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Saudi Arabia Detains Imam of Mekkah Grand Mosque

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Saudi Arabia Detains Imam of Mekkah Grand Mosque

Continuing the spree of tough action against anti-regime elements, Saudi Arabian government under crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) has detained Sheikh Saleh al-Talib, a prominent Imam and preacher at Grand Mosque in Mekkah, where Muslims from different parts of the world are converged for Hajj rituals.

According to social media advocacy group Prisoners of Conscience, the detention was reported after the Imam delivered a sermon criticising mixed public gatherings, recently promoted by MBS under its moderation project.

The advocacy group which monitors and documents arrests of Saudi preachers and religious scholars, said on Sunday that Sheikh Saleh al-Talib was arrested after he delivered a sermon on the duty in Islam to speak out against evil in public.

Saudi Arabia Detains Imam of Mekkah Grand MosqueRead More: European Union Asks Saudi Arabia to Clarify On Jailed Activists

There were rumours spread through social media about the detention for last several days. However, Aljazeera, based in Qatar, reported the story on Wednesday.

Khaleej Online, an Arabic language website reported that in his sermon, Sheikh Saleh al-Talib, who also serves as a judge in Mecca, derided the mixing of unrelated men and women at concerts and other mixed entertainment events.

There was no direct criticism of the Saudi royal family in his speech. Saudi Arabia has in recent months relaxed laws on female attendance at public events. Saudi women were recently allowed for driving while they are now being employed by companies in larger number. Authorities have also allowed cinemas to function after a gap of 10 years.

Read More: Saudi Arabia and UAE were about to attack Qatar

Saudi Arabian authorities have not given any statement about the fate of the detained Imam of the location of his prison or detention centre.

There are reports that Imam Talib’s English and Arabic twitter accounts were deactivated within hours after his reported arrest.

Yahya Assiri, a London based Saudi activist told to Al Jazeera, Yahya Assiri that  the kingdom’s “authorities are looking at everyone that’s influential and has a presence on the scene”.

He further said, “Even those that have kept quiet or pledged allegiance to the state, even those that have been drumming up the authorities and their initiatives, even these are not safe.”

Since MBS became the Saudi crown prince in June 2017, dozens of imams, women’s rights activists and members of the ruling royal family have been detained.

According to Prisoners of Conscience tweet of 18 January this year, since 9 September 2017 dozens of scholars and clerics were arrested but we only knew 82 names. However, they say that about 50 media figures, 45 university professors, 40 PhD holders, 30 writers having published books, and ten judges and lawyers were among the prisoners of conscience.

The social media advocacy group has, on Thursday, also confirmed the detention of two brothers of Omar bin Abdulaziz and a number of his friends. Omar was active on social media till April this year. His last tweet was indirectly critical of the present government saying “Lies will keep you from ever seeing your true self”.

According to Aljazeera, prominent Islamic preachers Salman al-Awdah, Awad al-Qarni, Farhan al-Malki, Mostafa Hassan and Safar al-Hawali are among the arrested persons.

Al-Awdah and al-Qarni, who have millions of followers on social media, were arrested last September and accused of having links to the Muslim Brotherhood, a group Saudi Arabia blacklisted as a “terror organisation”. Muslim Brotherhood has been presumably receive support from Qatar and has become outcast in Egypt under El-Sisi regime.

Meanwhile, al-Hawali, 68, was detained after he published a 3,000-page book attacking bin Salman and the ruling family over their ties to Israel, calling it a “betrayal”.

There are several videos available on You Tube about the detention of religious scholars in the public glare while they were delivering Friday sermons. One Imam was seen being laid down on the ground by the security personnel while worshippers were shell-shocked.

A Shia religious scholar Sheikh Baqar al-Nimr was executed by Saudi authorities in January 2016 for his anti-regime opinions.  Observers believe that the government in Riyadh has been taking tough actions against anybody, irrespective of their sect, challenging the Kingdom’s changing policy.

Observers believe that Saudi government has been supporting similar actions against religious personalities in other friendly countries in the Middle East and Africa. Nigerian government detained a most powerful Shia cleric and leader of Islamic Movement Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky in December 2015 in a military action against a religious congregation during Muharram. His four sons were killed while he and his wife were injured in the operation.

Bahrain, another Saudi ally, where majority Shia community have been protesting against the suppression of their political and social rights since 2011, has stripped prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Issa Qassim of his Bahraini citizenship in June 2016 for allegedly serving “foreign interests” and promote “sectarianism and violence”.

MBS has in the recent past softened the Saudi Arabia’s stance on Israel, telling that Israelis “have the right to their own land” and “there are a lot of interests we [Saudi Arabia] share with Israel.”

In March this year Saudi Arabia granted permission to Air India to use its airspace to operate a direct flight between New Delhi and Tel Aviv, saving lot of travel time and energy.

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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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