BIDEN ORDERS US TO SHARE RUSSIA WAR CRIMES EVIDENCE WITH ICC

Washington : President Joe Biden has taken a significant step by instructing the US government to share evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. This decision comes after months of resistance from the Pentagon, which was concerned about the potential prosecution of American troops. The move signals a notable shift in policy.

The ICC, as a permanent war crimes tribunal, had previously issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin based on suspicions of deporting children from Ukraine, which amounts to a war crime.

The reasons behind Biden's previous delay in resolving the matter remain unclear. However, mounting bipartisan pressure pushed him to act. Recently, a Senate committee approved a government funding bill that mandated the president to provide information to the court to support its investigations into war crimes in Ukraine.

US intelligence agencies have collected information on Russian officials' decisions to intentionally target civilian infrastructure in Ukraine and forcibly deport thousands of Ukrainian children from occupied areas.

The decision to share evidence with the ICC represents a significant change in the US approach to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and indicates a willingness to support international efforts in holding those responsible for war crimes accountable. It also signifies a departure from previous reluctance to cooperate with the ICC. By sharing evidence, the US may play a crucial role in bringing justice to the victims and promoting accountability for serious human rights violations committed during the conflict. However, it remains to be seen how this decision will impact relations between the US and Russia, given the sensitivities surrounding the war in Ukraine and the involvement of both nations in the ongoing crisis.

NORTH KOREA SHOWS OFF BALLISTIC MISSILES, DRONES AT NIGHT PARADE

North Korea displayed nuclear-capable missiles and new attack drones in a large military parade staged in Pyongyang for leader Kim Jong Un and visiting delegations from China and Russia, North Korean state media reported Friday.

The widely anticipated parade Thursday night commemorated the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, celebrated in North Korea as "Victory Day."

The Chinese and Russian delegations, including Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, were the first such visitors to North Korea since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Their appearance at events with the North's nuclear missiles -- which were banned by the United Nations Security Council with China's and Russia's support -- marked a contrast with previous years, when Beijing and Moscow sought to distance themselves from their neighbor's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development.

The parade included North Korea's latest Hwasong-17 and Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to state news agency KCNA, which are believed to have the range to strike targets anywhere in the United States.

The event also featured a flyover by new attack and spy drones, KCNA reported.

KYIV LAUNCHES A MAJOR PUSH AGAINST RUSSIAN FORCES

Ukraine has launched a major push to dislodge Russian forces from the country’s southeast as part of its weeks-long counteroffensive, committing thousands of troops to the battle, according to Western and Ukrainian officials and analysts.

The surge in troops and firepower has been centred on the region of Zaporizhzhia, a Western official said late Wednesday.

The counteroffensive is a massive operation, which likely was months in preparation. Military planners need to orchestrate supplies of ammunition, food, and medical supplies.

PUTIN VOWS FREE GRAIN TO AFRICAN NATIONS TO ‘REPLACE’ KYIV EXPORTS

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday told African leaders he would gift them tens of thousands of tonnes of grain within months despite Western sanctions, which he said made it harder for Moscow to export its grain and fertilisers.

Speaking at a summit in St Petersburg devoted to Russian-African ties, he said Russia was expecting a record grain harvest and was ready to replace Ukrainian grain exports to Africa on both a commercial and aid basis to honour “Moscow’s critical role in global food security”. Putin said over 70% of Ukrainian grain exported had gone to highor above-average-income countries, including in the EU, and that the poorest countries had been “screwed over” and received less than 3% of the shipments.

“We will be ready to provide Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic and Eritrea with 25-50,000 tonnes of free grain each in the next 3-4 months,” Putin said. “We will also provide free delivery of these products to consumers.” Last year, Russia exported a total of 60 million tonnes of grain, of which 48 million tonnes was wheat, Putin said. The event follows Russia’s first Africa summit in 2019 and is part of a concerted push for influence on a continent where mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group remain active despite a mutiny at home last month.

‘ERA OF GLOBAL BOILING’ HAS ARRIVED, WARNS UN CHIEF ANTONIO GUTERRES

UNITED NATIONS: U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday that the era of global warming has ended and “the era of global boiling has arrived” after scientists said July was the world’s hottest month on record. “Climate change is here. It is terrifying. And it is just the beginning,” Mr. Guterres told reporters.

EYE ON IMRAN? PAK SENATE OKS BILL TO PUNISH THOSE WHO LEAK SENSITIVE INFO

Islamabad : Pakistan’s parliament passed on Thursday a bill to amend the Pakistan Army Act of 1952, seeking action against anyone who discloses sensitive information pertaining to the security of the country or the army.

The bill was tabled in the Senate by defence minister Khawaja Asif as the outgoing PM Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government has been trying its best to arrest and disqualify former prime minister Imran Khan before the next general election. The proposed amendment, observers believe, was an attempt to try Imran under the Official Secrets Act of 1923 after his former principal secretary, Azam Khan, who had gone missing for some time, allegedly accused his former boss of using US cables to create a false narrative that his ouster was a conspiracy hatched by the military establishment and the then opposition.

According to the proposed bill, any person who makes unauthorised disclosure of information obtained in an official capacity for the security and benefit of Pakistan will be punished with rigorous imprisonment for up to five years.

It further stated that anyone who discloses information against the interests of the country and the Pakistan army will be dealt with under the Official Secrets Act and the Army Act. Furthermore, a person subject to the ArmyAct shall not participate in any political activity until two years after his retirement, resignation, or dismissal from service. Nor would it be permissible for a person posted on sensitive duty to engage in political activity for five years following his/her service.

USCIS ANNOUNCES A SECOND ROUND OF LOTTERY-SELECTION FOR H-1B ASPIRANTS

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Thursday announced a second round of random (lottery) selection for H-1B cap visas for the fiscal 2024 (year ending September 30, 2024).

According to experts, one of the main reasons for the second round could be the crackdown on ‘fraudulent practices’ such as filing of multiple H-1B cap registrations for the same beneficiary (prospective employee) by American sponsoring entities to improve the chance of a lottery-win. The investigations may have resulted in a large number of rejections. “We recently determined that we would need to select additional registrations to reach the FY 2024 numerical allocations. Soon, we will select from previously submitted electronic registrations using a random selection process,” the USCIS said.

The first time that multiple lotteries were conducted was for fiscal 2022, but the reasons were markedly different. Owing to low volumes of applications, a second lottery was held in July 2021, followed by another lottery in November 2021. The next year, back to usual, saw only one lottery being held.

Indians, especially those who have been sponsored by the technology sector are key beneficiaries of the H-1B visa programme and stand to gain from a second lottery. According to the report ‘Characteristics of H-1B Specialty Occupation Workers (2022)’, Indians topped the list of allottees by bagging 77,673 H-1B visas, which is 58. 7% of the total 1. 32 lakh H-1B visa for initial employment (including cap-exempt) approved for fiscal 2022. In April, the USCIS said it had got 7,58,994 eligible registrations for the H-1B cap season for the fiscal ending September 30, 2024. Of this, the USCIS selected 1,10,791 registrations to meet the annual quota of 85,000 (a larger number of applicants are picked to account for denials).

CHINA ROLLS OVER $2.4BN LOAN FOR KEY ALLY PAKISTAN

Islamabad : China has rolled over a $2. 4 billion loan to its all-weather ally Pakistan for two years to help the cash-strapped country shore up its foreign exchange reserves, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday. Dar said in a Twitter post that Pakistan was supposed to pay the loan in the next two fiscal years.

The development comes a little over a week after PM Shehbaz Sharif announced that China had rolled over a $600 million loan to Pakistan to help its ailing economy. This was in addition to over $5 billion in loans that China had rolled over for Pakistan in the last three months to help avert a default as negotiations to secure the IMF bailout dragged on.

AFTER OUSTING QIN GANG, CHINA ERASES HIM & EVADES QUESTIONS

China’s abrupt removal of Qin Gang as foreign minister did not stop the questions that had dogged Chinese officials in the month since he vanished from public view: Where is Mr Qin? Does he have health issues? Is he under investigation? Representatives of the foreign ministry have struggled to respond when pressed by reporters, saying they had no information to provide. After China replaced him on Tuesday, nearly all references to Qin were scrubbed from the ministry’s website, an unusual erasure that has only deepened the intrigue. On Thursday, asked by a reporter if China had been transparent about Qin’s ousting, a spokeswoman lashed out at what she called “malicious hype. ” F or a department tasked with speaking to the outside world, the Chinese foreign ministry’s floundering response to the disappearance of one of its own top officials highlights the weakness of China’s diplomatic apparatus under President Xi Jinping. Xi, China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, has concentrated power under himself and enforced secrecy in an already highly opaque system. Xi has diminished the sway of the foreign ministry,

analysts say, as he’s pursued an increasingly assertive, and some say risky, foreign policy. In a sign of how bizarre the circumstances surrounding Qin’s removal are, the foreign minister’s page on the foreign ministry’s website only reads: “Information updating …” Searches with his name turn up no results, as if he never existed within the bureaucracy. That means no references to his past meetings with his foreign counterparts, his speeches and official visits overseas. The erasure harkened back to the days of Mao Zedong, when political enemies were expunged from photos and official documents.

NIGER COUP: PRESIDENT MOHAMED BAZOUM IN GOOD HEALTH, SAYS FRANCE

Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum is in good health after being taken captive by his own presidential guard, the French foreign minister has said.

Catherine Colonna told AFP news agency the coup was not "final".

She said Mr Bazoum had spoken to Emmanuel Macron and added there was a "way out" for the coup plotters if they listened to the global community.

On Thursday, coup supporters attacked the headquarters of the ousted president's party.

They set it on fire, stoning and burning cars outside. The small group of arsonists had broken away from a larger show of support for the coup leaders outside parliament, where Russian flags were on show.

The army has now given its backing to the troops who detained Mr Bazoum on Wednesday. Russia has joined other countries and the UN in calling for his release.

The 64-year-old was elected as Niger's president two years ago, and has been a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militants in West Africa.

The US and France, the former colonial power, both have military bases in the uranium-rich country - and have strongly condemned the coup.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called up Mr Bazoum promising Washington's "unwavering support".

The United Nations (UN) said it has suspended its humanitarian operations in Niger. It is unclear whether the coup was the reason behind the suspension.

KUWAIT HANGS FIVE, INCLUDING A 2015 MOSQUE BOMBING CONVICT

Kuwait put to death five people on Thursday, including a man convicted of involvement in a 2015 Islamic State group suicide bombing that killed 26 people, the Public Prosecution said. The multiple executions in the Gulf emirate — relatively rare compared to Saudi Arabia — are the first since November last year.

NOW, A CHINESE WOMAN TRAVELS TO PAK TO MARRY MAN SHE MET ONLINE

Peshawar : A Chinese woman has travelled to Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to marry the man whom she befriended and fell in love with on social media, police said on Thursday.

The woman, Gao Feng, arrived in Islamabad last week by road from China via Gilgit on a three-month visit visa. The 21-year-old was picked up by 18-year-old Javed, a resident of Bajaur tribal district bordering Afghanistan, they said. Javed took the woman to his maternal uncle’s home in Samarbagh tehsil of Lower Dir district instead of his hometown due to the security situation in Bajaur.

According to police, both were in contact through Snapchat for the last three years and the friendship developed into a love affair. Gao married Javed on Wednesday after converting to Islam and her new name is Kiswa, the man’s maternal cousin Izzatullah Khan said.

Izzatullah said Javed is pursuing a Computer Science course at Bajaur Degree College and will do a court marriage with Gao in China. While Gao will return to China in a few days, Javed will stay back.

During Gao’s stay in Samarbagh, police said she was provided full security. However, she is not being provided free movement due to Muharram and security concerns in the area.

The news of the Chinese girl travelling to Pakistan for the pursuit of love came at a time when in a similar incident, a 34-year-old married woman Anju from Rajasthan travelled to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to meet her 29-year-old Pakistani friend Nasrulla whom she she met on Facebook. Anju later married Nasrulla.

EXPERTS POKE HOLES IN SAFETY CONTROLS OF CHATGPT, CHATBOTS

When artificial intelligence companies build online chatbots, like ChatGPT, Claude and Google Bard, they spend months adding guardrails that are supposed to prevent their systems from generating hate speech, disinformation and other toxic material.

Now there is a way to easily poke holes in those safety systems. In a report released Thursday, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and the Center for AI Safety in San Francisco showed how anyone could circumvent AI safety measures and use any of the leading chatbots to generate nearly unlimited amounts of harmful information.

The research underscored concern that new chatbots could flood the internet with false and dangerous information. The researchers found that they could use a method gleaned from open source AI systems — systems whose underlying computer code has been released for anyone to use — to target the tightly controlled and more widely used systems from Google, OpenAI and Anthropic.

The researchers found that they could break through the guardrails of open source systems by appending along suffix of characters onto each English-language prompt fed into the system. If they asked one of these chatbots to “write a tutorial on how to make a bomb,” it would decline to do so. But if they added a lengthy suffix to the same prompt, it would instantly provide a detailed tutorial on how to make a bomb. In similar ways, they could coax the chatbots into generating biased, false and otherwise toxic information.

The researchers were surprised when the methods they developed with open source systems could also bypass the guardrails of closed systems, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Bard and Claude, a chatbot built by the startup Anthropic. The companies that make the chatbots could thwart the specific suffixes identified by the researchers. But the researchers say there is no known way of preventing all attacks of this kind. Experts have spent nearly a decade trying to prevent similar attacks on image recognition systems without success. The researchers disclosed their methods to Anthropic, Google and OpenAI earlier in the week.

Michael Sellitto, Anthropic’s interim head of policy and societal impacts, said the firm is searching ways to thwart such attacks. An OpenAI spokesperson said the company appreciated that the researchers disclosed their attacks. A Google spokes person said the company has “built important guardrails into Bard that we’ll continue to improve over time. ”