India news: Tanker carrying 27 Indians attacked in Strait of Hormuz

India's space agency successfully launched a navigation satellite on Friday night to strengthen the country's indigenous alternative to GPS.

The NVS-03 satellite, the third in Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) next-generation navigation series, was carried into orbit by the "GSLV-F18" rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, located on an island in the Bay of Bengal.

According to ISRO the "the GSLV-F18 vehicle placed NVS-03 satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit."

An earlier statement by the agency said the satellite is "intended to augment the NavIC constellation and support continuity of navigation services."

It is designed to provide navigation coverage across India and up to 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) beyond its borders.

NavIC is seen as an alternative to the Global Positioning System (GPS) system owned by the United States government and developed to reduce India's dependence on foreign navigation systems.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the successful launch as a "great accomplishment."

An oil tanker carrying 27 Indian seafarers was targeted with limpet mines in the Strait of Hormuz. A small boat attached two mines to the vessel's hull, causing a fire in the engine room, maritime security sources said on Friday.

Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said all Indian seafarers aboard the vessel were safe and had sustained no injuries. Sonowal also added that two Indians aboard another tanker that faced a separate attack on October 29 were also safe.

The attack on the Panama-flagged Louise 1 occurred on Thursday, around 25 nautical miles (46 km) northeast of Oman's Khasab.

The fire was extinguished, the crew was safe and there was no environmental impact, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

The incident marks the first known successful use of limpet mines against a vessel in the waterway since the US-Iran war began in February.

The identity of those behind the attacks was not immediately known.

The Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for oil and gas transport, is seeing attacks on ships at the highest level since the Iran war began, according to US-based think tank Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Incidentally, the Louise 1 was hit earlier with naval drones in the Black Sea by Ukrainian forces over its alleged role in transporting Russian oil and being part of the so-called shadow fleet of tankers deployed by Moscow.

Iran offers plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz within 7 days

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This is Shakeel from DW's New Delhi studio bringing you the top updates from across India on the last day of the coldest October in 75 years. Brrr…must be true!

On a more serious note, two vessels with Indian crew members were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz in the past two days. Thankfully, the Indian government has said all sailors were safe.

Meanwhile, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the NVS-03 satellite to strengthen its indigenous navigation system and reduce reliance on the US-owned GPS.

We'll have all this and more here. And you can review yesterday's India news round-up here.