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Hariri avoids returning Beirut, to reach Paris and other capitals before arriving home

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France invites to dispel notion of his detention in Saudi Arabia

Amid political uncertainty in Lebanon, Prime Minister Saad Hariri has decided to travel from Saudi Arabia to France and some other European and Arab countries before returning to Beirut. After his sudden announcement of resignation while in Saudi Arabia earlier this month, he is considered to be detained against his will.

French President Emmanuel Macron sent an invitation to Saad Hariri and his family to “spend few days in Paris” after he  spoke with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday. Macron has reportedly clarified that he was not offering Hariri political “exile”. The move is considered to be an effort to dispel the notion that Saudi Arabia has detained him.

In a related development, French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh at dinner on Wednesday. Some observers believe that France was trying to mediate between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile Aljazeera has quoted Okab Sakr, a leader associated with Hariri’s Future Movement political party, saying on Wednesday that Hariri will arrive in Paris in the next 48 hours.

“It is likely he will visit other countries as well before heading to Beirut. It is very likely he will be doing a tour of some European and Arab countries to explain Lebanon’s position on the current crisis before he returns [to Lebanon],” he said. Okab’s location is not disclosed.

Hariri announced his resignation, on November 4, after he dropped in Riyadh complying with a telephone call to visit the kingdom without aides or officials. He was shocked to see no one turning up to receive him; instead his cell mobile was confiscated immediately after touching down at Riyadh airport.

While announcing his resignation Hariri criticised Iran for interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs by supporting Hezbollah which was responsible for “directing weapons” at Yemenis, Syrians and Lebanese. In his comments directed towards to Iran Hariri said Arab world would “cut off the hands that wickedly extend to it”.

On Sunday last, Hariri chose to be interviewed by his own party’s mouthpiece Future TV in Riyadh for announcing that he was free in Saudi Arabia and pledged to return to Beirut “within days”.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun had alleged that Hariri was detained by Saudi authorities against his will and his resignation will be considered only after his returns to Beirut.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrullah, in a speech on last Friday in Beirut said Hariri’s “forced” resignation was unconstitutional because it was done “under pressure”. He said he was certain that Hariri was forced to resign as part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts of stoking sectarian tension in the country.

On November 12, Reuters had confirmed that Lebanese PM Saad Hariri is in illegal custody of Saudi Arabian authorities at an unknown location. Quoting sources close to Hariri, the agency said that Saudi Arabia has concluded that Saad Hariri had to go because he was unwilling to confront Hezbollah.

Even French President Emmanuel Macron, before conducting unscheduled visit to Riyadh on November 12 said that all Lebanese officials should live freely, “which means having very demanding stance on those who could threaten any leader”.

Macron  was the first European leader indicating that Saudi Arabia was holding Hariri against his will saying it wished for him to have “all his freedom of movement and be fully able to play the essential role that is his in Lebanon”.

Hariri was leading a coalition government with Hezbollah’s participation.

According to observers, Saudi move to force Hariri to resign was aimed to weaken Hezbollah by creating political vacuum in Lebanon at a time when Daesh (IS) is defeated in Syria and Iraq with active Iranian support.

Iran, Iraq and Syria have been alleging Saudi Arabia for its support to Daesh terrorists and consider it as an act of sharing responsibility of implementing the larger US-Israeli plan in the region.

The rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran was witnessed in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, where they support rival sides. Saudi has long tried to weaken the Iran-backed Hezbollah, one of the main political parties in the Lebanese ruling alliance.

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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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Dubai sky turns green during storm in UAE, video goes viral

The UAE witnessed record-breaking rainfall on Tuesday and the National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain.

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1 person was killed in UAE as it witnessed heavy rainfall on Tuesday, stranding commuters, flooding roads, disrupting trains and flights and resulting in water leakage from mall ceilings. The UAE witnessed record-breaking rainfall on Tuesday and the National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain. It is being said that the rainfall was the highest documented since the start of data collection in 1949.

The heavy rainfall in UAE came days after a similar situation in neighbouring Oman, where 13 people were killed in flash floods. Many parts of Oman saw torrential rains, which caused students to be trapped in buses and swept away motorists and trapped people in their homes.

Videos from Dubai circulating on social media showed widespread waterlogging on roads in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other important cities. This left daily commuters in cars and other vehicles struggling to get back home. Dubai metro station too was seen flooded and closed.

One such video circulating on social media shows the aerial view of the city of Dubai from the top of a building. In the video the stormy winds are seen blowing over the city of Dubai. As the storm intensifies the Dubai sky turns green and ultimately gets covered by heavy rainfall. The video has gone viral on social media with more than 1.1 million views.

Another video showed water leakage from the ceilings of shopping malls, flooding the floors and destroying goods. A video which was shot in the famous Mall of the Emirates, showed pieces of ceiling falling as the rainwater gushed inside. Videos from many outlets of the Deira City Centre mall chain showed escalators being rendered unusable. Majid Al Futtaim, the company which owns the Mall of Emirates, said that the shopping complexes have been kept open and the customers are being sent away from the flooded areas. 

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