Dalai Lama set to face off with Beijing over succession
The last remaining active pro-democracy party in Hong Kong has disbanded, citing pressure from Beijing. It's the latest casualty in a years-long crackdown that's already extinguished much of the city's opposition. Meanwhile, exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has confirmed he will have a successor after his death, ruffling some feathers in China ahead of his ninetieth birthday. Finally, the most successful series ever streamed on Netflix, "Squid Game", is coming to an end. The third and final season of the South Korean show has set a new record for the streaming platform in the first three days.
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Euronews
4 hours ago
- Euronews
Thousands of devotees celebrate Dalai Lama's 90th birthday in India
Thousands of devotees flocked to the Indian town of Dharamshala on Sunday to celebrate the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, who has been living in exile since escaping Chinese authority in 1959, stated he was mindful of his legacy today. 'When I look back on my life, I see that I have not wasted it at all,' the Dalai Lama said. 'I live my life in the service of other sentient beings,' he added. Dressed in a traditional robe and a flowing yellow wrap, the Dalai Lama was escorted to the temple courtyard by a group of monks, as Tibetan artists beat drums and played bagpipes. At the same time, senior lamas struck cymbals in his honour. Born Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama describes himself as a 'simple Buddhist monk'. But millions of Tibetan Buddhists worship him as the living manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddhist god of compassion. The head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Penpa Tsering, raised its flag as the musicians played the Tibetan anthem. Dalai Lama to reincarnate after his death The birthday party capped a week of celebrations, during which the Dalai Lama announced that he planned to reincarnate after his death, putting an end to years of speculation that he might be the last person to occupy the position. In accordance with existing Buddhist traditions, he added, the future Dalai Lama should be sought and recognised as the next reincarnation. On Saturday, the Dalai Lama said he hoped to live until the age of 130. In the past, the Dalai Lama has stated that his successor will be born in the 'free world' — outside of China. Many exiled Tibetans, however, fear China will name its own successor to the Dalai Lama to bolster control over Tibet, a territory it sent troops into in 1950 and has controlled ever since. Beijing, which views the Dalai Lama as a separatist, has repeatedly said that it alone has the authority to approve the next spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. It also says it will reject anyone chosen without China's consent. World leaders and celebrities Dignitaries, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sent their wishes to the Tibetan leader. In his congratulations, Modi said the Dalai Lama has 'been an enduring symbol of love, compassion, patience, and moral discipline," while Rubio said the Buddhist spiritual leader 'continues to inspire people by embodying a message of unity, peace, and compassion.' The celebration was also attended by hundreds of followers from around the world, including actor Richard Gere. "He is the most extraordinary man to ever walk on this planet," said Gere, as the crowd broke into rapturous applause. In a birthday message on his website on Saturday, the Dalai Lama reiterated that he was 'just a simple Buddhist monk' and that he will 'continue to focus on my commitments of promoting human values and religious harmony.' Celebrations were also held in Nepal's Kathmandu, where hundreds of Tibetan refugees, monks, and others marked the day with Buddhist prayers, chanting and dances.
France 24
10 hours ago
- France 24
US tariffs to kick in Aug 1 barring trade deals: Treasury Secretary
The rates will "boomerang back" to the sometimes very high levels which President Donald Trump had announced on April 2 -- before he suspended the levies to allow for trade talks and set a July 9 deadline for agreement, Bessent told CNN. Bessent confirmed comments by Trump to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday in which he also cited a new deadline: "Well, I'll probably start them on August 1. Well, that's pretty early. Right?" The president said he had signed 12 letters to be sent out, likely on Monday. The tariffs were part of a broader announcement in April where Trump imposed a 10 percent duty on goods from almost all trading partners, with a plan to step up these rates for a select group within days. But he swiftly paused the hikes until July 9, allowing for trade talks to take place. Countries have been pushing to strike deals that would help them avoid these elevated duties. So far, the Trump administration has unveiled deals with the United Kingdom and Vietnam, while Washington and Beijing agreed to temporarily lower staggeringly high levies on each other's products. Bessent said the administration was "close to several deals." "I would expect to see several big announcements over the next couple of days," he said. But he would not say which countries he was referring to, adding: "I don't want to let them off the hook." As his July 9 deadline approaches, Trump has repeatedly said he plans to inform countries of US tariff rates by sending them letters. Aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump said sending notices would be much easier than "sitting down and working 15 different things... this is what you have to pay, if you want to do business (with) the United States." Bessent pushed back at CNN host Dana Bash's assertion the administration was using threats rather than negotiations, and denied that Trump was setting a new deadline with the August 1 date. "It's not a new deadline. We are saying, this is when it's happening. If you want to speed things up, have at it. If you want to go back to the old rate, that's your choice," he said. He said the playbook was to apply "maximum pressure" and cited the European Union as an example, saying they are "making very good progress" after a slow start. EU and US negotiators are holding talks over the weekend, and France's finance minister said Saturday he hoped they could strike a deal this weekend. Other countries were still expressing unease, however. Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Sunday he "won't easily compromise" in trade talks with Washington. And BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro are expected to decry the tariffs Sunday, saying they are illegal and risk hurting the global economy.
France 24
13 hours ago
- France 24
China used embassies to undermine Rafale sales after India-Pakistan clash, French intel says
China deployed its embassies to spread doubts about the performance of French-made Rafale jets after they saw combat in India and Pakistan 's clashes in May, French military and intelligence officials have concluded, implicating Beijing in an effort to hammer the reputation and sales of France's flagship fighter. Findings from a French intelligence service seen by The Associated Press say defence attachés in China's foreign embassies led a charge to undermine Rafale sales, seeking to persuade countries that have already ordered the French-made fighter – notably Indonesia – not to buy more and to encourage other potential buyers to choose Chinese-made planes. The findings were shared with AP by a French military official on condition that the official and the intelligence service not be named. Four days of India-Pakistan clashes in May were the most serious confrontation in years between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, and included air combat that involved dozens of aircraft from both sides. Military officials and researchers have since been digging for details of how Pakistan's Chinese-made military hardware – particularly warplanes and air-combat missiles – fared against weaponry that India used in air strikes on Pakistani targets, notably French-made Rafale fighters. Sales of Rafales and other armaments are big business for France's defense industry and help efforts by the government in Paris to strengthen ties with other nations, including in Asia where China is becoming the dominant regional power. Pakistan claimed its air force downed five Indian planes during the fighting, including three Rafales. French officials say that prompted questions about their performance from countries that have bought the fighter from French manufacturer Dassault Aviation. India acknowledged aircraft losses but didn't say how many. French air force chief Gen. Jérôme Bellanger said that he's seen evidence pointing to just 3 Indian losses – a Rafale, a Russian-made Sukhoi and a Mirage 2000, which is an earlier generation French-made jet. It was the first known combat loss of a Rafale, which France has sold to eight countries. 'Of course, all those, the nations that bought Rafales, asked themselves questions,' Bellanger said. French officials have been battling to protect the plane from reputational damage, pushing back against what they allege was a concerted campaign of Rafale-bashing and disinformation online from Pakistan and its ally China. They say the campaign included viral posts on social media, manipulated imagery showing supposed Rafale debris, AI-generated content and video-game depictions to simulate supposed combat. More than 1,000 social media accounts newly created as the India-Pakistan clashes erupted also spread a narrative of Chinese technological superiority, according to French researchers who specialise in online disinformation. French military officials say they haven't been able to link the online Rafale-bashing directly to the Chinese government. But the French intelligence service said Chinese embassy defence attachés echoed the same narrative in meetings they held with security and defence officials from other countries, arguing that Indian Air Force Rafales performed poorly and promoting Chinese-made weaponry. The defense attaches focused their lobbying on countries that have ordered Rafales and other potential customer-nations that are considering purchases, the intelligence service said. It said French officials learned of the meetings from nations that were approached. Asked by AP to comment on the alleged effort to dent the Rafale's appeal, the Ministry of National Defense in Beijing said: 'The relevant claims are pure groundless rumours and slander. China has consistently maintained a prudent and responsible approach to military exports, playing a constructive role in regional and global peace and stability.' In recent years, China has stepped up disinformation campaigns on global social media platforms like X, Instagram or Facebook, using networks of state-sponsored influencers, sites that pose as news organisations, and fake social media accounts to spread narratives from Beijing. France's Defence Ministry said the Rafale was targeted by 'a vast campaign of disinformation" that 'sought to promote the superiority of alternative equipment, notably of Chinese design". "The Rafale was not randomly targeted. It is a highly capable fighter jet, exported abroad and deployed in a high-visibility theatre," the Defence Ministry wrote on its website. 'The Rafale was also targeted because it represents a strategic French offering. By attacking the aircraft, certain actors sought to undermine the credibility of France and its defence industrial and technological base. The disinformation campaign therefore did not merely target an aircraft, but more broadly a national image of strategic autonomy, industrial reliability, and solid partnerships.' Dassault Aviation has sold 533 Rafales, including 323 for export to Egypt, India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia and Indonesia. Indonesia has ordered 42 planes and is considering buying more. China may be hoping to weaken the security relationships that France is building with Asian nations by spreading worries about the equipment it supplies, said Justin Bronk, an airpower specialist at the Royal United Services Institute, a defence and security think tank in London. 'From a point of view of limiting Western countries' influence in the Indo-Pacific, it would make sense for China to be using the performance of Pakistani weapon systems – or at least purported performance – in downing at least one Rafale as a tool to undermine its attractiveness as an export,' he said. 'They certainly saw an opportunity to damage French sales prospects in the region."
