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.
8 Israeli airstrikes hit Syria's Abu al-Duhur airbase, state TV reports
Eight Israeli airstrikes have hit the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria early on Tuesday, targeting the runway and storage facilities, Syria's state-run Ekhbariya said, citing a military source.
Indonesia earthquake death toll rises to 70, government aid arrives
The death toll from the powerful 7.7-magnitude quake that struck Indonesia last Saturday has risen to 70.
Two killed in high school shooting in southern Philippines
Two students were killed in a shooting at a high school in the southern Philippines on Tuesday, one of them the gunman, officials said, in the second such incident in the country in less than two months.
Pakistan top court orders ex-PM Imran Khan be moved to hospital from jail
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered on Tuesday that former Prime Minister Imran Khan be moved to hospital from jail, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said, meeting a longstanding demand of his party and family, who had raised concerns about his health.
Russian missile attack kills 10 in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, governor says
A Russian missile attack has killed 10 people and injured a further eight in a village in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, the regional governor said on Tuesday.
