Israel eases rules on sperm retrieval from dead soldier
Jerusalem, Nov 9: Israel is allowing parents to circumvent usual legal procedures to have the sperm of their fallen soldier sons, or civilian sons killed during the war with Hamas to be retrieved before burial to increase its chances of viability when it is later unfrozen and used to fertilize an egg, media reports here said. Posthumous sperm retrieval (PSR) during normal times can be done at the request of a widow without any need for legal bureaucracy, but parents who want their dead son’s sperm to be retrieved and preserved must obtain an order from a family court. The Israeli Health Ministry has exempted this requirement, at least temporarily, The Times of Israel newspaper reported. Sperm has been retrieved from 33 men in the last month, four of them civilians and the rest soldiers, a report in the Ha’aretz newspaper said. The ministry has set up a special unit that works 24/7 with the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and the four hospitals housing sperm banks – Ichilov, Sheba, Shamir (Assaf Harofeh), and Beilinson – to notify families of the option of PSR and set it up as quickly as possible following the death of their son or husband, the report said (PTI)
UK to add India to safe states list
London, Nov 9: The UK government has tabled plans to add India to an expanded list of safe states, which would speed up the process of returning Indians who travel from the country illegally and rule out their chance of seeking asylum in Britain. Draft legislation laid in the House of Commons on Wednesday includes India and Georgia as the countries to be added to the list. The UK Home Office said the move is aimed at strengthening the country’s immigration system and help prevent abuse by people making unfounded protection claims. “We must stop people making dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK from fundamentally safe countries,” said UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman. “Expanding this list will allow us to more swiftly remove people with no right to be here and sends a clear message that if you come here illegally, you cannot stay. We remain committed to delivering the measures in our Illegal Migration Act, which will play a part in the fight against illegal migration,” she said. The move is in line with measures to meet British PM Rishi Sunak’s pledge to stop the boats of migrants landing on the country’s shores illegally after making precarious journeys across the English Channel. (PTI)
Pakistan releases 80 Indian fishermen
Karachi, Nov 9: The Pakistan government on Thursday released 80 Indian fishermen from the Malir jail here. The Indian fishermen were released under the ongoing drive of the Pakistani government to expel illegal foreign immigrants from the country. A senior jail official said the Indian fishermen were put on the Allama Iqbal Express train under heavy security and will reach Lahore tomorrow from where they will be handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah border. Faisal Edhi of the Edhi Welfare Trust, which made arrangements for the Indian fishermen to travel to Lahore, said that the Indian fishermen who were mostly from poor backgrounds were overjoyed to finally be returning home. (PTI)