South Africa claw back after Shafali’s blazing 87 in World Cup final
Navi Mumbai (PTI): South Africa clawed their way back in the Women's World Cup final against India with a splendid show in the middle overs through Ayabonga Khaka and Nonkululeko Mlaba after Shafali Verma's blistering knock had given India a flying start, here Sunday.
India were down to 229 for four after 40 overs, following the dismissal of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (20) by left-arm spinner Mlaba to further tighten the screws.
Just when her partnership with Deepti Sharma was beginning to take shape before the final 10 overs, Mlaba gave her side the breakthrough.
Drafted in for the semifinal against Australia after Pratika Rawal’s injury, Shafali continued her dream run with a sparkling 87 off 78 balls, her first half-century in more than three years after South Africa opted to bowl.
With vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (45), Shafali added 104 for the opening wicket to give India a rousing start, scoring at nearly seven runs per over following a two-hour delay due to a wet outfield.
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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.
