2022.04.27俄罗斯切断了对保加利亚和波兰的天然气供应

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Gazprom, Russia’s state-controlled energy giant, said it had cut off deliveries of gas to its Bulgarian and Polish counterparts. Locked out of most dollar trades, Russia has demanded that “unfriendly” buyers pay for their gas in roubles. Poland has refused to do so. Almost half of Poland’s gas, and 90% of Bulgaria’s, is from Russia. Polish officials reassured citizens that it has access to gas from other sources. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said Russia’s action was “unjustified and unacceptable”, and that it was using gas as “an instrument of blackmail.”

The UN said it had secured an agreement “in principle” from Russia to involve the UN and the Red Cross in evacuating civilians from Mariupol, where at least a thousand are sheltering in the Azovstal steel plant. Previous agreements amounted to naught. At a meeting in Moscow, Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, told the UN’s secretary-general that he had been “deceived” about the situation there and that Russia was already operating humanitarian corridors.

A Chinese drone manufacturer—the world’s largest—said that it would temporarily suspend business in Russia and Ukraine, becoming the first major Chinese firm to halt sales in Russia because of the conflict. DJI Technology Co, which research firm Drone Analyst estimates had hardware revenues of $2.9bn in 2020, said it “abhors any use of our drones to cause harm”. It denied Ukrainian allegations that it leaked military data to Russia.

Shares in Tesla, an electric-car maker, dropped by 12.2% on Tuesday—a loss of $126bn— after it was announced that Elon Musk, the company’s chief executive, was buying Twitter. Investors speculate that Mr Musk will reduce his stake in Tesla to stump up the cash he has promised for the social network ($21bn of the $44bn buyout).

Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, an intellectually disabled Malaysian, was executed in Singapore on a drug trafficking conviction, despite international appeals for clemency. Mr Dharmalingam, who had an IQ of 69, had been on death row for more than a decade after being caught smuggling 44g of heroin into Singapore in 2009. The government said he “clearly understood the nature of his acts”.

A court in Myanmar found Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of corruption in the latest verdict in a series of farcical trials against the country’s former de facto leader. In a closed door hearing, a junta court found her guilty of accepting a $600,000 bribe and sentenced her to five years in jail. That extends her total prison sentence to 11 years. Should she be found guilty of all her charges, she would face more than 190 years in jail, according to some estimates.

A suicide-bomber blew up a minibus near Karachi University, killing three Chinese nationals and their driver in Pakistan’s commercial capital. The victims were staff at the local Confucius Institute, a promoter of China’s soft power. Separatists called the Baloch Liberation Army, who oppose enormous Chinese development projects in Pakistan’s vast and rugged Balochistan province, claimed responsibility.

Fact of the day: $174bn, the value of India’s dairy industry—75m dairy farmers, 200m cows and 100m buffaloes produce a fifth of the world’s milk. Read the full article.


A Ukrainian military adviser talks to The Economist

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
For many outside Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky is the face of the war. For many inside it, so is Oleksiy Arestovych. His sardonic daily military updates have calmed the nation during some of its darkest hours, and even raised a few chuckles.


In 2019 Mr Arestovych predicted a major Russian invasion of Ukraine by 2022. He was correct down to the grimmest of details. Talking to The Economist in Kyiv, he argues that the deciding phase of the war will last no more than three more weeks. The most serious battles are already under way in Donbas. Despite Russia assembling 25,000 troops for the main axis of attack, Mr Arestovych says Ukraine can hold out. Russia’s insistence on sticking to outdated doctrines, against unrealistic deadlines set by a detached leader, will prove its downfall, he predicts. He highlights a divergence in spirit between the Ukrainian and invading troops. “We have a Cossack drive. We cackle with laughter when we shoot Russian tanks.”

Big tech’s big hangover

PHOTO: AP
American tech firms led the way during the pandemic equities boom. Now they are at the forefront of the subsequent slump. The share prices of Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta and Microsoft have all lost ground this year, after stellar performances in 2020 and 2021. On Tuesday Alphabet reported slowing revenue growth in the first quarter of 2022 (though Microsoft was able to forecast double-digit growth for next year). Wednesday is Meta’s turn, before Amazon and Apple report on Thursday.


Each firm is unhappy in its own way. Amazon, for instance, was better off when lockdowns forced people into e-commerce. Meta has been walloped by new ad-tracking rules. But there are a few common woes. The war in Ukraine has pulled back advertising budgets. Ostracising Russia (or being kicked out) has meant losing an entire market. China’s lockdowns have impeded supply chains. And a frail global economy, with rising inflation, has cut into consumers’ budgets and raised labour costs. Expect earnings to be bumpy.

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Hoping for a lift at Boeing

PHOTO: AP
Lately Boeing’s investors have had little to celebrate. The American aerospace giant reports quarterly earnings on Wednesday, having stumbled through losses of $4.2bn over the last three months of 2021. This drop was exacerbated by one-off charges, including $3.5bn to cover delays to the production of its wide-bodied 787 Dreamliner after defects were noticed by regulators and deliveries were halted in May 2021. Weaknesses in certain titanium parts remain under scrutiny. More than 100 undelivered Dreamliners remain sitting in hangars.


Deliveries of narrow-bodied 737s, including the troubled MAX version, are on the rise, though. And bosses are hopeful that Dreamliner deliveries will begin again later this year. But some damage has already been done. Last week American Airlines, a big customer of Boeing’s, said that the delays were forcing it to cut back on international flights. Investors, travellers and America’s post-pandemic recovery need Boeing to up its game.

The challenges to India’s wheat exports

PHOTO: EPA
When Russia invaded Ukraine, wheat farmers in India were collateral beneficiaries. Before the war the ex-Soviet adversaries were respectively the largest and fifth-largest wheat exporters, together accounting for 29% of annual international sales. As their exports fell, India spied an opportunity.

Its wheat exports are rising quickly. Between March 2021 and March 2022 India exported 7.9m tonnes. One estimate suggests volumes could treble this year. And they are reaching new markets. On Friday a first-ever shipment of Indian wheat will be sent to Egypt. But it may not be all smooth sailing. Traders are worried that the quality of Indian wheat might not meet more stringent standards abroad. And World Trade Organisation rules prevent the sale of wheat bought at fixed prices, of which India has 19m tonnes. But the biggest hurdle may be nature. The hottest March in 122 years shrivelled the harvest by at least 10% in several states. With yields down and exports up, ensuring enough supply for Indians themselves is critical.



Boxing for freedom in “The Survivor”

PHOTO: ALLSTAR/HBO FILMS
Harry Haft relied on his knuckles. A muddy slick at Auschwitz served as a ring. His rivals were other prisoners: destitute Jews set against one another by their Nazi captors. Losing a fight meant losing your life. Mr Haft, who was born in Poland, was a teenager when he arrived at the camp; when he escaped, during a “death march” towards the end of the war, he was a survivor of the Holocaust. He moved to America and continued to box, all the while searching for his teenage love. He even fought Rocky Marciano, the heavy-weight boxing legend.

This extraordinary tale is the subject of “The Survivor”, released on Wednesday on HBO Max. Directed by Barry Levinson, the biopic is based on a book by Haft’s son, Alan. Its star, Ben Foster, shed 28kg to play Harry. As Jewish people around the world mark Holocaust Remembrance Day, a film about a man who defied such hulking odds makes timely, powerful viewing.

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 Channel Island bans cars and has a parliament called the Chief Pleas?

Tuesday: What is the capital of the state of North Dakota?

Men who are inferior to their fellow men, are always most anxious to establish their superiority over women.

Mary Wollstonecraft



俄罗斯国家控制的能源巨头Gazprom表示，它已经切断了对保加利亚和波兰同行的天然气交付。由于被锁定在大多数美元交易之外，俄罗斯要求 "不友好的 "买家以卢布支付天然气。波兰拒绝这样做。波兰几乎一半的天然气和保加利亚90%的天然气都来自俄罗斯。波兰官员向公民保证，它可以从其他来源获得天然气。欧盟委员会主席乌尔苏拉-冯德莱恩说，俄罗斯的行动是 "毫无道理和不可接受的"，它正在利用天然气作为 "敲诈的工具"。

联合国说，它已经从俄罗斯那里获得了一项 "原则上 "的协议，让联合国和红十字会参与疏散马里乌波尔的平民，那里至少有一千人在Azovstal钢铁厂里避难。以前的协议形同虚设。在莫斯科的一次会议上，俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔-普京（Vladimir Putin）告诉联合国秘书长，他在那里的局势中被 "欺骗 "了，俄罗斯已经在运营人道主义走廊。

一家中国无人机制造商--世界上最大的无人机制造商说，它将暂时停止在俄罗斯和乌克兰的业务，成为第一家因冲突而停止在俄罗斯销售的主要中国公司。研究机构Drone Analyst估计，大疆创新科技有限公司在2020年的硬件收入为29亿美元，该公司表示 "憎恨任何利用我们的无人机造成伤害的行为"。它否认了乌克兰关于它向俄罗斯泄露军事数据的指控。

在宣布公司首席执行官埃隆-马斯克(Elon Musk)正在收购Twitter之后，电动汽车制造商特斯拉的股票在周二下跌了12.2%--损失1260亿美元。投资者猜测，马斯克先生将减少他在特斯拉的股份，以拿出他承诺的社交网络的现金（440亿美元的收购中的210亿美元）。

尽管国际社会呼吁宽大处理，但智障的马来西亚人Nagaenthran Dharmalingam因贩毒罪在新加坡被处决。Dharmalingam先生的智商为69，在2009年被抓获向新加坡走私44克海洛因后，他已经被关了十多年的死囚。政府说他 "清楚地了解自己行为的性质"。

缅甸法院认定昂山素季犯有腐败罪，这是针对该国前事实领导人的一系列闹剧审判中的最新判决。在一次闭门听证会上，一个军政府法庭认定她犯有接受60万美元贿赂的罪行，并判处她五年监禁。这使她的总刑期延长至11年。如果她的所有指控都被认定有罪，根据一些估计，她将面临超过190年的监禁。

在巴基斯坦的商业首都，一名自杀式炸弹袭击者在卡拉奇大学附近炸毁了一辆小巴，炸死了三名中国公民和他们的司机。受害者是当地孔子学院的工作人员，孔子学院是中国软实力的推广者。被称为俾路支解放军的分离主义分子声称对此事负责，他们反对中国在巴基斯坦广阔而崎岖的俾路支省的巨大发展项目。

今天的事实：1,740亿美元，印度乳业的价值--75万奶农、2亿头奶牛和1亿头水牛生产的牛奶占全世界的五分之一。阅读全文。


一位乌克兰军事顾问与《经济学人》杂志交谈

照片。GETTY IMAGES
对于乌克兰境外的许多人来说，沃洛基米尔-泽伦斯基总统是这场战争的代言人。对乌克兰境内的许多人来说，奥列克谢-阿雷斯托维奇也是如此。在一些最黑暗的时间里，他每天的军事更新都让国家平静下来，甚至还引起了一些笑声。


2019年，阿雷斯托维奇先生预言，到2022年，俄罗斯将大规模入侵乌克兰。他的预测正确到了最令人不安的细节。他在基辅接受《经济学人》采访时认为，战争的决定阶段不会超过三周。最严重的战斗已经在顿巴斯展开。尽管俄罗斯为进攻的主轴集结了2.5万名士兵，但阿雷斯托维奇先生说乌克兰可以坚持下去。他预测，俄罗斯坚持遵守过时的理论，对抗一个脱离实际的领导人设定的不现实的最后期限，这将证明它的衰败。他强调了乌克兰和入侵部队之间在精神上的分歧。"我们有一种哥萨克式的动力。当我们射杀俄罗斯坦克时，我们会笑得咯咯直响。"

大科技的大宿醉

照片。美联社
美国的科技公司在大流行的股票热潮中一路领先。现在，它们在随后的暴跌中走在前列。Alphabet、亚马逊、苹果、Meta和微软的股价在2020年和2021年的出色表现之后，今年都出现了下跌。周二Alphabet报告了2022年第一季度的收入增长放缓（尽管微软能够预测明年将有两位数的增长）。周三轮到Meta，然后是亚马逊和苹果周四的报告。


每家公司都以自己的方式不开心。例如，当封锁迫使人们进入电子商务领域时，亚马逊的情况更好。梅塔公司被新的广告跟踪规则击倒。但也有一些共同的苦恼。乌克兰的战争拉回了广告预算。排斥俄罗斯（或被踢出）意味着失去整个市场。中国的封锁已经阻碍了供应链。脆弱的全球经济和不断上升的通货膨胀，削减了消费者的预算，提高了劳动成本。预计收益将是颠簸的。

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希望在波音公司得到提升

照片。美联社
最近，波音公司的投资者没有什么可庆祝的。这家美国航空航天巨头在周三公布了季度收益，在2021年的最后三个月里，它跌跌撞撞地损失了42亿美元。这种下降因一次性费用而加剧，其中包括35亿美元用于支付其宽体787梦想飞机在被监管机构注意到缺陷后的生产延迟，并在2021年5月停止交付。某些钛合金部件的弱点仍然受到关注。100多架未交付的梦想飞机仍然停在机库里。


不过，窄体737飞机的交付量正在上升，包括有问题的MAX版本。而且老板们希望今年晚些时候将再次开始交付梦想飞机。但是一些损害已经发生了。上周，波音公司的一个大客户美国航空公司表示，延误迫使它减少国际航班。投资者、旅行者和美国大流行病后的复苏需要波音公司提高其水平。

印度小麦出口面临的挑战

照片。环保局
当俄罗斯入侵乌克兰时，印度的小麦种植者是附带受益者。战前，这两个前苏联对手分别是最大和第五大小麦出口国，共占国际年销售额的29%。随着他们的出口下降，印度发现了一个机会。

它的小麦出口正在迅速上升。2021年3月至2022年3月期间，印度出口了790万吨。一项估计表明，今年的出口量可能增加两倍。而且它们正在进入新的市场。周五，有史以来第一批印度小麦将被运往埃及。但是这可能不是一帆风顺的。贸易商们担心，印度小麦的质量可能无法满足国外更严格的标准。而且世界贸易组织的规则阻止了以固定价格购买的小麦的销售，印度有1900万吨小麦。但是最大的障碍可能是大自然。122年来最热的3月使几个邦的收成至少减少了10%。随着产量下降和出口增加，确保印度人自己有足够的供应是至关重要的。



在 "幸存者 "中为自由而战

照片。Allstar/HBO电影
哈里-哈夫特靠的是他的指关节。奥斯维辛集中营的一块泥泞的浮土被用作拳击场。他的对手是其他囚犯：赤贫的犹太人被他们的纳粹俘虏陷害。搏斗的失败意味着失去生命。哈夫特先生出生于波兰，当他到达集中营时还是个少年；当他在战争结束前的一次 "死亡行军 "中逃出时，他是大屠杀的幸存者。他搬到了美国，继续打拳，同时寻找他少年时的爱情。他甚至与重量级拳击传奇人物洛基-马西亚诺（Rocky Marciano）交手。

这个非同寻常的故事是《幸存者》的主题，该片于周三在HBO Max上映。这部传记片由巴里-列文森执导，根据哈夫特的儿子艾伦的书改编。其主演本-福斯特为扮演哈利而减去了28公斤。在全世界的犹太人纪念大屠杀日之际，一部关于一个不畏艰险的人的电影让人看得及时而有力。

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，并告诉我们相关的主题。在北京时间周五17点前，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。

星期三。哪个海峡岛国禁止汽车，并有一个叫做首席法官的议会？

星期二。北达科他州的首府是哪里？

那些比他们的同伴低劣的男人，总是最急于建立他们对女性的优越感。

Mary Wollstonecraft