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‘India and Saudi Arabia united by shared resolve to combat terrorism’

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Riyadh, May 29: The Indian all-party Parliamentary delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Jay Panda on Thursday shared India’s firm resolve towards terrorism with a zero-tolerance approach and the ‘new normal policy’ in light of Operation Sindoor during a visit to Gulf Research Centre, a prominent think-tank in Saudi Arabia recognised for its expertise in global affairs.

The delegation, welcomed by Chairman Abdulaziz Sager, held a frank and productive exchange of views. The discussions also focused on a strong India-Saudi Arabia partnership across all domains, including security and defense cooperation.

“India-Saudi Arabia continue to deepen ties across security, defence and global affairs, united by a shared resolve to combat terrorism. Our all-party delegation had a candid and insightful exchange at Gulf Research Centre with Chairman Abdulaziz Sager sharing India’s zero-tolerance and new normal approach post-Operation Sindoor and exploring ways to strengthen the India-Saudi partnership,” Panda posted on X.

Later, the delegation held interactions with President Abdulmajeed Albanyan of Naif Arab University for Security Sciences in Riyadh, sharing strong concerns about cross-border terrorism and India’s position of zero tolerance against terrorism.

“Strengthening security ties and advancing counter-terrorism cooperation, the India-Saudi partnership continues to deepen. Along with our all-party delegation colleagues, we visited Naif Arab University for Security Sciences and had a meaningful exchange with President Abdulmajeed bin Abdullah Al-Bunyan, discussing India’s firm zero-tolerance approach to cross-border terrorism and shared opportunities in security education and research,” Panda posted on X.

Earlier, the delegates also interacted with the Saudi Civil Society, including distinguished guests from the government, think-tanks, business, and media. They shared India’s resolute stance on terrorism, Operation Sindoor, and India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership.

The delegation led by Panda also includes BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP Phangnon Konyak, BJP MP Rekha Sharma, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi, BJP MP Satnam Singh Sandhu, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former Indian diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

Satnam Singh Sandhu highlighted that India and Saudi Arabia stand united in enhancing the bilateral ties and promoting a secure and peaceful environment in the region.

“Led by Baijayant Jay Panda, our All-Party Delegation representing India in Saudi Arabia engaged with key voices from the Saudi government, civil society, think-tanks, business and media. We conveyed India’s firm stance against terrorism and shared insights on Operation Sindoor, a proud symbol of India’s global humanitarian leadership. India and Saudi Arabia stand united in strengthening bilateral relations and ensuring peace, security, and prosperity in the region,” Sandhu posted on X.

The delegation on Wednesday had an extensive discussion with Adel Bin Ahmed al-Jubeir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi highlighting what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his speech earlier this month – that “this is certainly not the era of war but this is also not the era of terrorism”. The delegates reiterated India’s policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism and appreciated the support received from political leadership in Saudi Arabia in condemning the April 22 Pahlagam terrorist attack.

They underlined the importance of coordinated action against terrorism, dismantling terrorist infrastructure, denying safe havens, financing and political justification to terrorist entities, highlighting the “new normal” in India’s approach to terrorism.

“The delegation held a meeting with Mishaal Al-Sulami, Deputy Speaker of Shura Council. The Indian delegation expressed deep gratitude for Saudi Arabia’s strong condemnation of the barbaric terrorist attack in Pahalgam. It conveyed that India stands firm and united in its resolve to fight terrorism. Acts of terrorism cannot be justified under any circumstances or reasons. Chairman of the Saudi-India Parliamentary Friendship Committee of the Shura Council, Abdulrahman Snitan A. Alharbi and senior Members of the Committee hosted the delegation for lunch,” the Indian Embassy in Riyadh said in a statement.

“The delegation also met Mushabab bin Ayed Al-Qahtani, Director General of Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies and held discussions which focused on India’s approach to countering terror. In all the meetings, the Indian delegation underlined that India has received unwavering support from Saudi Arabia on issues related to counter-terrorism. Both countries will continue to work together in their efforts towards de-radicalization and curbing extremism,” the statement added

Furthermore, the Indian Embassy hosted a dinner interaction with the participation of distinguished personalities from Saudi civil society, which gave an opportunity for further discussions on countering terrorism as well as broader topics related to India-Saudi bilateral partnership.

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Chinese vloggers misrepresent Dhaka’s impoverished neighbourhoods as New Delhi, make disparaging remarks about India

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Dhaka : Over 150 Chinese nationals have been filming and livestreaming from economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods of Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, falsely depicting them as parts of New Delhi, India, according to several reports. While recording footage from these locations, they made disparaging comments about India’s living standards, sanitation, food habits, and poverty. The misleading portrayal has sparked concerns over the deliberate distortion of geographical locations and the possible use of deceptive online content to create negative perceptions about India among international audiences. The incident underscored the growing threat posed by misinformation and manipulated content on social media, where sensationalised posts can spread widely before their authenticity is established.

The activities have reportedly been taking place in Dhaka’s Tekpara and Uttara areas for several months, with streamers remaining active from early morning until late at night. One Chinese woman identified as ‘Mianmian’, who claimed to be from China’s Sichuan province, livestreamed from beside a canal in Uttara Sector 12 of Dhaka on November 1. She reportedly presented the area to her online audience as New Delhi and described the residential buildings and surrounding areas as dirty, underdeveloped, and unhygienic. “This is New Delhi. Their homes are extremely dirty. There isn’t even a fan inside the tin-roofed houses. This place is quite underdeveloped, dirty and unhygienic, and the law-and-order situation is poor,” leading Bangladeshi daily ‘Prothom Alo’ quoted her as saying. In another instance, a Chinese national was seen live streaming from tea stalls in the Tekpara locality of Dhaka, making the offensive remarks that the tea consumed by locals was made using “cow urine”.

“Look, they are drinking tea. Do you know what kind of tea this is? This is cow urine tea. They drink cow urine tea,” Prothom Alo quoted him as saying. The footage also contained derogatory comments on the residents’ lifestyles, with repeated references to poor hygiene, lack of sanitation, and substandard living conditions. These are not isolated incidents, as reports of Chinese content creators recording videos in Dhaka’s underprivileged neighbourhoods have been emerging since May 2026. The recurring pattern of Chinese content creators repeatedly filming in the same low-income neighbourhoods, along with allegations of geographical misrepresentation and intrusive filming, raises concerns about attempts to undermine India’s image internationally. These recent developments point to a coordinated anti-India campaign. The issue is not merely the recording of impoverished neighbourhoods, but the calculated misrepresentation of locations in another country as parts of India, coupled with disparaging remarks intended to influence how international audiences perceive Indian society.

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Trump says renewed strikes on Iran ‘highly unlikely’ if talks progress

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Washington : US President Donald Trump said that renewed military strikes on Iran were “highly unlikely” as long as negotiations made progress, but did not rule out further military actions. In a phone interview with CNN, Trump claimed on Sunday that the United States had already dealt a severe blow to Iran and that further military action was “highly unlikely” to be necessary. “It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement,” Trump noted, referring to Iran’s nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The president also claimed that the United States had identified potential infrastructure targets in Iran, including power plants and bridges, and could destroy 38 bridges in an hour, Xinhua news agency reported. “Most likely it will not be necessary,” Trump reiterated. “They want to make a deal so badly.” Earlier Trump said that Washington was talking to Iran, as his administration imposed sanctions on eight Canadian businesses accused of helping Tehran move money through cryptocurrency networks. “We’re talking to Iran. We have been,” Trump told reporters before departing the White House. The president portrayed the military situation as favourable to the United States and said the Strait of Hormuz was opening. “We’ve beaten Iran. We are doing very well with Iran,” he said.

Asked for his message to Iran, Trump combined his claim of military success with an indication that diplomatic contacts were continuing. His comments came on the same day that the Treasury Department announced sanctions against eight Canada-based money services businesses under Operation Economic Outcast. Treasury accused the companies of exchanging Iranian rials and other currencies for digital assets to facilitate international transactions involving Iran. It said many had dealt with sanctioned Iranian cryptocurrency exchanges or addresses associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. More than eight months after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, Trump has repeatedly sent mixed signals about his willingness to end the conflict. Washington and Tehran remain at a stalemate, with little significant progress in diplomatic efforts.

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Venezuelan national arrested near White House with three firearms; says voices told him ‘to kill Trump’

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Washington : A 30-year-old Venezuelan national was arrested near the White House after US Secret Service agents discovered three firearms and ammunition inside a stolen vehicle, with the suspect allegedly telling authorities that voices in his head had instructed him to kill President Donald Trump. The arrest took place shortly before midnight on Thursday when a US Secret Service officer, conducting a routine patrol near the White House, spotted a suspicious blue Ford F-150 pickup truck parked on Constitution Avenue. According to a criminal complaint filed in the DC Superior Court, the officer approached the vehicle and asked the man inside whether he was safe and whether he was carrying any weapons.

The suspect, identified as Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, reportedly nodded in response to the question about weapons and made a finger-gun gesture. He subsequently stepped out of the vehicle and communicated with investigators using Google Translate. During questioning, Guanipa Chrinos reportedly told officers that he had a gun because someone had attempted to kill him with it and that he had taken it away from that person. He also directed investigators towards a brown bag inside the vehicle. A subsequent search of the stolen pickup truck uncovered an AR-15 rifle, two handguns and ammunition. According to DHS, the suspect allegedly told officers that voices had instructed him to kill President Trump. He appeared before the DC Superior Court on Friday and remains in custody without bond, according to online court records.

DHS identified Guanipa-Chrinos as an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela who entered the United States through Texas in March 2024. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has also lodged an immigration detainer against him. The incident has once again drawn attention to security concerns surrounding the US President and the White House, which remains under heightened security arrangements. Earlier, in April this year, US authorities charged the suspected gunman in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting with attempting to assassinate President Trump, as officials detailed a fast-moving investigation that they said prevented a “massive attack” from unfolding. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said that “that horrible act was stopped because of the courage and professionalism of law enforcement”, adding that “the President and all the protectees and participants at the dinner were safe”. The suspect, identified in court documents as Cole Tomas Allen, faced three federal counts: attempted assassination of the President, interstate transportation of a firearm to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.

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