Congress high command defers announcement of Kerala CM designate to May 14
The Congress high command has deferred announcing the party’s Chief Minister designate for Kerala, ostensibly until Thursday (May 14, 2026). After an almost 40-minute meeting between Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge at the latter’s residence, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the decision on the next Kerala Chief Minister will be announced on Thursday (May 14, 2026), as the party high command has completed all discussions in this regard.
Iran working on Hormuz ‘protocol’ to cover ‘costs’, says Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi
Iran has provided “free of charge services” to international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz for decades but is now working on a “protocol” to include a financial component covering costs it incurs to make navigation safe in the Persian Gulf region, said the country’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, in New Delhi on Wednesday (May 13, 2026). Speaking to a select group of journalists at the Embassy of Iran, Mr. Gharibabadi, who is here for the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting, avoided naming the UAE directly and said “a neighbouring country that is also a member of the BRICS” is thwarting a joint statement at the meeting by trying to introduce language that seeks to condemn Iran’s military strategy against U.S. and Israeli attacks.
