Nepal seals its border with India ahead of second phase of Bihar elections
Kathmandu (PTI): Nepal has sealed its border with India, restricting vehicular movement at the Birgunj-Raxaul border point from Saturday, ahead of the second phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, officials said.
Officials said India-Nepal border points in southern Nepal have been closed for 72 hours as part of heightened security measures during the polls in the neighbouring country.
"The election is being conducted on November 11 in Bihar, India. Therefore, we have halted vehicular movement along the border due to security reasons,” Heramba Sharma, Superintendent of Police at the Mahottari District Police Office, told PTI.
“All border points in Mahottari district have been sealed,” he said, adding they will reopen once the polling concludes.
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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.
