Mangaluru: Operation to lift 'Alliance' tug vessel on
Mangaluru, May 18: The operation to lift the tug vessel 'Alliance' that sank off the coast here on Saturday and ran aground near Padubidri beach in Udupi district, began on Tuesday.
The operation is being monitored by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), which had contracted the vessel owned by Underwater Services Company Limited.
The company has given the contract to Yojak company for the operation to rescue the tug.
Sources said the tug will first be secured with iron ropes so that it does not shift from the current position.
After this, the vessel will be either lifted or an attempt to turn it into an erect position will be undertaken.
The 'Alliance' vessel had eight occupants on board when it capsized.
Two of them died, while three swam ashore with the help of life jackets.
The remaining three are missing.
The three missing people are chief officer Ashfaq Ali Khalpe, seaman driver S K Mainuddin Haqa and diver Pawan Chand Katoch.
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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.
