Railways to run special trains for elections in Karnataka
Mangaluru (Karnataka), Apr 24: Anticipating a surge in travel demand during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and aiming to ease the burden of summer travel, railway authorities have unveiled special train services connecting Bengaluru with Mangaluru Central.
A press release issued by the South Western Railway said Train No. 06553 Bengaluru - Mangaluru Central Special is set to depart from Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal in Bengaluru at 6:00 PM on April 25 (Thursday), reaching Mangaluru Central at 10 AM the following day.
Train No. 06554 Mangaluru Central - Bengaluru Special will depart from Mangaluru Central at 12 PM on April 26 (Friday), arriving at Sir. M Visvesvaraya Terminal in Bengaluru at 3 AM the next day.
Additionally, South Western Railway authorities have announced the Yesvantpur – Kundapur special express to connect Bengaluru with Udupi. Train No. 06547 will leave Yesvantpur in Bengaluru on April 25 at 11:20 PM, arriving at Kundapur the following day at 10:45 AM.
The return journey from Kundapur to Yesvantpur, Train No. 06548, is scheduled to depart from Kundapur at 11:20 AM on April 26, reaching Yesvantpur at 9:50 PM on the same day.
These special trains have been introduced with voting slated for 14 out of the 28 Lok Sabha seats on April 26. The aim is to facilitate seamless travel for voters from the coastal region, Railways said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
