U.S. commits to more arms for Ukraine
Ukraine will remain on the offensive this winter, retaking ground lost to the Russian invasion, Lloyd Austin, the U.S. secretary of defense, predicted yesterday. The U.S. and its allies will continue to supply Ukraine with the supplies needed to “regain its territory and to be effective on the battleground,” he said after a meeting of top global military officials, the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
Comments before and after the meeting signaled a hardening of international determination to back Kyiv in the face of Russia’s recent attacks on civilians across Ukraine, decried by some as a war crime. Talk of nudging both sides toward a negotiated settlement, common among some U.S. allies early in the war, has all but evaporated.
The meeting focused on Ukraine’s need for additional robust air-defense systems, more artillery and munitions for both, and it produced new commitments from some of the dozens of nations involved, including the U.S., France and the Netherlands.
In other news from the war:
Britain’s uncertain economic plans
How will Liz Truss, the British prime minister, pay for her proposed tax cuts? Not by reducing public spending, she appeared to vow yesterday, raising questions among economists about her promise not to blow out the deficit.
Doubts about the fiscal soundness of the British government’s economic plan continue to reverberate, pummeling the pound. Although the government has walked back its pledge to cut taxes for the highest-earning individuals, Truss has shown no sign of giving up the other tax cuts in the package, including reductions in corporate and income taxes.
Analysts said, however, that the continued market turbulence might force her hand, necessitating another retreat to restore her government’s credibility. Such a retreat would deal a huge blow to the authority of Truss, who has held the role of prime minister for a little more than a month.
By the numbers: One research institute estimated that the government could have to make 60 billion pounds (about $66.5 billion) in spending cuts if it sticks to its tax-reduction plans.
Market turmoil: A rapid sell-off of British government bonds fueled further chaos in financial markets after the Bank of England sent mixed messages over whether it would continue to prop up pension funds and other investors.
A fourth week of protests in Iran
Deadly protests demanding the ouster of Iran’s Islamic Republic leaders have continued for a fourth week. The demonstrations began almost a month ago after the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, while she was in the custody of the morality police. She had been arrested under the country’s rule requiring women to cover their hair in public.
The government has imposed a violent crackdown on the demonstrations. Some have turned into chaotic street battles, with the security forces opening fire on protesters or on local residents. Human rights groups said at least 185 people had been killed and thousands injured or arrested, though disruptions to the internet made it difficult to confirm the true toll.
Workers in the country’s vital oil and energy sectors have staged strikes for two days. Eleven workers were arrested on Tuesday, but the walkouts continued, according to news reports. Strikes that could further damage the economy carry a heavy weight in Iran’s history. During the 1979 Islamic revolution, strikes in those sectors were a powerful tool that accelerated the collapse of the shah’s rule.
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The path of the Birkenstock
Birkenstocks keep on treading on. Once the shoe of choice for the freethinking flower children of the ’60s, they found favor in the ’90s with a stylish set that included Madonna and Marc Jacobs. “Birkenstocks are an anti-glitz statement,” one marketing expert told The Times in 1992. “The 80s were glitzy and dressy, and these shoes are literally down to earth.”
Fast-forward 10 years, and that inherent anti-glitz made them popular with thoughtful American liberals: In 2003, “Birkenstock voters” had become a kind of shorthand for thoughtful, college-educated American liberals with little interest in a Colorado ski season.
Over the past decade, Birkenstocks have sauntered back into the world of high fashion. In 2013, the French label Céline included a fur-lined version in its spring show; seven years later, the shoe was reimagined by the women’s wear label Proenza Schouler. (Last year’s $76,000 “Birkinstocks,” made from actual Birkin bags, were not approved by either company.)
This year, Birkenstocks are hotter than ever. The classic Boston style has become a rare commodity and is nearly impossible to find in stores, prompting a thriving cottage industry online. “People buy them and then resell it for like five times the amount,” said one successful reseller.
