2022.05.02 印度4月份的用电量创下了历史新高

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Around 100 people were evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol, a port-city in south-eastern Ukraine, before Russian shelling resumed. According to one official, at least two more such evacuations are needed to rescue those still trapped inside. Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, speculated that the effort is aimed at trying to spirit away Western officers or mercenaries. He also dashed hopes that Russia would quit the war by May 9th, the anniversary of the Allies’ victory in the second world war. Meanwhile more blasts were heard near military sites on Russian territory; Ukraine has declined to say how or whether it stages cross-border attacks.

Energy ministers from the EU are convening in Brussels to discuss the effects of Russia’s cutting gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland. They were reported to be weighing a complete ban on Russian oil that could be instituted by year-end. Any such plan may be scuppered by Hungary, however. A Hungarian minister said it would veto any proposal that restricts its imports from Russia. Meanwhile Germany’s foreign minister emphasised that her country’s sanctions against Russia will not be lifted until it withdraws from all Ukrainian territory, including the Donbas and Crimea.

Israel has demanded an apology from Russia for remarks by Sergei Lavrov, suggesting that Adolf Hitler had Jewish ancestry. Mr Lavrov’s comments came during an interview with Italian television, when asked to justify Russia’s claim that it wanted to “denazify” Ukraine, even though its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is Jewish. Israel’s foreign minister, Yair Lipid, called it an “unforgivable, scandalous statement”.

Electricity usage in India hit a record high for April thanks to a spell of extreme temperatures that rose above 45°C (113°F) in some northern areas. The year-on-year increase in demand for power, as calculated by Reuters, was 13% for the country as a whole, but over 70% in Sikkim, a northern state. May is usually hotter still than April, but cooler temperatures are expected—at least at first.

Fewer than 10,000 covid-19 cases were recorded in Shanghai for the second day in a row, suggesting that the outbreak in China’s biggest city may be easing. On Sunday, officials said that six of 16 districts had reached “zero-covid” status. However, in Beijing, the capital, restrictions were tightened further. Data released on Saturday revealed that manufacturing activity in April had plummeted to its lowest level in more than two years, largely due to lockdowns in several cities.

America pledged to increase its diplomatic engagement with Pacific-island countries amid anxiety about China’s growing military presence in the Solomon Islands. Kurt Campbell, the Indo-Pacific co-ordinator, said leaders from across the Pacific would be invited to the White House later this year. He added that America would also fund more development projects in the region.

The world’s longest long-hauls are getting longer. Qantas, Australia’s national carrier, announced direct flights connecting Sydney to London, by end-2025. It placed an order for 12 Airbus jets capable of flying between any two airports in the world, opening the door to even more distant cities (if there were any). Buckle up for a journey of 19 hours or more.

Fact of the day: 17%, how much the population of Warsaw, Poland’s capital, has expanded in recent weeks. Read the full article.


Amazonians of the world, unite!

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
A month ago workers at an Amazon warehouse on Staten Island voted to form a union—a first at the mega-retailer, after years of unsuccessful efforts. Their victory may well beget more: on Monday ballots will be counted at another facility, in the same borough of New York.

That New York produced Amazon’s first—and possibly second—union is explained partly by its tradition of supporting labour rights. Among the states it has the second-highest share of unionised workers, at 22.2%, compared with a national average of 10%. The other reason is that the drives were directed not by a national outfit, but by the Amazon Labour Union, a small, independent group, which originated in Staten Island and is led by current and former employees.

Amazon surely hopes its loss will not be repeated. But the recent experience of Starbucks suggests otherwise. Since the first café in America voted to unionise in December, roughly 40 have followed. Nearly 250 have sought votes to form unions. Unionisation, it seems, can be contagious.

Russia’s detention centres in Ukraine

On Saturday Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, claimed that more than 1m people have been evacuated from Ukraine to Russia since the conflict started on February 24th. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, says that at least half a million people have been moved—but forcibly. Either way, many have passed through Russian “filtration camps”: detention centres first built after the second world war to stamp out anti-Soviet ideology among returning prisoners of war and displaced peoples. The camps were known for their human-rights abuses, including rape, extortion and torture.

The parallels in Ukraine are disturbing. In March a satellite image showed Russian-backed forces building a temporary camp on the outskirts of Mariupol, in south-eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainians were to be interrogated and deported to Russia. Some who escaped claim to have witnessed torture and killings by Russian security services. Russia insists the relocations are benign and voluntary. But filtration camps appear to be a tool of war to erase Ukrainian identity.

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Europe scrambles to respond to Russia’s energy “blackmail”

PHOTO: EPA
On Monday the energy ministers of EU members meet in France to discuss how to deal with Russia’s decision to cut off gas to Poland and Bulgaria on April 27th. It will be a heated debate. Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned energy giant, says it halted supplies after the countries missed a deadline to pay for them in roubles. Other deadlines are looming for much bigger importers of the fuel, including Germany and Italy.

Most European buyers have ruled out paying directly in roubles. Some seem ready to accept a compromise solution, where they would pay in euros, then convert the money into roubles after opening accounts in the two currencies at Gazprombank in Russia. But the EU has said even this would breach sanctions. And this week the EU is expected to approve an embargo on Russian oil. The brinkmanship between Russia to Europe is becoming ever less predictable.

Narendra Modi courts Europe

After a spate of visits from Western diplomats, many seeking to change India’s neutral stance on Ukraine, it is now Narendra Modi’s turn to do some wooing. On Monday India’s prime minister embarks on a European tour. He will visit Denmark, France and Germany over three days and participate in 25 meetings.

In Germany, his first stop, Mr Modi will meet his counterpart, Olaf Scholz; they will lead a business roundtable aimed at strengthening commercial ties between Germany and India. In France, he will “reaffirm the close friendship between the two countries”. The war in Ukraine will also be on the agenda. According to Tobias Lindner, a German foreign-office minister, “no major problem can be solved without India”, referring to climate change and security. Mr Modi has described European countries as “important companions” in India’s “quest for peace and prosperity”. This week the nature of that companionship may become clearer.


Wimbledon’s forced error?

PHOTO: EPA
Last month the All England Club, which runs the Wimbledon tennis tournament, announced that Russian and Belarusian players would be banned from its competition in 2022. This means that five of the top 50 men and eight of the top 50 women will be excluded. But by opting to follow the lead of the British government, Wimbledon, which claims to have had “no viable alternative”, has provoked the ire of much of the tennis world. So far, no other tournament has followed suit.

For a start, one Russian player, Andrey Rublev, who is opposed to the war in Ukraine, says the decision is discriminatory. This week Mr Rublev will play in the Madrid Open as a “neutral athlete”, thus not representing any country. He will do the same at the French Open in May. Meanwhile, the Women’s Tennis Association is considering sanctions against Wimbledon, believing the decision to be against the association's rules. A difficult decision could be about to backfire.

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Poor is the pupil that does not surpass his master.

Leonardo da Vinci



在俄罗斯重新开始炮击之前，约100人从乌克兰东南部港口城市马里乌波尔的Azovstal钢铁厂撤离。据一位官员称，至少还需要两次这样的疏散，以营救仍被困在里面的人。俄罗斯外交部长谢尔盖-拉夫罗夫(Sergei Lavrov)猜测，这一努力的目的是试图将西方官员或雇佣兵赶走。他还粉碎了俄罗斯在5月9日，即盟军在第二次世界大战中获胜的纪念日之前退出战争的希望。同时，在俄罗斯领土上的军事地点附近听到了更多的爆炸声；乌克兰拒绝透露它是如何或是否进行了跨境攻击。

欧盟的能源部长们正在布鲁塞尔召开会议，讨论俄罗斯削减对保加利亚和波兰的天然气供应的影响。据报道，他们正在权衡一项可能在年底前实施的对俄罗斯石油的全面禁令。然而，任何此类计划都可能被匈牙利破坏。一位匈牙利部长说，匈牙利将否决任何限制其从俄罗斯进口的提案。同时，德国外交部长强调，在俄罗斯撤出包括顿巴斯和克里米亚在内的所有乌克兰领土之前，德国不会取消对俄罗斯的制裁。

以色列要求俄罗斯为谢尔盖-拉夫罗夫暗示阿道夫-希特勒有犹太血统的言论做出道歉。拉夫罗夫先生是在接受意大利电视台采访时发表这番言论的，当时他被要求为俄罗斯想要 "剥夺 "乌克兰的说法进行辩护，尽管乌克兰总统沃洛基米尔-泽伦斯基是犹太人。以色列外交部长亚伊尔-利皮德称这是一个 "不可原谅的、可耻的声明"。

印度4月份的用电量创下了历史新高，这要归功于北部一些地区超过45℃（113℉）的极端气温。根据路透社的计算，整个国家的电力需求同比增长13%，但在北部的锡金邦超过70%。5月通常比4月更热，但预计温度会降低--至少在一开始。

上海连续第二天记录了不到10,000个covid-19病例，这表明中国最大城市的疫情可能正在缓和。周日，官员们说，16个区中有6个已经达到 "零感染 "状态。然而，在首都北京，限制措施被进一步收紧。周六公布的数据显示，4月份的制造业活动已骤降至两年多来的最低水平，主要是由于几个城市的封锁。

在对中国在所罗门群岛日益增长的军事存在感到焦虑之际，美国承诺增加与太平洋岛屿国家的外交接触。印度-太平洋协调员库尔特-坎贝尔说，今年晚些时候将邀请整个太平洋地区的领导人前往白宫。他补充说，美国还将在该地区资助更多的发展项目。

世界上最长的长途旅行正在变得更长。澳大利亚国家航空公司Qantas宣布在2025年底前开通连接悉尼和伦敦的直航。它订购了12架空客飞机，能够在世界任何两个机场之间飞行，为通往更遥远的城市（如果有的话）打开大门。系好安全带，迎接19小时或更长时间的旅程。

今天的事实。17%，波兰首都华沙的人口在最近几周扩大了多少。阅读全文。


世界上的亚马逊人，团结起来!

照片。GETTY IMAGES
一个月前，位于斯塔滕岛的亚马逊仓库的工人投票决定成立工会--这是这家大型零售商在多年努力未果后的第一次。他们的胜利很可能带来更多：周一，纽约同一区的另一家工厂将进行选票统计。

纽约产生了亚马逊的第一个，也可能是第二个工会，部分原因是其支持劳工权利的传统。在各州中，纽约的工会工人比例高居第二，为22.2%，而全国平均比例为10%。另一个原因是，这些活动不是由一个全国性的机构指导的，而是由亚马逊工会指导的，这是一个小型的独立团体，起源于斯塔滕岛，由现任和前任雇员领导。

亚马逊肯定希望它的损失不会再发生。但星巴克最近的经验表明情况并非如此。自从美国第一家咖啡馆在12月投票成立工会以来，大约有40家咖啡馆相继成立。近250家已经寻求投票组建工会。工会化，似乎是可以传染的。

俄罗斯在乌克兰的拘留中心

周六，俄罗斯外交部长谢尔盖-拉夫罗夫声称，自2月24日冲突开始以来，已经有超过100万人从乌克兰撤离到俄罗斯。乌克兰总统沃洛基米尔-泽伦斯基(Volodymyr Zelensky)说，至少有50万人被转移，但都是被迫的。无论哪种方式，许多人都通过了俄罗斯的 "过滤营"：这是第二次世界大战后首次建立的拘留中心，目的是在返回的战俘和流离失所者中消除反苏的意识形态。这些营地以侵犯人权而闻名，包括强奸、敲诈和酷刑。

乌克兰的类似情况令人不安。3月，一张卫星图片显示俄罗斯支持的部队在乌克兰东南部的马里乌波尔郊区建造了一个临时营地，乌克兰人将在那里接受审讯并被驱逐到俄罗斯。一些逃出来的人声称，他们目睹了俄罗斯安全部门的酷刑和杀戮。俄罗斯坚持认为搬迁是良性的和自愿的。但过滤营似乎是抹杀乌克兰人身份的战争工具。

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欧洲争相应对俄罗斯的能源 "敲诈"

照片。EPA
周一，欧盟成员国的能源部长在法国开会，讨论如何应对俄罗斯在4月27日切断对波兰和保加利亚的天然气的决定。这将是一场激烈的辩论。俄罗斯国有能源巨头Gazprom称，在这些国家错过了以卢布支付的最后期限后，它停止了供应。包括德国和意大利在内的更大的燃料进口国的其他最后期限正在逼近。

大多数欧洲买家已经排除了直接用卢布付款的可能性。一些人似乎准备接受一个折中的解决方案，即他们用欧元付款，然后在俄罗斯的天然气银行开立两种货币的账户，再把钱兑换成卢布。但欧盟表示，即使这样也会违反制裁。而本周，欧盟预计将批准对俄罗斯石油的禁运。俄罗斯与欧洲之间的边缘政策正变得越来越不可预测。

纳伦德拉-莫迪追求欧洲

在西方外交官接二连三的访问之后，许多人试图改变印度在乌克兰问题上的中立立场，现在轮到纳伦德拉-莫迪做一些讨好的工作。周一，印度总理开始了欧洲之旅。他将在三天内访问丹麦、法国和德国，参加25场会议。

在第一站德国，莫迪先生将与德国总理奥拉夫-肖尔茨会面；他们将主持一个旨在加强德国和印度之间商业关系的商业圆桌会议。在法国，他将 "重申两国之间的密切友谊"。乌克兰的战争也将被提上日程。据德国外交部部长托比亚斯-林德纳说，"没有印度，任何重大问题都无法解决"，他指的是气候变化和安全。莫迪先生称欧洲国家是印度 "寻求和平与繁荣 "的 "重要伙伴"。本周，这种同伴关系的性质可能会变得更加清晰。


温布尔登的被迫错误？

照片。EPA
上个月，举办温布尔登网球赛的全英俱乐部宣布，俄罗斯和白俄罗斯球员将在2022年被禁止参加其比赛。这意味着，前50名男子中的5人和前50名女子中的8人将被排除在外。但是，由于选择跟随英国政府的领导，声称 "没有可行的替代方案 "的温布尔登已经激起了许多网球界人士的愤怒。到目前为止，还没有其他赛事效仿。

首先，一位反对乌克兰战争的俄罗斯球员安德烈-鲁布廖夫说，这个决定是歧视性的。本周，鲁布廖夫先生将以 "中立运动员 "的身份参加马德里公开赛，因此不代表任何国家。他将在5月的法国公开赛上采取同样的做法。与此同时，女子网球协会正在考虑对温布尔登进行制裁，认为该决定违反了协会的规则。一个艰难的决定可能会适得其反。

每日问答

我们的咖啡师每天都会为你提供一个新问题。在周五，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）发到邮箱：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。

周一。19世纪末在美国发展起来的一个术语，是指作为主菜与肉汁一起食用的碎牛肉饼（不是放在面包里！）？

穷则思变 "是指学生不能超越主人。

莱昂纳多-达-芬奇