West Bengal: Couple sells 8-month-old son to buy iPhone for making reels
Kolkata, Jul 28: A couple allegedly sold their eight-month-old son in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district to buy an iPhone for making reels, police said on Friday.
The incident happened in Panihati's Ganganagar area near Kolkata, and police said they have already arrested the mother and are looking for the father who is on the run.
The incident came to light after locals got suspicious of the couple as they could not see the baby for weeks, and reported the matter to the police, a senior officer said.
"We have arrested the mother and started looking for the father who has been absconding after the incident was reported to us. The couple sold the infant to someone, and purchased an iPhone 14 to make reels (short video clips for social media)," he told PTI.
"The mother has also admitted that they spent the money that was earned by selling the baby to travel to places like Digha and Mandarmoni," he added.
The incident happened a month ago, but was reported to the police on July 24, the officer said.
"We have started an investigation and are looking for the father," he said.
The mother is being interrogated, police said, adding that they are also searching for the couple who bought the baby.
"We will also book them as this is illegal," the officer said.
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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.
