BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha denied requesting the removal or sidelining of female employees during its September 5 visit to the Eiffel Tower. An investigation by the General Inspectorate of the City of Paris found “a collective dysfunction” and, according to Le Parisien, no explicit request from the Hindu religious delegation to exclude women from the entire procession. Investigators found no written document or email from BAPS requesting women staff be removed. The report said decisions were made “between consenting adults,” while a Parisian elected official said the instruction was distorted through word of mouth. The incident triggered a staff walkout, public outrage and Eiffel Tower closure. SETE chief Patrick Branco Ruivo will step down following the controversy. (PC: X)

Indian Ambassador to the UAE Deepak Mittal said Flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar is “in good health and recovering well” after suffering serious injuries when his co-pilot allegedly attacked him during a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight. Machchhar was initially treated at a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, before being shifted to the UAE. The flight, carrying 174 people, made an emergency landing in Tabuk after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed Machchhar and sent the aircraft plunging nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. The Indian Embassy said Mittal visited Machchhar and his family and remains coordinated with authorities over his medical care. The passengers later reached Israel safely after the attack was foiled.

Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, who was stabbed by his co-pilot aboard a Flydubai flight, was airlifted from Saudi Arabia to Dubai on Thursday for medical treatment. Machchhar was injured during an alleged attempt to crash flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, on Wednesday. Despite his injuries, he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the attacker. A second pair of pilots then landed the aircraft safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. All 174 passengers survived. Machchhar is reported to be stable. Gujarat has announced the Visisht Gujarat Garima Award to honour his bravery. (PC: The Indian Express)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke with Indian pilot Smit Machchhar’s parents and wife, praising his courage during an alleged mid-air attack aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks, Modi said the captain had helped prevent a “9/11-type tragedy”. The co-pilot allegedly stabbed Machchhar aboard the Boeing 737 MAX 8, causing the aircraft to plunge thousands of feet over Saudi Arabia. Passengers helped restrain the attacker before the plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk. Machchhar underwent surgery and is reported to be stable. (PC: HT)

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has thanked Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his courage during a mid-air attack on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Herzog also announced plans to recommend 4 Israeli passengers for the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism after they helped overpower the attacker. The passengers, Yaniv Hayoun, Zvika Manes and Asaf Rajuan, entered the cockpit and restrained the co-pilot after he allegedly stabbed Machchhar. Dr Shota Musayev provided medical treatment to the injured captain. Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door despite his injuries. The aircraft later made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. (PC: X)

Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayun helped intervene during an alleged cockpit attack on a Dubai-Tel Aviv Flydubai flight, telling injured Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, “You’re not going to die today.” In an interview with India Today, Hayun said he and a crew member forced open the cockpit door after finding it unlocked. He saw Machchhar lying injured on the floor while the Omani co-pilot was at the controls. Hayun said he grabbed the co-pilot from behind and pulled him away. The incident occurred aboard Flight FZ1073 on Wednesday, with 174 people on board. The aircraft later landed safely in Saudi Arabia. (PC: India Today)

Flydubai flight carrying 174 people plunged 14,125 feet in 29 seconds after an alleged stabbing incident in the cockpit on Wednesday. The Boeing 737, operating Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one pilot allegedly stabbed the other and appeared to attempt to crash the aircraft. Flydubai confirmed an altercation on the flight deck but did not verify these claims. Flight-tracking data recorded the sharp descent. Passengers reportedly panicked as the aircraft lost altitude. The incident is under investigation, and several details remain unconfirmed. (PC:  The Indian Express)

Israeli dentist Dr Shota Mosaev, the only doctor aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, described treating Indian Captain Smit Machchhar after he was repeatedly stabbed by his co-pilot. Mosaev said Machchhar had deep wounds to his head and hands, significant blood loss and eventually lost consciousness as his blood pressure fell. The dentist rushed to the cockpit after hearing screams and treated the captain while passengers restrained the attacker using a headphone cord and later plastic zip ties. The Boeing 737 aircraft had sharply descended nearly 14,000 feet before passengers and crew intervened. It later diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where Machchhar underwent surgery and was reported stable. The attack’s exact motive remains under investigation. (PC: X)

India’s Embassy in Riyadh said Flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, injured while helping avert an in-flight crisis, is currently stable and receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The embassy and Consulate General in Jeddah are monitoring his condition, awaiting a detailed health update and remaining in contact with his family to provide assistance. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Machchhar as a “true hero,” saying he was seriously injured but resisted the attacker, opened the cockpit door and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the assailant. Netanyahu said Machchhar saved 174 people. Israeli diplomat Reuven Azar said the pilot and others helped save 180 souls, while wishing Machchhar a full recovery. 

US President Donald Trump praised Indian Flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar as a “hero” after the pilot was stabbed by his Omani co-pilot during a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight. Trump said Machchhar was in “very bad shape” but retained enough presence of mind to help prevent an apparent attempt to crash the aircraft. Recounting details shared with him by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door after being attacked with a knife, then fell back and “scream[ed] for help.” Passengers subsequently managed to overpower the co-pilot and helped ensure the aircraft landed safely in Saudi Arabia. Trump praised Machchhar’s actions while describing the injured Indian pilot as a hero.