“Not”. When asked if the United States will supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, United States President Joe Biden responded with that emphatic monosyllable upon his return to the White House after attending an action in Baltimore Monday.

The answer comes just five days after Biden himself, amid much fanfare from inside the presidential residence, gave the go-ahead for the delivery of 31 M-1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, something the Pentagon has opposed for months because those vehicles are not the best solution for the Ukrainian armed forces.

Almost immediately after the announcement in Washington and the statement by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin promising the delivery of 14 Leopard tanks as well as permission for the re-export of these German-made vehicles to other countries, Kyiv returned to the prosecution and reiterated another request: It also needed warplanes to withstand the foreseeable new Russian offensive it expects in the spring and to retake at least part of its Moscow-held territory.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksi Reznikov stressed that the planes are essential for consolidating the Kiev counter-offensive. So far, this request has received a mixed response. While Emmanuel Macron in France does not rule out the possibility, Germany rejects it. And Biden said no. White House director of strategic communications for the National Security Council, John Kirby, said last week: “I don’t blame the Ukrainians for wanting more and more weapons systems. It’s not the first time they’ve deployed fighter jets, but I have no announcements to make on the matter.”

But Volodimir Zelinsky’s government is optimistic about the possibility of reaching them. An aide to the Ukrainian president, Mikhailo Podoliak, assures that the West “understands how the war is developing” and that planes capable of supporting the promised tanks must be sent.

If this war has shown anything, it is that what is unthinkable today, or receives a clear rejection, will be approved or come to pass a few weeks or months later. “Anything that is impossible today will be possible tomorrow,” Reznikov himself told CBC this weekend. During the first weeks of the war, which marks its first anniversary in February, Washington was severely reluctant to eventually send equipment ranging from HIMARS missile launch systems to the Abrams, partly for fear of provoking an escalation of the conflict.

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Just two weeks ago, the Pentagon insisted that these tanks, despite their maneuverability and endurance, were too expensive to maintain and difficult to supply. But although, according to Kirby himself, “it will take many months to reach Ukrainian territory, that green light has already been given.

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EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Could Prince Andrew take inspiration from his first meeting with Meghan for his plan to discredit Virginia Giuffre?

By Ephraim Hardcastle for the Chron

Published: 01:56 GMT, 31 Jan 2023 | Updated: 02:39 GMT, 31st January 2023

As Prince Andrew ponders his strategy to discredit Virginia Giuffre’s memories, could he be inspired by Nephew Harry’s account of Meghan’s first meeting with the Queen, when she asked Harry to identify HM’s ‘assistant’? “I asked who she was talking about,” Harry writes in Spare. ‘Meg replied: ‘The man holding the handbag. The man who walked her to the door.” “That wasn’t her assistant,” Harry explained. “That was her second son, Andrew.” Could Meg’s non-recognition encourage Andrew to believe his alleged tramp dance mate mistook him for someone else?

As Prince Andrew ponders his strategy to discredit Virginia Giuffre’s memories, could he be inspired by Nephew Harry’s account of Meghan’s first meeting with the Queen, when she asked Harry to identify HM’s ‘assistant’?

More woe awaits the Duke of York as Andrew Lownie cranks up his investigative machinery to uncover the disgraced Andrew. Lownie, author of Traitor King, who exposed the Duke of Windsor as a Nazi sympathizer: “My next book is a biography of Prince Andrew. Love talking to someone, if desired, off the record, who has met him, has stories about him, or can put me in touch with people who knew him or worked with him.’ Lower the periscope and dive in, Andrew!

Normal People star Daisy Edgar-Jones (pictured) remains remarkably upbeat as the Financial Times credits her as the “Nepo baby” whose “dizzying rise to fame makes more sense knowing her father Phil Edgar-Jones is”. But her father, former Big Brother executive producer and now head of Sky Arts, isn’t happy about her being lumped in with the likes of Brooklyn Beckham. “That’s just silly,” he snorts. “As if Lenny Abrahamson, the Oscar-nominated director [of Normal People]would even know who I am.’

Normal People star Daisy Edgar-Jones (pictured) remains remarkably upbeat when the Financial Times lists her as a “Nepo baby” whose “dizzying rise to fame makes more sense knowing her father is Phil Edgar-Jones

Lord Sugar, who is in the midst of his 17th season of The Apprentice and is dying to complete 20 years, tells the Radio Times: “Maybe one of the tasks for my final year is I announce that I’m going to die soon and can someone design a nice coffin for me? One with built-in comms in case I wake up. A keyboard and cell phone connectivity and rechargeable batteries for the funeral home.’ For old times’ sake, how about a Steam Age Amstrad?

Donald Trelford, who has died aged 85, once had lunch with JFK’s mother Rose Kennedy after buying her memoir for The Observer and asked her if she knew Mr Ford. “You mean the man who builds the cars?” she asked. Donald explained that he meant Richard Nixon’s successor as President, Gerald Ford. “No,” Mrs. Kennedy replied. “He’s a Midwesterner. I wouldn’t know a man like that.”

‘Ice Cold in Alex’ star Sylvia Syms felt her theatrical career was marred by being constantly mistaken for Sheila Sim, wife of Richard Attenborough. Sylvia has departed for the pine forest heaven after her death last week at the age of 89 via Denville Hall, affectionately known as Dunacting. Sheila also took her final bow in front of the theatrical performance house. Lots to tell in the heavenly Green Room Girls!

The public health emergency, which was declared when the COVID-19 epidemic swept the United States three years ago, will officially end on May 11, the White House announced Monday.

• Also read: Washington and Seoul are hosting simulation exercises focused on potential nuclear threats

• Also read: Despite the crises, better than expected global growth in 2023

• Also read: The United States will not give Ukraine F-16 fighter jets, assures Joe Biden

Two emergency declarations had been issued in the country: one titled ‘national’ and one titled ‘public health’.

The end of these bylaws, which took effect in January 2020 under the presidency of Donald Trump, will result in the end of federal subsidies for COVID-19 treatments, health insurance, and other government assistance related to the pandemic.

In fact, some federal funding to support Americans during the pandemic has already dried up due to decisions by Congress.

The remaining funds are a matter of bitter political discussions.

Republican lawmakers who control the House of Representatives are preparing bills aimed at ending the statutes earlier: on March 1 for the national emergency and April 11 for the public health emergency.

A hasty end to the state of emergency would have “very significant consequences for our nation’s health care system and government,” including “chaos and insecurity in the health care system,” the White House warned in a press release.

“Hospitals and nursing homes that have become accustomed to the flexibilities allowed by these states of emergency will descend into chaos without the need for the time to retrain their officers and set up a new billing system,” the statement said.

Another reason for a 60-day notice period is to give the government time to prepare for the impact of the lifting of the emergency measures on immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border, the release said.

A rule currently known as “Title 42,” which allows for the immediate deportation of illegal aliens intercepted at the border, including potential asylum seekers, is legal only because of the public health emergency. Ending this status “hasty” will “result in a significant additional influx of migrants. »

The White House says it wants to end Title 42 and replace it with another legal mechanism to control the flow of would-be immigrants, but says it will take time to do so.

Economically, the past year has been better than expected for Latin America, where gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 3.9% is expected, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In its latest update of the economic outlook, the multilateral organization assures that inflation and Russia’s war in Ukraine will continue to dampen growth. The region will grow 1.8% this year, 0.1% more than expected this year. In 2024, the expected GDP growth is 2.1%.

The slight upward revision of the forecast for this year is due to increased expectations for the two largest economies, Brazil and Mexico. “The forecast revision reflects improvements of 0.2 percentage points for Brazil and 0.5 percentage points for Mexico, reflecting better-than-expected resilience in domestic demand, stronger-than-expected growth in the economies of major trading partners and, in the case of Brazil, higher-than-expected fiscal support.” , according to the report published on Monday afternoon.

For 2024, the estimate for Latin America fell by 0.3%, reflecting tighter financing conditions, lower prices for exported commodities and lower growth from trading partners. Around half of the emerging and developing countries analyzed by the IMF will show lower growth in 2023 than in 2022.

“The global fight against inflation, Russia’s war in Ukraine and the outbreak of COVID-19 in China slowed global economic activity in 2022, and the first two factors will continue to do so in 2023,” the 13th report said -side report published by the Fund. “Growth in the United States remains stronger than expected, and consumers continue to spend their savings (the personal savings rate is at its lowest in more than 60 years, except for July 2005), unemployment is nearing a record low and job opportunities are strong abundant . But in other regions, high-frequency activity indicators (such as business and consumer attitudes, purchasing manager surveys, and mobility indicators) generally point to a slowdown.

Fuel and commodity prices have fallen and so has general inflation, particularly in the United States, the euro area and Latin America. But underlying inflation, that is, inflation related to products whose prices do not typically fluctuate widely, has not yet peaked in most economies and remains well above pre-pandemic levels. In addition, the fund notes that “risks to financial stability remain heightened as investors reassess the outlook for inflation and monetary policy.”

The fund recommends measures to stimulate economies, such as Such as achieving global “disinflation”, containing the resurgence of Covid-19, ensuring financial stability, restoring debt sustainability, supporting the most vulnerable and strengthening multilateral cooperation.

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