The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday that the Ukrainian military attacked a pre-trial detention centre near Olenivka in the Donbas region with HIMARS rocket systems and killed 40 Ukrainian prisoners of war.
“40 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed and 75 wounded. In addition, eight employees of the pre-trial detention centre received injuries of different severity,” Sputnik reported citing the ministry.
The ministry called the Ukrainian attack a “flagrant provocation” aimed at intimidating Ukrainian soldiers who think about surrendering.
Ukraine shelled an important bridge in Kherson recently, closing it to traffic, and Zelenskyy promised to rebuild Antonivskyi bridge in the Russian-occupied Kherson region after it was struck by Ukrainian forces with what a Moscow-appointed local administrator said were US-supplied high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS).
The Antonivskyi bridge is the city of Kherson’s sole span across the river and Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian-appointed city administration, told Russia’s RIA news agency it had been closed to traffic after the attack.
The Ukrainian army, emboldened by deliveries of Western-supplied long-range artillery has been clawing back territory in the southern Kherson region in recent weeks just a day after Ukraine and Russia agreed on a grain deal.
At least two missiles hit the infrastructure of the port and two were shot down by Ukraine’s air defence.
This attack came one day after Ukraine and Russian ministers signed an agreement, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in Istanbul, to allow grain exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports aimed at easing the global food crisis sparked by the war.
On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics requested help in defending themselves. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger.
Owing to strict measures of Zero Covid Policy, the original epicentre of the Covid-19 virus, Wuhan has shut down again as four new asymptomatic cases were reported recently.
Moreover, the head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, George Gaos, stepped down after five years in the post, after overseeing the preliminary probe into the world’s first outbreak of coronavirus.
Nobody is willing to say if the current strain of the Covid virus attacking the people is highly infectious like Delta or is a mild one and not lethal at all as the latest lockdown has sent shock waves across the country to Chinese citizens, only now recovering from the trauma of a lockdown that lasted months.
The communist nation still refuses to give up its zero Covid policy.
The Jiangxia district of Wuhan was shut down initially for three days with a looming threat of extension if fresh cases continued to be reported. Nearly a million people were confined to their homes as everything was closed down.
Offices, entertainment venues, clinics, agricultural produce markets, restaurants, and downed shutters. All places of worship have locked their doors and the movement of tourists is halted.
All public transport, from buses to subway services, was suspended, and residents were urged not to leave the district unless absolutely necessary.
Four more neighbourhoods were “designated as medium-risk, meaning residents cannot leave their compounds”.
Meanwhile, George Gao’s departure from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to leave a large gap in the efforts to not only contain the current strains of the virus but also plan ahead to handle future viral attacks.
The Centre has been also brought under the direct control of the “monolithic centrally controlled” National Health Commission and placed within a “new nominally streamlined bureau”, borne of pandemic-era calls for reform.
CNN reported the Oxford University-educated and internationally connected Gao, 60, will be succeeded by former president of the Nanjing Medical University Shen Hongbing, currently vice-director of the National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control, the new bureau established in 2021.
The media network says the “shift brings to an end the tenure of an internationally respected virologist who observers say grappled with the limitations of an agency with little sway over policy-making — a key distinction between China’s CDC and the US agency it was modelled after”.
Gao also oversaw the agency “at a time of increasing acrimony between China and the United States, made worse by questions over the origins of the coronavirus and accusations that China had suppressed its investigation”.
Prior to the pandemic, Gao was known for his work in Sierra Leone countering a 2014 Ebola outbreak, when he was still deputy director of the China CDC. He took up the director role in 2017.
Tracing Gao’s efforts in early 2020, CNN reported: “Gao was among a group of top-level health officials who travelled to Wuhan, the epicentre of the first known outbreak of Covid-19, before the disease became a global crisis in January 2020.
China has been criticized for its actions during that period, due to the three-week lag between local officials’ announcement of the outbreak and confirmation the virus could pass between people.
Gao played a key role in early scientific papers documenting the outbreak in Wuhan, and went on to develop one of the seven Covid-19 vaccines authorized for use in China.
” Gao’s crucial contribution to the tonnes of existing literature on how the coronavirus spread is this: “He has also been involved in research into the origins of the virus, suggesting, contrary to recently published studies, that a Wuhan market linked to early cases was not where the new virus emerged, but rather a place where it was able to spread rapidly between people.”
Within the Chinese government, however, he was seen as a “loose cannon” because he never shied away from saying what he thought was prudent. He once said the vaccines produced in China offered a “low protection rate”.
Gao has earlier “discussed the conditions under which China might relax its zero-Covid policy which is often considered a sensitive subject in China, where the policy is viewed as the personal directive of leader Xi Jinping”.
Former West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee said that he is being framed in a conspiracy, a day after he was stripped of his portfolios and his positions in the Trinamool Congress by chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, six days after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged teacher recruitment scam, in which the agency recovered cash worth RS 50 crore.
“I’ve been framed, I’m a victim of conspiracy,” Chatterjee said. Arrested Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee – who is now suspended from the Trinamool Congress – and his aide Arpita Mukherjee have separately claimed that they are a “victim of conspiracy.”
“Partha Chatterjee has been removed from TMC along with the post of General Secretary, National vice president and three other posts. He has been suspended till the investigation is underway,” Abhishek Banerjee said.
Trinamool Congress, which had been distancing itself from its arrested leader Partha Chatterjee, axed him as a minister on Thursday and suspended him from the party leaving it to him to defend himself in the Enforcement Directorate probe in the teacher recruitment scam in which crores of rupees have been seized from residences linked to his aide Arpita Mukherjee.
Trinamool Congress’ decision to part ways with one of its most senior leaders was announced by party leader Abhishek Banerjee at a press conference in which he said “if anyone commits something wrong then Trinamool Congress will not spare him” and ‘there will be zero tolerance for corruption”.
He said Partha Chatterjee will remain suspended till probe is underway. Party leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee removed Partha Chatterjee as a minister in the state government.
Partha Chatterjee was considered one of the most trusted lieutenants of the Chief Minister, a “go-to” man and was regarded third in party hierarchy after the chief Minister and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
After his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday, Partha Chatterjee had called Mamata Banerjee four times. She did not take his calls.
Political observers said that Partha Chatterjee has been virtually left in the cold by the party to defend himself in the face of apparently onerous allegations in the ED probe. They said that the Trinamool Congress move is also aimed at cutting any losses due to ED probe in the teacher recruitment scam.
Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) scam in West Bengal on Saturday.
Abhishek Banerjee told the media here that Partha Chatterjee has been removed from TMC along with the post of general secretary, national vice president and three other posts.
“He has been suspended till the investigation is underway. He can come back if proven not guilty. CM took the decision and the (Partha Chatterjee) minister was removed. The probe into the matter is underway. If anyone commits something wrong then TMC won’t spare him,” he said Abhishek Banerjee said the investigating agency must complete the probe in a time-bound manner.
‘’There will be zero tolerance for corruption. Investigating agency must complete the probe within the time limit. Even in Sarada case nothing happened, it’s just lingering. There should be a time-bound investigation,” he said.
“The one (Arpita Mukherjee) from whose house sums of money were recovered isn’t from TMC. We want stringent action against those who are linked to this matter. I am saying this in a hypothetical way that if Partha Chatterjee goes to BJP after two months then he will become a saint. Since he is in TMC, all of these things are happening,” he added.
Admitting that huge sums of money had been recovered, Abhishek Banerjee said “TMC is the only party that intervened within seven days in the matter.”
” I agree huge sums of money were recovered. But, everyday bank frauds are happening what action did BJP take? Nirav Modi flew away, did BJP sack Nirmala Sitharaman, it’s TMC who walk the talk,” he said.
He also took a dig at BJP leader and actor-politician Mithun Chakraborty that 38 TMC MLAs were in touch with the party. “Mithun Chakraborty doesn’t even know how many Assembly seats and districts are there in Bengal. He just wants to brag about how big a leader he has become, if he wants to make a mockery of himself, then, so be it,” Abhishek Banerjee said.
The arrest of Partha Chatterjee followed Rs 21 crore in cash and jewellery worth above Rs 1 crore being recovered from the Kolkata residence of Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide of the former education minister.
The ED unearthed many disproportionate assets allegedly of Partha Chatterjee since his arrest, of which were three flats in West Bengal’s Diamond City.
The ED raided Arpita Mukerjee’s house in connection with an alleged teacher recruitment scam in West Bengal. “The said amount is suspected to be proceeds of crime of the said SSC scam,” the probe agency had said in a statement.
The searches by Enforcement Directorate on premises linked to Arpita Mukherjee are continuing and earlier on Thursday, a team of officials reached the New Town residence of Arpita Mukherjee. The officials reached her residence at the Royal Residency flat at Chinar Park in New Town in West Bengal’s Kolkata along with the Central Force personnel.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had on Thursday morning left the Belgharia residence of Arpita Mukherjee after filling ten trunks with cash amounting to approximately Rs 27.90 crore that was found there.
ED sleuths on Wednesday began their fresh searches on the premises linked to Arpita Mukherjee. The flat of her mother at Belgharia Club town in North 24 Parganas and three other premises was covered in the action initiated on Wednesday.
One of the two flats of Arpita Mukherjee, in Belghoria, has been sealed by ED. ED officials also conducted a raid at the residence of businessman Manoj Jain in Ballygunge. Jain is reportedly an aide of Partha Chatterjee.
A five-time MLA, Chatterjee was appointed as the minister-in-charge of higher education and school education in 2014 and he held the portfolio till 2021.
Pak gov to sell shares of state-owned entities to friendly countries 5
Cash-starved Pakistan will amend the laws for the sale of shares of listed state-owned entities with a buyback option to friendly countries on a government-to-government basis to help bridge a part of $4 billion financing gap estimated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the current fiscal year.
The announcement was made by Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on July 27 while addressing a seminar on the state-owned entities (SOEs) corporate governance.
Pakistan’s economy in for a jolt The Minister also said the ban on imports would be lifted in a couple of weeks and all prior actions agreed upon under the staff-level agreement with the IMF had been completed and there was no more hitch to be able to getting the first tranche in the later part of August, the Dawn newspaper reported on Thursday.
Without naming the Inter-Government Commercial Transaction Act 2022 that the Federal Cabinet approved later in the day, the Finance Minister said the law was necessary because the existing privatisation law did not allow such commercial transactions on a government-to-government (G2G) basis.
An official statement after the Cabinet meeting said the Cabinet approved ‘InterGovernment Commercial Transaction Act 2022’ presented by the Ministry of Law and Justice and referred it to the relevant Standing Committee of Parliament.
The Cabinet was informed that the law would provide confidence to foreign investors and also increase foreign investment on a G2G basis in developmental agreements.
The Minister also talked about the prior actions committed with the IMF for the revival of its programme and said the government would be lifting the ban on imports in a couple of weeks because it created difficulties for the people.
Pakistan’s economic muddling and the IMF challenge Mr. Ismail said Pakistan had a persistent issue with the SOEs as some of them were badly managed and while some of them were important for service delivery, even those were not providing services and were rather creating problems in the budget.
Mr. Ismail said most of the SOEs had professional people running them, yet they were not able to perform which meant that maybe laws and governance structures restrict their ability to perform. “Therefore, the country perhaps needed better law and governance structures to make such entities perform or better ways to expedite their privatisation,” the report said.
He said there had been no progress on privatisation either over the past decades. The Minister said the country faced an LNG shortage because the Ministers and officers in the previous government were scared of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and its law to take decisions and book future orders.
“On the other hand, such a law also provided an excuse to the people to not work or take decisions which had a huge cost to the nation,” he said. “NAB has been in place for 20 years but the level of corruption or perception of it did not go down,” he said.
The reason was that these laws were a straightjacket and provided some people an excuse to not work. Therefore, the change in SOEs-related laws would be made “appropriately to sell SOEs shares to a friendly country through a stock exchange” and two LNG-based power projects owned by the federal government — Balloki and Haveli Bahadur Shah — to another friendly country, the Minister said.
Though the Minister did not name the friendly countries, Pakistan has close relations with nations such as China and Saudi Arabia which have doled out huge assistance to Islamabad during its financial woes.
Mr. Ismail despised that even though talks for these transactions had not begun, some people had started criticising the sale of “family silver”. “We are only selling shares traded at the stock exchange and only a little bit of each of them. We are not selling majority shares or ownership shares and we are selling a small number of shares on buyback option,” he said.
“He said the government could buy back those shares at a later stage if it so desires with improved economic conditions,” the report said. Cash-strapped Pakistan could face a serious economic problem as its foreign exchange reserves are depleting fast amid rising external debt servicing.
The governments in FY22 that ended on June 30 could not control the influx of huge imports totalling $80 billion creating a large current account deficit (CAD), which alone is enough to understand the external weakness of the economy.
Despite record remittances and exports, the country is unable to get dollars from the international debt market. Pakistan has faced growing economic challenges, with high inflation, sliding forex reserves, a widening current account deficit and a depreciating currency.
With the rising current account deficit at #13.2 billion in the first nine months and pressing external loan repayment requirements, Pakistan required financial assistance of $9-12 billion till June 2022 to avert further depletion of foreign currency reserves.
The Delhi High Court on Friday issued summons to Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera and Netta D’souza in a civil suit filed by Union Cabinet Minister Smriti Irani.
The court also directed the congress leaders to remove the post, videos, tweets, retweets, and morphed pictures of the plaintiff and her daughter along with the allegations and stop their recirculation regarding allegations made against her and her daughter.
Union Minister Smriti Irani has filed civil defamation seeking permanent and mandatory injunction along with damages of over Rs 2 crore.
Justice Mini Pushkarna stated, “I am of the prima facie view that slanderous allegations were made against the plaintiff without verifying actual facts”. “Grave injury has been caused to the reputation of the plaintiff in view of the tweets and retweets carried out due to the press conference of the defendants”, the court added.
Plaintiff has made out a prima facie case and the balance of convenience lies in favour of the plaintiff and against the defendants.
I deem it proper to pass an interim injunction directing Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera and Netta D’souza to delete and remove the allegations made during the press conference from all social media platforms including Youtube, Facebook and Twitter inc.
They are also directed to remove the post, videos, tweets, retweets, and morphed pictures of the plaintiff and her daughter along with the allegations and stop their recirculation.
If defendants 1-3 fail to comply with the directions within 24 hours of this order, defendants 4-6 (social media platforms) are directed to take down the material, the court added.
Union Minister Smriti Irani has filed civil defamation seeking permanent and mandatory injunction along with damages of over 2 crores rupees and stated that congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera and Netta D’souza conspired with other unknown individuals to launch a series of scathing and belligerent personal remarks to malign and defame a young child of the plaintiff who even not lives in the country.
On the Delhi HC proceeding on Friday congress leader, Jairam Ramesh tweeted that, “The Delhi High Court has issued a notice asking us to formally reply to the case filed by Smriti Irani. We look forward to presenting the facts before the court. We will challenge and disprove the spin being put out by Irani.”.
Thackeray's failed to hold the Shiv Sena of Balasaheb? 8
After the catastrophic breakout within the Shiv Sena, Thackerays had to lose power. Perhaps this was one shocker and eye-opener event for the family. All these while Thackeray’s never realized that the power was in their hand but their own party was slithering from them. Uddhav never attended people; Aaditya had a tremendous superiority complex. They were never open to visiting people or winning their hearts. In my 20 years of journalism career, this is the first time I could never get a chance to meet CM Thackeray. For the publicity and photo op, he met a few people of his own plot but not the common masses.
Even if we blame ED and central agencies, why were only these leaders on the radar? Why not Subhash Desai or other leaders? There has to be some fire to see the smoke. I don’t deny that the BJP has misused central agencies, but I also do not buy the logic that the ED is the sole reason to force these leaders to quit Shiv Sena. Internally all was not well and the anger mounted so much that the leaders rebelled. After realizing the mistake, Uddhav and Aaditya are running to the poll to communicate with Shiv Sainiks and save their souls. Otherwise, it was only Sanjay Raut who was battling it from four corners. Raut was a little irritating with his way of dialogue delivery but he was never disloyal to his party.
Now father and son touching the ground and reaching out to the people In Maharashtra, the effects of the Sena versus Sena political crisis can be seen at the district level, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announcing that he will be visiting the same districts, Nashik, Ahmednagar and Aurangabad, where Aaditya Thackeray’s Shiv Samvad Yatra was held last week. Maharashtra CM Shinde is on a three-day tour from today. Wherever he reaches he nullifies the stand of Thackeray. Eknath is a seasoned Sainik and he was skilled not only under Dighe but also Balasaheb, he has those peculiar traits of both. He knows where to divert the wind. All this while he got close to Sena leaders being a provider and protector, and Uddhav was left to CM post getting detached for the roots.
Over the past three weeks, he has actually begun to connect with people. Uddhav and his son Aaditya have been holding meetings with remaining party representatives, visiting party offices and trying to stimulate the party cadre that has remained loyal to him. Balasaheb was authoritative but was very possessive of his Sainiks and party leaders. In his era, some leaders rebelled but none of them could submerge the party. Uddhav lacks that robustness. Above all this is the era of social media. BJP and its followers successfully created the negative, anti-Hindu perception of Shiv Sena. Now no Navneet Rana is on the streets to recite Hanuman Chalisa and no protest against the loudspeakers in the mosque. The IT and ED raids have stalled, by joining the BJP alliance all the corrupts are authenticated as honest. Now the only focus is on bow and arrow.
Kirit Somaya is calm, media trials have weakened, no ST workers protest, and all have been settled in the state as if someone has done the magic. I wish Uddhav could have cared for Shakhas, his ground-level Sainiks and those who unconditionally loved the family. The father-son duo now focusing on Mumbai which has been Sena’s stronghold. Out of 14 Sena MLAs in Mumbai, five have defected with Shinde while eight are still with Thackeray (one died and the seat remains vacant). Most Sena councillors have also stood by Thackeray so far. After Mumbai, the Thackerays decided to mobilise the party cadre and establish a connection with the people statewide. Thackeray’s close aides insist that the Sena’s voters have not shifted their loyalty. But this time they both should make every effort to reach out to their voters. In the 2014 assembly elections, even at the height of the Modi wave, Shiv Sena contested against BJP in a triangular fight and won 63 seats. In the 2019 assembly elections, they won 55 seats in alliance with BJP. Many seats Sena have won in the two successive elections have a traditional Shiv Sena support base which remains loyal to the party and not the MLA. That’s why Uddhav and Aaditya should connect with the people and ground-level workers.
At present Aaditya Thackeray’s future is not looking very good. It looks like he will have the same place as Rahul Gandhi in the current scenario. No credibility, no administrative experience. In coming years if they lose to BMC then nothing much remains for them. The ambience in Shiv Sena is hardly conducive to training future leaders of the country. Controversy and confrontation are never the hallmarks of leadership. Of the three types of behaviour, aggressiveness, assertiveness and passiveness is the way to go. Whereas Shinde as CM brilliantly seeping into the emotions of people, visited dilapidated Police quarters, he announced road repairs, he is talking about gutter, water and meter issues of people. Slowly people will disassociate him with the rebel tag.
For now, both the camps are keenly awaiting the Supreme Court’s hearing on August 1 when the top court is expected to deal with a bunch of petitions challenging decisions and actions taken by the rival camps. The court verdict will have a major impact on the political drama in Maharashtra that began on June 20. Speaking as a Marathi, born, living and voting every time in Maharashtra and knowing the mindset of the people around, we used to support Uddhav more than Raj because of the image Balasaheb Ji had in our mind, he was trustable and wouldn’t change his ideology at whatever cost unlike his son Uddhav.
(Any suggestions, comments or disputes with regards to this article send us at feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)
The Sri Lankan government has initiated a negotiation with opposition parties on Thursday in an attempt to form an ‘all-party’ government in the crisis-hit country.
Newly elected President Ranil Wickremesinghe has begun a conversation with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the talks are expected to complete in one week, the Daily Mirror reported citing the sources.
However, the main opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will not join the government. However, some of its MPs are contemplating joining the ruling side individually.
The National Freedom Front (NFF) led by MP Wimal Weerawansa also sent a positive signal to the president yesterday, pledging support to him.
MP Weerawansa said in writing the country is left with only two options, one to lead it down the path of an anarchical situation as in Haiti or to salvage it from the current mess at least at the last moment through consensus, reported Daily Mirror.
He said the president had taken genuine steps to resurrect the country from the present abyss and therefore his party was ready to guide that exercise regardless of past political differences or enmity.
The NFF submitted proposals for the president in this regard. The NFF supported MP Dullas Alahapperuma in the ballot for the selection of the president on July 20.
Nevertheless, the party took a different stand when it voted for the emergency regulations on July 27 in Parliament. The National Freedom Front had handed over a 12-point proposal to President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
In his proposal, Weerawansa outlined the important facts that have been proposed by his party to rebuild the nation.
He further calls for the establishment of an all-party government to address the various issues in the country, according to News Wire.
Wickremesinghe was elected to be the president of the South Asian country in a parliamentary vote on July 20 and was sworn in a day after. He was elected as the new Sri Lankan President after 73-year-old Gotabaya Rajapaksa had gone into hiding after crowds of protesters stormed his residence on July 9.
For the record, Sri Lanka has experienced an escalating economic crisis and the government has defaulted on its foreign loans. The United Nations warned that 5.7 million people “require immediate humanitarian assistance.” With many Sri Lankans experiencing extreme shortages of essentials including food and fuel, peaceful protests began in March.
The protests led then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign on May 9, and his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to flee the country on July 13 and resign the following day.
The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) to conduct annual surveys of an artificial lake formed near the Gangotri glacier from May to September.
A division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice R C Khulbe issued the order on Thursday while disposing of public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Delhi resident Ajay Gautam.
The PIL claimed the artificial lake may pose danger in the future as it is located right at the point where the Ganga originates in the form of the Bhagirathi from the snout of Gaumukh.
The survey should be conducted annually from May to September when the snow melts and the water levels rise, it said. All records related to the artificial lake during the period should be maintained online and published on the SDMA website, the high court said.
The PIL has claimed that the formation of the lake might cause a tragedy like the one in Kedarnath in 2013 that killed thousands of people.
The Central government on Friday notified new sets of specified health warnings for all tobacco product packs by making an amendment in the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008. The amended rules will be applicable with effect from December 1, 2022.
“The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has notified new sets of specified health warnings for all tobacco product packs by making an amendment in the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008 vide GSR 592 (E) dated 21st July, 2022 ‘The Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Third Amendment Rules, 2022’. The amended Rules will be applicable w.e.f. 1st December, 2022,” the official statement read.
All tobacco products manufactured or imported or packaged on or after December 1, 2022, shall display the images provided by the government with the textual Health Warning as ‘TOBACCO CAUSES PAINFUL DEATH’ and those manufactured or imported or packaged on or after December 1, 2023, shall display Image-2 with the textual Health Warning ‘TOBACCO USERS DIE YOUNGER’.
Any person engaged directly or indirectly in the manufacture, production, supply, import or distribution of cigarettes or any tobacco products shall ensure that all tobacco product packages shall have the specified health warnings exactly as prescribed.
Violation of the above-mentioned provision is a punishable offence with imprisonment or fine as prescribed in Section 20 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003, the official statement said.
The existing specified health warning, as per the government data. – notified vide GSR 458(E) dated July 21, 2020, shall continue till November 30, 2022.
The Bombay High Court on Friday asked the Mumbai Suburban District Collector to demolish 48 high-rise buildings near the Mumbai International Airport for violation of height norms.
The HC order came in compliance with the orders of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The portions constructed above a certain height are to be demolished as per the Bombay High Court order.
The high court was hearing public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Yashwant Shenoy raising concerns over the dangers posed by high-rises near the Mumbai airport.
