标题: 2022.05.11英国首相与瑞典首相签署了一项安全协议 [打印本页] 作者: shiyi18 时间: 2022-5-12 01:32 标题: 2022.05.11英国首相与瑞典首相签署了一项安全协议 The world in brief
Catch up quickly on the global stories that matter
Updated 3 hours ago (15:22 GMT+1 / 10:22 New York)
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Russian-backed officials in the occupied region of Kherson in southern Ukraine said they would ask to join Russia. The Kremlin said that residents “should decide”, signalling that it was open to annexation. Ukrainian officials said that their armed forces have taken back territory north of Kharkiv from the Russians. Meanwhile the operator of Ukraine’s gas network announced that it would stop the flow of Russian natural gas to Europe through a key pipeline for the first time.
Five pro-democracy activists were arrested in Hong Kong under the territory’s draconian national security law. Cyd Ho, Denise Ho, Hui Po-keung, Margaret Ng and Cardinal Joseph Zen were all trustees of the now-disbanded 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which helped pro-democracy protesters pay for legal and medical bills.
Britain’s prime minister signed a security pact with his Swedish counterpart promising British support if Sweden is attacked. Boris Johnson is expected to sign a similar agreement with Finland as well. The two Scandinavian countries, alarmed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, will both announce shortly whether they are applying for NATO membership, a move strongly opposed by Russia.
Shireen Abu Aqleh, a Palestinian journalist for Al Jazeera, a Qatari broadcaster, was killed while reporting on a clash in the Palestinian West Bank town of Jenin. Colleagues at the scene blamed Israeli forces. The Israeli army said that Ms Abu Aqleh may have been shot by Palestinian gunmen. A producer for Al Jazeera was also wounded.
Security forces in Sri Lanka were ordered to shoot troublemakers on sight, as violent demonstrations continued overnight. Protesters forced the resignation of the prime minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, on Monday. The president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is still in their sights. The brothers, whose family dominate Sri Lankan politics, have been blamed for the country’s dire economic state.
Officials in Shanghai claimed that half the city had achieved “zero-covid” status, while also imposing the tightest covid-19 restrictions thus far. The World Health Organisation said that China’s approach to the virus was “unsustainable”, leading to mentions of the WHO and Tedros Ghebreyesus, its boss, being censored on Chinese social media. Meanwhile New Zealand announced it will fully reopen its borders from July 31st. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, argued that the move would relieve an acute skills shortage and revive the tourist industry.
Toyota warned that this year’s operating profit could drop by 20%, to $1bn. The world’s largest car maker has struggled with raw materials doubling in price as well as soaring energy and logistics costs. Still, it expects to sell 10.7m vehicles this financial year, 400,000 more than in 2021, helped by a depreciating yen.
Fact of the day: 60%, the share of American firms that reported using software to monitor employees. Read the full article.
America’s abortion wars
PHOTO: REUTERS
On Wednesday the Senate will vote on a bill that would enshrine in law a woman’s right to abortion. It is certain to fail, with no chance of overcoming the filibuster. Instead, to glimpse a future where Roe v Wade is overturned, look to America’s states, which would regain the right to regulate the procedure.
Progressive places are already making abortion easier and cheaper. But several conservative states plan to severely limit or ban the procedure. Some may even try to restrict out-of-state travel to get abortions. Under a proposal in Missouri, anyone facilitating an out-of-state procedure would face a fine. (Oregon, on the other hand, pays for women living elsewhere to travel to the state for an abortion.)
A proposed law in Louisiana would mean women who terminate their pregnancies would face homicide charges. (This is rare: most target providers instead.) A Republican lawmaker in Idaho supports legislation banning morning-after pills, as they can block a fertilised egg from implanting in a uterus. Fierce battles await.
A peek at peak inflation in America
PHOTO: AFP
After months of mounting concerns, a glimmer of relief. Data published on Wednesday showed that consumer prices rose by 8.3% in April compared with a year earlier. Although still uncomfortably high, inflation is down from its four-decade peak of 8.5% in March; indeed, this marks the first clear fall in absolute terms since late 2020. The lower reading is sure to prompt discussion of whether America has passed peak inflation and can expect price pressures to decline steadily.
Yet any relief will be short-lived. Inflationary pressures have broadened, seeping into services such as transportation and medical care. The Federal Reserve will therefore have ample reason to press on with its aggressive monetary tightening. Investors, already reeling from market turmoil, may experience more pique than peak.
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Disney issues a streaming update
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
During the covid-19 pandemic Disney’s stock had more ups and downs than a ride on Space Mountain. Investors panicked when theme parks and theatres were shuttered, before piling back in as lockdowns supercharged subscriptions to the Disney+ streaming service. But in the past six months Disney’s value has tumbled again, amid signs of subscription fatigue.
The question on Wednesday, as Disney reports first-quarter earnings, is whether Disney+ has hit the same buffers as Netflix, which last month revealed a rare drop in subscribers. Analysts also want to see how the parks are holding up amid a fragile American economy.
Bob Chapek, Disney’s boss, has upset both progressive staff and conservative politicians by fumbling the firm’s response to a new law in Florida that targets LGBT education. With nine months left on his contract, he urgently needs Disney’s rollercoaster to start climbing again.
A sorry state in Sri Lanka
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
Protesters had been demanding the resignation of Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s prime minister, for weeks. But he didn’t agree to step down until May 9th, when his supporters descended on Colombo, the capital, and attacked protesters, provoking a violent retaliation.
That triggered the dissolution of the cabinet, perhaps paving the way for a government of national unity. But unity is the last thing on many Sri Lankans’ minds. Protesters have burned down the homes of several politicians. Some 220 people have been injured in the violence. Eight, including an MP, have died. In response, the government has ordered troops to shoot violent protestors “on sight”.
Any new government would have to undertake painful economic reforms, a tall order in such a febrile atmosphere. Opposition politicians do not want to take responsibility for fixing the mess created by Mahinda and his brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the president. And for the moment, the president seems determined to resist calls to resign himself.
“This Much I Know To Be True”
PHOTO: ALAMY
For decades Nick Cave has won legions of fans for his rich, deep voice and hauntingly beautiful songs. More recently he has begun to demystify his creative process. “One More Time With Feeling” (2016), a documentary film directed by Andrew Dominik, took viewers inside the recording studio, a particularly poignant process in the wake of the death of Mr Cave’s son’s in 2015. (Tragically, on May 9th Mr Cave announced the death of another son, his eldest.)
Wednesday sees the release of “This Much I Know To Be True”, another documentary by Mr Dominik. The film explores the years-long musical partnership between Mr Cave and Warren Ellis, focusing on their albums “Ghosteen” and “Carnage”. The pair have also worked on several film scores in a collaboration that appears to be without ego or rivalry. Mr Cave has said: “We are friends, pure and simple, and we just get on with the work at hand.”
Daily quiz
Our baristas will serve you a new question each day. On Friday your challenge is to give all five answers and tell us the connecting theme. Email your responses (and include mention of your home city and country) by 1700 BST on Friday to QuizEspresso@economist.com. We’ll pick randomly from those with the right answers and crown one winner per continent on Saturday.
Wednesday: Which mediaeval officers would wear a tabard, decorated with the coat or arms of their masters?
Tuesday: What name has the European Space Agency given its weather and environment-monitoring satellites?
照片。阿拉米奖
几十年来，尼克-凯夫以其丰富、深沉的嗓音和令人神往的美妙歌曲赢得了众多粉丝。最近，他开始揭开他的创作过程的神秘面纱。"One More Time With Feeling"（2016年），一部由安德鲁-多米尼克（Andrew Dominik）导演的纪录片，带领观众进入录音室，在2015年凯夫先生的儿子去世后，这个过程尤其令人感慨。(不幸的是，5月9日，凯夫先生宣布了另一个儿子的死亡，他的长子。）
周三，多米尼克先生的另一部纪录片 "This Much I Know To Be True "发布。这部影片探讨了Cave先生和Warren Ellis之间多年的音乐合作关系，重点是他们的专辑《Ghosteen》和《Carnage》。这对搭档还合作了几部电影的配乐，这种合作似乎没有自我和竞争。凯夫先生曾说。"我们是朋友，纯粹而简单，我们只是继续进行手头的工作。"