UKRAINE CLAIMS IT SHOT DOWN BARRAGE OF RUSSIAN MISSILES

Ukrainian air defences thwarted an intense Russian air attack on Kyiv early Tuesday, shooting down all 18 missiles aimed at the capital with the help of Western-supplied weapons, officials said.

Loud explosions boomed over Kyiv as the night-time attack combined Russian missiles launched from the air, sea and land in an apparent attempt to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defences. No casualties were reported as Western-supplied weapons helped fend off the assault.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov cheered the display of defensive prowess, calling it in a tweet “another unbelievable success.”

A metal fragment that landed inside the Kyiv zoo was labeled Lockheed Martin and Boeing, two of the companies involved in the manufacture of the Patriot missile system.

The barrage came as European leaders sought new ways to punish Russia for the war and a Chinese envoy sought traction for Beijing’s peace proposal, which so far appears to have made little impression on the warring sides. It also came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky returned home following a whirlwind European tour to greet Ukraine’s key wartime allies, which spurred an additional tranche of pledged military aid.

The overnight attack on Kyiv was “exceptional in its density — the maximum number of attacking missiles in the shortest period of time,” said Serhii Popko, the head of the Kyiv military administration.

U.K. Ambassador Melinda Simmons tweeted that it was “pretty intense.”

Meanwhile, A top Chinese envoy will begin his tour of Ukraine on Tuesday, in a trip designed to bolster President Xi Jinping’s credentials as a global peacemaker. Ambassador Li Hui, special representative of the Chinese government for Eurasian Affairs, will visit the capital on Tuesday and Wednesday, a Ukrainian official said on Monday. It’s not clear whether Li will meet with President Zelensky.

PAK ARMY TO INVOKE ARMY ACT AGAINST RIOTERS

Islamabad : Pakistan’s army said “restraint will no longer be exercised” on groups attacking military installations, vowing to take legal action against those who damaged property after ex-PM Imran Khan’s dramatic arrest last week.

“The Armed Forces are well aware of the planners, instigators, abettors and perpetrators of these attacks and attempts to create distortions in this regard are absolutely futile,” the military said in a statement late Monday. “Those involved in these heinous crimes against the military installations and personal/equipment will be brought to justice through trials under relevant laws of Pakistan including Pakistan Army Act and Official Secret Act. ”

The army’s move to include the tough Army Act and the Official Secrets Act is a serious provision in which Khan and his party supporters could be slapped with charges that can lead to either a death sentence or life imprisonment.

The military’s sharp reaction marks another escalation in an ongoing showdown between the army and Khan. His arrest sparked anger among his supporters and some groups breached the military headquarters while others set fire to a military commander’s official residence.

EU UNLIKELY TO SANCTION CHINA FOR RUSSIA BIZ

The EU’s latest draft of new sanctions against Russia would make it more difficult than originally proposed to cut trade with third countries over busting existing restrictions, a document showed, after Berlin warned against targeting China. These sanctions are focused on cracking down on those breaking trade curbs already in place. To achieve that, EU’s executive European Commission proposed for the first time a new tool to limit trade with third countries deemed involved in bypassing curbs after the bloc identified states in the Caucasus and central Asia as possible culprits. During a first discussion on the proposal, Germany was a leading voice in warning against any possible future restrictions in trade with China. The latest document takes that into account. Compared with the original proposal, it would make sanctioning third countries more difficult, with a new clause added saying that before making any such proposal, “alternative measures” should be considered, such as individual listings.

SAM ALTMAN: CEO OF OPENAI CALLS FOR US TO REGULATE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

The creator of advanced chatbot ChatGPT has called on US lawmakers to regulate artificial intelligence (AI).

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, testified before a US Senate committee on Tuesday about the possibilities - and pitfalls - of the new technology.

In a matter of months, several AI models have entered the market.

Mr Altman said a new agency should be formed to license AI companies.

ChatGPT and other similar programmes can create incredibly human-like answers to questions - but can also be wildly inaccurate.

Mr Altman, 38, has become a spokesman of sorts for the burgeoning industry. He has not shied away from addressing the ethical questions that AI raises, and has pushed for more regulation.

He said that AI could be as a big as "the printing press" but acknowledged its potential dangers.

He also admitted the impact that AI could have on the economy, including the likelihood that AI technology could replace some jobs, leading to layoffs in certain fields.

"There will be an impact on jobs. We try to be very clear about that," he said.

However, some senators argued new laws were needed to make it easier for people to sue OpenAI.

Mr Altman told legislators he was worried about the potential impact on democracy, and how AI could be used to send targeted misinformation during elections.

He gave several suggestions for how a new agency in the US could regulate the industry - including giving out and taking away permits for AI companies.

He also said firms like OpenAI should be independently audited.

B’DESH REMOVES ‘EXTRA SECURITY’ FOR ENVOYS OF INDIA, 3 NATIONS

Dhaka : Bangladesh has withdrawn the “extra security escort” provided to top diplomats of India and three other countries, with foreign minister A K Abdul Momen saying Dhaka will not provide this service with taxpayers’ money.

Policemen equipped with riot gear used to escort vans of envoys of India, the US, the UK, and Saudi Arabia during their movements in city and an intensified security vigil for them was enforced following the 2016, Islamist militant attack in aDhaka restaurant.

ADhaka metropolitan police official saidthe police gunmen will continue to accompany the envoys and the personnel guarding the chancery complexes and residences of diplomats will also remain as usual.

Momen said the existing law and order no longer required additional security measures for a few envoys and the decisionwas taken as several embassies other than the four were demanding identical security rituals. He said if any country felt the need, they might hire the services. He said many countries were now asking for a similar protocol “but we will not give it to anyone, because it is discriminatory (and) no one gives such benefits to our ambassadors abroad”. Dhaka police commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq said shortage of manpower prompted authorities to make the decision.

The public diplomacy section of the US embassy here said: “The safety and security of our diplomatic personnel and facilities are of the utmost importance”.

AMID US-TAIWAN ARMS DEAL, CHINA SAYS IT’S READY TO ‘SMASH’ SELF-RULE

Beijing : China is prepared to “resolutely smash any form of Taiwan independence,” its military said on Tuesday, as the US reportedly prepares to accelerate the sale of defensive weapons and other military assistance to the self-governing island democracy.

A recent increase in exchanges between the US and Taiwanese militaries is an “extremely wrong and dangerous move,” defence ministry spokesperson Colonel Tan Kefeisaid.

China’s PLA “continues to strengthen military training and preparations and will resolutely smash any form of Taiwanese independence secession along with attempts at outside interference, and will resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Tan said, in a reference to Taiwan’s closest ally, theUS. China claims the islandas its own territory. With the world’s largest navy, latest-generation fighter jets and a huge arsenal of ballistic missiles, China has been upping its threats by sending planes and warships into waters and airspace around Taiwan. The moves appear to have had limited effect, with most Taiwanese firmly in favour of maintaining their de facto independent status.

MOCHA DEATH COUNT RISES TO 60 IN MYANMAR

Bu Ma (Myanmar) : The death toll in cyclone-hit Myanmar rose to 60 on Tuesday, according to local leaders and junta-backed media, as villagers tried to piece together ruined homes and waited for aid andsupport.

Packing winds of up to 195 kilometres per hour, Mocha made landfall on Sunday, downing power pylons and smashing wooden fishing boats to splinters. In Rakhine state, at least 41 people died in the villages of Bu Ma and nearby Khaung Doke Kar, inhabited by the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority, local leaders said.

Thirteen people were killed when a monastery collapsed in avillage in Rathedaung township, according to Myanmar state broadcaster MRTV. “There will be more deaths, as more than a hundred people are missing,” said Karlo, the head of Bu Ma village near Sittwe.

WHO WARNS AGAINST ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended against the use of artificial sweeteners to reduce body weight or defend the risk of non-communicable diseases. In its latest guideline, which is based on the findings of a systematic review of available evidence, the UN health body says use of non-sugar sweeteners (NSS), also referred to as artificial sweeteners, does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children.

The WHO guideline states that results of the review available evidence alsosuggests that there may be potential undesirable effects from long-term use of NSS, such as an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality in adults.

“Replacing free sugars with NSS does not help with weight control in the long term. People need to consider other ways to reduce free sugars intake, such as consuming food with naturally occurring sugars, like fruits, or unsweetened food and beverages,” Francesco Branca, WHO director for nutrition and food safety, said in a statement.

The recommendation applies to all people except individuals with pre-existing diabetes and includes allsynthetic and naturally-occurring or modified non-nutritive sweeteners that are not classified as sugars found in manufactured foods and beverages, or sold on their own to be added to foods and beverages by consumers, according to the WHO.

Common NSS include acesulfame K, aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia and stevia derivatives. TOI had recently reported about a study published in the Nature Medicine journal that warned about potential long-term risks from using artificial sweeteners as a substitute to sugar.