Author: fortraders

The U.K. has seen a record level of immigration, with net migration reaching 606,000 in 2022. This has created a dilemma for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is under pressure to reduce the number of arrivals while also trying to revive the sluggish economy. The figures were swelled by the influx of people from Ukraine and Hong Kong, suggesting that a significant portion of the uplift is temporary. The government has responded by introducing measures to prevent thousands of international students from bringing family members with them into the country. The public is less concerned about legal migration since the Brexit vote, but the government is focusing on tackling illegal immigration and stopping the flow of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel. The new figures show the challenge facing the government in balancing the need to reduce immigration with the need to revive the economy.

Russia has declared victory in its devastating, nearly yearlong assault on Bakhmut, and its Wagner mercenaries have begun to withdraw. Ukraine, whose forces have made small gains on the outskirts, has signaled that it is now focused on making it difficult for Moscow to hold onto the city.

The 16-square-mile city, which was home to some 70,000 people before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, is in the eastern industrial region known as the Donbas. Months of artillery bombardment — followed by grinding street battles — reduced Bakhmut’s leafy streets and apartment buildings to an urban wasteland. All but a few thousand residents have fled.

Moscow has long viewed Bakhmut as a necessary prize in the campaign to seize the entire region known as the Donbas. But the city itself is not particularly valuable in military terms, according to U.S. officials. They believe that Moscow’s unrelenting commitment to wresting it from Ukraine was an indication of the Kremlin’s desperation for a battlefield victory after months of losses and retreats along the northeastern and southern fronts.

Ukraine had used national guard and border guard troops to defend the city’s perimeter, then relied on more experienced combat soldiers in recent months as its hold on the city weakened. Soldiers fought in close-range combat from abandoned buildings, basements and trenches, with thousands of others stationed in surrounding fields and villages.

Losses on both sides have been staggering, especially given the minimal amount of territory that changed hands, although there is no reliable estimate of the toll. President Biden said over the weekend that around 100,000 Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded in the battle for the city. Ukraine has also suffered substantial losses.

Analysts say that Russia has lost so much in its attempts to secure Bakhmut that it seems unlikely Moscow’s troops will be able to marshal new resources to mount successful battles on the same scale elsewhere in the region. Ukraine’s defense of Bakhmut may have degraded Russia’s ability to immediately seize more territory, and the Ukrainian military may be looking to exploit any weaknesses that emerge as Russia rotates its troops.

Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, and the situation has only intensified in recent weeks. As Kyiv gears up for a counteroffensive, the Russians are increasing their use of Soviet-era bombs, some of which have been modified to become glide bombs. These bombs are almost impossible to shoot down, and have caused devastating destruction in Ukrainian villages. Ukrainian officials are using the threat of these bombs to help press their case for F-16s, which allies are expected to provide. The only way to stop the bombs, they say, is to attack the planes that launch them. The Russians have boasted about the prowess of their glide bombs, and the Ukrainians have struggled with their own glide bombs, which the Russians have managed to jam. As the war continues to evolve, the Ukrainians are hoping that F-16s will give them the edge they need to protect their people.

Geena Davis is an Academy Award-winning actor and activist who has been working for two decades to promote gender equality in media. Through her Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, she has used data and research to highlight the disparities in popular entertainment and to encourage filmmakers to make changes. Her work has been instrumental in bringing attention to the issue of gender bias in Hollywood and has helped to create a more inclusive and equitable industry.

As summer travel season approaches, travelers should be aware of the potential for delays and cancellations. Last summer, airports in the U.S. and around the world experienced high levels of delays and cancellations, with Newark Liberty International Airport, La Guardia Airport and Kennedy Airport in New York, Reagan National in Washington, and Toronto Pearson standing out from the pack. To increase the chance of pain-free travel, travelers should avoid the airports with the highest levels of delays and cancellations, fly nonstop when possible, and avoid peak times. Additionally, travelers should stay apprised of any potential weather-related complications, such as smoke from wildfires or hurricane season. With a bit of planning and preparation, travelers can make the most of their summer trips.