PUTIN PREPARING FOR LONG HAUL, US INTELLIGENCE SAYS

Vladimir Putin is preparing for a long war in Ukraine, with even victory in the east potentially not ending the conflict, US intelligence has warned.

The warning comes as fierce fighting continues in the east, where Russia is trying to take territory.

Moscow refocussed its troops on capturing the Donbas region after Ukraine resisted attempts to take its capital Kyiv.

But despite this, its forces remain in a stalemate, US intelligence said.

Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence, told a US Senate committee hearing on Tuesday that Mr Putin was still intending "to achieve goals beyond the Donbas", but that he "faces a mismatch between his ambitions and Russia's current conventional military capabilities".

She added that the Russian president was "probably" counting on US and EU support for Ukraine to weaken as inflation, food shortages and energy prices got worse.

However, the Russian president could turn to "more drastic means" as the war continues - although Moscow would only use nuclear weapons if Mr Putin perceives an "existential threat" to Russia.

Defence Intelligence Agency Director Scott Berrier told the same hearing that the Russians and the Ukrainians were "at a bit of a stalemate".

In the latest fighting, Ukraine claims to have recaptured four settlements in the north-eastern Kharkiv region.

Cherkasy Tyshky, Ruski Tyshky, Rubizhne and Bayrak were all snatched back from Russia, Ukraine's arms forces said.

Elsewhere in eastern Ukraine:

• In the city of Izyum, the bodies of 44 civilians have been found in the rubble of a collapsed building as the battle for control of the area rages. Situated south-east of Kharkiv, Izyum is known as the gateway to Donbas. It is surrounded by forests and rivers, which make it a natural fortress

• The final battle for Mariupol is being fought in the sprawling Azovstal steelworks, where hundreds of Ukrainian fighters are holed up in underground tunnels and bunkers, surrounded by Russian troops. Capturing Mariupol is a key war aim of Moscow, because doing so would give it control of one of Ukraine's biggest ports and easier access to the wider region

• In the port city of Odesa, missiles struck several buildings overnight and shook homes nearby. One person was killed and five people were injured, Ukraine's armed forces said

MARCOS AS PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT MAY CHANGES DYNAMIC WITH CHINA

The decisive victory of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Philippines' presidential election on Monday is set to re-shape the Southeast Asian country's relations with China and the United States as he seeks closer ties with Beijing.

Marcos, the son and namesake of the country's former dictator, has long-standing ties with China and is seeking a new deal with Chinese ruler Xi Jinping over the contested waters of the South China Sea.

Marcos's relations with the United States, on the other hand, are complicated by a contempt of court order for his refusal to co-operate with the District Court of Hawaii, which in 1995 ordered the Marcos family to pay $2 billion of plundered wealth to victims of Marcos Sr.'s rule.

In 2016, an arbitral tribunal constituted under the International Law of the Sea ruled in favour of the Philippines over China's claim, a decision seized upon by other claimant states, as well as the U.S. and its allies concerned by China's construction of military installations on islands in the waters. But in interviews during the election campaign, Marcos said the ruling was "not effective" because China did not recognise it. He would seek a bilateral agreement with China to resolve their differences, he said.

"If you let the U.S. come in, you make China your enemy," he told DZRH Radio. "I think we can come to an agreement (with China). As a matter of fact, people from the Chinese embassy are my friends. We have been talking about that."

Antonio Carpio, the former Supreme Court Judge who led the Philippines' legal team at the arbitral tribunal, said Marcos's stance was a "betrayal". "He's taken the side of China against the Philippines," he said.

Rommel Banlaoi, a Manila-based security expert, said Marcos, also known as Bongbong, wanted friendlier ties with China but not at the expense of ceding territory. "He's open to direct consultations and bilateral negotiations with China to settle their differences," he said. "He is willing to explore areas of pragmatic co-operation with China, including the development of natural gas and oil in the West Philippines Sea."

EU SAYS RUSSIA HACKED SATELLITE AHEAD OF INVASION

The European Union on Tuesday accused the Russian authorities of carrying out a cyberattack against a satellite network an hour before the invasion of Ukraine to pave the way for its assault.

It marked the first time the EU has formally blamed the Russian authorities for carrying out a cyberattack, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

“The European Union and its Member States, together with its international partners, strongly condemn the malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which targeted the satellite KA-SAT network, operated by Viasat,” the 27-nation bloc said in a statement.

“The cyberattack took place one hour before Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 thus facilitating the military aggression.”

SRI LANKAN TROOPS GIVEN SHOOTING ORDERS TO ‘CONTROL’ VIOLENCE

Sri Lanka’s tri-forces on Tuesday received shooting orders to “bring violence under control”, authorities said, amid a spate of retaliatory attacks targeting government members.

“Defence Ministry has ordered the tri-forces to shoot at persons causing harm to life or involved in theft of property,” the Army said.

On Monday, Rajapaksa supporters assaulted peaceful anti-government protesters, who have demanding that the ruling clan quit over a crippling economic crisis, at agitation sites in different locations.

The Sri Lanka Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been tasked with probing the concerted attack on anti-government protesters, police said on Tuesday, a day after a pro-Rajapaksa mob went on a rampage at agitation sites in capital Colombo and in central Kandy district.

The death toll in the attacks, which the protesters accused the police of “simply watching”, rose to eight on Tuesday. Nearly 220 persons were hospitalised after suffering injuries in the brutal assault, and in the targeted, violent retaliation by incensed citizens. Dozens of houses belonging to Ministers and Members of Parliament, including the Rajapaksas’ ancestral village home, were torched.

UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday condemned the escalating violence in Sri Lanka amid the severe economic and political crisis and urged the authorities to prevent further unrest.

Ms. Bachelet urged restraint and meaningful dialogue to address the grievances of the population, after deadly clashes in the worst violence in weeks of protests.

PULITZER FOR DANISH SIDDIQUI, 3 OTHER INDIAN PHOTOGS

The Pulitzer Prize for feature photography went to Adnan Abidi, Sanna Irshad Mattoo, Amit Dave and Danish Siddiqui of Reuters for photos of the Covid-19 toll in India. Siddiqui was killed in Afghanistan in July. Pulitzer Prize 2022 winners in Journalism, Books, Drama and Music were announced at 3 pm (Eastern Time) on Monday. The winner's list included The Washington Post, including Indians Abidi, Irshad Mattoo, Dave, and the late Siddiqui of Reuters in Journalism.

The Pulitzer Prizes also awarded a special citation to journalists of Ukraine, acknowledging their "courage, endurance and commitment" in covering the ongoing Russian invasion that began earlier this year. Last August, the Pulitzer board granted a special citation to Afghan journalists who risked their safety to help produce news stories and images from their own war-torn country.

Jurors of journalism's top honours also recognized coverage of the January 6th attacks on the Capitol, the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Surfside condominium collapse in Florida.

‘25 CHINESE COS IN PAK THREATEN TO STOP OPS AS DUES OF RS 300BN STUCK’

Nearly 25 Chinese firms operating in Pakistan under the flagship CPEC have warned that they would be forced to shut down their operations this month unless payments worth 300 billion Pakistani rupees is made up front to them, amedia report said on Tuesday.

The warning was made the Chinese Independent Power Producers (IPPs) during a meeting presided over by minister for planning and development Ahsan Iqbal with over 30 Chinese companies operating under the flagship multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in various areas including energy, communication, railways and others, Dawn newspaper reported.

There were also complaints, including those relating to complex visa procedures for Chinese executives and taxation, but there were also counter complaints from the Pakistani side on delayed responses to communications, the report said. Iqbal assured the Chinese firms that the PM had taken notice of the situation and promised that financial difficulties willbe eased within this month.

PRINCE CHARLES STEPS IN TO DELIVER QUEEN'S SPEECH AT UK PARLIAMENT

In what is seen as a defining moment for the British monarchy, Prince Charles stepped in to deliver the Queen's Speech on Tuesday to mark the ceremonial State Opening of the UK's new Parliament session.

The speech, which sets the government's legislative agenda for the year ahead, is traditionally delivered by the monarch. But with 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth II experiencing some mobility issues, her 73-year-old son and heir was deputed to read out the agenda to a gathering of members of Parliament and peers of the House of Lords.

The Queen, who missed the event for the first time in nearly 60 years, reportedly watched proceedings on a television from her Windsor Castle residence.

ELON MUSK TO REVERSE TWITTER BAN ON TRUMP

Elon Musk said he will reverse Twitter’s permanent ban of former President Donald Trump if the Tesla CEO follows through with his plan to buy the firm.

Mr. Musk, speaking at a virtual event, said the ban on Mr. Trump was a “morally bad decision” and “foolish in the extreme.” He said permanent bans of Twitter accounts should be reserved for scam accounts or automated bots.

Twitter banned Mr. Trump's account in January 2021 for “incitement of violence” following the insurrection at U.S. Capitol.

“I think that was a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice," Mr. Musk said. “So I think this may end up being frankly worse than having a single forum where everyone can debate. I guess the answer is that I would reverse the permanent ban.”