Ukraine’s bloody position in favor of Bakhmut
For 10 months, Russian and Ukrainian forces have battled for Bakhmut, a 16-square-mile town that has been the site of some of Europe’s fiercest urban fighting since World War II. Ukrainian forces now defend a shrinking half-circle of ruins that is only about 20 blocks wide and continuously pounded by artillery fire.
A visit this week to the battered control zone, along with interviews with soldiers and commanders, showed that Ukraine had lost ground inside the city, although an access road remained passable, allowing resupply and the evacuation of the wounded.
Pushed into this ever-shrinking corner, the Ukrainian military is determined to hunker down and hold on, even as allies have quietly questioned the rationale for fighting block-by-block in a devastated city that is about to be encircled , according to newly leaked US intelligence. documents
Strategy: In Kiev’s assessment, holding out in these dire conditions is a strategic imperative, bogging down the Russian military while Ukraine rearms and retrains its own military for an upcoming counteroffensive.
In other war news:
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A Russian fighter jet fired a missile at a British plane in September, but the missile malfunctioned, according to a leaked intelligence report. The incident was much more serious than originally portrayed and could have amounted to an act of war.
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Poland’s prime minister said he believed only direct US intervention would lead South Korea to make its artillery shells available to Ukraine.
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Basketball star Brittney Griner is working on a memoir about her nearly 10 months behind bars in Russia.
New regulation on electric vehicles in the US
The Biden administration implemented climate regulations that would require automakers to shift away from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles. Together, the rules aim to ensure that two-thirds of new passenger cars and a quarter of new heavy-duty trucks sold in the U.S. are all-electric by 2032.
The Environmental Protection Agency rules would put the United States on track to reduce its emissions at the rate scientists say is needed to avoid the most devastating effects of climate change. Last year, fully electric vehicles accounted for just 5.8 percent of new cars sold in the U.S. Fully electric vehicles accounted for less than 2 percent of new heavy-duty trucks sold.
The government cannot require car manufacturers to sell a certain number of electric vehicles. But it can limit the pollution generated by the total number of cars each manufacturer sells, and it has set that limit so narrow that the only way manufacturers can comply is to sell a certain percentage of zero-emission vehicles.
Next steps: The proposed regulations are sure to face legal challenges from those who see them as government overreach.
Battery technology: China is leading the next innovation in rechargeable batteries: replacing lithium with sodium, a cheaper and more abundant material.
The president generally tried to avoid political issues in Northern Ireland, where the legislature has been deadlocked after the Democratic Unionist Party withdrew over post-Brexit trade concerns and where there has been an outbreak of political violence. But he encouraged the government there to overcome its divisions and work as “an effective and decentralized government”.
In the Republic, Biden spent the first day of his trip loaded with family traditions, next to his sister, Valerie Biden Owens, and his son, Hunter Biden. Climbing the stone steps of an ancient castle in the rain and to a soundtrack of bagpipes, he called out to reporters: “I feel like I’m coming home.”
Analysis: “For President Biden, Ireland is not just a place where his ancestors lived, it is deeply rooted in his identity,” said Shailagh Murray, a former adviser. “Her Irishness is intertwined with her faith, her fierce devotion to her family and her empathy for people who are struggling.”
THE LATEST NEWS
Around the world
Ya Ya the panda, who has been at the Memphis Zoo for 20 years, will soon return to China, where a campaign accusing the zoo of mistreating her has resonated on social media.
“Almost always when China gives a panda to a zoo in another country, it’s usually facilitating some kind of goodwill and very often a trade deal,” said Matthew Fraser, a scholar at the American University of Paris. “When China gets a panda back, it’s usually because the regime is very upset for some reason.”
ATHLETIC SPORTS NEWS
Latest news about Lionel Messi and Barcelona: The Spanish club know there are obstacles in the way of a possible return, but this is how they plan to proceed.
From footballer to CEO: Mathieu Flamini explains why he went from managing a Premier League midfield to running a biochemical company.
Chelsea’s Rudiger laments: The void left by Antonio Rudiger has yet to be filled, even after the club spent $235 million on four defenders.
Tourism recovers
After a pandemic hiatus, tourist travel to Africa is on the rise. Last year, 45 million visitors traveled to the continent, more than double the roughly 20 million who arrived in 2020 and 2021. But the nature of travel has changed.
In Africa, more visitors are looking for sustainable options that benefit the continent’s natural wildlife, as well as the communities living on the fringes of the parks. Change has been slow, but progressive parks are no longer isolated from the often impoverished nearby communities. In some cases, such as in South Africa and Botswana, local communities or governments co-own luxury resorts.
The continent is also highlighting its cultural offerings to attract more visitors to urban Africa. Accra, the capital of Ghana, has attracted visitors through the Chale Wote Street Art festival. In Senegal, the Dakar Biennale has become a barometer of contemporary art in Africa.
Wondering where to travel? This year’s Times 52 places to go included Accra; the Namib Desert in southern Africa; and Tassili n’Ajjer, the rust-colored Saharan landscape of Algeria. Or head to Johannesburg, the urban heartbeat of South Africa.— Lynsey Chutel, Briefings writer in Johannesburg
