&w=3840&q=100)
'Mutual respect and sensitivities basis of bilateral ties': India's reminder to Turkey, China over Pak terror
A preliminary probe into the debris of Pakistani drones thwarted by India's air defence systems on May 9 reveals that the country used the Turkey-made Songar armed drone system read more
The External Affairs Ministry has called for Turkey and China to be sensitive to India's concerns after initial investigations revealed that Pakistan deployed drones made by the two countries following New Delhi's Operation Sindoor.
'We expect Turkey to strongly urge Pakistan to end its support to cross-border terrorism and take credible and verifiable actions against the terror ecosystem it has harboured for decades. Relations are built on the basis of sensitivities to each other's concerns,' foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
A preliminary probe into the debris of Pakistani drones thwarted by India's air defence systems on May 9 reveals that the country used the Turkey-made Songar armed drone system.
Songar is an armed drone system developed and produced by Asisguard, a subsidiary of Asis Electronics and Information Systems, to enhance capabilities in low-intensity conflict scenarios. It is the first domestically produced armed drone to be deployed by the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and the first indigenous Turkish drone equipped with a machine gun.
Meanwhile, Director General Air Operations, Air Marshal A K Bharti, had presented images of debris of the Chinese-made PL-15 during a joint military press briefing, saying that the missile had fallen inside the Indian territory and parts of it were recovered from Punjab's Hoshiarpur.
On the use of Chinese military equipment, Jaiswal said, 'Our NSA and the Chinese FM and Special Representative on Boundary Issue Mr Wang Yi had spoken to each other on May 10, 2025, when the NSA conveyed India's resolute stance against cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The Chinese side is aware that mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity remain the basis of India-China relations.'
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
India's Armed Forces intercepted and neutralised various advanced foreign-made weapons employed by Pakistan, including Chinese-origin PL-15 air-to-air missiles and Turkish Byker YIHA III kamikaze drones.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
36 minutes ago
- First Post
The Deng doctrine: How China weaponises rare earths to gain leverage in trade war with the US
China has signalled for more than 15 years that it was looking to weaponise areas of the global supply chain, a strategy modelled on longstanding American export controls Beijing views as aimed at stalling its rise. read more China has long indicated its intention to weaponise parts of the global supply chain—a strategy now visibly playing out through tighter control of rare earth exports. Modelled on longstanding US export restrictions that Beijing believes are designed to limit its technological rise, China is now turning similar tools to its own advantage. The recent rush by companies to secure export licences for rare earth materials, culminating in a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, highlights how Beijing has refined a powerful lever in the ongoing trade war. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Industry experts say China may approve more shipments in the near term but it has no plans to dismantle the new system underpinning those approvals. Instead, China's new export licensing regime, closely mirroring the US model grants the government deeper visibility into global supply chokepoints including critical sectors such as electric vehicle motors and precision systems used in missiles. This level of control offers Beijing a potent means to retaliate in the trade dispute while asserting dominance in strategically vital markets. China sharpens rare earth export controls in trade war playbook As relations between the two countries sour and supply chains fracture, both Washington and Beijing appear determined to shift from broad tariffs to more focused, technical barriers—ones that could have lasting implications for industries worldwide. 'China originally took inspiration for these export control methods from the comprehensive U.S. sanctions regime,' Zhu Junwei, a scholar at the Grandview Institution, a Beijing-based think tank focused on international relations told Reuters. 'China has been trying to build its own export control systems since then, to be used as a last resort.' After a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Trump said the two leaders were 'straightening out some of the points,' particularly regarding rare earth magnets—key components in electric vehicle (EV) motors and high-tech weaponry. But Trump did not confirm whether Beijing had agreed to speed up export licensing, a sticking point since Washington imposed restrictions on chip design software and jet engines over what it calls China's deliberate slow-walking of approvals. China, which holds a near-monopoly on rare earth magnets, added some of the most advanced types to its export control list in April. The move forces all exporters to seek government licences before shipping these materials, turning a once-obscure division of the commerce ministry—staffed by around 60 people—into a powerful gatekeeper of global manufacturing. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The export curbs, part of a broader retaliation package against US tariffs, have had ripple effects well beyond the US. Several European auto parts manufacturers were forced to shut down production lines this week after exhausting their supply of rare earth magnets, underscoring the global reach of Beijing's measures. Though China's commerce ministry has not publicly commented on the issue, analysts say the blanket controls offer Beijing both leverage in its trade war with Washington and a strategic tool to reshape global supply chains in its favour. 'Beijing has a degree of plausible deniability – no one can prove China is doing this on purpose,' Noah Barkin, senior adviser at Rhodium Group, a China-focused U.S. thinktank told Reuters. 'But the rate of approvals is a pretty clear signal that China is sending a message, exerting pressure to prevent trade negotiations with the U.S. leading to additional technology control.' China mines about 70% of the world's rare earths but maintains a near-monopoly on refining and processing, giving it a powerful position in global manufacturing. Even if export approvals accelerate, as U.S. President Donald Trump indicated after a call with President Xi Jinping, Beijing's new licensing system offers it unprecedented visibility into how companies use these critical materials. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD European and U.S. executives warn that by forcing exporters to apply for licences, China's government can now closely monitor supplier chokepoints in sectors ranging from electric vehicles to advanced weaponry, oversight that other governments lack due to the complexity of global supply chains. Hundreds of Japanese companies are expected to need Chinese export approvals for rare earth magnets in the coming weeks, a person lobbying on their behalf told Reuters. Without timely licences, they risk production disruptions, underscoring how Beijing's new trade tools could reshape access to materials essential to modern industry. 'It's sharpening China's scalpel,' said a US-based executive at a company seeking to piece together an alternative supply chain who sought anonymity. 'It's not a way to oversee the export of magnets, but a way to gain influence and advantage over America.' China's export controls deepen as fears grow over weaponisation of supply chain power Fears that China could weaponise its dominance in critical supply chains first emerged in 2010, when it briefly halted rare earth exports to Japan during a territorial dispute. But those concerns have intensified in recent years as Beijing sharpens its trade tools and broadens export restrictions across strategic sectors. As far back as 1992, former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping noted, 'The Middle East has oil, China has rare earths.' That sentiment has shaped policy: in 2020, China passed a sweeping Export Control Law allowing it to restrict exports of any items deemed vital to national security, including materials, technology and data. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Since then, China has built up its own sanctions arsenal in response to U.S. restrictions, investing heavily in alternative supply chains while tightening its grip on key exports. In 2022, the United States imposed broad curbs on chip and semiconductor tool exports to China, aiming to slow the country's military and AI advancements. But analysts say Beijing has continued to make headway despite those barriers. In retaliation, China has steadily expanded its export controls. Last year it imposed licensing requirements for gallium, germanium, and certain graphite products—vital inputs for defence, electronics, and green technologies. Shipments of these minerals to the U.S. were banned outright in December. Then in February, China added five more metals to its control list. Now, following a phone call between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, attention has turned to whether China will ease its latest rare earth export curbs. But analysts warn of a lack of transparency. 'It's virtually impossible to know what percentage of requests for non-military end users get approved because the data is not public and companies don't want to publicly confirm either way,' said Cory Combs, an analyst at China-focused consultancy Trivium. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The opaqueness of Beijing's process and its expanding powers over chokepoint materials are reinforcing Western concerns that supply chains are becoming geopolitical battlegrounds. With inputs from agencies


Mint
44 minutes ago
- Mint
Mohali court remands YouTuber Jasbir Singh to 2 days of police custody. What are the charges against him?
Three days after being arrested on espionage charges, a Mohali court on Saturday remanded YouTuber Jasbir Singh to two days of police custody, reported ANI. According to the report, Jasbir Singh alias Jaan Mahal (41) is a resident of Village Mahlan in Rupnagar. He has been operating a YouTube channel "JaanMahal Video" with over 11 lakh subscribers and posting travel and cooking vlogs. Commenting on Jasbir's remand, his lawyer said, as quoted by ANI, "The police had asked for 7 days remand... We asked the police through the court what they did in 3 days. Today, he has been sent to a 2-day police remand." The police further alleged that Jasbir maintained close contact with Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was earlier arrested for espionage. Also, Jasbir even maintained close relations with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistani national and expelled Pakistan High Commission official, as alleged by the police. The Punjab Police's State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), SAS Nagar, on Wednesday arrested Jasbir Singh for spying for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav said in an official statement. DGP Gaurav Yadav had said that Jasbir was found associated with Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO) Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa, which is a part of a terror-backed espionage network. The DGP further added that Jasbir maintained close contact with Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra and Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish. Among other things, DGP Yadav said Jasbir attended the Pakistan National Day event in Delhi on Danish's invitation, where he met Pakistani Army officials and vloggers. The senior police official added the accused travelled to Pakistan on three occasions, including in 2020, 2021 and 2024, and came into direct contact with ISI officers. He was recruited then to carry out espionage activities within India. Concluding his statement, DGP Yadav said Jasbir attempted to erase all traces of his communications with these PIOs to avoid detection, following Jyoti Malhotra's arrest. Meanwhile, investigations are underway to dismantle the broader espionage-terror network. A report by NDTV stated that the ones who are currently facing espionage charges include 25-year-old Patiala's Khalsa College student Davendra Singh Dhillon, 24-year-old security guard in Haryana Nauman Ilahi, 28-year-old health worker from Gujarat Sahdev Singh Gohil, Arman and Tarif from Haryana, and Rajasthan government employee from Jaisalmer Shakur Khan. All the above mentioned people have been arrested on espionage charges and their links with Pakistan's ISI.


Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Pak raises salaries of assembly speaker, Senate chairman to ₹1.3 million: Report
The Pakistani government has formally raised the monthly salaries of the National Assembly speaker and the Senate chairman to ₹1.3 million, according to a media report on Saturday. The new salary marks a significant rise from their previous salary of ₹205,000. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs issued the notification on May 29, but details surfaced on Friday, Samaa TV reported. The monthly salary for both officials has been fixed at ₹1.3 million and they will also receive an additional 50 per cent as a temporary allowance on top of it, according to the notification. The revised salary structure will be effective retrospectively from January 1, 2025. Earlier on March 21, it was reported that the salaries and allowances of federal cabinet members had been significantly increased, with federal ministers, ministers of state and advisers receiving hikes of up to 188 per cent. Sources had said that the federal ministers approved a summary of the salary increments for themselves and ministers of state through circulation. An amendment to the Federal Ministers and Ministers of State (Allowances and Salaries) Act, 1975, was approved, paving the way for these increases. Following the bill's approval, the revised salary of a federal minister, minister of state and adviser would stand at ₹519,000. Previously, federal ministers were earning ₹200,000, while ministers of state had a salary of ₹180,000. This decision marked a substantial 159 per cent increase in the salaries of federal ministers, while ministers of state and advisers have witnessed an increment of up to 188 per cent. Earlier this year, the Finance Committee had approved an increase in the salaries of members of the National Assembly and senators, raising their monthly pay to ₹519,000, according to the report.