Author: fortraders

Ambassador Jane D. Hartley is no stranger to the world of diplomacy. With a background as a television executive and a well-connected Democratic fund-raiser, she has served as the American ambassador to Britain since 2017. Recently, her job has become the object of fascination due to the hit Netflix series “The Diplomat”.

The show follows the fictional Ambassador Kate Wyler, played by Keri Russell, as she navigates a Tom Clancy-grade geopolitical crisis. While the show has been praised for its accurate details, it also takes creative license with the role of an ambassador. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan have both called Hartley to discuss the show’s implausibilities.

Hartley is sympathetic to the creative license that Hollywood often takes, and is set to meet with Russell and the show’s creator, Debora Cahn, to discuss how “The Diplomat” stands up against real diplomacy.

In the meantime, Hartley is focusing on apprenticeship and training programs for young Britons, and is looking to revive a project she began in Paris. She is also dealing with the tensions generated by Northern Ireland, and is working to ensure the “special relationship” between the US and Britain remains closely aligned.

Mexico’s presidential jet, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, has been sold to Tajikistan for $92 million. The plane, which was ordered by former President Felipe Calderón and used by his successor, Enrique Peña Nieto, was described by current President Andrés Manuel López Obrador as an “insult to the people”. After years of trying to find a buyer, the jet was finally sold to Tajikistan and took off from Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City. The plane was designed for long-haul flights and was not practical for domestic flights in Mexico. The money from the sale will be used to build two hospitals, one in the state of Guerrero and another in Oaxaca. The plane has been refurbished and now has “Tajikistan” written on the side and a tail painted to look like the Tajik flag. President López Obrador has promised to use commercial airlines when he travels, and the sale of the jet is a step towards fulfilling his campaign promise to do away with excess.

Executions around the world rose to the highest number recorded in five years in 2022, according to an annual report by Amnesty International. At least 883 executions were recorded globally last year, a 53-percent increase over 579 deaths in 2021. Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia carried out 90 percent of the executions recorded, with Iran and Saudi Arabia executing people for non-lethal crimes in violation of international law. The rise in executions coincided with a crackdown on dissent in the authoritarian kingdom. Meanwhile, four countries abolished the death penalty for all crimes, and the United States executed 18 people, the fewest since 1991. The report serves as a stark reminder of the need for governments to move away from the death penalty and uphold human rights.

Ukraine’s forces have made significant gains around the city of Bakhmut, reclaiming ground that it took Russian forces months to seize. Kyiv’s forces have advanced two kilometers in some directions, and have recaptured 20 square kilometers to the north and south of Bakhmut. Russian forces are counterattacking in some areas, and are regrouping around the Berkhovskoye reservoir to increase their line of defense. Ukrainian commanders are preparing for a wider counteroffensive, and are expecting a difficult fight ahead. The battle for Bakhmut is fluid, and the outcome of the conflict remains uncertain.

The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) has issued a warning against the long-term use of artificial sweeteners to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases. According to the W.H.O., these alternatives to sugar do not reduce body fat in either adults or children, and could even increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mortality in adults. Examples of artificial sweeteners include aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and stevia. Nutrition research is constantly evolving and the W.H.O. recommendation is based on a review of available evidence. The International Sweeteners Association has called the W.H.O.’s recommendation a disservice to consumers, but the W.H.O. has urged people to reduce the sweetness of their diet altogether, starting early in life, to improve their health.

Oxford University has become the latest institution to distance itself from the Sackler family, removing their name from several of its buildings and staff positions. The family has been linked to the opioid crisis in the United States, and other institutions such as the Louvre in Paris, Tate museums in London, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art have also distanced themselves from the family. Oxford said it had received donations from the Sacklers and related trusts that ranged from 10 to 15 million pounds since 1993. The university will keep donations it received from the Sackler family and their trusts “for their intended educational purposes”, and the Sackler name will remain on the Clarendon Arch and the Ashmolean Museum’s donor board.

Ukraine has received a new tranche of weapons from Germany, France, Italy, and Britain, signaling that Western officials believe Kyiv’s forces could reclaim significant swaths of territory. The package includes tanks, drones, air defense systems, and other arms and ammunition. The most significant commitment came from Germany, which announced it would send Ukraine 30 additional Leopard tanks and 20 armored fighting vehicles, 16 air defense systems, more than 200 drones and a slew of other arms and ammunition. The long-range Storm Shadow missiles and drones that Britain pledged are of particular threat to the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet in the Crimean port of Sevastopol and other sites in and near Crimea. The new weapons may help Ukraine in its counteroffensive against Russia and give them more leverage in any peace negotiations.

Amid swirling rumors about the health of Belarusian President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko, state news media released photos of him on Monday. The Kremlin ally had not been seen since last week when he attended events celebrating the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. Ukrainian officials and media had been feeding speculation that he was seriously ill. Russia’s tightly controlled news media reported that Mr. Lukashenko was unwell, citing Konstantin Zatulin, a senior Russian legislator who works closely with Belarus. Belta, the official Belarusian news agency, said that Mr. Lukashenko visited an air force command post and published what it said were photos of the leader that day. The intense secrecy of closed countries like Belarus and Russia allows wild rumors about their leaders to take flight, making it difficult to explain the deaths of apparently healthy officials.