Wednesday, August 6, 2025 | Vol. 68 No. 261 | 32 Pages HIROSH IMA DAY Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation GAMES NATION India-Philippines relations in focus as President Marcos Jr. visits New Delhi Cinema Sonali Bendre opens up about her cancer journey Siraj’s biggest tool to emerge successful in the England series is his immense self-belief Edit A year after Hasina’s ouster: B’desh slips into darkness WIDER RAMIFICATIONS | US president targets Indian pharma exports with up to 250% levy, mentions Russian oil once again Trump threatens ‘very substantial’ tariff hike Ashwin Ahmad NSA in Russia NEW DELHI Cloudburst havoc A massive cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district triggered flash floods and landslides in Dharali village, leaving four dead and over 50 missing, including ten soldiers involved in rescue operations. SEE NATION Larger flat? Bigger maintenance bill Urvi Mahajani MUMBAI The Bombay High Court has held that owners of larger apartments must pay higher maintenance charges in residential condominiums governed by the Maharashtra Apartment Ownership Act, 1970, as their share in the common property is proportionately larger. The court dismissed a petition filed by owners of 3BHK and 4BHK flats in Treasure Park, a Pune-based condominium comprising 11 buildings and 356 apartments. The petitioners had challenged a 2021 order of the Deputy Registrar of Co-operative Societies directing that maintenance charges be levied based on each apartment's size, and a subsequent order by the Cooperative Court rejecting their appeal. The dispute began when owners of smaller flats (2BHK) The judgment clarifies that in apartment condominiums, unlike co-operative housing societies governed by the 1971 Act, maintenance must reflect the ownership structure, where each flat owner holds a legally defined undivided share in the entire property complained that the practice of charging equal maintenance from all residents, regardless of flat size, violated Section 10 of the 1970 Act. The Deputy Registrar accepted their plea and instructed the condominium to switch to a proportionate billing system. This order was challenged by larger flat owners, who claimed it was passed without hearing them and that it lacked legal basis. Kalpesh Mhamunkar The process for holding elections to local self-government bodies in Maharashtra — including Municipal Corporations, Zilla Parishads, and Municipal Councils — is expected to commence after Diwali, by the end of October 2025. This announcement was made by State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare Agencies Russia has strongly criticised the United States’ newly announced tariffs on countries in the Global South, including India, calling it an illegal move driven by Washington’s unwillingness to accept the loss of global dominance. The Kremlin accused US President Donald Trump of pursuing a “neocolonial” policy as part of a wider strategy to retain hegemony. Politics over pigeons feeds controversy Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova slammed the move as “politically motivated economic pressure” on sovereign nations seeking an independent path in global affairs. “Sanctions and restrictions have unfortunately become a defining feature of the current historical period, impacting countries across the globe, Zakharova said in a sharp statement. 4Contd on | Nation FPJ News Service MUMBAI Ukraine has discovered Indian-manufactured components in Russian Shahed attack drones, prompting formal diplomatic complaints to New Delhi and the European Union. Ukranian Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak confirmed the findings on August 5 to Kyiv Independent site, emphasising that Moscow must be denied access to supplies enabling Ukrainian casualties. Congress ire over judge proposal Kalpesh Mhamunkar FPJ News Service MUMBAI The state Congress has come down heavily on the proposed appointment of Advocate Aarti Arun Sathe as a judge of Bombay high court. In a press note, the party noted that she was a spokesperson of the BJP in February, 2023 and it was highly improper to elevate her to the bench. during a review meeting held in Nashik for upcoming elections in North Maharashtra. Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Waghmare stated that the Supreme Court has directed that elections must be held within four months. The State Election Commission will conduct the elections in a phased manner. In a partial win for pigeon feeders, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday directed the BMC to regulate but not ban pigeon feeding at kabutarkhanas, ensuring bird survival, environmental protection, and public health. Chairing a meeting at Mantralaya, Fadnavis objected to the abrupt closure of kabutarkhanas and said feeding must continue in a controlled manner until permanent alternatives are in place. “Any decision on shutting down kabutarkhanas must be accompanied by proper planning,” he said. The directive followed appeals from BJP MLA Parag Shah, minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha and several Jain monks, who asked the CM to intervene. 4Contd on | Nation 4Contd on | Mumbai 4Contd on | Nation blow to another key sector, the pharmaceutical industry. Trump announced that he would be putting a “small tariff” on pharmaceutical imports that would then increase to 150% and then 250% over the next one and a half years. “We will initially be putting The Supreme Court collegium at its meeting held on July 28 had approved the proposal for the appointment of Sathe, Ajit Kadethankar and Sushil Ghodeshwar as judges of Bombay high court. However, BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhyay said Sathe had ceased to be a member of his party a year and a half ago. “She has no connection with the BJP anymore," he claimed. Satya Pal Malik dead FPJ News Service NEW DELHI Satya Pal Malik, the last Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and a veteran politician, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 79 after a prolonged illness. He took his last breath at 1:12 pm in Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in the national capital, where he had been admitted since May 11 for treatment related to kidney complications and infections. 4Contd on | Nation offgrid 37-digit figure credited in dead woman’s a/c Biswajeet Banerjee NOIDA In a strange turn of events in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar district, an unusually large sum of money, a 37-digit figure estimated to be over Rs1.13 lakh crore, was credited to the bank account of a deceased woman in Dankaur. The incident has left locals, bank officials, and even technology tools stunned, as the figure was so massive that neither calculators nor AI applications could process it. The account belonged to the late Gayatri Devi, a resident of Uchhi Dankaur Mohalla, who passed away two months ago. Her son, Deepak Kumar, who is unemployed, had continued using the UPI services linked to her account. On Monday, while trying to make a routine digital payment, he found the transaction was a small tariff on pharmaceuticals. But in one year, one and a half years maximum, it’s going to go to 150% and then it’s going to 250% because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country. 4Contd on | Nation Kremlin dubs American Kyiv flags Indian parts in Russian drones threat as ‘neocolonial’ MOSCOW Bank officials said the account had been frozen. No explanation was given for the mysterious credit repeatedly failing. Curious and concerned, he checked the account balance and was shocked to see a number that he could not comprehend. US rejected India’s WTO plea: Govt FPJ News Service the "sticking point" with India is that its tariffs are too high. "Now I will say this, India went from the highest tariffs ever, they will give us zero tariffs..But that's not good enough, because of what they're doing with oil." The president also dealt a MUMBAI LOCAL BODY POLLS AFTER DIWALI MUMBAI US President Donald Trump declared he was hiking tariffs “very substantially” beyond the stipulated 25% over the next 24 hours. Speaking to CNBC  on Tuesday the president described India as the “highest tariffs nation” in the world that continued to “fuel the war machine” in Russia. “We settled on 25% but I think I’m going to raise that very substantially over the next 24 hours because they’re buying Russian oil, they’re fuelling the war machine.” The US president had earlier announced that 25% tariffs would be levied on Indian goods and services if India did not break away from buying Russian oil. The deadline was August 7. When asked about the trade deal with India that seemed imminent, Trump said Sources say the National Security Adviser Ajit Doval has landed in Russia. The focus will be on regional and global threats. India is expected to press for S-400 air defence systems and other defence procurements. The scheduled visit comes as US president targeted India for both weapons purchases from Russia as well as oil. Deepak immediately went to the local branch of Kotak Mahindra Bank to report the issue. Bank officials, equally surprised, told him that the account had been frozen. No explanation was given for the mysterious credit. Estimates suggest the figure shown in the account was over Rs1,13,56,000 crore, a sum far greater than the annual budgets of many countries. As the news spread through the Dankaur neighbourhood, residents gathered in groups to discuss the bizarre situation. 4Contd on | Nation Ukrainian authorities identified electronic parts from Vishay Intertechnology and Aura Semiconductor in the Iranian-designed "kamikaze" Shahed drones The HESA Shahed 136, also known by its Russian designation Geran-2, is an Iranian-designed loitering munition, also referred to as a kamikaze drone or suicide drone, in the form of an autonomous pusher-propelled drone. 4Contd on | Nation NEW DELHI The United States has declined India's request for World Trade Organisation consultations regarding American tariffs on steel, aluminum, and derivative products, Parliament learned on Tuesday. The US justified these measures as necessary for national security reasons, according to Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada. India disputes this classification, arguing these are actually safeguard actions that should have been properly notified and discussed under the WTO's Agreement on Safeguards (AoS). Due to America's non-compliance with AoS obligations, India has reserved its right to impose equivalent retaliatory trade measures. Despite this trade dispute, both nations continue working toward a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) to boost commerce and investment. Negotiations launched in March 2025 have progressed through five rounds, with the latest held July 14-18 in Washington. These discussions allow countries to protect sensitive domestic sectors through exclusion lists limiting tariff concessions. Minister Prasada emphasized that nations can implement trade remedial measures like anti-dumping duties and safeguards when import surges threaten domestic industries. This framework helps balance international trade liberalization with protecting local farmers and manufacturers. Addressing other trade relationships, the minister clarified that India has not restricted trade or tourism with Turkey and Azerbaijan. However, Turkish imports declined from $3.78 billion in 2023-24 to $2.99 billion in 2024-25. Major Turkish imports include petroleum crude, gold, inorganic chemicals, granite, natural stones, and aircraft parts.