Seven dead in govt bus accident in TN's Salem
Salem (Tamil Nadu) (PTI): Atleast seven persons were killed and several injured when a TNSTC bus collided head-on with vehicles near Ariyanoor village in the district on Friday, police said.
The mishap occurred when the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation bus proceeding to Salem from Coimbatore veered off the road at Uthamasolapuram near Ariyanoor on the Salem-Coimbatore national highway after the bus driver suddenly lost control. It crashed into a two-wheeler, and a goods carrier (auto) carrying about ten persons in the opposite direction before entering a petrol bunk.
Police said five among the deceased were from the same family returning from a function in the goods auto. A five-year-old girl and a 11-month infant were also among the victims.
A woman and her son who were travelling on a two-wheeler were also killed.
About ten persons who were injured have been admitted to the government hospital in Salem for treatment, a police official said, and added that none of the bus passengers were killed in the mishap.
Union Minister L Murugan and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami expressed their deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
In separate posts on 'X', they claimed that the accident occurred due to "poor maintenance" of the bus.
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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.
