The religious voices in Afghanistan are opening up against the ban on female education. Two prominent religious scholars on Saturday urged the Taliban to reconsider its decision and allow women back into educational institutions.

The religious voices in Afghanistan are opening up against the ban on female education. Two prominent religious scholars on Saturday urged the Taliban to reconsider its decision and allow women back into educational institutions. Abdul Rahman Abid, an Islamic scholar said girls should be re-admitted with separate classes and female teachers teaching them. Moreover, if the rules are to be followed to a tee, separate facilities can be built for them. “My daughter is absent from school, I am ashamed, I have no answer for my daughter. My daughter asks why girls are not allowed to learn in the Islamic system. I have no answer for her," Abid was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. Another scholar named Toryali Himat who is incidentally a member of the Taliban as well stated that women should be able to receive education up to the university level. “Islam has allowed both men and women to learn, but hijab and curriculum should be considered," said Himat before adding, "Corrective criticism should be given and the Islamic emirate should think about this. Where there is no criticism, there is the possibility of corruption. My personal opinion is that girls should get education up to university level.” The scholars opining their rather rogue opinions comes in the backdrop of Acting Higher Education Minister Nida Mohammad Nadim issuing a threat that clerics should not speak against the government policy. “You encouraged the people to rebel, so what is the result? The result is that rebellion against this (ban) is allowed. If people are encouraged to rebel against the system, will it benefit Muslims?" said Nadim, referring to Abdul Sami Al Ghaznawi, another scholar who batted for girls' education. WATCH | Afghanistan: Taliban fighters enforce university ban; Afghan women deprived of basic human rights × Taliban banning female education In December last year, the Taliban authorities sent a letter to all public and private colleges announcing the indefinite ban on Afghan girls attending educational institutions. The reason cited for the ban was that women students had failed to appropriately observe gender-based religious restrictions. "You all are informed to implement the mentioned order of suspending the education of females until further notice," read the letter. On the occasion of International Women's Day last month, the UN released a statement and criticised the Taliban for the umpteenth time for its archaic order. ALSO READ | Afghanistan: Schools start without classes as students remain unaware, girls barred "It has been distressing to witness their methodical, deliberate, and systematic efforts to push Afghan women and girls out of the public sphere," said Roza Otunbayeva, special representative of the UN secretary-general and head of the UN mission to Afghanistan. According to prominent human rights groups, the Taliban is the only country in the world where women and little girls are barred from entering educational as well as work institutions. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Winds of resistance blowing? Afghan religious scholars criticise Taliban's diktat banning female education

At least 20 migrants have gone missing off the coast of Tunisia, as they tried to cross the treacherous Mediterranean to Italy, the judicial officials informed on Saturday.

At least 20 migrants have gone missing off the coast of Tunisia, as they tried to cross the treacherous Mediterranean to Italy, the judicial officials informed on Saturday. The authorities said their boat sank while trying to Although the coast guard managed to rescue 17 others from the same boat off the southern city of Sfax, the others were still untraceable. Of the 17 saved, two are in critical condition, said Sfax court judge Faouzi Masmousdi. Recent months have seen a great influx of migrants using Tunisia as the main departure point to enter Europe. earlier most migrants attempting to leave the conflict-ridden zones of Africa and the Middle East used to take the Libya route to enter the continent. Notably, Tunisia's coast lies just 150 kilometres (90 miles) from the Italian island of Lampedusa which makes it a lucrative option for the migrants to take the additional risk. ALSO READ | Tunisia boat tragedy: 14 people from sub-Saharan Africa nations drown, 54 rescued Over 14,000 migrants have been either intercepted or rescued in the first three months of the year trying to enter Europe. The number is five times the figures recorded during the same period last year. “Coast guard patrols prevent 501 clandestine attempts to cross the maritime border and rescued 14,406 [refugees] including 13,138 from sub-Saharan African countries,” informed the government. ALSO WATCH | Italy Boat Tragedy: 63 bodies found, 36 still missing × Notably, this is not the first instance when an illegal boat crossing has gone awry for the migrants. Earlier this year, the Tunisian authorities discovered a sunken boat with 14 dead bodies while rescuing 54. "Coast guard patrols intercepted a group whose boat had sunk, rescuing 54 people of various sub-Saharan African nationalities, and recovering 14 bodies," read a statement released at the time. However, seeing the large influx of migrants, Tunisia President Kais Saied in February ordered officials to take "urgent measures" to tackle irregular migration, claiming that "a criminal plot" was underway to change Tunisia's demography. ALSO READ | Tunisia’s interior minister, a close aide of President Saied, resigns Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar pleaded the international community that his country needed funding and equipment to better protect its borders. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

At least 20 migrants missing after boat drowns off Tunisian coast, 17 rescued

An upcoming book, "Amrita &amp; Victor", explores the love story between avant-garde artist Amrita Sher-Gil and her husband Victor Egan. 
The book, based on archival evidence, aims to bring out the truth of the "misconstrued relationship" the Hungarian-Indian painter shared with Egan who was also her first cousin.

Published by Fingerprint and written by journalist-author Ashwini Bhatnagar, it is scheduled to release later this month.

"Amrita's life was avant-garde art, and her art was avant-garde life... In the middle of her artistic storm was her lover-husband Victor Egan, the true emotional axis around which her life revolved.

"Victor was a liberal modern lover and husband, a real sensitive new-age guy who abetted her experiments with life and colours. The book profiles his exceptional understanding of Amrita in all its detail," said Bhatnagar in a statement.

Born to an Indian father and a Hungarian mother on January 30, 1913, in Budapest, Hungary, Sher-Gil came to be known as one of the greatest avant-garde women artists for her oeuvre.

She is well-known for her melancholic portraits of women, including "Three Girls", "Women on the charpai", "Hill Women", and "Young Girls".

The book engages with Sher-Gil's taboo relationship with her first cousin, their heady romance during her teenage years, the eventual marriage, despite stiff parental opposition, and ends with her death under questionable circumstances when she was barely 28 years&nbsp;old.

Besides the love story, Bhatnagar also paints the landscape which propelled Sher-Gil's meteoric rise as the finest artist India has produced in the last 100 years.

According to the publishers, while many books have been written about Amrita Sher-Gill and her art, none have been written about her and Victor Egan exclusively.

"This nuanced and sensitive account of their life is meant to reach a wider audience who might not know of their eventful, extraordinary life," said Shantanu Duttagupta, executive publisher at Fingerprint.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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An upcoming book, "Amrita & Victor", explores the love story between avant-garde artist Amrita Sher-Gil and her husband Victor Egan. The book, based on archival evidence, aims to bring out the truth of the "misconstrued relationship" the Hungarian-Indian painter shared with Egan who was also her first cousin.

An upcoming book, "Amrita & Victor", explores the love story between avant-garde artist Amrita Sher-Gil and her husband Victor Egan. The book, based on archival evidence, aims to bring out the truth of the "misconstrued relationship" the Hungarian-Indian painter shared with Egan who was also her first cousin. Published by Fingerprint and written by journalist-author Ashwini Bhatnagar, it is scheduled to release later this month. "Amrita's life was avant-garde art, and her art was avant-garde life... In the middle of her artistic storm was her lover-husband Victor Egan, the true emotional axis around which her life revolved. "Victor was a liberal modern lover and husband, a real sensitive new-age guy who abetted her experiments with life and colours. The book profiles his exceptional understanding of Amrita in all its detail," said Bhatnagar in a statement. Born to an Indian father and a Hungarian mother on January 30, 1913, in Budapest, Hungary, Sher-Gil came to be known as one of the greatest avant-garde women artists for her oeuvre. She is well-known for her melancholic portraits of women, including "Three Girls", "Women on the charpai", "Hill Women", and "Young Girls". The book engages with Sher-Gil's taboo relationship with her first cousin, their heady romance during her teenage years, the eventual marriage, despite stiff parental opposition, and ends with her death under questionable circumstances when she was barely 28 years old. Besides the love story, Bhatnagar also paints the landscape which propelled Sher-Gil's meteoric rise as the finest artist India has produced in the last 100 years. According to the publishers, while many books have been written about Amrita Sher-Gill and her art, none have been written about her and Victor Egan exclusively. "This nuanced and sensitive account of their life is meant to reach a wider audience who might not know of their eventful, extraordinary life," said Shantanu Duttagupta, executive publisher at Fingerprint. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

New book to explore unconventional love story of artist Amrita Sher-Gil

A mysterious phenomenon that started last year in Iran is continuing. On Saturday, at least 60 schoolgirls were poisoned in the town of Haftkel in the oil-rich southwestern province of Khuzestan, local media reports informed.

A mysterious phenomenon that started last year in Iran is continuing. On Saturday, at least 60 schoolgirls were poisoned in the town of Haftkel in the oil-rich southwestern province of Khuzestan, local media reports informed. A number of school-going girls were poisoned in "five schools in Ardabil in the northwest". The medical authorities said most victims showed symptoms of anxiety, shortness of breath and headaches. Similarly in the northwestern town of Urmia, dozens of schoolgirls were admitted to the hospital on Saturday after feeling sick, according to an AFP report. An official count provided by authorities states that as of March 7, as many as 5,000 students have been affected by such poisonings across 230 establishments, in 25 of the country's 31 provinces. A final report by a national fact-finding committee to probe the matter is expected to be released in the upcoming weeks, informed MP Hamidreza Kazemi and the head of the panel. "We have received reports from various bodies and we are studying the issue in order to present our conclusion to parliament," said Kazemi. WATCH | Iranian girls 'poisoned': Police pin blame on stink bombs and hysteria × Hysteria, mass psychosis or conspiracy? Notably, the Iranian police earlier claimed that schoolgirls may have been prone to hysteria and victim of copycat pranks, involving 'stink bombs', in the wave of poison-induced sicknesses. Saeed Montazer Al-Mahdi, the Iranian police spokesman said the 'majority' of the poisonings were 'not real' and merely caused by psychological factors that triggered the paranoia of frenzied students. ALSO READ | Psychosis, hysteria and pranks: Iranian police comes out with explanation for schoolgirl poisonings The detractors of the current regime argue that the poisonings could be an attempt to force the closure of girls' schools, especially in the backdrop of the Mahsa Amini death protests that started in September last year. The version of 'fear and psychosis' by the Iranian police has been backed by a recent report published in Psychology Today. Notably, the first case of schoolgirls poisoning was reported in November last year when as many as 18 girls were admitted to a hospital in the city of Qom. Read more: Mystery of the 'poisoned' schoolgirls in Iran: A case of mass psychogenic illness? Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei has termed the poisoning of girl students as an "unforgivable" crime. "Authorities should seriously pursue the issue of students' poisoning. This is an unforgivable crime... the perpetrators of this crime should be severely punished," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted as saying by state media. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Mysterious schoolgirl poisonings continue across Iran, puzzling authorities

In what comes as another incident of a disorderly drunk man creating ruckus aboard a plane, a 30-year-old passenger has been arrested for attempting to open the emergency exit gate mid-air.

In what comes as another incident of a disorderly drunk man creating ruckus aboard a plane, a 30-year-old passenger has been arrested for attempting to open the emergency exit gate mid-air. The incident transpired on an IndiGo 6E-308 flight bound for Bengaluru, India's Silicon Valley from the capital city of Delhi on Friday. The passenger identified as Prateek was travelling in the 18F seat when his inebriated state got the better of him. According to the police, he tried to open the flap of the emergency gate as the plane was in full tilt in the air. “The drunk passenger tried to create trouble for others seated in the plane and attempted to open the flap of the emergency exit,” a police official was quoted as saying by PTI. The crew members lodged a complaint against the passenger and a case has been registered under sections 290 and 336 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 11(A) of the Aircraft Act. ALSO READ | Air India modifies in-flight alcohol service policy amid incidents of 'unruly' passenger behaviour Meanwhile, IndiGO released a statement saying the unruly passenger was handed over to Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officers upon landing in Bengaluru. “On noticing this violation, the crew on board alerted the captain and the passenger was appropriately cautioned. There was no compromise on the safe operation of the said flight and the unruly passenger was handed over to CISF upon arrival in Bengaluru,” said IndiGo. WATCH | WION Business News | US company debuts all-electric aircraft Not the first incident Notably, this is not the first instance where a passenger has been accused of trying to open the emergency exit. In January earlier this year, another IndiGo flight saw a flyer attempting to pull out the cover of the emergency exit mid-air. "A passenger travelling on Flight 6E 5274 from Nagpur to Mumbai, allegedly tried to remove the cover of the emergency exit while the aircraft was in the air and on approach for landing," IndiGo was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. ALSO READ | Passenger tries to remove IndiGo flight’s emergency exit cover mid-air, FIR lodged While both passengers failed to open the gate, an accused in the US managed to perform the manoeuvre successfully. A fortnight ago, a man in the US aboard a Delta Air Lines passenger plane was arrested after opening one of the aircraft's doors and sliding down the emergency exit slide. The plane was immediately stopped by the pilots as the man jumped onto the back of a baggage cart. The Delta staff initially nabbed the passenger before handing him over to the LAX Police. ALSO READ | Delta Airlines passenger arrested for opening emergency door, deploying exit slide at LAX airport (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Drunk passenger aboard IndiGo flight tries to open emergency exit mid-air, arrested

A number of US states are mulling banning cosmetic products that contain potentially harmful substances known as PFAS or "forever chemicals". The state Senate of Vermont approved a legislation earlier this week which prohibits manufacturers from selling or distributing any consumer-use product that contains perfluoroalkyl and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, as well as several other chemicals.

A number of US states are mulling banning cosmetic products that contain potentially harmful substances known as PFAS or "forever chemicals". The state Senate of Vermont approved a legislation earlier this week which prohibits manufacturers from selling or distributing any consumer-use product that contains perfluoroalkyl and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, as well as several other chemicals. Vermont has joined the likes of California, Colorado and Maryland which have already imposed the restrictions which come into effect in 2025. Products such as deodorant, makeup, shampoo, hair dyes, and sunscreen amongst others usually carry the mentioned harmful chemicals. According to reports, these substances are used extensively by the chemical industry for their long-term resistance to extreme temperatures and corrosion. However, their use has been known to increase cancer risk, increased cholesterol levels, developmental delays in children, reduced immune system function and damage to organs like the liver and thyroid. WATCH | De-influencing: The new viral trend EU mulling the ban as well Apart from the US, the European Union (EU) is also considering a proposal to ban PFAS. Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and non-EU state Norway are collaborating on the joint proposal and if passed, it will become the bloc's most extensive piece of regulation of the chemical industry. "A ban on PFAS would reduce quantities of PFAS in the environment over the long term. It would also make products and processes safer for humans," read the joint statement. "You can find PFAS in penguins in the Antarctic, in polar bears in the Arctic, even in rain water in Tibet." Reports state that the overall health costs from exposure to PFAS in Europe has been between $55 billion to $90 billion. Even if a ban is put in place, the accumulation of PFAS in environment will continue for several years as waste products still shed the harmful molecules. ALSO READ | New French bill requires influencers to disclose use of filters, photoshop; bans plastic surgery promotion Recently, the French parliament passed legislation that bans influencers from promoting cosmetic surgery on social media while making it mandatory for them to label the images when filters or Photoshop has been used. According to French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, failure to comply with the strict regulations could result in two years of jail and $32,515 (€30,000) in fines. Moreover, convicted influencers will not be allowed to use social media to continue their career. ALSO READ | Social media influencers told not to use 'misleading' beauty filters (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

US states consider ban on cosmetic products containing ‘forever chemicals’

Warning bells are ringing in Italy regarding a population collapse. A new report presented by National Statistics Bureau ISTAT stated that the birth rate in the European country touched a historic low in 2022 with less than seven newborns for every 1,000 inhabitants.

Warning bells are ringing in Italy regarding a population collapse. A new report presented by National Statistics Bureau ISTAT stated that the birth rate in the European country touched a historic low in 2022 with less than seven newborns for every 1,000 inhabitants. The population shrank by 179,000 to 58.85 million, added the agency. There are ominous signs as the number of deaths (12) far exceeded the births (7) per 1,000. Notably, the population has been on a downward slope since 2008 but it was for the first time that the number sunk below the 400,000 mark. Italy recorded only 392,600 births in 2022, down from 400,249 recorded in the previous year. "A major factor is the reduction and the ageing of the female population in the 15-49 age group conventionally considered reproductive," said the institute in its report. It added that fertility rate for Italian women went down to 1.24 from 1.25 in 2021 — with the central and northern region registering a decline. Though the population decline slowed down moderately compared to 2021 and 2020, experts say the two years in question were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the population of centenarians (those 100 years old or above) climbed by more than 2,000 compared to 2021. WATCH | WION Fineprint: Japan's PM Kishida vows to raise birth rate × The numbers could have been far more upsetting if it wasn't for the immigrant population. The immigrants exceeded the emigrant population by 229,000 in 2022 compared to 160,000 in 2021. In total, foreigners made up 8.6 per cent of Italy's population or 5.05 million. During her election canvassing trail, Italy's newly elected Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had made fixing the population problem a major poll plank. The release of the worrisome figures is expected to add to her woes. ALSO READ | Japan may cease to exist, warns PM Fumio Kishida aide as birthrate plummets to record levels Japan facing same problem Notably, Italy is not the only country that is facing such an existential crisis. Last month, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's close aide stated that the Asian country might cease to exist if the current trend of falling birth rate continues. "If we go on like this, the country will disappear. It's the people who have to live through the process of disappearance who will face enormous harm. It's a terrible disease that will afflict those children," warned Masako Mori. Japanese PM Kishida has stated the situation is grim and that it cannot be put in cold storage any more. "Japan is standing on the verge of whether we can continue to function as a society. Focusing attention on policies regarding children and child-rearing is an issue that cannot wait and cannot be postponed." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Population collapse imminent? Italy's birth rate drops to historic low in 2022

Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Saturday stopped a bill passed by the Senate last month that aimed to limit the powers of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP). Alvi cited that the proposed bill was above and beyond the jurisdiction of the legislative body.

Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Saturday stopped a bill passed by the Senate last month that aimed to limit the powers of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP). Alvi cited that the proposed bill was above and beyond the jurisdiction of the legislative body. The president posted a detailed reply on Twitter wherein he shared why thought it fit and proper to return the bill. He added there was a need for consideration of certain aspects after 'vetting' the bill. “President Dr Arif Alvi has returned the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 for reconsideration to the Parliament as per the provisions of the Article 75 of the Constitution, stating that the Bill prima-facie travels beyond the competence of the Parliament and can be assailed as a colourable legislation," tweeted the president. "The Supreme Court of Pakistan is an independent institution as visualized by the founding fathers that in the State of Pakistan ‘independence of the judiciary shall be fully secured’. With such an objective in view, Article 191 was incorporated and the Supreme Court was kept out of the law-making authority of the Parliament." President Dr Arif Alvi has returned the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 for reconsideration to the Parliament as per the provisions of the Article 75 of the Constitution, stating that the Bill prima-facie travels beyond the competence of the Parliament - pic.twitter.com/SM7HXVVa5Q — The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) April 8, 2023 × WATCH | Pakistan's Senate passes bill to limit top judge's power × Notably, the legislation was approved by the federal cabinet last month on March 28. A day later the National Assembly also passed it after a few amendments. The Senate gave its final approval and the bill went to the president for assent. However, justifying the legislation, the law minister Azam Nazir Tarar said it was time for a change in the judiciary. “As time passes, to run institutions, you have to go through various periods [and] face various conducts. Law never stands still. You have to keep a margin for changes in the law so that the law can function according to the needs of the people in the present age,” said Tarar. Bill divides Pakistan civil society Ever since the legislation was mooted, it has divided the lawmakers as well as the common folks in the country. The detractors argue that the bill attempts to take away the powers of the judiciary akin to the way Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu tried recently. Meanwhile, the supporters believe that the passing of the bill was in line with what most bar associations had been demanding to free up the judicial process. Now, that the bill has been returned, the parliamentarians will have to discuss it yet again in a joint session. If they send it back to the president for his assent, he will have 10 days to sign it. Failing to do so in the stipulated period will mean that the bill has passed. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Pakistan president Arif Alvi returns bill aiming to curtail CJP's powers

A Financial Times analysis has revealed that almost 80 per cent of employers in the UK pay men more than women on average in their organisations. It added that the percentage figure had worsened since the mandatory gender pay gap reporting began six years ago.

A Financial Times analysis has revealed that almost 80 per cent of employers in the UK pay men more than women on average in their organisations. It added that the percentage figure had worsened since the mandatory gender pay gap reporting began six years ago. "The data showed that 79.5 per cent of employers had a gender pay gap that favoured men in 2022-23, higher than the figures collected both last year and six years ago," the publication noted. The average gap between men's and women's pay stood at 12.2 per cent in 2022-23 which was an uptick from the 11.9 per cent noted in 2017-18. WATCH | Meta has a pay gap problem, with women getting lower pay × The stubborn inequality persists across different sectors. The pay gap increased in transport and administration last year and remained highest among employers in education. The average pay gap in the sector stood at a whopping 23.2 per cent. The finance sector did not fare any better as the average pay gap stood at 22.7 per cent in 2022-23. Lloyds Banking Group and NatWest Group were the biggest culprits as the pay disparity stood at 34.8 per cent and 31.6 per cent respectively. “There are comparatively more women in junior roles, and more men in higher-paid leadership roles . . . this is the main source of the overall pay gap, as the lower number of senior women brings down the average pay for these colleagues,” Lloyds said attempting to rationalise the findings. ALSO READ | Meta’s gender pay gap: Women paid 15.7% less than men in 2022, says report According to a UN report, for every dollar that a man makes across the world, a woman only makes 77 cents due to the growing pay disparity between the two genders. Despite the best efforts of fair-pay campaigners and business groups, the pay disparity figures suggest that the battle is far from won. Organisations may be batting for gender equality in the workplace but they have done, not nearly enough, when it comes to taking action on the gender pay gap. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Gender pay gap widens: 80 per cent UK employers pay men more than women

A new report has claimed that women are more likely to be rejected when they ask for a salary hike. The report published by Pew Research Center surveyed over 5,500 US workers and came to the conclusion that 58 per cent of men and 61 per cent of women did not ask for higher pay when they were last hired.

A new report has claimed that women are more likely to be rejected when they ask for a salary hike. The report published by Pew Research Center surveyed over 5,500 US workers and came to the conclusion that 58 per cent of men and 61 per cent of women did not ask for higher pay when they were last hired. Of those who asked for more money, only 28 per cent had a successful strike rate in achieving it while 38 per cent said they were offered less than what they wanted but more than the initial offer. 35 per cent said they were only given what they were presented first. However, the upshot of the survey was that women (38 per cent) were more likely than men (31 per cent) to say they were only served the initial offer. Subsequently, men were more likely than women to be satisfied with the pay they were offered — 42 per cent to 36 per cent. Women also were more likely (42 per cent vs 33 per cent) to say they did not feel comfortable asking for more money from their employers. The younger female employees were even more likely to ask for a raise. WATCH | Meta has a pay gap problem, with women getting lower pay UK employers pay men more than women The report by Pew comes hot on the heels of a Financial Times analysis revealing that almost 80 per cent of employers in the UK pay men more than women on average in their organisation. The report painted the grim picture by adding that the percentage figure had worsened since the mandatory gender pay gap reporting began six years ago. The average gap between men's and women's pay stood at 12.2 per cent in 2022-23 which was an uptick from the 11.9 per cent noted in 2017-18. ALSO READ | Gender pay gap widens: 80 per cent UK employers pay men more than woman The stubborn inequality persists across different sectors. The pay gap increased in transport and administration last year and remained highest amongst employers in the educational setups. The average pay gap in the sector stood at a whopping 23.2 per cent. According to a UN report, for every dollar that a man makes across the world, a woman only makes 77 cents due to the growing pay disparity between the two genders. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Gender pay gap: Women more likely to face rejection when asking for pay hike

Elon Musk-owned Tesla is offering bumper discounts. For the fifth time since January, the electric vehicle maker has slashed the prices between two per cent and nearly six per cent.

Elon Musk-owned Tesla is offering bumper discounts. For the fifth time since January, the electric vehicle maker has slashed the prices between two per cent and nearly six per cent. The continuation of the discount drive in Tesla's largest market could hurt profitability, caution experts. According to Tesla's website, the cuts ranged from two per cent on the Model 3 performance version to nearly six per cent on the basic version of Model S. The company also slashed $2,000 off the price of Model Y — its most popular small SUV, adding a lower-cost dual-motor version at $49,990. Cumulatively, Tesla has reduced the price of its base Model 3 by 11 per cent since the beginning of the year while Model Y has witnessed an even steeper 20 per cent reduction. US prepares to adopt tougher standards The move comes at a time when the US government is preparing to adopt tougher standards that may limit EV tax credits. Tesla earlier this month said the Model 3 rear-wheel drive credit will be reduced as a result of the guidance. The Biden administration is expected to publish a revised list of qualifying models and tax credit amounts later this month. WATCH | Elon Musk loses world's richest crown after Tesla shares fall 50% | World Business News | WION × Industry experts said Tesla needs to sell more vehicles to keep its factories operating at full capacity as the overhead of underutilised plants can quickly eat into the profit margins. Before the tax credits evaporate, this is the opportunity to let the cars fly out of the Tesla factory shelves. Moreover, with more and more players jumping on the EV bandwagon, Tesla's novelty factor may have worn off which explains the aggressive price cuts. Tesla's sales numbers According to sales figures released earlier this month, Tesla, which does not break out sales by country said the deliveries rose 36 per cent last quarter to 422,875. ALSO READ | Tesla’s 50 per cent price slash creates ‘havoc’ in Chinese electric car market: Report The numbers were significantly higher than the 310,000 deliveries recorded a year ago but still fell short of analyst estimates of 432,000. Despite missing the target, the company has set an ambitious goal of hitting 1.8 million deliveries this year. Apart from the USA, Tesla made news last month when it triggered a price war among the electric carmakers in the hyper-competitive Chinese market by announcing a 50 per cent reduction in prices. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Tesla slashes car prices in US for fifth time since start of year to spur demand

Days after Australia announced it was banning TikTok on government devices in the country, China's commerce ministry has released a statement saying the decision was 'discriminatory' — one that harmed the interest of Australian businesses.

Days after Australia announced it was banning TikTok on government devices in the country, China's commerce ministry has released a statement saying the decision was 'discriminatory' — one that harmed the interest of Australian businesses. It urged Canberra to look into the matter again and treat all firms fairly. "Australia treated TikTok differently from other social media platforms and adopted discriminatory restrictive measures, which are not conducive to maintaining Australia's national security," read the statement. "We urge the Australian side to earnestly abide by the rules of the market economy and the principles of fair competition, and provide Chinese companies with a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment." ALSO READ | Australia to ban TikTok on government devices: Reports Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing had "lodged stern representations with the Australian side". Notably, earlier this week, reports stated that Australia had joined the likes of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand amongst others in banning the short-video app. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus informed the decision was taken after receiving advice from the country's intelligence agencies. "TikTok poses significant security and privacy risks to non-corporate commonwealth entities arising from extensive collection of user data and exposure to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government that conflict with Australian law," read Australia's protective security direction. WATCH | Australia to ban TikTok on government devices: Reports × TikTok Australia's General Manager Lee Hunter in a statement said that the company was “extremely disappointed” by the decision if confirmed. “We stress that there is no evidence to suggest that TikTok is in any way a security risk to Australians and should not be treated differently to other social media platforms,” said Hunter, as per media reports. ALSO READ | US lawmakers to go ahead with the proposal banning TikTok use nationwide In December last year, TikTok acknowledged that it has knowingly collected user data to spy on journalists. India was one of the first countries to issue a blanket ban on the Chinese app. Since then, more and more countries have joined the bandwagon and booted TikTok out. Last month, US lawmakers said they were moving forward with the plan to impose a nationwide ban on the app, having already banned it on federal devices. Kevin McCarthy, the US House of Representatives speaker said the lawmakers were moving ahead to address the national security concerns posed by the app, alleging that the Chinese government had access to users' data. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

‘Australia treated TikTok...’: China requests fair treatment after app is banned

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