NOTICES TO TOP CRACKER UNITS

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued show cause notices to the country's top firecracker manufacturers for contempt of court – for violating its orders not to use harmful substances, including the barium salts it had banned earlier.

A Bench of Justices Mukesh R Shah and A S Bopanna was hearing an application to regulate firecrackers and ban the manufacture of firecrackers containing barium nitrate. It noted a preliminary report by the Chennai branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation that the manufacturers were still using the banned substances and not disclosing the correct ingredients on the labels of the products. It allowed the manufacturers to vet the CBI report and file their counter affidavit. The case is listed for further hearing on October 6.

AF GOVT IN EXILE: The

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has announced the formation of a government in exile led by Amrullah Saleh. Referring to the Taliban, the statement goes further to add that no other government can replace the legitimate one.

60 STUDENTS TEST +VE: A residential school in Bengaluru has become a COVID-19 cluster after 60 of its nearly 500 students tested positive. Two were found to be symptomatic and the school has been shut till October 20. Bengaluru (Urban) District Collector J Manjunath told news agency ANI the symptomatic students had been admitted to hospital and the rest have been quarantined.

BIZMAN BEATEN TO DEATH:

In a bizarre incident at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, a young trader died during a surprise check of a hotel by the police on Tuesday evening. The Kanpur-based businessman Manish Gupta was visiting Gorkahpur, constituency of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, with friends. According to them, Manish was sleeping when policemen woke him up and asked for identity proof. When he sought an explanation, the policemen started beating him up; he later succumbed to the injuries, it is alleged.