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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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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigns amid affair scandal, Colette Kress takes over

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has resigned amid an affair-related controversy. The company’s CFO, Colette Kress, will serve as interim CEO while the board looks for a permanent successor.

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colette kress

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has resigned from his position, marking a major leadership change at the world’s leading artificial intelligence chipmaker. The company’s board has appointed Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO while it begins the process of finding a permanent successor.

The development comes amid controversy surrounding reports of Huang’s alleged extramarital relationships, including one involving a Chinese businesswoman suspected by US authorities of having links to espionage activities.

Huang’s departure comes after more than three decades at the helm of Nvidia, the company he co-founded in 1993. His leadership helped transform the business from a graphics chip manufacturer into a dominant supplier of processors powering the global artificial intelligence industry.

Colette Kress appointed interim Nvidia CEO

Following Huang’s resignation, Nvidia’s board appointed Colette Kress as interim chief executive officer.

Kress, who has served as Nvidia’s executive vice president and CFO since September 2013, will continue to hold the finance portfolio alongside her interim leadership responsibilities until a permanent successor is appointed.

Before joining Nvidia, she spent nearly 25 years working in finance roles at major technology companies, including Cisco and Microsoft.

The board has said it will consider both internal and external candidates as part of its search for a permanent CEO.

Nvidia has also appointed Harvey C. Jones as the company’s first-ever chairman of the board.

Affair controversy surrounding Jensen Huang

Huang’s resignation follows a series of reports about alleged extramarital relationships that have raised questions about his position at the company.

One of the controversies involves Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman whom US intelligence agencies reportedly suspect of involvement in facilitating shipments of Nvidia chips to Chinese companies.

Another report alleged that Huang had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare, who reportedly worked under him.

Huang had earlier acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife in a message to Nvidia employees, taking responsibility for his actions and apologising to his family and colleagues.

The company’s board had also initiated an independent investigation into whether Huang had been targeted as part of a foreign intelligence operation.

Jensen Huang’s departure marks a major change for Nvidia

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 alongside Curtis Priem and Chris Malachowsky. Under his leadership, the company evolved from a graphics processing unit manufacturer primarily associated with gaming into a central player in the global AI industry.

Nvidia’s processors have become critical to companies developing and operating artificial intelligence systems, making the company one of the most influential businesses in the technology sector.

His departure also comes at a crucial time for Nvidia, with investors closely watching the company’s leadership transition and its ability to maintain its position in the rapidly expanding AI market.

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India, Canada discuss trade pact to boost bilateral commerce

India and Canada discussed advancing negotiations on a proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement aimed at expanding trade, investment and market access between the two countries.

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India canada trade pacts

India and Canada discussed advancing negotiations on a proposed trade agreement as the two countries seek to strengthen their economic and commercial ties.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met Canada’s Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, who is leading a Canadian delegation to India. The discussions focused on advancing negotiations for the proposed India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

The proposed pact is aimed at creating greater market access and opening up new opportunities for trade and investment between the two countries.

India-Canada CEPA talks

Both sides discussed the importance of a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement that can make use of the complementary strengths of the two economies.

The discussions also focused on deepening commercial engagement and creating new opportunities for businesses in both countries.

Goyal said the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to taking the India-Canada economic partnership to a higher level, with CEPA serving as a catalyst for deeper commercial engagement.

India and Canada are working towards concluding the CEPA negotiations by the end of 2026.

India-Canada trade

The proposed CEPA is aimed at improving market access and creating opportunities across sectors while strengthening the broader economic relationship between India and Canada.

The agreement is expected to provide greater opportunities for businesses in both countries and support deeper trade and investment ties.

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White House put on temporary lockdown after car crashes into signpost

The White House was temporarily placed under lockdown after a car crashed into a signpost near Lafayette Square in Washington, DC. The driver was detained after a confrontation with security personnel.

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The White House was placed under a temporary lockdown on Monday after a car crashed into a signpost at Lafayette Square near the presidential residence in Washington, DC.

The incident triggered a security response in the area, with the US Secret Service directing members of the White House press corps to move indoors and remain there temporarily.

Driver detained after confrontation with security personnel

The driver was detained following a confrontation with Secret Service officers and National Guard personnel, according to reports.

Video footage showed a silver sedan on the paved area at the northern end of Lafayette Square after striking a signpost. Smoke was also seen coming from the vehicle.

Authorities had not immediately disclosed the driver’s identity or established what led to the crash.

White House security restrictions imposed

The security response prompted temporary restrictions around the White House. The incident occurred at Lafayette Square, which is directly across Pennsylvania Avenue from the presidential complex.

At around 10 am local time, Secret Service personnel instructed White House journalists to move indoors while security personnel dealt with the incident.

The White House was under the security restriction while President Donald Trump was at the premises, according to reports.

Motive behind crash remains unclear

It was not immediately known whether the crash was accidental or deliberate. Authorities had also not immediately confirmed whether anyone was injured.

The circumstances surrounding the incident, including the driver’s identity and possible motive, remained under investigation.

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