Toxic Liquor Kills 29 In India’s Gujarat State

Published

3 years ago

July 26, 2022

The police say 29 people died after consuming toxic liquor in India’s western state of Gujarat.

The victims were mostly villagers from the Botad district, officials at the police control room said.

Preliminary laboratory tests indicated that chemicals including methanol were present in the liquor mix, regional police official Ashok Kumar Yadav said.

Three people have been arrested so far and investigations are underway.

A large amount of suspected spurious alcohol has been seized in raids.

The tragedy first came to light when villagers who consumed the liquor on Sunday night were admitted into hospitals in the area early on Monday.

There were at least 30 people in serious conditions being treated, NDTV news channel reported.

Manufacture, consumption and sale of alcohol are banned in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state.

There are some government-authorized liquor shops from where residents with special health permits and foreigners can buy alcohol.

This is the second major incident where spurious liquor has caused a large number of deaths in the past year.

No fewer than 30 people died in the eastern state of Bihar in November.

In Bihar, there was also an alcohol ban, which some critics said encouraged the peddling of illegal and often tainted alcohol that was brewed without any regulation.

The illegal liquor trade thrives in India because it is much cheaper than commercially produced alcohol.

Hundreds of people, mostly the poor, die every year after consuming such toxic alcohol.

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EU Cautiously optimistic on Syria engagement – Official

Published

1 week ago

January 28, 2025

The Gleamer

Irish foreign minister Simon Harris said on Monday that the European Union (EU) “is cautiously optimistic on Syria engagement” but called for more deeper engagement to strengthen relations with the country.

Harris said this at a news conference held at the EU Headquarters in Brussels, the Belgian capital.
“It’s early days, but I think there are signs of optimism. But it is important that we continue to engage.

“I don’t think it would be a good scenario if any other geopolitical actors and forces engage with Syria and for the European Union not to be in a position to intensively engage with them,“ he said.

In her remarks, Ms. Kaja Kallas, the Vice-President of the EU described Syria’s future as fragile but said that the bloc needed to take the right steps.
“But of course, we need to see the right steps as well. Right now, they’re saying all the right words, and they are doing also the right things.

“Therefore, we have this set step-for-step approach, and if they take the steps, then we are willing to take the steps as well,’’ she said.

On the war in Gaza, Harris said President Donald Trump and his team are very much a party to the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas after the intensive work that was put in.

He conceded that the Trump administration put in a lot of effort to arrive at a ceasefire agreement in the days before his assumption of office for a return to the White House.

“I think that was important and there is no doubt that the intensive work invested by the Trump administration played a very significant role in helping to bring about a ceasefire – a ceasefire that has now seen a cessation of hostilities, the killing, and the bombings.

“Also, that has seen the flow and has seen hostages being released. It’s really important that the ceasefire is in place.

“It is also important, though, to acknowledge in that ceasefire agreement itself, it does talk about people being able to return, and therefore, I think it’s important that we’re consistent in the approach that we take.

“The priority, I think, needs to be on implementing to the letter, the ceasefire agreement.”

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