Hong Kong seeks to ban all e-cigarettes - CNA

Under existing laws, anyone in Hong Kong who imports e-cigarettes can be punished by up to seven years in jail and a fine of HK$2 million (US$256,000), while sellers and manufacturers can be jailed for up to six months.

"A blanket ban on alternative smoking products has become a consensus in society ... It is time to ban all forms of possession of alternative smoking products, including for personal use," said Deputy Secretary for Health Eddie Lee.

City officials also announced other smoking curbs on Thursday, including a ban on smoking while queueing in outdoor public areas and sharing cigarettes with minors.

The government also proposed banning flavoured tobacco, which officials said survey results showed particularly appealed to women and young people.

Lo said he hoped the e-cigarette ban and other proposals would be introduced to the legislature this year.

The World Health Organization reported last year that 34 countries have banned the sale of e-cigarettes, while 87 have full or partial regulation.

Hong Kong authorities hope to reduce the smoking prevalence rate to 7.8 per cent by next year, down from 9.1 per cent in 2023.

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2024-06-06 08:09:00Z
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What does Modi’s weakened mandate mean for India’s rivalry with China? - CNA

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2024-06-06 03:18:45Z
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Putin threatens to arm countries that could hit Western targets - CNA

SAINT Petersburg: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (Jun 5) criticised the West's delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine, arguing Moscow could arm other countries with similar weapons to attack Western targets.

The comment - which Putin made at a rare press conference with foreign news outlets - came after several Western countries including the United States gave Ukraine the green light to strike targets inside Russia, a move Moscow has called a grave miscalculation.

"If someone thinks it is possible to supply such weapons to a warzone to attack our territory and create problems for us, why don't we have the right to supply weapons of the same class to regions of the world where there will be strikes on sensitive facilities of those (Western) countries," Putin said.

"That is, the response can be asymmetric. We will think about it," he told reporters.

"Delivering arms to a warzone is always bad. Even more so if those who are delivering are not just delivering weapons but also controlling them. This is a very serious and very dangerous step," Putin said.

The Russian leader singled out Germany, saying that when the first German-supplied tanks "appeared on Ukrainian soil, it provoked a moral and ethical shock in Russia" because of the legacy of World War II.

Referring to German authorities, he said: "When they say that there will be more missiles which will hit targets on Russian territory, this definitively destroys Russian-German relations."

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2024-06-05 21:04:00Z
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India's Modi set for tougher ride after close election win - CNA

BJP supporters on the streets of New Delhi pointed out their party had secured the most seats and toasted that win.

"We are so happy about the results," said 36-year-old office worker Archana Sharma.

She said she was "looking forward to supporting Modi and BJP" in the future, too.

Govind Singh, 38, an optometrist, said "having a strong opposition is necessary" but added that it was better to have a government with a parliamentary majority.

"Having a full mandate is essential for any country," he said.

The BJP secured 240 seats in parliament, well down on the 303 from five years ago and 32 seats short of a majority.

The main opposition Congress party won 99 seats in a remarkable turnaround, almost doubling its 2019 tally of 52.

"The country has said to Narendra Modi 'We don't want you'," opposition leader Rahul Gandhi told reporters after the results were released, saying people had given "the right response".

Two key parties, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal United (JDU), with a total of 28 seats have said they back Modi's alliance.

Commentators and exit polls had projected an overwhelming victory for Modi, who critics have accused of leading the jailing of opposition figures and trampling on the rights of India's 200-million-plus Muslim community.

In a personal sting, Modi was re-elected to his constituency representing the Hindu holy city of Varanasi with a far lower margin of 152,300 votes. That compared with nearly half a million votes five years ago.

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2024-06-05 05:18:00Z
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India's election surprise: What went wrong for Modi and what comes next - CNA

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR INDIA?

Many of the BJP’s alliance partners don’t share the fiery pro-Hindu views that are core to the BJP agenda. That means that the BJP could be forced to dial back harsh rhetoric and set aside ambitions to more aggressively reshape India into an overtly Hindu nation.

It may also force the BJP to offer cabinet posts and other concessions to alliance partners. On the economic front, a BJP-led government will likely continue to pursue its business-friendly policies, but a weakened mandate means it may struggle to enact ambitious reforms around labour and land rules, which economists say are necessary to keep growth going.

To shore up support, a BJP-led government may be tempted to turn to populist spending measures, putting its fiscal plans at risk.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD?

Under Modi, India’s profile on the world stage has grown significantly, helped by its robust 8 per cent-plus rate of economic growth and a young and growing population that makes it a draw for foreign businesses.

Modi has sought to cultivate a deeper partnership with the US, which sees India as a critical counterweight to China, while also maintaining strategic independence that has seen it refuse to join the West in condemning Russia over its invasion of Ukraine or shun its oil exports.

Analysts don’t see those positions likely changing anytime soon. The same goes for Modi’s ambitions to make India a global manufacturing hub and continue luring foreign investors on the hunt for the next growth story as China’s economy slows. 

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2024-06-05 03:51:00Z
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Third time may not be the charm for India's Modi amid difficult allies and rejuvenated opposition - The Straits Times

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Third time may not be the charm for India’s Modi amid difficult allies and rejuvenated opposition

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeting supporters at his Bharatiya Janata Party's headquarters in New Delhi, after winning a third term in office. PHOTO: NYTIMES

NEW DELHI - India’s strongman Prime Minister Narendra Modi will face the twin challenges of managing difficult allies and a resurgent opposition in his third term in office as the world’s most populous country returns to an era of coalition-style politics.

Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to muster a majority on its own, leading and winning in 240 seats, with counting nearing the end of the 2024 General Election.

• INDIA ELECTION 2024
• Narendra Modi
• Rahul Gandhi
• India

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2024-06-04 21:00:00Z
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India's Modi claims third election victory as alliance heads for narrow majority - CNA

MUMBAI: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed election victory for his party and its allies on Tuesday (Jun 4), but the opposition said they had "punished" the ruling party by confounding predictions and reducing their parliamentary majority.

"People have placed their faith in NDA (National Democratic Alliance) for a third consecutive time", Modi wrote on social media platform X. "This is a historical feat in India's history."

Vote counting, which neared completion on Tuesday night, showed Modi's alliance winning albeit with a surprisingly narrow majority. 

Unlike the last two elections, Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will need its alliance partners to cross the 272 majority mark in the 543-seat lower house of parliament, according to the running vote count.

Modi had set a target of more than 400 seats for his National Democratic Alliance, but it is currently leading in only about 290, according to Election Commission data about three-quarters of the way through the count.

The BJP itself was leading in 239 seats, compared with 303 at the last election in 2019.

"The BJP's reliance on allies to form the government is a slap in the face," said Milan Vaishnav at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think-tank in Washington.

"At this stage, NDA allies will extract their pound of flesh, which will have an impact not just in terms of policymaking but also in terms of the composition of the cabinet. (Earlier) the BJP could dictate terms with very little regard for its coalition partners."

Modi, a strong leader, has not had to rely on alliance partners in the past and it was not clear how easily he would cope.

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2024-06-04 14:23:00Z
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