Feb 14 Update (GMT 14:12)

Defence officials from the Ukraine Defence Contact Group of NATO members and allied countries met in Brussels to discuss supplying arms to Ukraine, as Russia begins its new offensive. On Monday Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general, said that allies would need to increase their stockpile of ammunition as Ukraine’s military is using up reserves at a rate higher than that of production. A smaller NATO meeting will be held afterwards.

Syria’s government agreed to open two border crossings to allow more aid into the country from Turkey following devastating earthquakes last week. The UN has so far only been able to deliver aid to Syria via one crossing. Meanwhile, more survivors were found in Turkey on Monday, but a UN spokesperson warned that the rescue phase was drawing to a close. The death toll has now passed 36,000.

Consumer prices in America rose by 0.5% in January compared with December, breaking a string of steadily decreasing readings. The figures are more evidence that America’s economy is stronger than many had expected—but that it remains saddled with more persistent inflationary pressure. That will put pressure on the Federal Reserve to further raise interest rates to tame inflation.

Nikki Haley announced a run for president in 2024, making her the only Republican to challenge Donald Trump in the primaries so far. Ms Haley, a former governor of South Carolina, served as ambassador to the UN during Mr Trump’s administration before resigning and the former president had encouraged her to run next year. She will hold her first campaign event on Wednesday.

President Joe Biden is expected to appoint Lael Brainard, the vice-chair of the Federal Reserve, as the next director of the National Economic Council, the president’s top economic-policymaking body. Ms Brainard, who is known for her doveish approach, will take over from Brian Deese. The change will come as Mr Biden begins preparation for a possible re-election campaign.

Ford, an American carmaker, will cut 3,800 jobs in Europe, or 11% of its workforce in the region. The company said that the restructuring will help it to become more competitive in the electric-vehicle market. By 2026 Ford will invest $50bn in EV manufacturing and, by 2035, its plants in Europe there will only make electric cars.

San Antonio Zoo is inviting animal lovers to pay to name a cockroach after an ex-partner—before the creepy crawly is fed to an animal at the park in Texas. Their exes may also receive a Valentine’s Day card informing them of when their namesake has perished. People from over 30 countries have participated in the “cry me a cockroach” fundraiser.

Fact of the day: 8.4%, the proportion of office buildings in London that are unoccupied. Read the full story.

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A new boss for Japan’s central bank

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On Tuesday Japan’s government named the next governor of the Bank of Japan. Ueda Kazuo, a veteran economist who served a term on the BoJ’s policy board until 2005, will replace Kuroda Haruhiko, who oversaw a decade of monetary stimulus, in April.

The change comes at a difficult time for the central bank. Japan has struggled with low inflation, sometimes tipping into deflation, for decades. The current rate of 4% is the highest in 41 years. But there is little sign of the sustained wage growth the BoJ would like to see before it opts to abandon its stimulus.

Analysts see in Mr Ueda a sign of continuity. Yet ultimately he will face tough decisions about the future of the BoJ’s policy of “yield-curve control”, a cap on ten-year government-bond yields; he may even have to oversee rate raises. This will require deft communication, impeccable timing and lots of luck.

Ukraine Defence Contact Group meets

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On Tuesday the Ukraine Defence Contact Group met in Brussels, bringing together defence ministers and chiefs from some 50 countries that support Ukraine with Oleksii Reznikov, their Ukrainian counterpart.

On the agenda is the supply of ammunition and heavy weapons, which Ukraine needs to face down a renewed Russian offensive and to retake occupied territory. Since the group last met in January, America and Germany have promised to supply tanks (Britain earlier pledged to do so). Germany has also given permission for other countries to send their German-made Leopards. Ukraine, meanwhile, is now pressing for fighter jets. America has so far ruled out supplying F-16s. Sweden, which makes the Saab Gripen jets, has not yet been forthcoming, either. Following the larger group session, Sweden and Finland will attend a meeting of NATO defence ministers, though the countries’ applications to join the alliance have for months been held up by Turkey’s objections.

A reality check for American inflation

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Amid growing optimism that inflation is receding in America, figures on Tuesday will provide a reality check. Consumer prices rose by 0.5% in January compared with December, breaking a string of steadily decreasing readings. The figures are more evidence that America’s economy is stronger than many had expected—but that it remains saddled with more persistent inflationary pressure.

Prices for some goods, such as cars and furniture, have started to decline, thanks partly to the post-covid recovery in supply chains. But prices for services, from schooling to dry cleaning, are rising, fuelled by a tight labour market. Officials at the Federal Reserve say they will need to raise interest rates at least twice more to truly tame inflation. This tightening may eventually tip the American economy into a recession. But for now its resilience is remarkable.

Alcohol bans in Aboriginal communities

PHOTO: REUTERS

Alcoholism has blighted many Aboriginal communities in Australia. But last summer saw the expiry of old bans on the possession and consumption of booze in some parts of the Northern Territory, originally imposed to curtail Aboriginals’ drinking. In some places alcohol was able to flow freely for the first time in 15 years.

Natasha Fyles, the chief minister of the territory, had pronounced an end to what she called “a race-based policy”. Anthony Albanese, who took office as prime minister last May, had promised better representation for Australia’s indigenous people. But the wet season did not last long. Once alcohol sales resumed, crime and violence surged. At a parliamentary session beginning on Tuesday Ms Fyles’s government will legislate to reinstate the ban on alcohol sales.

This time communities can opt out of prohibition, although state officials must approve. Yet many Aboriginals are among the greatest supporters of restrictions⁠ on sales of booze—on the grounds that their communities are the biggest victims of the consequences of alcohol abuse.

The endurance of “A Doll’s House”

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“A Doll’s House”, by Henrik Ibsen, had its debut in Denmark in 1879. But the play still has something to say about the ordinary corrosiveness of marriage. The plot sounds like a cliché: a seemingly meek housewife grows disillusioned with her husband’s condescending and controlling ways. Yet it patiently and convincingly builds up to its climax in a way that continues to feel fresh. Is there a moment in theatre more renowned than Nora slamming that door?

Given its timeless themes, “A Doll’s House” is usually on some stage somewhere. This week a new Broadway adaptation starts at the Hudson Theatre in New York. Directed by Jamie Lloyd and starring Jessica Chastain, who won a best actress Oscar in 2022, the production, which is being billed as “radical”, has a script by Amy Herzog, an off-Broadway darling known for her insightful plays. The question is whether this “thrilling reinvention” sharpens the contemporary resonances of Ibsen’s classic—or dulls them by making the parallels too obvious.