Jerusalem, Sep 17: Extending warm greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 76th birthday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday lauded the Indian leader for transforming India into a world power.

Netanyahu also underscored the growing ties between India and Israel, describing it as an “unprecedented partnership” between two great democracies.

“Happy birthday, Narendra! Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Your leadership has transformed India into a world power. Together, we have built an unprecedented partnership between our two great democracies. The friendship between Israel and India has never been stronger, and together we will take it to even greater heights. I wish you many more years of leadership, health and fulfillment,” the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel posted on X, quoting Netanyahu.

Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin extended birthday wishes to Prime Minister Modi and appreciated his contribution to strengthening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two nations.

The Russian Embassy in India shared President Putin’s message for PM Modi on Instagram. In the message, President Putin expressed gratitude to PM Modi for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to him during his recent visit to New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit.

‘You are rightly enjoying deep respect from your compatriots and great authority on the global stage. It is impossible to overstate your personal contribution to strengthening the special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia,” the Russian Embassy in India posted on Instagram.

According to the statement, President Putin described his recent talks with PM Modi as “substantive, frank and productive” and said he is ready to continue cooperation between the two nations on bilateral and international issues.

As greetings continue to pour in for Prime Minister Modi’s 76th birthday, Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit also extended heartfelt wishes to the Indian leader, wishing him good health and strength in his service to the nation.

“On behalf of the Government and people of the Commonwealth of Dominica, I extend warm birthday wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. May the year ahead bring you good health and continued strength in service to the people of India,” Skerrit posted on X.

Several foreign envoys and diplomatic missions in India also extended warm birthday greetings to Prime Minister Modi, highlighting the enduring ties and close partnerships between India and their respective countries.

Gaza, Sep 17: The death toll from the collapse of a residential building in western Gaza City rose to 21, including 11 children and six women, with more than 25 injured, local officials and residents have said.

The six-storey Al-Saada building, previously damaged by Israeli bombardment, collapsed in the early hours of Wednesday near the headquarters of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), according to civil defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal on Wednesday (local time).

The building housed about 100 displaced people, residents said.

Basal said rescue teams saved 45 people and recovered 21 bodies during a 16-hour operation.

Another 35 managed to escape, he added.

Dozens of grieving relatives gathered outside the collapsed building, some digging with bare hands, reports Xinhua news agency.

Louay al-Ajla, 54, lost nearly 10 family members in the collapse.

“I received the news at dawn. It was devastating,” al-Ajla said.

Palestinian authorities blamed Israel for restricting heavy machinery and equipment needed for rescue efforts.

The Hamas-run media office in Gaza said in a statement that more than 8,500 missing people remained buried beneath rubble across the Gaza Strip due to difficulties in bringing in heavy machinery and rescue equipment, calling thousands of damaged buildings “ticking time bombs.”

Basal added that more than 2,000 residential buildings risk collapse as winter approaches, calling on the so-called “Board of Peace” and ceasefire-guaranteeing countries to facilitate equipment entry, warning of “imminent disasters.”

The collapse occurred amid continued ceasefire violations, with no progress in talks between Hamas and Israel despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect in October 2025.

Kathmandu, Sep 17: The Nepal government has made it mandatory to report details of lost, stolen or cancelled Nepali passports to Interpol within 24 hours of being notified by the concerned person.

Under the “Procedure on updating details of lost, stolen and cancelled passports with Interpol, 2026,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stipulated that details of such passports must be updated in Interpol’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database.

The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) is the world’s largest international police organisation, connecting law enforcement agencies across 196 member countries.

For the purpose of updating the details, the Department of Passports will designate officials responsible for handling such cases and establish a coordination mechanism. The department will also maintain records of lost and stolen passports and coordinate with the Interpol National Central Bureau of Nepal Police.

The procedure introduced on Wednesday states that the information provided must include details such as the type of passport or travel document, passport number, date of issue, expiry date, date on which it was lost, stolen or cancelled, and the possible location where it was lost or stolen.

The provision aims to institutionalize the timely sharing of information among relevant agencies and ensure that details of lost or stolen passports issued by Nepal are made available internationally to help prevent their potential misuse, the ministry said.

Information involving an immediate risk of terrorism, organised crime, human trafficking, illegal international travel or other forms of misuse must be prioritized and forwarded without delay.

According to the procedure, if a passport is lost or stolen, the passport holder or their authorized representative must notify the Department of Passports in writing. If the passport holder is abroad, they must notify the nearest Nepali diplomatic mission either personally or through an authorized representative.

Upon receiving such information, the Department of Passports must search for the passport number and other available details in its system, verify the applicant’s identity and passport information, and ascertain the document’s actual status.

The passport must then be marked in the system as “lost” or “stolen,” with necessary controls applied to prevent its use. The required information must subsequently be prepared and sent to the designated official or the Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB), Kathmandu, of Nepal Police.

Similarly, Nepali diplomatic missions abroad must verify the details of a passport after receiving a report that it has been lost or stolen and immediately forward the information to the Department of Passports. They must also inform the concerned person that the passport can no longer be used.