me because I played computer games,' he says. After ITE, he did a diploma at Nanyang Polytechnic in game development and technology. He still did not like studying or going to school, although he managed to adhere to the minimum attendance requirements. National service was his wake-up call. Mr Ling says: 'My biggest motivation was NS. In my unit, everyone was going to a local university or had career prospects elsewhere.' He was surrounded by people who were driven and knew what they wanted to do. 'I felt that I was behind. I tried to figure out what I would like to do, to catch up with my peers, because I was two years older than them, having gone to ITE before poly,' he recalls. He decided on programming because he had already done that at polytechnic. During his downtime in NS and on weekends, he attended online courses and coding tutorials and designed websites as a personal project. He cut down on social gatherings and quit gaming. He says: 'Pushing through during army wasn't easy, but I knew it was the only window I had to improve my skills and catch up on what I had missed in school. I got my life back on track.' After NS, in 2023, he got into the Fusion programme, which was set up by the Infocomm Media Development Authority and NCS, an information technology company. Under this scheme, Mr Ling, now a software engineer at NCS, will soon complete his part-time Bachelor of Information Technology degree, offered by the University of Wollongong in partnership with SIM. He achieved an average grade of 81.16 out of 100, a far cry from his previous academic results. Mr Ling says that securing a job allowed his mother the opportunity to retire from the freight forwarding sector after 30 years. The 61-year-old is semi-retired and does freelance work in the healthcare industry. He says: 'I did this so that she can retire from her stressful career. Looking back, I would say to younger people that everyone matures eventually. If I were to give my younger self advice, I would say: Do not be ashamed of taking a different path.' He was shocked when he applied for, and won, SIM's resilience award. He says: 'It's a form of recognition of my efforts, even if I don't deserve it. I haven't gotten any awards before. I'm not used to winning things.' Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CBC
23-05-2025
- CBC
Lithium-ion battery fires on the rise in Montreal, fire service warns
Social Sharing Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly the cause of fires in Montreal, and the city's fire service is working to spread awareness about this growing problem. That's according to an annual report published by the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM) that says there's been a 195 per cent increase in lithium fires over the last two years. There were 24 such fires in 2022, 43 in 2023 and 71 in 2024. This rise is largely due to the increasing popularity of micromobility devices (scooters, electric bicycles, etc.) powered by this type of battery, the report says. Along with intensifying awareness campaigns, the report says the SIM is working to modify municipal regulations to better regulate the use, storage and disposal of lithium-ion batteries. This report comes after a large-scale lithium battery fire in September sent a thick cloud of toxic gas over eastern Montreal. In that case, 15,000 kilograms of lithium batteries inside a shipping container caught fire at the Port of Montreal. Batteries are 'basically everywhere' Robert Rousseau, a divisional chief with the fire service, said lithium-ion batteries are also found in portable electronics like smartphones and laptops. "There's a presence basically everywhere," he said. "If you go back about 10 years ago at home, we used desktop computers ... Now everybody has a laptop. Nobody has landlines anymore. So everybody has a cellphone." There are also power tools and other devices powered by these batteries, he said. Rousseau said the Montreal fire service is prepared to manage fires with specialized tools and containers that control and suppress fires. "We can put the batteries on them when they ignite, so it stops the thermal reaction," he said. Rousseau said it is important that people are using certified batteries that are in good condition. He said charging cables must also be in good condition. It's important to use original or approved accessories. Montreal certainly isn't the only Canadian city tackling lithium battery safety in recent years. Authorities in cities like Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver have issued warnings. There have been several deaths associated with lithium-ion battery fires across Canada. According to Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, five people were killed in the city in 2022 as a result of batteries. In December, the Toronto Transit Commission board voted to ban electric bikes and scooters with lithium-ion batteries from TTC vehicles and stations during winter due to fire concerns. Lithium-ion batteries generally safe Randy Narine is among those who have been pushing for stricter regulations on transportation and storage of lithium batteries. He is an Ontario-based firefighter and lithium-ion researcher with the Clean Energy Safety and Training Council of Canada, an organization dedicated to providing training and research to front-line workers and first responders in the clean energy sector. He said lithium-ion battery products are safe when used responsibly. "But then when you get these DIY batteries, these do-it-yourselfers, or a battery that's been abused — that is where there is more of a chance of something happening," he said. Narine said that public safety is more than just an individual responsibility. "The fire service needs to do more to educate the public and the manufacturers need to do more to educate the public," he said. When the large fire in the Port of Montreal sent the cloud rolling into Montreal neighbourhoods, firefighters were seen breathing oxygen while walking the streets, talking to residents about the situation. About 100 people fled the area. In that case, the lithium batteries in a storage container entered thermal runaway, which required firefighters to cool the container for hours, aided by a special drill from airport colleagues. At the time, Martin Guilbault, division chief with the Montreal fire service, said this was a first in his 32-year career, and he suspects this isn't the last large-scale lithium battery fire. Batteries release gases when burning Along with the fire safety risks, burning batteries release hazardous chemicals. Among them, hydrogen fluoride, which can cause chemical burns, eye irritation and respiratory distress. Acute exposure can even lead to a risk of heart attack or stroke, according to McGill University epidemiology professor Jill Baumgartner. She said health risks depend on the length of exposure, pollutant concentrations and individual vulnerability. Jinhyuk Lee, assistant professor of materials engineering at McGill University, advises against using high-wattage fast chargers, especially for less sophisticated devices, and recommends avoiding charging to 100 per cent. He explained that higher energy storage in batteries increases risk. While modern phones and electric vehicles have software to prevent overheating, he said limiting the charge to 80 per cent is safer. He said storing devices at a higher temperature or overusing devices can cause batteries to overheat. Lee notes that nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) batteries, which store more energy, are less stable than lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, making LFP a safer option. The NMC batteries tend to be used in more sophisticated devices, like Teslas, and require extra safety features, he said.
CNET
20-05-2025
- CNET
Physical SIM Card vs. eSIM: What's the Difference and Which Do You Need?
For years, the main way your phone got service was through a physical SIM (subscriber identity module) card that connected your handset to your phone carrier. SIM cards make it easy to swap phones or carriers whether you're getting a new device or traveling. Nowadays, however, most modern phones also support eSIMs. Rather than a physical card, eSIMs are embedded directly into the phone and the carrier information is programmed remotely via software. Whether you choose a physical SIM or an eSIM depends on several different factors, so we've outlined a few commonly asked questions below. An eSIM lets you set up wireless service using software, instead of a physical SIM card. Apple/Screenshot by Sarah Lord/CNET What do physical SIMs and eSIMs do? A physical SIM card is essentially a tiny card with a chip that connects your phone to your wireless carrier. It contains identifying information like your account info and phone number. Without it, your phone won't have a number or any way to connect to a carrier and you won't be able to make or receive calls and text messages. Some phones allow you to remove the physical SIM card, which allows you to easily swap phones or carriers. This is useful if you want to use your existing number in another phone, or if you want to use your phone with another carrier. Just insert a different SIM card, and you can connect to a different cell network. For years, some phone supported having dual SIM cards. You might have your home number on one and your work number on the other. An eSIM, however, is embedded directly into the phone's circuitry and cannot be ejected or removed. Instead, all the carrier information is programmed remotely via an app. The biggest advantage of eSIMs is that it allows one phone to have multiple lines even from different carriers. This is especially useful when traveling, as you can add a global eSIM provider without having to purchase await in line for a physical SIM when you arrive at your destination. For more on eSIMs, you can check out our explainer here. You can also move your service from one phone to another without needing to dig out a SIM ejector tool, but you might need to call your wireless service provider for assistance. Many phones still use physical SIM cards as an option alongside eSIM. Jason Cipriani/CNET Can I have both an eSIM and a physical SIM? Yes, many phones allow you to have an eSIM and a physical SIM simultaneously, even from different carriers. You can use both simultaneously, or you can designate one as active while the other is on standby. Some people designate one number for work while the other is for personal use. How do I switch phones with a physical SIM or an eSIM? To switch phones with a physical SIM, all you have to do is eject it from your existing phone and then insert it into a new one. This typically works regardless of the phone you are switching between, allowing you to move your service from an iPhone to Android phone at will. With an eSIM, your carrier can either transfer the number over for you or you can do it yourself through your phone's settings. Your carrier will often send detailed instructions on how to do so. Typically it's easy to transfer your eSIM when moving to a phone of the same operating system, for instance moving from an iPhone 14 to an iPhone 16 where both are on iOS or from a Samsung Galaxy S21 to an S25 since both use Android. If you are switching between iOS and Android, you'll likely to call your provider for assistance. Converting an existing physical SIM card to an eSIM is fairly easy too, though it sometimes requires more steps. You can check out our guide on how to do so here, or you can refer to your carrier for more specific instructions. In the US, all iPhone models since the iPhone 14 require eSIM. Internationally, Apple still includes a physical SIM slot. Celso Bulgatti/CNET Do any phones require eSIM? Yes, some phones are eSIM-only and therefore require eSIM. iPhone 14 models and newer are eSIM-only in the US, meaning they lack a physical SIM card slot. Most Android phones include both a physical SIM slot and support for eSIM. Simpler phones, like the Barbie Phone made by HMD, only use physical SIM cards. HMD Do all phones accept eSIM? Most modern iOS and Android phones accept eSIM, such as the newer iPhones, the Pixel 6 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 and newer. Simpler phones, however, like HMD's Barbie Phone and the minimalist Light Phone do not. For those phones, you'll want a physical SIM card.
