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Qatar Emir to attend GCC summit in Kuwait this week

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Qatar Emir to attend GCC summit in Kuwait this week

May lead to crisis resolution if Saudi Arabia participates

The diplomatic thaw in Middle East seems to be in the offing. Having faced six months of blockade by Saudi led quartet Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will attend 38th  Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Kuwait later this week.

Qatar’s foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced on Sunday that Emir has accepted Kuwait’s invitation to attend the two-day summit beginning on Tuesday.

According to Doha based Aljazeera, the foreign minister said, “I will attend the ministerial council tomorrow and the emir will attend the summit.” He was speaking at a forum.  “It is important that the GCC system remains alive,” he said.

The emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah was the first Arab leader who tried to mediate for resolving Qatar crisis involving diplomatic impasse.

Last week, Kuwait had invited all six GCC member states. It is still not clear if all other leaders would attend the summit.

The GCC, established in 1981, the early years of Iraq-Iran war (1980-88), is a political and economic alliance of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The recent Qatar crisis has created ruptures with a debate if GCC will survive due to ongoing tension in the region.

On June 5 this year, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE and Egypt had suddenly severed diplomatic, air, sea and land route ties with Qatar. They accused Qatar of supporting “terrorism”, maintaining cordial relations with Iran and meddling in the internal affairs of their countries.

Qatar strongly denied all allegations. Doha maintains there is no legitimate justification for the blockade calling it “a violation of its sovereignty”.

Saudi Arabia had also appealed to “all brotherly nations” to join the blockading countries. Kuwait and Oman did not join the quartet. Instead Kuwait, with US support, tried to mediate for resolving the crisis.

In the third week of June, Saudi Arabia led quartet put forwarded 13-point charter of demands asking Qatar, among others, to cut its ties with Iran, close down new Turkish army base in its territory and shut its Aljazeera news network.

In August, Qatari foreign minister visited Tehran and both countries decided to send their ambassadors to each other’s capitals. Qatar had called its Ambassador along with Saudi Arabia after violent protest against Saudi Embassy in Tehran in January 2016 after Mina tragedy during Hajj.

In October, Kuwait’s emir warned of the potential collapse of the Gulf Cooperation Council if the crisis continues.

He was quoted saying, “Contrary to our wishes and hopes, the Gulf crisis has the potential of escalating; therefore, all of us must be fully aware of its potential consequences.” “Any escalation will bring with it an outright call for regional and international intervention, which will destroy the security of the Gulf and its people.”

At the end of October, Qatar’s Emir sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, during an interview with US based CBS News, had accused Saudi Arabia of seeking “regime change” in his country. He had also asserted that he will not bow to pressure and country’s independence and sovereignty is a “red line”.

Bahrain, which is enjoying Saudi army’s support in suppressing its pro-democratic opposition since 2011, had indicated in late October that its king Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa will not attend GCC summit if attended by Qatar unless Doha “correct its approach”.

Meanwhile, Marwan Kabalan, director of policy analysis at the Doha Institute has told Al Jazeera about the imminent danger of a GCC collapse.

He said, “The emir of Kuwait knows very well that if the crisis runs for long, we’re going to see two blocks within the GCC. One is led by Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and Bahrain, and the other will actually have Qatar, Oman and to a lesser extent, probably Kuwait. So we’ll be having then two GCCs, rather than one.”

“Qatar has made it clear many times, by the emir of Qatar and by other Qatari officials, that they cannot accept a total surrender. They want a negotiation. They want mutual concessions by all sides, actually, to solve the crisis,” added Kabalan.

The GCC is the only pan-Arab alliance active with its leaders meeting twice a year. In December the leaders meet in the member states (in rotation) and once in Riyadh, the headquarters of the body.

The official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), does not carry any information on who will, if any, will represent Saudi Arabia in the GCC summit in Kuwait till 11.30 Monday morning (local time). Kuwaiti News Agency (KUNA) also  does not carry any news story telling the names of countries participating in the pre-summit ministerial meeting on Monday.

However, most of the Arab news websites carried story about participation of Qatar’s Emir in the summit.

However, Gulf News reports that GCC summit’s fate and level of representation will most likely depend on the outcome of the foreign ministers’ meeting on Monday.

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Slovakia’s Prime Minister safe after surviving multiple gunshot

The assailant critically injured 59-year-old Prime Minister Fico by shooting him five times.

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Slovakia’s Deputy Prime Minister has confirmed today that Prime Minister Robert Fico’s condition is stable, with his life no longer in immediate danger, following an alarming incident where he was shot multiple times.

The Prime Minister was shot by an assassin while he was leaving a meeting on Wednesday.The assailant critically injured 59-year-old Prime Minister Fico by shooting him five times.

Following the attack, Prime Minister Fico was urgently airlifted to the hospital, where he underwent extensive surgery that lasted several hours. Defence Minister Robert Kalinak, addressing reporters from outside the hospital where Fico was receiving treatment on Wednesday, described the Prime Minister’s condition as critical, emphasising that he was fighting for his life.

The identity of the suspect is yet unconfirmed as the police further investigate. Unconfirmed reports from local media suggest that the assailant may have been a 71-year-old writer and political activist.

A video is currently circulating in which the alleged perpetrator can be seen. In the clip, he mentions that he does not agree with government policy.

The shooting has sparked international concern. Expressing shock over the incident, PM Modi conveyed his solidarity with the people of the Slovak Republic, wishing Prime Minister Fico a speedy recovery. He strongly condemned the shooting, denouncing it as a cowardly and despicable act while emphasising the need for unity against such violent acts and reaffirming India’s support for Slovakia during these challenging times.

Earlier, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen also expressed disapproval of the vile attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico . On X, she stated that such acts of violence have no place in society, undermining democracy, the most precious common good. Von der Leyen extended her thoughts to Prime Minister Fico and his family, highlighting the European Union’s solidarity during this challenging time. The condemnation from EU leadership underscores the gravity of the situation and the need for a united stance against violence targeting political figures. As the investigation unfolds, international support for Slovakia remains steadfast, emphasising the importance of upholding democratic principles and ensuring the safety of leaders across Europe.

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World Earth Day 2024: Google Doodle showcases aerial view of planet’s natural beauty

Google celebrated Earth Day 2024 with a special doodle featuring an aerial view of our planet’s biodiversity.

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Google shared a doodle today to celebrate World Earth Day 2024, which showcased aerial photos of the planet’s biodiversity and natural beauty. Google reminded us of the importance of protecting planet earth for future generations with the help of this doodle.

The Google letters depict specific locations across the globe where people, communities, and governments work every day to help protect the planet’s natural beauty, biodiversity, and resources, according to the explanation of the annual Earth Day 2024 doodle on their website.

It said, these examples remind us that there’s much more to do to address the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, but also offer the promise of hope and optimism.

The islands of Turks and Caicos are represented by the letter “G.” The islands’ conservation efforts are concentrated on protecting important regions for biodiversity and addressing persistent environmental problems.

The largest reef in the southern Gulf of Mexico and a UNESCO biosphere reserve, Scorpion Reef National Park, is represented by the letter “O” in the Mexican flag.

The letter “O” features Iceland’s Vatnajokull National Park, which was designated as a national park in 2008 following decades of advocacy. The ecology within and surrounding the biggest glacier in Europe is safeguarded by this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The letter “G” has the Jau National Park in Brazil on it. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the biggest forest reserves in South America.

The Great Green Wall of Nigeria is represented by the letter “L,”  and the Pilbara Islands Nature Reserves of Australia are represented by the letter “E.”

Meanwhile, Earth Day is a worldwide event that promotes protection of the environment every year. April 22 serves as a reminder of the importance of conservation efforts and sustainable practices to guarantee a healthier world and a brighter future.

The occasion inspires people across the world to come together and take action to protect the environment, strengthening our bonds with nature and promoting good change.

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Bigg Boss 14 contestant Rahul Vaidya struggles walking in knee deep water, compares Dubai rains with Mumbai floods

Singer and TV personality Rahul Vaidya was recently stranded in the Dubai rains.

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Rahul Vaidya, who was in Dubai ahead of his show which was scheduled to take place today, left the country due to heavy rains and reached Kolkata. The artist shared on social media his encounters in the UAE city, including challenges like walking through knee-deep water. Rahul provided an update regarding the heavy rainfall in Dubai on his Instagram profile.

The Bigg Boss 14 contestant revealed that he was in Kolkata and prepared to do an evening performance. Recalling the terrifying period he went through, Vaidya said there was a lot of confusion and panic in Dubai. The situation was similar to that when heavy floods hit Mumbai in 2005.

Vaiday also posted seval other images and videos of cars that were underwater and flooded roadways. The Bigg Boss 14 contestant, who shared his ordeal, claimed that even though it had just rained for two hours, the situation was dire.

In one of the video, which went viral he can be seen struggling in walking in knee-deep water. He can be also seen holding his sneakers in one hand and with other hand he was seen managing other things.

This is the result of the two hours of rain that it had, he can be heard saying in the video. Vidya also said he dosen’t believe Dubai is accustomed to a lot of rain. Everything had stopped working, he remarked.

After taking part in the first season of the singing reality show Indian Idol, Rahul Vaidya gained widespread recognition. In addition to Bigg Boss, he took part in Khatron Ke Khiladi 11.

Meanwhile, heavy rains that triggered flooding in the UAE and Bahrain, which left 18 people dead in Oman on Sunday and Monday, have paralyzed the financial hub of the Middle East, Dubai.

A lot of incoming flights were diverted from Dubai’s international airport because of the rain. At 7:26 p.m., the busiest airport in the world for foreign visitors stopped accepting new arrivals; a gradual resumption was announced for more than two hours later.

Images of planes navigating flooded tarmacs are making the rounds on social media.

According to pictures shared on social media, the flagship malls Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both experienced heavy floods, while at least one Dubai Metro station had water up to the ankles.

There were several road collapses, severe flooding in residential areas, and numerous reports of leaks from windows, doors, and roofs.

Due to the unfavourable weather, schools around the United Arab Emirates were forced to close, and as more storms are predicted, the closures are anticipated to last until Wednesday. The government of Dubai allowed its staff to work remotely till this Wednesday.

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