nion Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad today said , 83 prosecution cases were initiated and 39 people arrested till July this year for dealing in spurious drugs. Replying to supplementaries in the Lok Sabha, he said, out of 49 thousand drug samples tested by the Central Drugs Standard Organisation last year, only 0.19 per cent were found to be spurious. Mr. Azad said, the government has asked for a detailed proposal on a request by Interpol Secretary General to develop a data base of pharmaceutical companies.
Adding that India is the third largest drug manufacturing country in the world, Mr. Azad said, the government has taken several steps and introduced various schemes to control spurious drugs including strengthening of drug test laboratories and promoting good manufacturing practices.

 UN chief Ban Ki-moon today asked Iran to build "international confidence" in its nuclear programme by fully complying with the global obligations under NPT and cooperating with IAEA, shortly after Tehran slammed the UNSC for being "unjust and completely undemocratic".

Addressing the leaders and delegates gathered in Tehran for the 16th NAM Summit, Ban also urged the sanctions-hit country to engage constructively in P5 plus 1 (US, UK, Russia, France and China plus Germany) talks while pursuing its nuclear programme. The UN chief also said Tehran, during its chairmanship of the 120-nation Non-Aligned Movement, could demonstrate that it can play a moderate and constructive role. 

Ban also stressed that all leaders should ensure that the world should be free of nuclear weapons and work together to check illicit arms trade.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has revised the prices of 154 drug formulation packs as on 19th July, 2012. Of these, ceiling prices have been fixed in respect of 138 drug formulation packs, which are applicable to all manufacturers. Company specific non-ceiling prices have been fixed in case of 16 packs of drug formulation.

The prices have been fixed for the first time in respect of 33 drug formulation packs. No price increases have been allowed in respect of 17 packs keeping the consumer interest in view.

The revised prices have been fixed strictly per the provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO), 1995 and the guidelines in this regard. 

There are reports that South Africa's former police chief Jackie Selebi is to be freed early from his 15-year sentence for corruption on health grounds. Selebi, a former Interpol head, needs dialysis for kidney failure. He was jailed in 2010 after being found guilty of taking bribes from a drug dealer. Selebi's successor was also suspended last year on corruption

A US Senate investigation has found that poor controls at the global bank HSBC allowed Mexican drug traffickers and other criminals to launder billions of dollars into the United States. A report released before a Senate hearing on the matter today said the London-based bank also did business with firms linked to terrorism and bypassed US financial sanctions against states such as Iran. It said HSBC executives and U.S. regulators routinely ignored warning signs and failed to stop illegal behavior between 2002 and 2010, effectively giving criminals and terrorists a portal into the U.S. financial system. HSBC, Europe's largest bank, has released a statement saying its executives will apologize at the Washington hearing, during which lawmakers will question bank officials and U.S. regulators.

Border Security Force has foiled another attempt of Pakistan based smugglers to smuggle contraband into Indian territory by seizing four packets of the contraband suspected to be heroin, in Amritsar sector on the intervening night of July 15th/16th. The value of the seized consignment, which is four kilogram, is appx 20 crores rupees in the international market.

This is the second such attempt by Pakistan based smugglers in the last ten days to smuggle contraband into India. Earlier, they tried to smuggle about 3 kilograms of heroin from Ferozepur sector but failed.

AIR Correspondent reports that in its drive against heightened smugglers, BSF has seized a total of about 195 Kilogram of heroin from various border districts of Punjab adjoining Pakistan this year so far.

In Mexico, ten people have been killed and five wounded in a shootout between rival drug gangs in the towns of Zacazonapan and Otzoloapan.
President Felipe Calderon launched a military crack down on the drug cartels when he took over in 2006. More than 50,000 people have been killed and 5000 have been missing since then.

A five-day bi-annual meeting between the Border Security Force, BSF, and Pakistan Rangers(a member of a military unit trained as shock troops for hit-and-run raids), has commenced in New Delhi to sort out border related issues. The 18-member delegation led by Pakistan Rangers Director General (Sindh) Major General Rizwan Akhtar, was received by Border Security Force Chief U K Bansal and other senior officials. According to an official release, the issues which are expected to be discussed during the meeting include unprovoked firing in Jammu and Sialkot Sector and the death of a BSF personnel due to sniper firing, smuggling of Heroin, arms and ammunitions and illegal crossing of Pakistani Nationals to Indian Territory and return of inadvertent border crossers. The issue of apprehension of fishermen and seizure of fishing boats in Gujarat is also likely to be figured during the talks. India may also raise the issue of defence construction close to International Border.
The biannual event which earlier used to take place at Amritsar, Chandigarh and Jalandhar, is taking place in New Delhi for the first time.