US pledges to supply more weapons to Ukraine
Ukraine will still attacking this winterLloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defense, predicted yesterday, to recapture the land lost before the Russian invasion. The United States and its allies will continue to provide Ukraine with the supplies it needs to “regain its territory and operate effectively on the battlefield,” he said after a meeting of top global military officials. , the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group led by the US.
The comments before and after the meeting showed tough international determination to support Kyiv in the face of recent Russian attacks on civilians across Ukraine, seen by some as a war crime painting. The talks that pushed both sides toward a negotiated settlement, popular among some of the United States’ allies in the early part of the war, went up in smoke.
The meeting focused on Ukraine’s need for more powerful air defense systems, more artillery and ammunition for both and make new commitments from some of the dozens of countries participating, including the US, France and the Netherlands.
In other news from the war:
Uncertain UK economic plan
How will Liz Truss, the British prime minister, pay for her proposed tax cut? Not by reducing public spending, she stated yesterday, question among economists about her promise not to blow up the deficit.
Doubts about the financial soundness of the British government’s economic plan continue to reverberate, affecting the pound. Although the government has reneged on its pledge to cut taxes for the highest earners, Truss shows no sign of abandoning the other tax cuts in the package, including corporate and income tax cuts. import.
However, analysts say continued market turmoil could force her to take action, forcing her to retreat again to restore the government’s credibility. Such a retreat would deal a blow to the power of Truss, who has been prime minister for more than a month.
By the numbers: One think tank estimates that the government could have to cut 60 billion pounds ($66.5 billion) in spending cuts if it sticks to its tax relief plans.
Market chaos: Rapid sell-off of UK government bonds added to the turmoil in financial markets after the Bank of England sent mixed messages on whether it would continue to support pension funds and other investors.
A fourth week of protests in Iran
Deadly protests demanding the overthrow of the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran have continue in the fourth week. The protests began nearly a month ago after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, while she was in the custody of the ethics police. She was once arrested under the country’s rule that required women to cover their hair in public.
The government has imposed a violent crackdown on the protests. Some have turned into chaotic street battles, with security forces opening fire on protesters or on local residents. Human rights groups say at least 185 people have been killed and thousands injured or arrested, although internet disruptions make it difficult to confirm the true number.
Workers in the country’s key oil and energy sectors went on strike for two days. Eleven workers were arrested on Tuesday, but the walks continued, according to news reports. The strikes could do further damage to an economy that has carried a heavy weight in Iran’s history. During the Islamic revolution of 1979, strikes in these areas were a powerful tool in promoting the downfall of the Shah’s rule.
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The Road of Birkenstock
Birkenstocks continued to stomp on. Once the shoe of choice for flower-loving kids in the ’60s, they were popular in the ’90s with stylish sets that included Madonna and Marc Jacobs. A marketing expert “Birkenstocks is a statement against the glitz” told The Times in 1992. “The ’80s were the years of eye-catching and classy dressing, and these shoes are really casual.”
10 years on, and the inherent resistance has made them popular with ideological American liberals: In 2003, “Birkenstock voters” became an abbreviation for thoughtful, college-educated American libertarians little interest in a ski season in Colorado.
Over the past decade, Birkenstocks has re-entered the world of haute couture. In 2013, the French brand Céline included a fur-lined version of its spring show; seven years later, the shoe was recreated by women’s clothing label Proenza Schouler. ($76,000 “Birkinstocks” last year, made from actual Birkin bags, not approved by either company.)
This year, Birkenstocks are hotter than ever. Classic Boston style has become a rarity and almost impossible to find in stores, fostering a thriving online cottage industry. “People buy them and then resell them for five times that amount,” says one successful reseller.
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