AFP - Squid Business

India-Pakistan conflict hits shared love of film, music

While conflict raged between the powerful militaries of India and Pakistan, a battle was also fought on the cultural front lines despite years of shared love for films and music.The deadly fighting in early May — the worst in decades — affected artists previously untouched by animosity between their leaders.Ali Gul Pir, a Pakistani rapper and comedian with a huge Indian following, released a song years ago mocking Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.While he was spared consequences then, in May his YouTube channel and Instagram profile were blocked in India. “Indians now recognise that the digital space serves as a bridge between Pakistanis and Indians, and they seem intent on severing that connection,” Pir told AFP.The collapse in bilateral relations was caused by a deadly April attack on tourists in India-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Islamabad. Pakistan denied the allegation and, after tit-for-tat diplomatic retaliation, their militaries fought for four days before a ceasefire was reached.The conflict hit the music industry for the first time, with Pakistani singer Annural Khalid also remembering how her Indian following dropped off. “Delhi was my top listening city before the ban,” said Khalid, who has 3.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify.”I suffered a great loss in the audience” from India, she told AFP. “Listeners were deprived of content because music was turned into something it is not,” Khalid added. The conflict also scrubbed out some prior exchanges, such as the soundtrack of the 2017 film “Raees” on Spotify in India. It now shows only Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan, without his Pakistani co-star Mahira Khan. – ‘The same traumas’ -With Pakistan producing just a handful of movies each year under strict censorship rules, Bollywood has always proven popular among viewers. “I grew up watching Bollywood. We have the same traumas, we have the same history, we have the same stories,” said Pakistani film critic Sajeer Shaikh. Pakistani actors and directors have for decades seen making it to Bollywood as the ultimate recognition. But this month, Indian star Diljit Dosanjh announced his latest movie, “Sardaar Ji 3”, which features four Pakistani actors, would be released “overseas only”, after New Delhi banned Pakistani content and artists from productions. “Abir Gulaal”, a love story starring Pakistan’s Fawad Khan and Indian actor Vaani Kapoor, was scheduled to hit Indian cinemas on May 9 but the release was postponed. Even some in the industry who had previously backed the cross-border artistic trade changed their tune last month.”Everything should be banned… cricket, films, everything,” said Indian actor Suniel Shetty, who has a big fan following in Pakistan. He starred in the 2004 movie “Main Hoon Na”, which subtly promotes peace between India and Pakistan. “It’s something really unfortunate about politics, creating that rift and putting boundaries around art,” said Dua Zahra, assistant manager at Warner Bros South Asia’s music label in Pakistan. – ‘Let’s just make art’ -As part of its measures in the wake of the Kashmir attack, New Delhi’s ban on some Pakistani YouTube channels included private broadcaster HUM TV. The channel, which says around 40 percent of its viewers are from India, simply told its fans to use a VPN to continue watching. Since Modi took office more than a decade ago, many Indian critics and filmmakers have warned that Bollywood is now increasingly promoting his government’s Hindu nationalist ideology.While the conflict has created divisions on the cultural scene, there are signs that the trade will endure. Over a month after the ceasefire, three Indian films were in the top 10 on Netflix Pakistan, while the top 20 trending songs in India included two Pakistani tracks. Pir, the rapper and comedian, vowed to “bridge gaps”.”Let’s not make war, let’s just make art,” he said. “Let’s just not bomb each other.”

India-Pakistan conflict hits shared love of film, music

China’s top diplomat visits Europe pitching closer ties in ‘volatile’ world

China’s top diplomat heads to Europe on Monday for a visit which Beijing said will highlight ties as an “anchor of stability” in a world in turmoil.Wang Yi’s tour will take him to the European Union’s headquarters in Brussels as well as France and Germany as China seeks to improve relations with the bloc as a counterweight to superpower rival the United States.But deep frictions remain over the economy — including a yawning trade deficit of $357.1 billion between China and the EU — and Beijing’s close ties with Russia despite Moscow’s war in Ukraine.”The world is undergoing an accelerated evolution of a century-old change, with unilateralism, protectionism and bullying behaviour becoming rampant,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Friday — a thinly veiled swipe against the United States under President Donald Trump.In that context, Guo said, Beijing and the European bloc must “keep the world peaceful and stable, safeguard multilateralism, free trade, international rules, fairness and justice, and act firmly as anchors of stability and constructive forces in a volatile world”.Wang will meet with his EU counterpart, Kaja Kallas, at the bloc’s headquarters in Brussels for “high-level strategic dialogue”.In Germany, he will hold talks with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on diplomacy and security — his first visit since Berlin’s new conservative-led government took power in May.And in France, Wang will meet minister for Europe and foreign affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, who visited China in March.The war in Ukraine will likely be high on the agenda, with European leaders having been forthright in condemning what they say is Beijing’s backing for Moscow.China has portrayed itself as a neutral party in Russia’s more than three-year war with Ukraine.But Western governments say Beijing’s close ties have given Moscow crucial economic and diplomatic support, and they have urged China to do more to press Russia to end the war.- Trade tensions -Ties between Europe and China have also strained in recent years as the EU seeks to get tougher on what it says are unfair economic practices by Beijing.After the European bloc placed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports, China retaliated with its own duties, including on French cognac.An agreement on cognac has been reached with Beijing but not formally approved by the Chinese commerce ministry, a source in the French economy ministry told AFP.The source said finalization was partially linked with the EU’s ongoing negotiations over EVs.Tensions flared this month after the EU banned Chinese firms from government medical device purchases worth more than five million euros ($5.8 million), in retaliation for limits Beijing places on access to its own market.The latest salvo in trade tensions between the 27-nation bloc and China covered a wide range of healthcare supplies, from surgical masks to X-ray machines, that represent a market worth 150 billion euros in the EU.In response, China accused the European Union of “double standards”.Another sticking point has been rare earths.Beijing has since April required licences to export these strategic materials from China, which accounts for almost two-thirds of rare earth mining production and 92 percent of global refined output, according to the International Energy Agency.The metals are used in a wide variety of products, including electric car batteries, and there has been criticism from industries about the way China’s licences have been issued.China has proposed establishing a “green channel” to ease the export of rare earths to the EU, its commerce ministry said this month.

Embuscade aux Etats-Unis: un homme retrouvé mort avec une arme à feu à ses côtés

Canada rescinds tax on US tech firms in hopes of Trump trade deal

Canada will rescind taxes impacting US tech firms that had prompted President Donald Trump to retaliate by calling off trade talks, Ottawa said Sunday, adding that negotiations with Washington would resume.The digital services tax, enacted last year, would have seen US service providers such as Alphabet and Amazon on the hook for a multi-billion-dollar payment in Canada by Monday, analysts have said. Washington has previously requested dispute settlement talks over the tax — but on Friday Trump, who has weaponized US financial power in the form of tariffs, said he was ending trade talks with Ottawa in retaliation for the levy. He also warned that Canada would learn its new tariff rate within the week. But on Sunday, Ottawa binned the tax, which had been forecast to bring in Can$5.9 billion (US$4.2 billion) over five years.Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne “announced today that Canada would rescind the Digital Services Tax (DST) in anticipation of a mutually beneficial comprehensive trade arrangement with the United States,” a government statement said.It added that Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney “have agreed that parties will resume negotiations with a view towards agreeing on a deal by July 21, 2025.”There was no immediate comment from the White House or Trump.US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Friday that Washington had hoped Carney’s government would halt the tax “as a sign of goodwill.”Canada has been spared some of the sweeping duties Trump has imposed on other countries, but it faces a separate tariff regime.Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has also imposed steep levies on imports of steel, aluminum and autos.Canada is the largest supplier of foreign steel and aluminum to the United States.Last week, Carney said Ottawa will adjust its 25 percent counter tariffs on US steel and aluminum — in response to a doubling of US levies on the metals to 50 percent — if a bilateral trade deal was not reached in 30 days.”We will continue to conduct these complex negotiations in the best interest of Canadians,” Carney said Friday.He had previously said a good outcome in the talks would be to “stabilize the trading relationship with the United States” and “ready access to US markets for Canadian companies” while “not having our hands tied in terms of our dealings with the rest of the world.”Carney and Trump met on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Canada earlier this month. Leaders at the summit pushed Trump to back away from his punishing trade war. Dozens of countries face a July 9 deadline for steeper US duties to kick in — rising from a current 10 percent.It remains to be seen if they will successfully reach agreements before the deadline.Bessent has said Washington could wrap up its agenda for trade deals by September, indicating more agreements could be concluded, although talks were likely to extend past July.

China manufacturing shrinks in June despite trade war respite

China’s manufacturing activity ticked up in June but remained in contraction territory, official data showed on Monday, as the truce in its trade war with the United States held.The Purchasing Managers’ Index — a key measure of industrial output — came in at 49.7, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).The figure was higher than May’s 49.5 and slightly above the 49.6 estimated by a Bloomberg pool of analysts.However, it fell below the 50-point mark separating growth and contraction for the third straight month.China’s “economic prosperity level remained expansionary overall” in June, NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe said in a statement.”Manufacturing production activity accelerated, and market demand improved,” Zhao said.Zichun Huang, China economist at Capital Economics, said the June figures “suggest that China’s economy regained some momentum, supported by a rebound in manufacturing and construction”.”But we remain cautious about the outlook, as weaker export growth and a fading fiscal tailwind is likely to slow activity in the second half of the year,” Huang said.China’s economy has struggled to sustain its post-pandemic recovery as it battles a prolonged debt crisis in the crucial property sector, chronically low consumption and elevated youth unemployment.It has also been hit by a fusillade of import tariffs unleashed by US President Donald Trump since the start of the year.However, Beijing and Washington called a truce on the staggeringly high duties in May, and Trump said on Sunday that the United States was “getting along well with China”.

Canada: le gouvernement annule une taxe visant les géants de la tech en vue d’un accord commercial avec les Etats-Unis

Délibéré pour 9 passeurs présumés après un naufrage mortel dans la Manche

Neuf passeurs présumés, kurdes et afghans, jugés pour un naufrage dans la Manche qui avait fait huit morts en décembre 2022, seront fixés sur leur sort lundi, le parquet ayant requis jusqu’à 8 ans de prison pour l’organisation de cette tragique traversée vers l’Angleterre.Ce naufrage est l’un des plus meurtriers survenu ces dernières années après celui qui avait fait 27 morts, le 24 novembre 2021 au large de Calais, une affaire qui n’a pas encore été jugée.Les prévenus, très majoritairement afghans, ont comparu du 16 au 20 juin devant la Juridiction interrégionale spécialisée (Jirs) de Lille, jugés pour “traite d’êtres humains”, “homicide involontaire”, mise en danger d’autrui, ou encore aide au séjour irrégulier.L’embarcation clandestine surchargée avait pris la mer à Ambleteuse (Pas-de-Calais) dans la nuit du 13 au 14 décembre 2022, en dépit d’une mer très agitée et glaciale et des craintes de passagers qui ont entendu une détonation synonyme de crevaison en la gonflant.A la barre, un des prévenus avait reconnu avoir convoyé, sous la menace selon lui, des migrants depuis le camp de Loon-Plage près de Dunkerque. Un autre est mis en cause pour avoir apporté le moteur du bateau. Deux frères afghans sont soupçonnés d’avoir été les financiers occultes de cette organisation.Le délibéré est attendu à 9 heures.Le parquet a requis huit ans contre un Afghan en fuite jugé en son absence, et désigné par les autres prévenus comme le cerveau de toute l’organisation. Huit ans ont aussi été requis contre un Kurde irakien de 40 ans, sept ans contre plusieurs suspects dont les deux financiers présumés du réseau, et six ans contre deux Afghans suspectés d’avoir participé à la mise à l’eau.Le pilote, un mineur sénégalais, a été condamné à neuf ans de prison en Grande-Bretagne, selon le parquet.Un dixième homme, détenu en Belgique, sera jugé ultérieurement.La procureure avait pointé le “trafic extrêmement lucratif” d’une “organisation criminelle”, avec un paiement moyen de 3.500 euros par passager.La magistrate avait relevé les conditions à haut risque pour un bateau “complètement inadapté à la navigation en haute mer”.Après une ou deux heures de traversée, un boudin a commencé à se dégonfler et l’eau à entrer dans l’embarcation. Paniqués, les passagers ont fait ployer le fond du canot et tous se sont retrouvés à l’eau, certains sans gilet de sauvetage, dans une mer à 10-11 degrés.Quatre ont été portés disparus, et quatre sont morts, dont un seul a été identifié, un Afghan.En outre, 39 personnes originaires d’Afghanistan, Inde ou Albanie avaient été repêchées in extremis par les secours français et anglais.