More trouble to China, US as France is eager to sell Rafale fighter jets to India's friend, Macron giving special treatment to...,
After a deal with India, France is now trying to sell Rafale fighter jets to another nation. And for that Emmanuel Macron, President of France is leaving no stone unturned to placate the country's premier.
India and France had formally concluded an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA), valued at nearly ₹64,000 crore, to procure 26 Rafale-M fighter jets for the Indian Navy. Deliveries are set to begin from mid-2028 and likely to be completed by 2030.
Which is that country?
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has been given a special welcome and hospitality at the Bastille Day celebrations in France. The Indonesian President is currently in Paris and is scheduled to meet several EU leaders. France's aim is to make President Prabowo Subianto's visit special and strengthen defence ties with Indonesia and lay the foundation for the Rafale deal. Indonesia has signed an agreement to purchase 42 Rafale fighter jets and two French submarines.
Why Indonesia wants to buy the Rafael?
Indonesia, South East Asia's largest economy, in the face of challenges from China is to buy more aircrafts from France. Indonesia, like India, has also been a leader of the Non-Aligned Movement. In such a situation, while on the one hand Indonesia is troubled by the increasing pressure of China in the South China Sea, on the other hand it does not want to align itself with any one bloc. In such a situation, the defense deal with France is of double benefit for Indonesia. On the one hand it gets advanced fighter planes, and on the other hand it can strengthen its security by staying away from American pressure. When French President Emmanuel Macron visited Indonesia in May, the two countries signed a preliminary defense agreement, which could lead to new orders for French military equipment including Rafale and Scorpene submarines.
What are the risks involved?
But Indonesia is also looking for a middle ground in the confrontation with China. In November 2024, China and Indonesia signed an agreement that analysts say explicitly recognizes China's 'nine-dash line' and therefore China's territorial claims over the sea. The 'nine dash line' refers to the nine lines that China has unilaterally and arbitrarily drawn on the map to claim more than 90 percent of the South China Sea and its islands.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
25 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Rogue bots? AI firms must pay up
When Elon Musk's xAI was forced to apologise this week after its Grok chatbot spewed antisemitic content and white nationalist talking points, the response felt depressingly familiar: suspend the service, issue an apology and promise to do better. Rinse and isn't the first time we've seen this playbook. Microsoft's Tay chatbot disaster in 2016 followed a similar pattern. The fact that we're here again, nearly a decade later, suggests the AI industry has learnt remarkably little from its mistakes. But the world is no longer willing to accept 'sorry' as sufficient. This is because AI has become a force multiplier for content generation and dissemination, and the time-to-impact has shrunk. Thus, liability and punitive actions are being discussed. The Grok incident revealed a troubling aspect of how AI companies approach accountability. According to xAI, the problematic behaviour emerged after they tweaked their system to allow more 'politically incorrect' responses - a decision that seems reckless. When the inevitable happened, they blamed deprecated code that should have been removed. If you're building systems capable of reaching millions of users, shouldn't you know what code is running in production?The real problem isn't technical - it's philosophical. Too many AI companies treat bias and harmful content as unfortunate side effects to be addressed after deployment, rather than fundamental risks to be prevented beforehand. This reactive approach worked when the stakes were lower, but AI systems now operate at unprecedented scale and influence. When a chatbot generates hate speech, it's not embarrassing - it's dangerous, legitimising and amplifying extremist ideologies to vast legal landscape is shifting rapidly, and AI companies ignoring these changes do so at their peril. The EU's AI Act, which came into force in February, represents a shift from reactive regulation to proactive governance. Companies can no longer apologise their way out of AI failures - they must demonstrate they've implemented robust safeguards before AB 316, introduced last January, takes an even more direct approach by prohibiting the 'the AI did it' defence in civil cases. This legislation recognises what should be obvious: companies that develop and deploy AI systems bear responsibility for their outputs, regardless of whether those outputs were 'intended'.India's approach may prove more punitive than the EU's regulatory framework and more immediate than the US litigation-based system, focusing on swift enforcement of existing criminal laws rather than waiting for new AI-specific legislation. India doesn't yet have AI-specific legislation, but if Grok's antisemitic incident had occurred with Indian users, then steps like immediate blocking of the AI service, a criminal case against xAI under IPC 153A, and a demand for content removal from the X platform would have been Grok incident may mark a turning point. Regulators worldwide are demanding proactive measures rather than reactive damage control, and courts are increasingly willing to hold companies directly liable for their systems' shift is long overdue. AI systems aren't just software - they're powerful tools that shape public discourse, influence decision-making and can cause real-world harm. The companies that build these systems must be held to higher standards than traditional software developers, with corresponding legal and ethical question facing the AI industry isn't whether to embrace this new reality - it's whether to do so voluntarily or have it imposed by regulators and courts. Companies that continue to rely on the old playbook of post-incident apologies will find themselves increasingly isolated in a world demanding AI industry's true maturity will show not in flashy demos or sky-high valuations, but in its commitment to safety over speed, rigour over shortcuts, and real accountability over empty apologies. In this game, 'sorry' won't cut it - only responsibility writer is a commentator ondigital policy issues (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Rumblings at the top of Ola Electric The hybrid vs. EV rivalry: Why Maruti and Mahindra pull in different directions. What's best? How Safexpress bootstrapped its way to build India's largest PTL Express business Zee promoters have a new challenge to navigate. And it's not about funding or Sebi probe. Newton vs. industry: Inside new norms that want your car to be more fuel-efficient Stock Radar: UltraTech Cements hit a fresh record high in July; what should investors do – book profits or buy the dip? F&O Radar | Deploy Bear Put Spread in Nifty to gain from index correction Weekly Top Picks: These stocks scored 10 on 10 on Stock Reports Plus
News18
37 minutes ago
- News18
Italian PM Urges EU To Avoid Trade War With US 'At All Costs' Amid Trump Tariff Talk
Last Updated: Her remarks came in response to Trump's announcement that goods imported into US from EU and Mexico would face 30% tariffs from Aug 1 Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday said European nations must do everything possible to avoid a trade war with the United States 'at all cost" ahead of looming US tariffs. Speaking at a joint press briefing with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker in Rome, Meloni said she and Nehammer had discussed ongoing trade talks between the European Union and the US. 'We agree that we must, at all costs, avoid a trade war between the two sides of the Atlantic," Italian PM said. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni calls for a trade deal between the EU and the US before August to prevent a transatlantic 'trade war." #Meloni #US — Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) July 15, 2025 Meloni further stated that Italy and Austria would stay in close contact with the European Commission and continue working towards a 'mutually beneficial" agreement that should ideally be finalised before 1 August. 'We will continue together and in constant contact with the Commission, to work towards an agreement that can be mutually beneficial and must be concluded before next August 1," she added. A day earlier, Meloni had issued a statement warning that a trade conflict between Western allies would only weaken them in the face of shared global challenges. She said Europe had the economic and financial strength to assert its position and secure a fair deal. 'Italy will do its part, as always," she added. Her remarks came in response to US President Donald Trump's announcement on Saturday that goods imported into the US from the EU and Mexico would face 30% tariffs from 1 August. The move has sparked concern across European capitals and fuelled calls for a coordinated EU response. Meloni has come under fire at home from opposition parties. Giuseppe Conte, leader of the Five Star Movement and a former prime minister, accused her of 'bowing her head" to pressure from the US. Critics say her government is not doing enough to defend Italy's interests as trade tensions escalate. In Brussels today, EU trade ministers met to discuss the issue and described Trump's tariff plan as 'absolutely unacceptable". The bloc is now considering countermeasures, though officials say they remain hopeful of reaching an agreement with Washington. (With inputs from agencies) view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Slovakia blocks EU's sanctions package on Russia, delaying push to pressure Moscow
Slovakia has blocked the European Union's proposed 18th package of sanctions on Russia, dealing a setback to efforts aimed at increasing pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine read more Slovakia has blocked the European Union's proposed 18th package of sanctions on Russia, dealing a setback to efforts aimed at increasing pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine. Speaking after the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed frustration at the delay, citing Slovakia's refusal to support the new measures despite the European Commission meeting its demands. 'I'm really sad that we didn't reach this agreement today,' The Guardian quoted Kallas as saying. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We were really close to reassuring Slovakia. The commission has delivered what they asked for. Now, the ball is in Slovakia's court, and we must get this deal done. It has already been two months,' she added. Kallas underscored the urgency of new sanctions in light of what she described as escalating Russian aggression, including a record number of bombing campaigns and the increasing use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine. 'Russia does not want peace,' she said. 'Sanctions are necessary to starve Russia of the means to wage this war. The EU will continue to raise the cost, so that ending aggression becomes Moscow's only path forward,' she added. She also welcomed recent comments from former US President Donald Trump, but emphasised that the EU expects stronger US commitment, 'We would like to see the US share the burden. If America and Europe work together, we can pressure Putin to negotiate seriously. The only way to end this war is to force his hand.' Earlier, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico publicly responded to the European Commission's latest assurances aimed at breaking the deadlock on the 18th sanctions package. Posting the Commission's letter on Facebook, Fico said the proposal had been reviewed and rejected by leaders of other political parties in Slovakia, calling it insufficient. As a result, he confirmed that Slovakia would continue to delay the adoption of the new sanctions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The letter, first reported by Reuters, was sent by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and outlined an 'ambitious and comprehensive work plan' tailored to Slovakia's national challenges. Von der Leyen also committed to 'addressing the specific challenges for Slovakia.' Despite these efforts, Fico reiterated his strong opposition to what he called the 'imbecile' proposal to phase out Russian gas imports by 2028. However, he signaled willingness to negotiate further guarantees, saying 'the best solution' would be for Slovakia to continue receiving Russian gas under its current contract until it ends in 2034. With inputs from agencies
