India, central Asian countries express interest in joint rare earths exploration
They also called upon relevant authorities for an early meeting of the India-Central Asia Rare Earth Forum.
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
French intelligence: China used embassies to undermine sales of France's flagship Rafale fighter jet
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 defense attaches 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 neighbors, 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 airstrikes 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. France is fighting what it calls a disinformation campaign against the Rafale 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 specialize in online disinformation. French military officials say they haven't been able to link the online Rafale-bashing directly to the Chinese government. Intelligence assessment says Chinese officials lobbied potential clients to ditch French planes But the French intelligence service said Chinese embassy defense attaches echoed the same narrative in meetings they held with security and defense 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 rumors 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 organizations, and fake social media accounts to spread narratives from Beijing. France's Defense 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.' France considers the jet a 'strategic French offering' "The Rafale was not randomly targeted. It is a highly capable fighter jet, exported abroad and deployed in a high-visibility theater," the Defense 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 defense 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 defense 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."
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Birkenstock cracks down on fakes in India, court-ordered factory visits held, sources say
NEW DELHI, July 6 (Reuters) - Indian court-appointed legal representatives inspected small-scale factories in recent weeks to seize suspected counterfeit Birkenstock footwear, after the German brand launched an infringement lawsuit, people familiar with the matter said. Birkenstock's case is occurring around the same time other shoemakers are in the news in India. Crocs this month secured a court nod to pursue a nine-year-old infringement case, while Prada is facing heat over showcasing sandals similar to ethnic Indian footwear without initially giving credit to India. Reuters is first to report the Indian case details related to Birkenstock sandals, which have evolved from a counterculture symbol to a trendy fashion item, and are also popular in India. In May, Birkenstock filed an infringement lawsuit in the Delhi High Court against four footwear traders, four factories and two unnamed individuals. Its complaint stated an internal investigation found counterfeits were being made in rural areas in and around the tourist hub of Agra, and sold locally and exported to other countries. On May 26, Delhi judge Saurabh Banerjee issued a confidential order that was only made public on the court's website last week. It said 10 local lawyers were appointed as commissioners to visit the suspected factories. The judge said commissioners can "seize, pack and seal the infringing products", and his order included photographs that Birkenstock submitted showing the alleged counterfeit footwear and shoe boxes with the company's branding. The visits have been completed and reports were submitted confidentially to the judge, the three people familiar with the matter said on Saturday, asking to remain unidentified. The next hearing in the case is set for October 6. The visits were conducted in Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, and in India's capital New Delhi, the people said, declining to give further details from their inspection. Birkenstock did not respond to queries from Reuters and its lawyers from Delhi-based law firm Lall and Sethi declined to comment, citing the pending legal case. In his May order, Banerjee said he reviewed photographs and samples of the alleged counterfeit products in court, and they "seem like a cheap knock off" of Birkenstock products. "There is all likelihood of the public getting deceived ... The differences, hardly if any, are not something which can be discernable to the naked eyes," he wrote. Once popular with hippies, tech enthusiasts and medical professionals, Birkenstock gained widespread attention after Australian actress Margot Robbie wore a pair of pink Birkenstocks in the final scene of the 2023 hit movie "Barbie". In February, a German court said Birkenstock sandals do not qualify as art and are therefore not protected by copyright, dismissing a lawsuit brought by the German company. In India, Birkenstock footwear for women is priced between $46 and $233.
Reuters
a day ago
- Reuters
Petronas to drill three exploration wells at Suriname offshore block, Staatsolie says
PARAMARIBO, July 5 (Reuters) - Petronas will begin drilling on Sunday, the first of three wells in an exploration campaign aimed at finding additional oil reserves at its offshore Block 52 in Suriname, state company Staatsolie said in a release on Saturday. Petronas hired Noble Corp (NE.N), opens new tab to drill the wells through the Noble Developer drilling platform, which arrived in Surinamese waters at the beginning of July. Suriname's National Environmental Authority granted a permit for the drilling program in mid-June, Staatsolie said.
