English हिन्दी
Connect with us

Latest world news

Prince Abdul Aziz, two prominent clerics among 20 arrested in Saudi Arabia

Published

on

Prince Abdul Aziz, two prominent clerics among 20 arrested in Saudi Arabia

Crushing opposition in the kingdom continues

In a bid to safeguard the “kingdom” Saudi security forces have reportedly arrested some twenty political opponents including Prince Abdul Aziz bin Fahd al-Saud, a son of former King Fahad and two prominent clerics.

Tehran based Press TV, quoting multiple unidentified sources and tweets by rights organizations, journalists and others; reports that the arrests come at a time when Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud plans to renounce power in favor of his son, Crown Prince Mohammed.

Two clerics identified as Salman al-Odah and Awad al-Qarni, who had earlier sparked controversies over their opinions about social life in Saudi Arabia, have reportedly been arrested.

Aljazeera, quoting social media postings reports that a prominent Saudi religious leader Sheikh Salman al Ouda (differently spelled due to different dialect in Qatar) has been arrested. But it says that it was not confirmed by Saudi authorities.

Sheikh Ouda, in his last twitter post, had welcomed on Friday suggesting that three month old row between Qatar and four Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia may be resolved.

“May God harmonise between their hearts for the good of their people,” Ouda said on Twitter after a report of a telephone call between Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss ways to resolve the rift which began in June.

Sheikh Ouda who was imprisoned from 1994-99 for agitating for political change and has 14 million followers on twitter, appears to have been detained over the weekend, Aljazeera suggested.

Saudi human rights group AIQST reported that Sheikh Ouda was arrested on Saturday night for posting a tweet supporting of mediation to settle dispute between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Another cleric Sheikh Awad al-Qarni who was also reportedly arrested has been followed by 2.2 million twitter users worldwide.

On Saturday, Riyadh had suspended all communication with Doha after Qatari media allegedly misreported the contents of the first phone call on the crisis between the two Arab states.

On Friday, the Emir of Qatar contacted Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is recently elevated to the rank of Crown Prince, by phone to discuss the list of demands issued to Doha by the Saudi led quartet.  The phone call was initiated from Qatari side after US President Donald Trump had recently asked all the Gulf countries to enter into dialogue for resolving the crisis.

Initially it was reported that Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has expressed his willingness to enter into negotiations with the quartet.

However, Saudi state news agency SPA soon broke the news that Riyadh was suspending all dialogue and communication with Doha and accused the Qatar News Agency (QNA) of “distorting facts” while reporting on the phone conversation. Crown Prince Salman was reportedly unhappy because QNA did not clarify as to who initiated the phone call.

There are reports that exiled Saudi opposition activists have called for demonstrations on Friday the 15th September. Most protests are held on Fridays because of large congregation gatherings in Muslim countries.

The Saudi regime is facing criticism over its policies in the region, including imposing war on Yemen, protecting Al-Khalifa regime in Bahrain and discretely supporting IS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

India News

US reiterates its call for fair, transparent, legal process for Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, speaks on Congress frozen accounts

The US spokesperson said that they are also aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections.

Published

on

A day after India summoned an US diplomat over their remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case, the US reiterated its call for fair, transparent, timely legal processes on Wednesday.

Responding to questions on India summoning Gloria Berbena, the US Acting Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that they will continue to follow these actions closely, including the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Notably, the meeting at the foreign ministry’s South Block office lasted nearly 40 minutes yesterday with India objecting strongly to the US remarks on the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal.

Matthew Miller also responded to a question on the Congress party’s frozen bank accounts. The US spokesperson said that they are also aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections. He added that the US encourages fair, transparent and timely legal processes for each of the issues.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested last week by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to the Delhi liquor policy scam. Earlier, AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Sanjay Singh were arrested in the same case.

The External Affairs Ministry had earlier stated that states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others, and this responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies, adding that it could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents.

The Ministry further emphasized that India’s legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. It mentioned that casting aspersions on India’s legal procedure is unwarranted.

The United State’s remarks followed days after Germany’s Foreign Office stressed that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is entitled to a fair and impartial trial. The Indian government labelled their remark as blatant interference in internal matters.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

5 Chinese nationals killed in suicide bomb attack in Pakistan

This is the third major attack on Chinese interests in Pakistan within a week.

Published

on

Nearly five Chinese nationals were killed in an explosion during an attack on their convoy by a suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday. Reportedly, the suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers travelling from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu, situated in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Regional police chief Mohammad Ali Gandapur said that five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack. As yet, none has claimed responsibility for the attack. Bisham Station House Officer (SHO) Bakht Zahir asserted that the incident was a suicide blast and the authorities concerned were collecting the evidence.

The Station House Officer further added that security arrangements were tightened at the spot and the bodies were being shifted to a hospital. He added that they will investigate from where and how the vehicle of a suicide bomber came and how it happened. Notably, this is the third major attack on Chinese interests in Pakistan within a week.

Previously, two attacks hit an airbase and a strategic port in the southwest province of Balochistan where China is investing billions in infrastructure projects. Several Chinese engineers and Pakistani construction workers have for multiple years been working on hydroelectric projects as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative in the western province of Khyber-Paktunkhwa.

Notably, Dasu is home to a significant dam project, has been a target of previous attacks. Earlier in 2021, the attack in Dasu resulted in the deaths of nine Chinese nationals, along with two Pakistani children. The incident occured when a bus carrying Chinese engineers and workers to the Dasu Hydropower Project site was targeted.

There was confusion surrounding the nature of the attack initially, with some reports suggesting it was a bus accident. Nonetheless, subsequent investigations revealed that it was indeed a terrorist attack. The bus was hit by a blast, leading it to plunge into a ravine.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

US bridge collapses after being hit by ship

The rescuers were searching for at least 7 people in the water. Some reports said upto 20 construction workers were there on the Baltimore Bridge at the time of the incident. A video of the incident which was widely shared on social media showed the moment the 3 km long bridge collapsed.

Published

on

Major portions of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, US collapsed on early Tuesday morning after it was hit by a large container ship. The incident occurred at nearly 1.30 am (US local time). The Baltimore City Fire department said the collapse is a mass casualty incident.

According to reports many vehicles fell into the river below. The rescuers were searching for at least 7 people in the water. Some reports said upto 20 construction workers were there on the Baltimore Bridge at the time of the incident. A video of the incident which was widely shared on social media showed the moment the 3 km long bridge collapsed.

It seems the vessel had hit one of the supports of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the roadway to break apart in many places and plunge into the water. The ship caught fire and appeared to sink. Grace Ocean Pte Ltd, the registered owner of the ship, and the manager, Synergy Marine Group, said it is a Singapore flagged ship Dali which collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland.

He said the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined; the Dali has now mobilized its qualified individual Incident response service. It added that all crew members, including the 2 pilots who were aboard, have been accounted for and there are no reports of injuries.

The local traffic police said all lanes on both directions of the bridge have been closed and the traffic is being de-toured. Maryland Governor Wes Moore also declared a state of emergency after the collapse of the bridge. The bridge was opened in 1977, spans the Patapsco River, a vital artery that along with the Port of Baltimore is a hub for shipping on the East Coast. It is named after the writer of the Star Spangled Banner.  

Continue Reading

Trending

-->

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com