Iran’s launching of more than a dozen missiles at American-led forces in Iraqcame after years of preparing for a confrontation with its superpower foe, whose forces are vastly larger and more advanced. The Gulf country has more than 500,000 active-duty personnel, including 125,000 members of its elite Revolutionary Guards, according to a report last year by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. But international sanctions and restrictions on arms imports have made it hard for Iran to develop or buy more sophisticated weaponry.
A top Indian actress who joined students protesting against the governmentdrew calls on social media for a boycott of her upcoming film, as well as praise for being a rare Bollywood A-lister to stand up against a crackdown on dissent. Deepika Padukone stood silently behind students chanting anti-government slogans at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University on Tuesday evening, surprising many in a country where top film stars typically avoid politics.
The United States is making a final pitch to Britain ahead of a UK decision on whether to upgrade its telecoms network with Huawei equipment, amid threats to cut intelligence-sharing ties, people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The spike in oil prices due to the escalating conflict between the United States and Iran is causing investors to worry that U.S. corporate earnings will be crimped by rising energy costs. European shares fell and U.S. equity futures pointed to weakness on Wall Street after Iran’s attack on U.S.-led forces in Iraq, but earlier sharp market moves were starting to fade as fears abated that the raid would lead to an immediate military escalation.
Impossible Foods is no longer trying to win a coveted deal to supply McDonald’s with plant-based burgers, telling Reuters it cannot produce enough of its imitation meat to partner with the world’s No. 1 fast-food chain.
