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• New York became the second US state to ban flavored e-cigarettes, following several vaping-linked deaths that have raised fears about a product long promoted as less harmful than smoking.


• A health council passed emergency legislation proposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo outlawing flavored vaping products amid an outbreak of severe pulmonary disease that has killed seven people and sickened hundreds.

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• U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration could seal a deal on trade with China before the U.S. presidential election, or an agreement could be reached the day after U.S. voters go to the polls.


• Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled from New Mexico to California, Trump claimed that Beijing thinks he is going to win re-election, but that Chinese officials would prefer to be dealing with someone else.

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• The Taliban have told the BBC that their "doors are open" should US President Donald Trump want to resume peace talks in the future.


• Chief negotiator Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai insisted negotiation remained "the only way for peace in Afghanistan" during an exclusive interview.


• Mr. Stanikzai's words came a week after Mr. Trump declared the talks "dead".


• Earlier this month, the two sides had appeared close to a deal to end the 18-year conflict.

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• Exit polls following Israel's second general election in five months suggest the result is too close to call.


• The centrist Blue and White alliance of former military chief Benny Gantz is projected to win between 32 and 34 seats, and PM Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party 30 to 33 seats.


• Yisrael Beiteinu party leader Avigdor Lieberman may end up being the kingmaker.


• Mr. Netanyahu called the snap vote after failing to form a governing coalition in the wake of an election in April.

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• The row over the legality of Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament will return to the Supreme Court later for a second day.


• The PM suspended - or prorogued - Parliament for five weeks earlier this month, saying he wanted a Queen's Speech to outline his new policies.


• But critics say Mr. Johnson was instead trying to stop the scrutiny of MPs in the run-up to Brexit on 31 October.

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• China said the Kashmir issue may not be a "major topic" of discussion during the planned 2nd informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, in spite of the high voltage campaign by its close ally Pakistan over India revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.


• A senior Chinese official said it should be left to PM Modi and Xi Jinping to discuss what they wish to.

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• The Indian Navy is set to induct second Scorpene submarine Khanderi on September 28 in Mumbai. The remaining submarines in the series are in advanced stages of manufacturing and trials.


• “Three landmark events are planned on September 28 - the commissioning of the second Scorpene submarine, Khanderi; the launch of the first P-17A frigate, Nilgiri, and the commissioning of the largest dry dock of the Indian Navy,” Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral Ashok Kumar said.


• With this the Navy's reach and combat sustenance would go up tremendously, he noted.

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• The Delhi Development Authority or DDA proposed amendment in the Master Plan of Delhi 2021 under which bank lockers, if part of an existing bank, will be allowed in the basements of its premises.


• The decision was taken during the authority meeting of the urban body chaired by Lt Governor Anil Baijal at the Raj Niwas, the DDA said in a statement.


• The authority also approved a proposal for modification in the development control norms under which following activities are allowed on religious (category) plots at sub-city level: training Centre for yoga, spiritual activities and meditation, museum or art gallery or exhibition centre, auditorium, accommodation for preachers, devotees or management staff, canteen, restaurant, langar hall or community kitchen and bank extension counter, ATM facility or prayer halls, it said.

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• Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and union minister Prakash Javadekar today addressed the media on decisions taken in the Cabinet meeting under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.


• The decision is taken after factoring the impact of e-cigarettes on the youth, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her capacity as head of Group of Ministers on e-cigarettes.

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• Air India has decided to serve special low-fat diet meals for its crew members. "Taking into consideration the health factor of the crew, an initiative has been taken by the Director (Operations) to revise the in-flight food menu for the crew members.


• In view of the above, special low-fat diet meal crew has been worked out on day-wise basis in order to provide light and healthy meal with a home (Indian) touch," read an Air India letter.

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• A bipartisan group of 44 influential lawmakers has urged the Trump administration to reinstate India's designation as a beneficiary developing nation under the key GSP trade programme as part of a potential trade deal between the two countries.


• The Trump administration terminated India's designation as a beneficiary developing nation under the Generalised System of Preferences or GSP in June.

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• Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi termed the detention of National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah under the Public Safety Act (PSA) "blatant misuse of power" by the Centre.


• "An old leader like Farooq Abdullah has been arrested, put under house arrest under PSA. This is nothing but a blatant misuse of power by the Modi government.


• It has violated the constitutional provisions. Such draconian methods have exposed the dictatorial attitude of the government," Mr. Gogoi told reporters in Delhi.

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• The External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said the government was confident of meeting Kartarpur corridor deadline and the work on the same is moving in the right direction.
"I think most of the issues related to Kartarpur Sahib have been resolved. I think they are moving in the right direction. There is a deadline, which we have to meet and we are confident of doing that," Mr. Jaishankar said during a briefing on the 100-day achievements of the MEA.

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• IM Kozhikode, which is the organizing authority for CAT exam this year, has extended the last date to register for CAT 2019.


• The CAT 2019 registration process was due to end today, i.e. September 18, 2019 but the last date has been extended up to September 25, 2019.


• Now, candidates have time till 5:00 pm on September 25 to complete their registration process for Common Admission Test (CAT).


• IIMs will also release the CAT percentile Calculation Method on September 25.

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• Representatives of various teachers' associations went to Kalyani University in Nadia district to express solidarity with the teachers agitating there against the move to introduce bio-metric attendance system.


• A spokesman of Kalyani University Teachers' Council said the teachers had been protesting against the recent move of the authorities to introduce the biometric system to monitor attendance of the faculty.

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• The Delhi government is likely to provide coaching to IAS aspirants in Urdu, taking steps towards making the language a means to build a career, an official statement said.


• It stated Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Art, Culture and Languages Manish Sisodia interacted with toppers in Urdu language hailing from various universities of Delhi.

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• Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has released dummy admit cards for intermediate students who would sit for their board exams next year.


• The Board had begun the practice of releasing dummy admit cards to reduce the problems faced by students in case of any error or discrepancy on their admit cards or in case they had entered wrong details in their registration form.

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• Bank trade unions said the improved offer of a 12 per cent increase in the pay slip cost by bank managements is unacceptable to them. The earlier offer was at 10 per cent.


• “The nine trade unions, under the aegis of the United Forum of Bank Unions, welcomed this improvement but informed that this offer is not acceptable.

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• India’s fragile financial system is swinging between despair and hope.


• Two separate incidents, both featuring YES Bank, recently underscored the drag of past underwriting follies as well as the lift from a digital reset.


• It will take time, but good things will come to Indian banking as a result of the present crisis.


• Start with the sudden default by financier Altico Capital India on a $2.8-million interest payment to Dubai-based Mashreqbank.

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• Star Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal crashed out of the China Open Super 1000 tournament after suffering a first round defeat to Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the women’s singles on September 18.


• The London Olympic bronze medallist lost 10-21 17-21 at the hands of the World No. 19 Ongbamrungphan in a match that lasted for 45 minutes.


• It was the former world number one’s second successive defeat to the Thai player. The 29-year-old Saina has struggled for form following her recovery from injuries.

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• Bangladesh Prime Minister(PM) Sheik Hasina was awarded DrKalamSmriti International Excellence Award for the year 2019 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.


• She was awarded by T.P. Sreenivasan, Chief Adviser of the DrKalamSmriti International Advisory Council former ambassador , for her contribution in holding a healthy relation between India and Bangladesh, International peace and cooperation.


• With this award, Hasina has so far received 37 international accolades.

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• Kirit Pradyot Deb Barman, the president of the Congress's Tripura unit, has threatened to resign over his petition in the Supreme Court in which he has requested implementation of an Assam-like citizens' list in the state.


• Mr Deb Burman, 41, has alleged that senior Congress leader Luizinho Faleiro is pressuring him to withdraw the petition.

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• All-rounder Dinesh Mongia has announced retirement from all forms of cricket, 12 years after playing his last international match.


• The 42-year-old represented India in 57 ODIs from 2001 to 2007 and was also part of India's first-ever T20I.


• Mongia last represented his domestic side Punjab in 2007 before joining the now-defunct Indian Cricket League.

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• The United States filed a lawsuit on September 17 against Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who in 2013 leaked secret documents about U.S. telephone and Internet surveillance, saying his new book violates non-disclosure agreements.<


• The Justice Department said Mr. Snowden published his memoir, Permanent Record, without submitting it to intelligence agencies for review, adding that speeches were given by Mr. Snowden also violated nondisclosure agreements.

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• U.S. journalist Cokie Roberts, regarded by National Public Radio as one of its "founding mothers" and a prominent political commentator on ABC News, died on Tuesday at 75 at her Washington home from complications of breast cancer, her family said.


• Roberts worked in radio as a foreign correspondent for CBS and a congressional correspondent for NPR in the 1970s. She went on to become ABC's chief congressional analyst.


• NPR President Jarl Mohn called the Emmy Award winner one of NPR's "founding mothers" in a statement, describing her as "the trusted voice that Americans count on when political news breaks."