2022.04.01美国从其战略储备中释放约1.8亿桶石油

shiyi18

The world in brief
Catch up quickly on the global stories that matter

Updated less than 1 hour ago (10:18 GMT+1 / 05:18 New York)

Listen to today’s briefing(Recorded at 08:04 GMT+1 / 03:04 New York)
Apple
Google
Copy RSS link
America said it would release around 180m barrels of oil from its strategic reserves over the next six months, in an effort to combat high energy prices. At an emergency meeting on Friday, the International Energy Agency will discuss similar measures. Separately Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, threatened to stop gas deliveries to dozens of “unfriendly countries” from Friday unless buyers pay in roubles, which Western countries refuse to do.

Britain’s defence ministry said that Russian forces continue to bombard the Ukrainian regions around Chernihiv and Kyiv with air and missile strikes, despite claiming to have pulled back in the north of the country. Britain also said that Russia was redeploying forces from Georgia. A Red Cross convoy carrying humanitarian and medical aid to Mariupol—a port besieged since the war began—is stranded outside the city, as Russia has not yet provided it the safe corridor it was promised.

A Russian regional governor said that Ukrainian helicopters attacked a fuel depot in the Russian oblast of Belgorod, 40km north of the countries’ shared border, an 80km drive from Kharkiv. If true, the sortie would mark Ukraine’s first intrusion of Russian territory since the war began five weeks ago.

America imposed sanctions on Russian technology companies and procurement networks that the country has used to evade other sanctions. The 34 organisations and individuals on the new list include “malicious cyber actors” and companies that produce hardware and software for Russia’s defence sector. Mikron, Russia’s biggest chipmaker, was among them.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, a nuclear watchdog, confirmed reports that Russian troops left Chernobyl and relinquished control of the defunct nuclear plant. Most of the soldiers, who seized the site last month, made for Belarus. Ukraine said the Russians retreated after suffering radiation exposure. The International Atomic Energy Agency said it could not confirm that claim.

Other news

The Solomon Islands said that it would not allow China to build a military base on its territory, despite the two countries having signed a draft security agreement. Several countries, especially Australia, were alarmed at the prospect of China’s acquiring a new base in the Pacific • Police imposed an overnight curfew in parts of Colombo, Sri Lanka’s largest city, after protests against the country’s economic crisis became violent. The country is currently subject to rolling electricity blackouts of up to 13 hours a day because the government lacks the foreign-exchange reserves to import fuel.

American stockmarkets dropped amid concerns about the continuing conflict in Ukraine. The benchmark S&P 500 index ended its weakest quarter since the first quarter of 2020, falling by 4.9% over the three months to the end of March • Consumer spending in America grew by just 0.2% in February from the month before, compared with 2.7% in January. The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure rose, with prices 6.4% higher in February than a year earlier • An international consortium of scientists sequenced the entire human genome for the first time. Though 92% of it was sequenced back in 2003, researchers had struggled over the remaining 8% for the past 19 years.

Fact of the day: 1,100, the number of manatees that died in Florida last year, the worst on record. Read the special report.


The cost of war to emerging markets

PHOTO: EPA
When Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, the price of critical commodities such as wheat and oil soared. Six weeks on, high prices are causing chaos for emerging economies.

High commodity prices are putting upward pressure on (already high) inflation rates and draining economies of hard currency. That is squeezing households and governments already in difficulties because of the pandemic. The war’s effect on commodity supplies may push some 40m people around the world into extreme poverty.

Costly food bills have shaken investor confidence in Egypt, which imports two-thirds of the wheat it consumes, forcing the country to turn to the IMF for assistance. Sri Lanka, where troops have been deployed to calm restive crowds queuing for fuel, may be close behind. The World Bank estimates that a dozen countries may find themselves unable to service their debts over the next twelve months. And even those which remain solvent can expect slower growth, higher inflation and grumpier citizens.


The West and Russia each court India

PHOTO: AP
India has lamented the violence in Ukraine while remaining steadfastly neutral. A flurry of diplomats flew in this week, hoping to change that stance. On Thursday Liz Truss, Britain’s foreign secretary, visited Delhi to stress “the importance of democracies working closer together”. A day earlier Jens Plötner, a visiting senior German diplomat, delivered a similar message. America, which has also sent an official, has asked India to “stand on the right side of history”.

It is the Kremlin, however, which could have the final say. On Friday Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, will meet Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, his Indian counterpart. Before the meeting Mr Lavrov told Reuters that Russia appreciated how India was “taking this situation in the entirety of facts and not just in a one-sided way.” They will discuss the war—but also how India can help Russia sidestep sanctions imposed by the West, by purchasing its oil with a rouble-rupee payment mechanism. America has said such an arrangement would be “deeply disappointing”. But with Russia offering a discount of $35 per barrel, money may end up talking.

Get the briefing in your inbox
Delivered before breakfast six times per week.

Sign up
China and the European Union

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
The leaders of two of the world’s biggest economies will talk past each other at a virtual meeting on Friday. China wants to warm up a frozen investment pact and sign customs agreements. But the other side wants to discuss Ukraine.

EU leaders are aghast at President Xi Jinping’s failure to condemn the invasion of their neighbouring country (and possible future member). Instead China has lauded Russia’s “efforts to prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis” in Ukraine. The EU plans to warn China not to send arms to Russia, or help it evade sanctions.

Ukraine is not the only issue souring the relationship. The EU has slapped sanctions on Chinese officials accused of human-rights abuses in Xinjiang. China retaliated in kind against EU lawmakers and diplomats. And China is squeezing Lithuania with a trade boycott, after it dared allow Taiwan to open a de facto embassy. With so many distractions, don’t expect much progress on trade deals.

Britain’s cost-of-living crisis heats up

PHOTO: PRESS ASSOCIATION
On Friday the government’s cap on the price that energy companies can charge consumers rose by 54%. That may mean higher bills for around 22m of Britain’s 28m households. Many will struggle. The Resolution Foundation, a think-tank, estimates that 5m families in England will face “fuel stress” as they spend more than 10% of their budget on energy, up from around 2.5m now.

The cap is being lifted to reflect the rising price of gas, which accounts for around 40% of Britain’s electricity generation and heats 85% of its homes. Prices have soared in recent months, thanks to increased demand from China and disrupted supplies out of Russia. If prices remain high, the cap could rise again. Ofgem, Britain’s energy regulator, is pushing for the authority to adjust the price cap more frequently. And pressure is unlikely to ease. Britain wants to decarbonise electricity generation by 2035, which will require expensive investments in gas infrastructure. Consumers are likely to have to pay the price.


Hong Kong tries to stem its brain drain

PHOTO: REUTERS
On Friday Hong Kong lifted a ban it placed in January on flights from nine countries, including America and Britain, when cases of covid-19 there spiked. Flight bans have been used during the pandemic to prevent infected arrivals spoiling Hong Kong’s record of “zero-covid”. In February and March, as the territory’s own Omicron wave grew, the ban became increasingly questionable. But scientific logic was probably not what inspired the U-turn.

Hong Kong is experiencing a brain drain. A draconian security law has frightened many people off. And residents are tired of school closures, long quarantines and the separation of covid-positive children from their parents. Nearly 100,000 people left in February alone. Now some measures are being relaxed, allowing Hong Kongers to travel more easily. But the resumption of flights will hardly foreshadow a reconnection with the world. Non-residents remain excluded from travelling to the territory and hotel quarantine is still required. Hong Kong’s less-than-splendid isolation will continue for some while yet.

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 GMT on Friday to QuizEspresso@economist.com. We’ll pick randomly from those with the right answers and crown one winner per continent on Saturday.

Friday: Which warrior, created by Robert E. Howard, was the subject of a 1982 sword-and-sorcery epic starring Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Thursday: Who was the recipient of the first phone call, made by Alexander Graham Bell?

This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four.

Mark Twain



世界简讯
迅速了解重要的全球事件


美国表示，它将在未来6个月内从其战略储备中释放约1.8亿桶石油，以努力应对高能源价格。在周五的紧急会议上，国际能源署将讨论类似措施。另外，俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔-普京威胁说，从周五起停止向数十个 "不友好国家 "输送天然气，除非买家用卢布付款，而西方国家拒绝这样做。

英国国防部表示，尽管俄罗斯军队声称已在该国北部撤军，但仍在继续用空中和导弹袭击切尔尼戈夫和基辅周围的乌克兰地区。英国还表示，俄罗斯正在从格鲁吉亚重新部署部队。一个向马里乌波尔（Mariupol）运送人道主义和医疗援助的红十字会车队--一个自战争开始以来就被围困的港口--被困在城外，因为俄罗斯还没有向它提供承诺的安全通道。

一位俄罗斯州长说，乌克兰直升机袭击了俄罗斯别尔哥罗德州的一个燃料库，该州位于两国共同边界以北40公里处，距哈尔科夫80公里车程。如果属实，这次出击将标志着乌克兰自五周前战争开始以来首次入侵俄罗斯领土。

美国对俄罗斯的技术公司和采购网络实施了制裁，该国曾利用这些公司和网络来逃避其他制裁。新名单上的34个组织和个人包括 "恶意的网络行为者 "和为俄罗斯国防部门生产硬件和软件的公司。俄罗斯最大的芯片制造商米克朗也在其中。

核监督机构国际原子能机构证实了有关俄罗斯军队离开切尔诺贝利并放弃对已停产核电站控制的报道。上个月夺取该厂的大部分士兵都前往白俄罗斯了。乌克兰说，俄罗斯人在遭受辐射后撤退了。国际原子能机构表示，它无法证实这一说法。

其他新闻

所罗门群岛表示，尽管两国已签署安全协议草案，但它不会允许中国在其领土上建立军事基地。一些国家，特别是澳大利亚，对中国在太平洋地区获得一个新基地的前景感到震惊--在针对斯里兰卡经济危机的抗议活动变得激烈之后，警方在斯里兰卡最大城市科伦坡的部分地区实施了一夜的宵禁。由于政府缺乏进口燃料的外汇储备，该国目前正遭受着每天长达13小时的滚动停电。

在对乌克兰持续冲突的担忧中，美国股市下跌。基准的标准普尔500指数结束了自2020年第一季度以来最疲软的一个季度，在截至3月底的三个月里下跌了4.9%--美国2月份的消费者支出仅比前一个月增长了0.2%，而1月份为2.7%。美联储首选的通货膨胀指标上升，2月份的价格比一年前高出6.4% - 一个国际科学家联盟首次对整个人类基因组进行测序。尽管92%的基因组早在2003年就被测序了，但在过去的19年里，研究人员一直在为剩下的8%的基因组而奋斗。

今天的事实。1100只，这是去年在佛罗里达州死亡的海牛的数量，是有记录以来最严重的一次。阅读特别报告。


战争给新兴市场带来的代价

照片。环保局
当俄罗斯在2月底入侵乌克兰时，小麦和石油等关键商品的价格飙升。六周以来，高价格正在给新兴经济体带来混乱。

高额的商品价格给（已经很高的）通货膨胀率带来了上升的压力，并耗尽了经济体的硬通货。这正在挤压已经因为大流行病而陷入困境的家庭和政府。战争对商品供应的影响可能会使全球约4000万人陷入极端贫困。

在埃及，昂贵的食品账单已经动摇了投资者的信心，该国消费的小麦有三分之二是进口的，这迫使该国向国际货币基金组织寻求援助。斯里兰卡可能紧随其后，该国已部署军队以安抚排队购买燃料的躁动人群。世界银行估计，有十几个国家可能发现自己在未来12个月内无法偿还债务。即使是那些仍有偿债能力的国家，也会出现增长放缓、通货膨胀率上升和公民情绪低落的情况。


西方和俄罗斯分别向印度示好

照片。美联社
印度对乌克兰的暴力事件表示哀叹，同时保持坚定的中立。本周，一大批外交官飞来，希望改变这一立场。周四，英国外交大臣Liz Truss访问德里，强调 "民主国家更紧密合作的重要性"。一天前，来访的德国高级外交官延斯-普洛特纳（Jens Plötner）也发出了类似的信息。美国也派出一名官员，要求印度 "站在历史的正确一边"。

然而，克里姆林宫可能有最终决定权。周五，俄罗斯外交部长谢尔盖-拉夫罗夫将会见印度外交部长苏布拉曼亚姆-贾伊桑卡尔。拉夫罗夫先生在会晤前告诉路透社，俄罗斯赞赏印度如何 "从整个事实出发，而不仅仅是以片面的方式处理这一局势"。他们将讨论战争--但也将讨论印度如何通过用卢布-卢比支付机制购买俄罗斯的石油来帮助俄罗斯避开西方的制裁。美国已经表示，这样的安排将 "令人深感失望"。但是，由于俄罗斯提供每桶35美元的折扣，钱可能最终会说话。

在您的收件箱中获取简报
每周六次在早餐前送达。

注册
中国和欧盟

照片。GETTY IMAGES
世界上最大的两个经济体的领导人将在周五的虚拟会议上互相交谈。中国希望为被冻结的投资协定升温，并签署海关协议。但另一方则希望讨论乌克兰问题。

欧盟领导人对习近平主席未能谴责对其邻国（以及未来可能的成员国）的入侵感到震惊。相反，中国对俄罗斯在乌克兰 "防止大规模人道主义危机的努力 "表示赞赏。欧盟计划警告中国不要向俄罗斯运送武器，或帮助其逃避制裁。

乌克兰并不是使两国关系恶化的唯一问题。欧盟已经对被指控在新疆侵犯人权的中国官员实施了制裁。中国对欧盟立法者和外交官进行了实物报复。在立陶宛敢于允许台湾开设事实上的大使馆之后，中国正以贸易抵制的方式对其进行挤压。在如此多的干扰下，不要指望在贸易协议上有什么进展。

英国的生活成本危机升温

照片。新闻协会
上周五，政府对能源公司可向消费者收取的价格上限提高了54%。这可能意味着英国2800万个家庭中约有2200万个家庭的账单会增加。许多人将陷入困境。智囊团Resolution Foundation估计，英格兰有500万个家庭将面临 "燃料压力"，因为他们在能源上的花费超过了预算的10%，而现在约有250万个家庭。

取消上限是为了反映天然气价格的上涨，天然气占英国发电量的40%左右，为85%的家庭供暖。近几个月来，由于中国的需求增加和俄罗斯的供应中断，价格已经飙升。如果价格持续走高，上限可能会再次上升。英国的能源监管机构Ofgem正在推动该机构更频繁地调整价格上限。而且压力不太可能减轻。英国希望到2035年实现发电脱碳，这将需要对天然气基础设施进行昂贵的投资。消费者可能不得不付出代价。


香港试图阻止其人才流失

照片。REUTERS
周五，香港取消了1月份对包括美国和英国在内的9个国家航班的禁令，当时那里的covid-19病例激增。在这一流行病期间，为了防止受感染的入境者破坏香港的 "零感染 "记录，一直在使用航班禁令。在2月和3月，随着香港自己的Omicron浪潮增长，禁令变得越来越有问题。但是，科学逻辑可能不是激发转折的原因。

香港正在经历一场人才流失。一部严厉的安全法把许多人吓跑了。居民们对学校关闭、长期隔离以及将卵巢癌阳性儿童与父母分开的做法感到厌倦。仅在2月份就有近10万人离开。现在，一些措施正在放宽，允许香港人更容易地旅行。但是航班的恢复很难预示着与世界的重新联系。非居民仍然不能到香港旅行，仍然需要进行酒店检疫。香港与世隔绝的状况还将持续一段时间。

每日问答

我们的咖啡师每天都会为您提供一个新问题。在星期五，你的挑战是给出所有五个答案，并告诉我们连接的主题。在周五格林尼治标准时间17点之前，将你的回答（包括提及你的家乡和国家）发到 QuizEspresso@economist.com。我们将从正确的答案中随机挑选，并在周六为每个大洲选出一名获胜者。

周五。罗伯特-E-霍华德创造的哪位勇士是1982年阿诺-施瓦辛格主演的剑与魔法史诗的主题？

星期四。谁是亚历山大-格雷厄姆-贝尔打出的第一个电话的接收者？

在这一天，我们要提醒自己在其他三百六十四天里是什么。

马克-吐温