India on Wednesday banned sale, production, import and distribution of electronic cigarettes.
Making the announcement on Wednesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted how e-cigarettes are being used as a "style statement".
The ban was necessary to ensure e-cigarettes don't become an "epidemic" among children and young adults, she added.
Health officials have proposed jail terms of up to three years, with a penalty of up to ₹5 lakh (around AED 25,700), for repeat offenders.
Reopening of Gaza's Rafah crossing expected Monday
Gaza's main border crossing in Rafah will reopen for Palestinians on Monday, Israel said, with preparations underway at the war-ravaged enclave's main gateway that has been largely shut for almost two years.
Winter storm death toll in United States reaches 90
Nearly 90 people have died in bitter cold affecting areas of the United States from Texas to New Jersey, according to media reports citing local authorities.
Pakistan says 145 militants killed after attacks in Balochistan
Pakistan's security forces killed 145 militants over 40 hours after coordinated attacks across Balochistan, the chief minister of the southwestern province said on Sunday, as the authorities battle one of the deadliest flare-ups in years.
Israeli strikes kill 26 in Gaza, health officials say
Israel carried out its heaviest airstrikes in Gaza in weeks on Saturday, killing 26 people according to local health authorities, in attacks on a Hamas-run police station and on apartments and tents in an area sheltering displaced Palestinians.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai has approved a AED500 million development plan to transform Umm Suqeim Beach into a major new public waterfront destination.
The UAE's Foreign Minister joined with the Foreign Ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, on Sunday, to strongly condemn Israel’s repeated violations of the ceasefire in Gaza which have resulted in the killing, and injuring of more than a thousand Palestinians.
The United Arab Emirates has signed a cooperation agreement between the UAE Aid Agency and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support humanitarian response efforts in Sudan.
