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France receives Lebanese PM Hariri in connivance with Saudi Arabia

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The move is aimed to dissuade “hostage” notion

The controversy surrounding Lebanese PM Saad Hariri’s freedom in Saudi Arabia seems to be staged as defused. Hariri arrived in Paris at 0700 hrs on Saturday after leaving Riyadh in the wee hours, within eight days of French President’s surprise visit to Saudi Arabia.

Hariri travelled in his private jet along with his family. There are speculations that immediately after Saudi Arabian King Salman transfer’s his powers to Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman sometime soon, Saudi Arabia may start war against Lebanon with active Israeli cooperation. Israel has already expressed its readiness to work with the kingdom.

Before leaving Riyadh, Hariri, who rarely posts his tweet in English language, singled out German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]JTNDYmxvY2txdW90ZSUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIydHdpdHRlci10d2VldCUyMiUyMGRhdGEtbGFuZyUzRCUyMmVuJTIyJTNFJTNDcCUyMGxhbmclM0QlMjJlbiUyMiUyMGRpciUzRCUyMmx0ciUyMiUzRVRvJTIwc2F5JTIwdGhhdCUyMEklMjBhbSUyMGhlbGQlMjB1cCUyMGluJTIwU2F1ZGklMjBBcmFiaWElMjBhbmQlMjBub3QlMjBhbGxvd2VkJTIwdG8lMjBsZWF2ZSUyMHRoZSUyMGNvdW50cnklMjBpcyUyMGElMjBsaWUuJTIwSSUyMGFtJTIwb24lMjB0aGUlMjB3YXklMjB0byUyMHRoZSUyMGFpcnBvcnQlMjBNci4lMjBTaWdtYXIlMjBHYWJyaWVsLiUzQyUyRnAlM0UlMjZtZGFzaCUzQiUyMFNhYWQlMjBIYXJpcmklMjAlMjglNDBzYWFkaGFyaXJpJTI5JTIwJTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGc2FhZGhhcmlyaSUyRnN0YXR1cyUyRjkzMTY0NTY3ODQ5Mjc2NjIwOCUzRnJlZl9zcmMlM0R0d3NyYyUyNTVFdGZ3JTIyJTNFTm92ZW1iZXIlMjAxNyUyQyUyMDIwMTclM0MlMkZhJTNFJTNDJTJGYmxvY2txdW90ZSUzRSUwQSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMGFzeW5jJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZwbGF0Zm9ybS50d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRndpZGdldHMuanMlMjIlMjBjaGFyc2V0JTNEJTIydXRmLTglMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0UlMEE=[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Hariri met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and other senior officials before heading to the airport. This was disclosed by Hariri’s political party Future Movement and two different Lebanese TV stations.

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron, who had suddenly visited Saudi Arabia on November 10, invited Hariri and his family “to spend some time” in Paris. He clarified that he was not offering him political “exile”.

After meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Macron said that the two agreed that Hariri “be invited for several days to France” and pledged to help Lebanon’s “independence and autonomy”.

French foreign Minister Jean Yves Le Drian, after meeting Saudi authorities in Riyadh told on Thursday that Hariri will be welcomed “as a friend”. Drian later arrived in Delhi on Friday for a two day visit.

According to Bloomberg, French officials have not disclosed about the duration of Hariri’s stay in the country. President Macron and Saad Hariri are scheduled to meet at noon for talks, following which the visiting leader and his family will have lunch at the Elysee Palace, the official residence of the President.

However, French officials have said that they still consider Hariri as Lebanon’s PM as President Michel Aoun has rejected his resignation as it must be handed over on Lebanese soil.

Lebanese President Aoun had earlier called Hariri as Saudi “hostage” and said that the developments are “an act of aggression against us and our independence”. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has accused Saudi Arabia for interfering in Lebanese affairs.

According to Reuters, Saad Harir received an “invitation” from Riyadh through a phone call on November 3.  He immediately obeyed Riyadh’s instruction and reached the Kingdom without taking accompanying aide or high ranking official very next day. Immediately after touching down at Riyadh airport Hariri was shocked to see nobody from royal family to receive. Instead, his mobile was confiscated.

Later in the evening, on November 4, Hariri announced his resignation through live broadcast on Kingdom’s official Ar-Arabia TV and expressed his fear of a plot for his assassination and criticised Hezbollah for interfering in the regional conflicts and government of Iran for its political meddling.

Hezbollah has played important role in fight against Daesh (IS) terrorists along with Syrian army and Iranian military advisors in the recent months.

Hariri, later got himself interviewed by his own party’s mouthpiece Future TV in Riyadh and declared his intention to return to Lebanon in a “few days”. His party sources have disclosed that Hariri may visit some other European and Arab countries before returning to Beirut.

 The Saudi authorities have denied accusations of holding Hariri against his will.

Meanwhile, a diplomatic controversy has erupted between Saudi Arabia and Germany after their Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel accused Riyadh of holding Hariri hostage while meeting Lebanese President in Beirut.

According to Gulf News, Saudi Arabia’s foreign Ministry official has said that Kingdom has recalled its ambassador to Germany in protest over “incorrect” remarks by German foreign Minister during a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart.

The statement issued by Foreign Ministry in Riyadh says, “Such remarks provoke the surprise and disapproval of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which considers them as aimless and based on false information that would not help bringing about stability in the region.”

The statement further said, “Saudi Arabia has decided to recall its ambassador to Germany for consultations and will give the German ambassador in the kingdom a letter protesting these unfortunate and unjustified statements.” 

The recent developments have indicated that France and Germany have taken different stance on Lebanese situation. France has welcomed Hariri in Paris with full coordination with Riyadh while Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador from Germany.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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India envoy Dinesh Trivedi meets PM Modi after talks with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman 

India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met PM Modi after talks with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman amid diplomatic tensions.

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India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday, a day after his meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka.

According to the High Commission of India in Bangladesh, Trivedi sought PM Modi’s guidance on further strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh through a constructive and people-centric approach.

The meeting came a day after Trivedi held discussions with Tarique Rahman on matters of mutual interest and ways to advance ties between the two neighbouring countries.

Dinesh Trivedi Meets Bangladesh PM

During his meeting with Tarique Rahman on Monday, Trivedi conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Modi and reiterated India’s commitment to working with the Bangladeshi administration and its people in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner.

The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest and explored avenues for strengthening India-Bangladesh relations with a people-centric approach.

The engagement took place at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Trivedi also shared his experience of serving in Dhaka over the previous two months.

Sheikh Hasina Extradition Request

The meeting assumed significance as Bangladesh has expressed hope that India will expedite the extradition process involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted following a student-led uprising in 2024.

According to a statement issued by the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office, Dhaka also reiterated its request for India to return individuals it alleges were involved in the killing of Shahid Osman Hadi, a prominent figure associated with the July uprising who was shot on December 12, 2025.

Tarique Rahman stressed the need to create a suitable environment to take forward relations between Bangladesh and India.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and other officials attended the meeting.

India-Bangladesh Ties Amid Diplomatic Friction

The latest high-level engagements come amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries following a virtual press interaction by Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on August 5.

The event, organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia to mark the second anniversary of her ouster, prompted strong objections from Dhaka.

During the interaction, Hasina said she remained determined to return to Bangladesh in December and restore democracy, while acknowledging the possibility of imprisonment or a death sentence upon her return.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently registered a strong protest and said the development had affected public sentiment and complicated efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

India has said the government had no involvement in the event. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it was organised by a private media entity and clarified that New Delhi did not endorse views expressed at the forum.

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Trump, PM Modi will resolve tariff issue over Russian oil trade, says US official

White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue over US tariff threats linked to India’s Russian oil trade.

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US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue surrounding the threat of US tariffs linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil, White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said on Tuesday.

Navarro’s remarks came days after the US Senate passed a bill authorising the US President to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top five purchasers of Russian oil. The measure argues that such purchases directly contribute to financing Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Navarro comments on India’s Russian oil trade

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Navarro said India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia before the Ukraine war began in 2022.

He alleged that India became heavily involved in the trade after Russia’s invasion and sold refined products on behalf of Russia, which he said helped support the Russian war effort.

“Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia, but afterwards it got heavily involved,” Navarro said.

The White House adviser also claimed that the issue had since been resolved and attributed some of the shift in India’s Russian oil trade to an opinion article he recently wrote in the Financial Times.

Trump and Modi will resolve issue, Navarro says

Navarro said the relationship between Trump and Modi would help address the tariff-related issue.

“The president and your prime minister have a very good working relationship. They are going to work that out amongst themselves,” he said, adding that it was not his place to intervene.

His comments come amid US concerns over countries purchasing Russian oil and proposed measures aimed at imposing additional tariffs on major buyers.

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US Senate passes Russia sanctions bill, India-China face 100% tariff risk

The US Senate has passed a Russia sanctions bill that could allow 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India and China.

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The US Senate has approved a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that could allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil or natural gas, including India and China.

The legislation was passed by an 86-11 vote and will now move to the US House of Representatives, which is scheduled to reconvene on August 31.

The bill is named in honour of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Ukraine who died on July 11. Graham had pushed for tougher sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.

India and China among major Russian energy buyers

The legislation gives the US president the power to impose tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas.

India and China are among those countries, along with Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia.

The bill also contains an exception for countries importing less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and taking steps to reduce their dependence on Russian supplies.

What does the Russia sanctions bill contain?

Apart from the proposed tariffs, the legislation includes sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior Russian political and military officials, financial institutions and energy projects.

The bill would also expand US sanctions to older and reflagged oil tankers allegedly used by Moscow to bypass existing restrictions on Russian oil and energy revenues.

At the same time, the White House would have the option to waive sanctions or restrictions if the president certifies to Congress that doing so is in the national interest.

Bill also extends Iran sanctions law

The legislation also contains a provision related to Iran. It would extend the expiration date of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 until 2031.

The law penalises companies that invest in Iran’s energy sector.

The bill’s passage in the Senate marks the next step in the US legislative process, but it still needs approval from the House of Representatives before it can move forward.

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