Netanyahu invites Modi to light Independence Day torch with Indian pilot

Benjamin Netanyahu invited Narendra Modi to light an Independence Day torch alongside Indian pilot Smit Machchhar. The gesture highlights strengthening India-Israel ties and recognition of the Indian community.

In Short

• Indian national was killed and three injured in Saudi attacks
• India rejected UN description of D-Company as India-based criminal group
• France unrest prompted New Delhi to advise Indians to remain vigilant

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and invited him to light a torch alongside Indian pilot Smit Machchhar on Israel's Independence Day, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

In other international developments, an Indian national was killed in an attack in Saudi Arabia, India rejected a UN report's description of Dawood Ibrahim's D-Company as an “India-based” criminal group, and New Delhi issued a safety advisory for Indians in France amid unrest.

An Indian national was killed and three others were injured in two separate attacks targeting a major airport and an oilfield in Saudi Arabia, officials said, according to PTI. The attacks came amid a series of missile and drone strikes by Yemen's Houthis on key infrastructure in the Gulf country.

Nepal also condemned a drone attack on Saudi Arabia's Shaybah oilfield in which a Nepali migrant worker was killed by falling debris after the drone was intercepted.

China backed calls to reopen the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a key international shipping route disrupted by Houthi attacks during their conflict with Saudi Arabia. The development came as global oil supplies faced growing pressure because of restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran-US war.

US President Donald Trump said he had considered renaming the Atlantic Ocean but dropped the idea after Google chief executive Sundar Pichai warned, according to Trump, that such a move could upset many countries.

In Britain, a member of parliament tabled a motion reaffirming India's sovereignty and territorial integrity over Jammu and Kashmir, PTI reported.

India strongly rejected a UN special rapporteur's description of the Dawood Ibrahim-led D-Company as an “India-based” criminal group. New Delhi flagged “glaring inaccuracies” in the report and cautioned that such incompetence caused tremendous harm to the world body.

India advised its nationals living in or travelling to France to remain vigilant and exercise caution amid continuing unrest, violent clashes and local curfews in parts of the country.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal called for a bilateral trade target of 310 billion euros between India and Germany. He urged businesses in both countries to identify opportunities to maximise benefits from the India-EU trade agreement once it comes into effect.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged communities to stand against hate and care for one another as he joined members of the Hindu diaspora for Navratri and Durga Puja celebrations. The event came days after authorities foiled a plot to carry out a mass shooting at a temple in Illinois.

A Pakistani court summoned two government officials in connection with the detention of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's three sisters, a court official said on Thursday.

Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu discussed ways to strengthen defence cooperation and institutional ties as the two countries sought to expand bilateral engagement.

King Charles III stripped a London-based British Indian landlord of his royal honour after he was fined for renting out damp and squalid rooms.

In the US, an election advertisement released by Ohio governor aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy triggered a row among Republicans and Democrats. The advertisement featured the estranged mother of his opponent, Amy Acton.

The US Postal Service released a postage stamp commemorating Diwali. It features an intricate rangoli pattern created by Houston-based artist Sangita Bhutada.

Sri Lanka's national electricity grid operator announced an end to scheduled power cuts after a unit at the Norochcholai coal-fired power station was restored to full capacity.

The developments reported by PTI ranged from India's diplomatic engagements and advisories to attacks in Saudi Arabia, political and community issues in the US and Britain, regional defence ties, trade discussions and the restoration of regular power supply in Sri Lanka.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends