English हिन्दी
Connect with us

Latest world news

Palestine to ask India to replace US as sole mediator in negotiations with Israel, says official

Published

on

Palestine to ask India to replace US as sole mediator in negotiations with Israel, says official

In the decades of bonhomie between India and the Palestinians, including with the chief of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation Yasser Arafat – and despite India being one of the first nations to recognise the Palestinian area as an autonomous region, virtually a nation – no Indian Prime Minister had ever set foot on that soil; neither on the West Bank, nor on the Gaza Strip. Till Saturday (February 10), when Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Ramallah in the West Bank and held bilateral talks with President Mahmoud Abbas.

India’s idea is to reaffirm India’s support for the Palestinian people, and that is important in the backdrop of the massive Indian relationship build-up with Israel soon after the BJP dispensation took over the country.

What Palestine expects from India

The influential Arab News daily has quoted a senior official as saying that President Abbas will ask Modi to support a multi-country sponsorship that would replace the United States as the sole mediator in future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

The daily quoted Palestinian official Nabil Shaath as saying that Modi is to hold talks with Abbas and sign cooperation agreements worth about $50 million.

Abbas has sought European and Arab support for replacing the US as the sole Mideast mediator.

Backchannel diplomacy

Indian diplomats have been continuing backchannel talks with the Palestinians and each time Modi meets Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a corresponding talk session with Abbas is organised. Before the recent visit of Netanyahu to India, a visit of Abbas to India was quickly finalised and gone through. The diplomatic balance has been kept, somewhat, though the earlier close friendship with the Palestinians may have eased.

When Modi first visited Israel last year, he did not go to Ramallah. That had created a diplomatic storm and a huge belief that India was abandoning its long-time friend and turning its back on its people. Indian diplomats have almost set this right thereafter Abbas’ recent comment that India can play a major role in the complicated politics of West Asia would certainly precent relations from de-hinging.

One has to remember that this trip of Modi comes within the confusion that US President Donald Trump has created by unilaterally declaring that US would be shifting its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, acknowledging the disputed city as Israel’s capital.

India has so far refrained from commenting on this development, and how Modi will be dealing with this if asked a direct question is to be seen.

The basic idea of an Indian trip here – it is the first leg of a three-nation trip, the other countries being the USE (Riyadh) and Oman (Muscat) – is to stress on India’s de-hyphenating of relationship with Israel and Palestine. India does not want to be burdened with old baggage and wants to start a new process in the region.

The 82-year-old President of Palestine is a respected politician and he has said recently: “We will discuss the recent updates with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the recent developments in the peace process, the bilateral relations, and the regional situations, and the possible role India can play in enhancing peace in the region, as well as discussing different economical aspects beyond the existing ties we already possess.”

That is easier said than done, because India’s sudden involvement in the area could lead to a deterioration of relations with Israel, especially with several technical (including defence) tie-ups having already been signed. It has also to be understood that India’s position, vis-a-vis the region has undergone a sea change. Palestine is waiting for huge investments in real estate development, in water resources and energy development, apart from small industries that can provide employment within the regions without their youth having to travel into the walled area of Israel to earn a living.

On his trip Modi will lay a wreath at the Mausoleum of Arafat. During this he will be accompanied by his Palestinian counterpart Rami Hamdallah.

Hs will also visit the Arafat Museum before being received in a ceremony by President Abbas.

The travel to Ramallah for Modi was not direct. His plane landed in Amman, Jordan, from where he took a helicopter to Ramallah. He will return by the same route before leaving for Riyadh. However, he will not be moving into Jordan on this trip.

Latest world news

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.

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

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.

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

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.

Published

on

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. 

Continue Reading

Trending

-->

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com