Day: September 18, 2019

Jaishankar to visit Finland from Sep 19-21

8:56 pm September 18, 2019

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be on a three-day visit to Finland from Thursday during which he will hold talks with the top leadership of that country to strengthen bilateral ties. Jaishankar will have detailed discussions with Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto on a broad spectrum of bilateral relations pursuant to the […]

Vaping-related illness sickens over 500 in US

Cabinet bans e-cigarettes; an ordinance soon: Govt

8:43 pm September 18, 2019

New Delhi: The government on Wednesday banned production, import and sale of e-cigarettes and similar products, citing health risk to people, especially youth, and an ordinance will be brought in to make it an offence, entailing jail term up to three years as well as fine. The decision, taken by the Union cabinet, headed by […]

Nepal’s sexual minorities say progress in rights has stalled

8:35 pm September 18, 2019

Kathmandu: Nepal seized the lead in equal rights for sexual minorities in South Asia four years ago with a new constitution that forbids all discrimination based on sexual orientation. Even citizenship certificates and passports now allow a “non-male, non-female” category. But same-sex couples such as Niraj Sunwar and Aashik Lama say progress has stalled since […]

Israel braces for bitter fight after Netanyahu indictment

Israel election: Netanyahu trails by a seat with majority votes counted

8:31 pm September 18, 2019

Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party trailed its main rival Blue and White by 31 to 32 seats Wednesday after an unprecedented repeat election, putting the country’s longest serving premier on a shaky ground and raising the possibility of a unity government. Israelis voted on Tuesday in their country’s second general election in […]

South Africa court says spanking children unconstitutional

8:26 pm September 18, 2019

Johannesburg: South Africa’s highest court on Wednesday upheld a ruling that spanking or corporal punishment of children at home was unconstitutional, saying the practices violate child rights. In a much-awaited decision, the South African Constitutional Court backed a 2017 court ruling that sentenced a father for assaulting his 13-year-old son for watching a pornographic film. […]