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Croatian right-wing singer, fans perform pro-Nazi salute at massive concert

Croatian right-wing singer, fans perform pro-Nazi salute at massive concert

Time of India6 hours ago
A popular right-wing Croatian singer and hundreds of thousands of his fans performed a pro-Nazi WW II salute at a massive concert in capital Zagreb. One of Marko Perkovic's popular songs, played in the late Staurday event, starts with "For the homeland - Ready!" salute, used by Croatia's Naziera Ustasha regime that ran concentration camps at the time.
Perkovic, whose stage name is Thompson after a US-made machine gun, has said both the song and the salute focus on the 1991-95 war in Croatia, in which he fought using the American firearm. Courts have ruled Perkovic can use the salute as part of his song.
Escaped zoo lion injures man, 53, in Turkiye
: A man, 53, was seriously injured when he was attacked by a lion that had escaped a southern Turkiye zoo Sunday. The lion was later shot dead. The male lion escaped his cage at Land of Lions in Manavgat, in the early hours. Later, he attacked the man sleeping outdoors. "We struggled, fought... I grabbed his neck and squeezed. At that moment, he ran off a little," said Suleyman Kir, who was hospitalised with wounds to head and shoulder.
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Bengaluru civil court issues gag order directing Kamal Haasan against speaking about Kannada
Bengaluru civil court issues gag order directing Kamal Haasan against speaking about Kannada

Indian Express

time40 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Bengaluru civil court issues gag order directing Kamal Haasan against speaking about Kannada

The court of the 31st Additional City Civil and Sessions judge issued a gag order against Kamal Haasan on July 4, following a suit filed by Mahesh Joshi, chairman of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat, on July 2. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat has alleged that remarks made by the actor suggested the 'superiority of one language over the other'. The suit sought to restrain Kamal Hassan from making remarks in the future that could hurt the sentiments of the Kannada people. In the order restraining Haasan from commenting on the Kannada language, the civil court stated that the Kannada Sahitya Parishat is 'empowered to take any steps in the interest of Kannadigas, their literature and culture.' 'This court is of the considered view that granting ex-parte ad-interim relief of temporary injunction against the defendant is necessary in order to prevent the defendant from making any statement/remarks claiming linguistic superiority of one language over other and thereby hurting the sentiments of Kannada people in respect of their land, language and culture till the next date of hearing,' the civil court said. The court noted that the Kannada Sahitya Parishat president said that Kamal Haasan had remarked, 'Kannada was born out of Tamil,' during a film promotion, which allegedly hurt the sentiments of Kannadigas. 'It is the specific allegation of the plaintiffs that by making such remarks, the defendant is claiming superiority of one language over the other. Hence, he prays to restrain the defendant from making the same or similar remarks in future, having the effect of hurting the sentiments of Kannada people in respect of their land, language and culture,' the court noted. 'If this court, instead of granting ex parte ad-interim order of temporary injunction, orders for the issuance of notice to the defendant, then the very purpose of granting temporary injunction would be defeated by delay,' the civil court said in its order. 'The defendant, his agents, assigns, representatives or any person acting under or through them are hereby restrained, by way ad-interim ex parte order of temporary injunction, from posting, making, issuing, writing, publishing and/or distributing any statement or remarks claiming linguist superiority over Kannada language or by making any statements having the effect of causing hurt or defaming the Kannada language, literature, land and culture till the next date of hearing,' the civil court said. Kamal Haasan made the remarks about Kannada during the audio release of his film Thug Life in Chennai in May. The Mani Ratnam-directed movie, which was due for release on June 5 across India, was stalled in Karnataka following an outrage over his remark that 'Tamil gave birth to Kannada'. The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) sought an apology from the actor to facilitate the release of the film, even as pro-Kannada groups threatened to target theatres if the movie is screened. Kamal Haasan, who was recently nominated to the parliament as a Rajya Sabha member from Tamil Nadu, did not acquiesce to the demand for an apology, and instead chose not to release Thug Life in Karnataka. The filmmakers approached the Supreme Court after the Karnataka High Court also suggested the actor should apologise to facilitate the film's release. On June 18, the Supreme Court directed the Karnataka Government to ensure the uninterrupted release of Thug Life after the state filed an affidavit confirming that there would be no restrictions on the movie's release. The top court said the state must act swiftly against any groups attempting to disrupt the film's release forcibly.

China undermined Rafale jets to boost arms sales, says French intelligence
China undermined Rafale jets to boost arms sales, says French intelligence

Business Standard

time44 minutes ago

  • Business Standard

China undermined Rafale jets to boost arms sales, says French intelligence

French military and intelligence officials have reportedly stated that China used its diplomatic network to spread doubts about the performance of French-made Rafale fighter jets following their deployment in clashes between India and Pakistan in May, according to a report by The Associated Press. Officials allege the aim was to damage the aircraft's international reputation and hinder French defence exports. Chinese embassies mobilised to undermine sales According to findings from a French intelligence agency, Chinese defence attachés stationed at embassies abroad were central to efforts to discredit the Rafale. The intelligence report claims that these attachés actively attempted to dissuade countries, particularly Indonesia, which has already placed an order, from purchasing additional Rafales, while encouraging potential buyers to opt for Chinese aircraft instead. A disinformation campaign appeared to gain traction following the India–Pakistan confrontation on May 7. The day after the initial clash, Chinese media platforms and online networks began circulating false reports questioning the Rafale's performance. One widely shared post included a fabricated screenshot from Qnews, an English-language outlet based in Egypt, falsely claiming that the French government had urged India to "immediately" ground its Rafale fleet. Qnews later clarified that the post was "entirely fabricated" and that their name and identity had been misused. While India acknowledged aircraft losses during the clashes, it did not specify the exact number. France pushes back against disinformation French authorities have been working to contain the reputational fallout, countering what they describe as a targeted campaign of Rafale-related disinformation originating from Pakistan and China. Although French military officials have not been able to directly trace the online smear campaign to the Chinese government, the French intelligence service noted that Chinese embassy attachés consistently echoed the same negative messaging in private meetings with foreign defence and security officials. The lobbying reportedly focused on countries that had already ordered Rafales or were considering doing so. French officials became aware of these meetings after being informed by governments approached by the Chinese representatives. Campaign against Rafale jets According to France's defence ministry, the Rafale was targeted not just as a military product but as a symbol of France's broader strategic ambitions and industrial strength. '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,' the ministry stated, as cited by the Associated Press. To date, Dassault Aviation has sold 533 Rafale jets, including 323 for export. International buyers include Egypt, India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, and Indonesia. Indonesia has placed an order for 42 aircraft and is reportedly considering expanding its purchase.

China tried to undermine Rafale's reputation after India's Operation Sindoor, reveals French intelligence
China tried to undermine Rafale's reputation after India's Operation Sindoor, reveals French intelligence

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

China tried to undermine Rafale's reputation after India's Operation Sindoor, reveals French intelligence

French intelligence has accused China of orchestrating a disinformation campaign through its embassies to discredit French-made Rafale fighter jets following India's Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. The campaign allegedly included lobbying countries like Indonesia to avoid further Rafale purchases, promoting Chinese alternatives instead. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads China deployed its embassies to spread doubts about the performance of French-made Rafale jets after India's Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, French military and intelligence officials have concluded, implicating Beijing in an effort to hammer the reputation and sales of France's flagship from a French intelligence service seen by The Associated Press say defence 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 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 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, as per 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 also spread a narrative of Chinese technological superiority, according to French researchers who specialize in online military officials say they haven't been able to link the online Rafale-bashing directly to the Chinese 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 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 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.'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.(With AP inputs)

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