Senior Congress leader M I Shanavas passes away at 67
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 21: Senior Congress leader M I Shanavas, passed away early Wednesday at a private hospital in Chennai, Tamil Nadu after a prolonged illness.
He was 67.
The Member of Parliament who represented the Wayanad constituency twice in the Lok Sabha breathed his last at around 1 am. He had undergone a liver transplant on Nov 2.
His mortal remains are expected to be brought to Kochi in the afternoon.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan along with senior Congress leader and former chief minister Oommen Chandy and opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, expressed their condolences over Shanavas' demise.
The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
