NewsBytes

The Supreme Court on Tuesday underscored the need to remain sensitive in sexual assaults of helpless woman as it confirmed the punishment of a man in a POCSO case. A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and N V Anjaria said the Chhattisgarh High Court was wholly justified in upholding and confirming the conviction and sentence awarded to the convict by the trial court. "The court should remain sensitive while dealing with the charges of sexual assault on the helpless woman," the bench said. The top court verdict referred to its previous decisions and said a rapist "not only violates the victim's privacy and personal integrity, but inevitably causes serious psychological as well as physical harm in the process". "Rape is not merely a physical assault and subsequently destructs the whole personality of the victim," the bench quoted its decisions as saying.

Indian boxers continued their march towards a significant medal count at the U19 and U22 Asian Boxing Championships with seven women pugilists assuring themselves of a podium finish here. Competing in the U-19 category, Yakshika (51kg), Nisha (54kg), Muskan (57kg), Vini (60kg), Nisha (65kg), Akansha Phalaswal (70kg) and Aarti Kumari (75kg) reached the semifinals of their respective weight classes. India is already assured of over a dozen medals in the U22 category and the contingent will be looking to bag as many gold medals as possible in the business end of the competition.

India's position on the South China Sea is "clear and consistent," and it considers it as a part of the global commons, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday. MEA Secretary (East) P Kumaran, at a special press briefing here on the ongoing visit of Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr, was responding to several queries related to the just-held India-Philippines bilateral naval exercise off the Philippines. According to reports, the exercise also took place in parts of the South China Sea. INS Delhi (guided missile destroyer), INS Shakti (fleet tanker), and INS Kiltan (anti-submarine warfare corvette) of the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet, on operational deployment to South East Asia, concluded their port call at Manila recently. On departure, these ships engaged in the bilateral maritime exercise with the Philippine Navy ships on August 3 and August 4, people familiar with the matter said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu favours a complete military takeover of Gaza, media reported, and was to meet senior security officials on Tuesday to finalise a new strategy in the 22-month war. Mediation between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas has collapsed despite intense international pressure for a ceasefire to ease hunger and appalling conditions in the besieged Palestinian enclave. Eight more people died of starvation or malnutrition in the past 24 hours, Gaza's health ministry said, while another 79 died in the latest Israeli fire. Israel's Channel 12, citing an official from Netanyahu's office, said the prime minister was leaning towards taking control of the entire territory. That would reverse a 2005 decision to pull settlers and military out of Gaza while retaining control over its borders, a move right-wing parties blame for Hamas gaining power there.