300 days of war in Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky, the leader of Ukraine, is scheduled to meet President Biden at the White House today and then speak directly to Congress, according to people familiar with the plan, who have warned that the plans could change. The risk of such a visit is very high and tight secrecy would surround any such attempt.
It comes after 10 months of fighting, with the leaders of both Ukraine and Russia pledging not to back down. Yesterday, Zelenskiy go to the besieged eastern city of Bakhmut to recognize Ukrainian soldiers. “The east is holding out because Bakhmut is fighting,” he said. And in Moscow, Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader, paid tribute to propaganda figures and leaders installed by Russia in four regions Ukraine illegally annexed.
Putin increasingly begins to acknowledge Russia’s struggles on the front, even as his message remains hide the extent of the damage. At the same time, Russian propaganda is presenting the war as real – claiming that the real enemy is NATO seeking to destroy Russia – and trying to mentally prepare the Russians for further sacrifices.
In other news from the war:
House committee approves Trump tax release
The House Ways and Means Committee voted yesterday to Donald Trump’s six years worth of public release tax returns, the culmination of a years-long battle in which the former president defied modern tradition by keeping his finances secret during the campaign and while in office. It may take a few days before everything is available to the public.
Democrats have said they need those records to evaluate an IRS program that audits presidents. Republicans have insisted that the rationale is an excuse for a politically motivated fishing expedition. Even before the hearing, Republicans on the committee made their position clear, holding a press conference with a sign that read: “Dangerous new political weapon.”
The committee’s chairman, Rep. Richard Neal, a Democrat of Massachusetts, said the decision to release the information “is not meant to be punitive. This is not about malice. He also commended the council members for not leaking sensitive information.
Detail: Much of Trump’s financial information is known. The Times in 2020 published the results of its investigation into him Tax return data for more than two decades. He do not pay federal income tax in 11 of 18 years examined.
12 hours on British ambulance
Britain is going through a long period of labor unrest, with unions representing workers such as nurses, railroad workers and border control officers, all on strike at different times this month, often over pay increases. The strikes come as Britain is facing high inflation and a cost-of-living crisis.
Disruptions to services such as travel and package deliveries have fallen sharply especially during the holiday period, leaving residents and tourists alike to brace for the impacts. The government said it would mobilize about 1,200 military personnel to help cover ambulance services and border patrols, and urged labor groups to rethink strikes.
The Times’ journalists spent a day with the ambulance crew to witness the problems facing the National Health Service in real time. The paramedics gently carried patients down the stairs, navigated the narrow streets and tried to comfort people during the extremely long wait times in the hospital parking lot.
LATEST NEWS
Around the world
It is an iconic symbol of Jewish pride and resilience: In a 1931 photograph by Rachel Posner, the wife of a rabbi in Kiel, Germany, a menorah is framed. in a window through which a large Nazi banner could be seen hanging across the street.
This Hanukkah, 90 years since the Posners fled Germany, menorah has been returned to the town where the family used to live.
SPORTS NEWS FROM Ethics
Road to the 2026 World Cup: introduce “My Football Journey,” a special football project. We’re following seven young stars from Korea, India, Australia, England, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey as they chase their dreams on their way to the 2026 tournament.
Inside the greatest World Cup final ever: Lionel Messi’s team talking on a bus, over 5,700 pounds of beef and a bunch of witches – here it is The story of how football’s biggest prize was claimed.
Journey to a Postmodern World Cup: The two writers spent more than two weeks getting to the World Cup. They traveled from London to Doha through 17 countries, take at least eight different forms of transportation and 17 days to go more than 5,600 miles.
From the Era: Just finished the Men’s World Cup, football’s governing body, FIFA, has to face a legal challenge of its rule that allowed players to immediately leave Ukrainian club teams because of the Russian invasion.
ARTS AND IDEAS
Influence on Ukrainian culture
In addition to the tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has dealt a heavy blow to Ukrainian culture. The Times Image Investigation Team has tracked the impact of war on museums, monuments, theatres, libraries, churches, etc. The team verified the damage of nearly 340 cultural sites.
The investigation found that pro-Russian forces deliberately targeted several locations. Long before the invasion began, Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, declared that Ukraine had no culture of its own and called the Ukrainian nation a fiction.
The investigation explores in depth a number of damaged or destroyed cultural sites, including a monastery that predates Catherine the Great and a library that bridges Ukraine’s linguistic communities, books Its books are now burned. See evidence of destruction.
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