World

In late November when Warner Bros. hired Michelle MacLaren for its Wonder Woman movie , it became the first studio to tap a female director for a major superhero project. The news brought me back to the 1970s, when my sisters, mom and I would convene in front of the television to watch Wonder Woman fighting for our rights in her satin tights, as the goofy theme song put it. I don’t remember much about the show, but I do know that the vision of this strong woman triumphing with flowing hair and bulletproof bracelets delighted us. I’m looking forward to the movie, though as someone who watches films for a living, I would be happier if Warner Bros. hired a lot more women to direct its other titles. The news of Ms. MacLaren’s hiring was big because, after years of young men in baseball caps being plucked from obscurity to direct blockbusters like “The Amazing Spider-Man” and “Godzilla,” a woman was getting her shot. In indie arenas like the Sundance Film Festival, female directors … [Read more...] about In Hollywood, It’s a Men’s, Men’s, Men’s World

The state visit by China’s leader, Xi Jinping, to Russia highlights the close ties between the nations, a relationship that is increasingly crucial for Moscow as it is cut off from most of the West. China is a critical trading partner for Russia , buying up much of its oil exports while selling large volumes of products used by Russian civilians and the military. It is one of a number of countries that have maintained good terms with Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine — some providing diplomatic or economic support, others military aid. Here is a look at a few of them: Belarus Russia’s closest regional ally, Belarus became especially reliant on Moscow after it helped President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko crush antigovernment protests in 2020 . Mr. Lukashenko allowed Russia to use his country as an initial staging ground to invade Ukraine last year, and Russia has used Belarusian territory to train and supply its troops. India A major buyer of crude oil , India … [Read more...] about Besides China, Russia Maintains Warm Relations With These Countries

JERUSALEM — Russia recently redeployed critical military hardware and troops from Syria, according to three senior officials based in the Middle East, underscoring how its faltering invasion of Ukraine has eroded Moscow’s influence elsewhere and removing one of several obstacles to Israeli support for Ukraine. Russia, which has been a dominant military force in Syria since 2015 and helps maintain the Syrian regime’s grip on power, still keeps a sizable presence there. But the change could herald wider shifts in the balance of power in one of the world’s most complicated conflict zones, and allow Israel, Syria’s enemy and southern neighbor, to rethink its approach to both Syria and Ukraine. According to two senior Western diplomats and a senior Israeli defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to speak more freely, Moscow recently transferred some troops and a Russian air-defense system out of Syria, removing one of the main restrictions on Israeli military … [Read more...] about Russia Shrinks Forces in Syria, a Factor in Israeli Strategy There

Russia is threatening to ban a major Jewish nonprofit agency that helps people emigrate to Israel from operating in the country, a sign of the Kremlin’s deteriorating relationship with Israel and of the far-reaching fallout from the war in Ukraine. Russia’s Justice Ministry is seeking to liquidate the Russian branch of the nonprofit, the Jewish Agency for Israel, which operates in coordination with the Israeli government, according to a notice from a Moscow court. The Russian government’s move amounted to a broadside against Jews in Russia and seemed to reverse President Vladimir V. Putin’s efforts over the years to build closer ties to Israel and to the Jewish community. A preliminary hearing has been set for July 28, and Prime Minister Yair Lapid of Israel said Thursday that he would send a delegation to Russia for talks aimed at keeping the agency operating there. “The Jewish community in Russia is deeply connected with Israel,” Mr. Lapid said in a statement. “We will … [Read more...] about Russia Moves to Close Agency Handling Emigration to Israel

Her shoes were thigh-high, bedazzled platform moon boots. Her outfit was encircled by a tutu tilted at a particularly rakish angle. Her capelet, cresting in tusklike spikes, appeared to be hand-wrought from aluminum foil. Jeremy Scott , the fashion designer, leaned forward and fixed the contestant, Alyssa Edwards , with a look. “I will just come out of the closet here and say, This is fashion,” he said. And because this is also “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” — one of the reality TV shows in the mini-drag empire overseen by RuPaul Charles, the self-proclaimed drag “supermodel of the world” — Ms. Edwards, a drawling diva out of Mesquite, Tex., accepted the compliment and went on to lip-sync Taylor Dayne’s “Tell It to My Heart.” For the uninitiated, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is a competition on the Logo network to find “America’s next drag superstar.” It is a campy, joyful pastiche of “Project Runway,” “America’s Next Top Model” and “America’s Got Talent,” requiring its would-be … [Read more...] about Why the Fashion World Is Obsessed With ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’

Russian leader Vladimir Putin lavished praise on visiting Chinese dictator Xi Jinping on Monday as Xi began his visit to Moscow. While Xi’s public statements upon arrival were mostly about the growing partnership between China and Russia, Putin played his part as the junior partner in the new axis of tyranny, gushing over the Chinese leader and promising “clarification” for why Putin made things awkward for Beijing by invading Ukraine. Factbox: Putin, quoting Confucius, heaps praise on Xi https://t.co/ODi9J2KrZL — Emma Graham (@themmagraham) March 20, 2023 Reuters quoted Putin rhapsodizing over Xi’s amazing leadership qualities, and very delicately explaining why his government has not rushed to embrace the vague “peace plan” China is touting as a towering accomplishment of global diplomacy: Russia is open to a politico-diplomatic settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. However, back in April 2022, the peace talks were by no means terminated by us. The future … [Read more...] about Xi Jinping in Russia: China Will ‘Stand Guard over the World Order’