CHINA ENDS TAIWAN WAR GAMES AIMED AT 'SEALING OFF' ISLAND

PINGTAN, China—China said it had "successfully completed" three days of war games around Taiwan on Monday, capping a show of force that saw it simulate targeted strikes and practice a blockade of the self-ruled island.

Beijing's exercises were a response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week, an encounter it had warned would provoke strong countermeasures.

After three days of exercises, the Chinese military said it had "successfully completed" tasks related to its "Joint Sword" drills.

The operations "comprehensively tested the integrated joint combat ability of multiple military branches under actual combat conditions", the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Eastern Command said.

The command said in its statement that troops were "ready for battle and can fight at any time, and will resolutely smash any form of 'Taiwan independence' separatism and foreign interference attempts".

BBC OBJECTS TO “GOVERNMENT FUNDED MEDIA” LABEL ON TWITTER

The BBC, one of the world’s leading public broadcasters, has objected to a recent label applied to it on Twitter. The label in question describes the BBC as “government funded media,” a phrase that the corporation argues is misleading and inaccurate.

The dispute arose after a Twitter user posted a tweet critical of the BBC’s coverage of a political issue. In response, Twitter added a label to the user’s tweet that identified the BBC as “government funded media.” This label is part of Twitter’s effort to provide more context and transparency around the sources of information shared on its platform.

However, the BBC has taken issue with this label, arguing that it misrepresents the nature of the corporation’s funding. While the BBC does receive some funding from the UK government, this funding is not the sole or primary source of the corporation’s revenue. Instead, the BBC is primarily funded through a license fee paid by UK households that own a television set.

In a statement, the BBC said that the “government funded media” label is “inaccurate and misleading” and that it “undermines the BBC’s editorial independence.” The corporation went on to say that it is “concerned that the label may be applied more broadly to other public broadcasters around the world, which would be equally unfair and inaccurate.”

Twitter owner Elon Musk has described the BBC as “among the least biased” organisations after the broadcaster objected to being labelled as “government-funded media” on the social media site.

LEAKED DOCUMENTS SUGGEST UKRAINIAN AIR DEFENSE IS IN PERIL IF NOT REINFORCED

Leaked U.S. military and intelligence documents indicate alarming Ukrainian shortfalls in Western-supplied weaponry — especially ammunition and air defense — even as they show deep American penetration into Russian plans, equipment and manpower.

The disclosures offer an extraordinarily detailed snapshot of battlefield conditions in the Ukraine war from late February and early March, as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that the rate of Ukraine’s expenditure of ammunition was “many times higher” than the rate at which its benefactors could produce it.

That vulnerability and urgency still exists. The United States, NATO, the European Union and allies much farther afield have been furiously seeking more ammunition from South Korea to Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and the means to produce more themselves in anticipation of a Ukrainian counteroffensive that may just be weeks away.

Air defense, to protect sensitive sites, military personnel and equipment and civilians, is also critical. According to one of the documents, a late February assessment from the Defense Department’s Joint Staff, Ukraine’s “ability to provide medium range air defense to protect the [front lines] will be completely reduced by May 23. UKR assessed to withstand 2-3 more wave strikes” from attacking Russian missiles and drones.

“As 1st Layer Defense munitions run out, 2nd and 3rd Layer expenditure rates will increase, reducing the ability to defend against Russian aerial attacks from all altitudes,” the classified document says.

Following that bleak appraisal, and faced still with the peril in which Ukraine finds itself, the United States and NATO allies have rushed the government in Kyiv myriad air defense systems, creating a patchwork of capabilities to augment its mostly Soviet and Russian-built systems.

The Pentagon has said it is providing to Ukraine what it needs when it needs it, and the supply problems have been publicly documented in broad terms. But the purported classified assessments are far more specific and paint a much more dire picture of Ukraine’s ability to defend its skies. They conclude that systems sent by the West are limited in number, sometimes a mismatch for Russian capabilities and often struggle to keep up with the high volume of Russian salvos.

While the U.S. and the West have scoured for limited stockpiles of Soviet-era munitions, Ihnat acknowledged the peril of the dwindling inventory described in the documents, saying the munitions are made by Russia, which complicates resupply. “There is nowhere else to get it, so sooner or later it will run out,” he said.

While robust air defense on both sides has limited the use of air power in the war, the documents lay bare the consequences of what could happen if Ukraine’s ability is eroded. Russian aircraft could move more freely to conduct strikes or move troops, their missiles could fly on more expedient and direct routes and aircraft can play a more central role in attacking troops during counter offensives, according to the documents.

PAK PARLIAMENT CLEARS BILL TO CURB POWERS OF CJ

Islamabad : A joint session of Pakistan’s parliament on Monday passed a bill to curb the powers of the chief justice of the Supreme Court regarding suo motu cases and the constitution of benches, amidst strong opposition from Imran Khan-led PTI party. “Parliament in its Joint session passes ‘The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023’,” the National Assembly or the lower house announced in a tweet. The development comes two days after President Arif Alvi returned a bill passed by both houses of parliament for reconsideration. During the much-anticipated sitting, the House approved an amendment to the bill, under which a meeting of a committee of the judges will be convened to devise rules and regulations regarding the suo motu matter. The amendment was proposed by a ruling PML-N lawmaker, Geo News reported.

TALIBAN ISSUE NEW RULES AGAINST WOMEN

The Taliban banned families and women from restaurants with gardens or green spaces in Afghanistan’s Herat province. The move followed complaints from religious scholars and members of the public about mixing of genders in such places.

Authorities say the curbs are in place because of gender mixing or because women allegedly are not wearing the hijab, correctly. The outdoor dining ban only applies to establishments in Herat, where such premises remain open to men.

CHARLES PLANS TO TAKE A SHORTCUT TO WESTMINSTER ABBEY FOR CORONATION

King Charles III plans to take ashortcut and smoother ride to Westminster Abbey for his coronation, trimming the procession route his mother took in 1953 as he aims for a more modest event that will include some modern touches, Buckingham Palace said Sunday. The lower-key ceremony May 6 will still be steeped in ancient traditions and adorned with royal regalia from the Crown Jewels, but will also feature its own bespoke emoji, reflecting the first British crowning of the social media era. Queen Elizabeth II’s was the first coronation televised 70 years ago. In one break with tradition, Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, will roll out of Buckingham Palace in the horse-drawn gilded black Diamond Jubilee State Coach built for Elizabeth’s 60th anniversary. It has heat, air conditioning, power windows and a suspension systemthat will provide a comfier ride than his mother’s accommodations for her enthronement. The 2-km route is a bit shorter than the one Elizabeth took to the royal church. The procession will go through Admiralty Arch; past Trafalgar Square and a statue of Charles I, the monarch beheaded in 1649; and by the houses of parliament before arriving for the 11am service.

BIDEN: PLAN TO RUN FOR PREZ IN 2024, BUT NOT READY TO LAUNCH CAMPAIGN

Washington : Not even the annual White House Easter Egg Roll is safe from presidential politics. President Joe Biden, the host of Monday’s festivities on the South Lawn, said he plans to participate in “at least three or four more Easter egg rolls, maybe five. ” Biden was alluding to his expected reelection bid but when pressed for news by Al Roker of NBC’s “Today” show, the president gave no ground. He repeated what he’s been saying for months. “I’m planning on running, Al, but we’re not prepared to announce it yet,” Biden told Roker.

Biden and first lady Jill Biden will also address the crowd from the White House balcony before joining the “egg-citement. ”

5 DEAD AFTER SHOOTING AT A BANK IN US CITY

Five people were killed and eight others were wounded in a shooting attack on Monday at a bank in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, the city’s police department said. Shortly after confirming the attack, police said the shooter was dead, without giving further details. It was unclear whether the death toll of five included the shooter, who police described aseither a current or former employee of the bank. Police were still trying to determine whether the shooter shot himself or was shot by police, Paul Humphrey, a Louisville Metro Police Department deputy chief, told reporters.

Police said they responded within minutes to reports of an attacker at about 8. 30 am (local time) at a branch of the Old National Bank, near Slugger Field baseball stadium in the city’s downtown. At least two police officers were among the eight wounded; two of the wounded, including one of the officers, were in critical condition at a hospital.