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

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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.

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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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