2022.05.11英国首相与瑞典首相签署了一项安全协议

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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?

Have no fear of perfection—you'll never reach it.

Salvador Dalí



世界简讯
迅速了解重要的全球事件

3小时前更新 (15:22 GMT+1 / 10:22 New York)

收听今天的简报（录音时间：07:50 GMT+1 / 02:50 New York)

俄罗斯支持的乌克兰南部赫尔松被占领地区的官员表示，他们将要求加入俄罗斯。克里姆林宫说，居民 "应该决定"，表明它对吞并持开放态度。乌克兰官员说，他们的武装部队已经从俄罗斯人手中夺回了哈尔科夫北部的领土。与此同时，乌克兰天然气网络的运营商宣布，它将首次停止俄罗斯天然气通过一条关键管道流向欧洲。

根据香港严厉的国家安全法，五名民主活动人士在香港被捕。Cyd Ho, Denise Ho, Hui Po-keung, Margaret Ng和Cardinal Joseph Zen都是现已解散的612人道主义救援基金的受托人，该基金帮助民主派抗议者支付法律和医疗费用。

英国首相与瑞典首相签署了一项安全协议，承诺如果瑞典受到攻击，英国将提供支持。预计鲍里斯-约翰逊也将与芬兰签署一项类似的协议。这两个斯堪的纳维亚国家对俄罗斯入侵乌克兰感到震惊，不久将宣布是否申请加入北约，此举遭到俄罗斯的强烈反对。

卡塔尔广播公司半岛电视台的巴勒斯坦记者Shireen Abu Aqleh在报道巴勒斯坦西岸城镇杰宁的冲突时被杀害。现场的同事们指责以色列军队。以色列军队说，Abu Aqleh女士可能是被巴勒斯坦枪手射杀的。半岛电视台的一名制片人也被打伤。

斯里兰卡的安全部队被命令当场射杀滋事者，因为暴力示威活动持续了一夜。抗议者在周一迫使总理马欣达-拉贾帕克萨辞职。总统戈塔巴亚-拉贾帕克萨仍在他们的视线中。这对兄弟的家族在斯里兰卡政治中占主导地位，他们被指责为国家经济状况恶劣的原因。

上海的官员声称，半个城市已经达到了 "零病毒 "状态，同时还实施了迄今为止最严格的19种病毒限制。世界卫生组织说，中国处理病毒的方法是 "不可持续的"，导致中国社交媒体上提到世卫组织和其老板Tedros Ghebreyesus的内容被删减。与此同时，新西兰宣布它将从7月31日开始全面重新开放其边境。总理Jacinda Ardern认为，此举将缓解严重的技能短缺，重振旅游业。

丰田公司警告说，今年的营业利润可能下降20%，至10亿美元。这个世界上最大的汽车制造商在原材料价格翻倍以及能源和物流成本飙升的情况下挣扎。不过，在日元贬值的帮助下，该公司预计本财年将销售1070万辆汽车，比2021年多40万辆。

今天的事实。60%，这是报告使用软件监控员工的美国公司的比例。阅读全文。


美国的堕胎之战

照片。REUTERS
周三，参议院将对一项将妇女的堕胎权写入法律的法案进行表决。该法案肯定会失败，没有机会克服 "拉布"。相反，要瞥见罗伊诉韦德案被推翻的未来，可以看看美国的各州，它们将重新获得监管该程序的权利。

进步的地方已经在使堕胎变得更容易和更便宜。但几个保守的州计划严格限制或禁止这一程序。一些州甚至可能试图限制为堕胎而进行的州外旅行。根据密苏里州的一项提案，任何为州外手术提供便利的人都将面临罚款。(另一方面，俄勒冈州为居住在其他地方的妇女到该州进行堕胎支付费用）。

路易斯安那州的一项拟议法律将意味着终止妊娠的妇女将面临杀人指控。(爱达荷州的一位共和党立法者支持禁止事后避孕药的立法，因为它们可以阻止受精卵在子宫内着床。激烈的战斗在等着我们。

窥视美国的通货膨胀高峰

照片。法新社
在经历了几个月日益严重的担忧之后，终于有了一丝宽慰。周三公布的数据显示，与一年前相比，4月份的消费者价格上涨了8.3%。尽管通胀率仍然高得令人不舒服，但已从3月份8.5%的四十年来的峰值下降；事实上，这标志着自2020年底以来，绝对值首次明显下降。较低的读数肯定会促使人们讨论美国是否已经过了通胀高峰期，并且可以预期价格压力会稳步下降。

然而，任何缓解将是短暂的。通货膨胀的压力已经扩大，渗入运输和医疗等服务领域。因此，美联储将有足够的理由继续推进其积极的货币紧缩政策。已经从市场动荡中恢复过来的投资者，可能会经历比高峰更多的赌气。

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每周六次在早餐前送达。

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迪士尼发布流媒体更新

照片。GETTY IMAGES
在19号病毒大流行期间，迪士尼的股票起伏比乘坐太空山还要大。当主题公园和剧院关闭时，投资者感到恐慌，然后又因为封锁使迪斯尼+流媒体服务的订阅量大增而涌入。但在过去六个月里，由于有订阅疲劳的迹象，迪士尼的价值再次下跌。

周三，随着迪士尼公布第一季度财报，问题是迪士尼+是否遇到了与Netflix相同的缓冲区，Netflix上个月披露了用户数量罕见的下降。分析师们还想看看，在美国经济脆弱的情况下，公园是如何支撑的。

迪斯尼的老板鲍勃-查普克(Bob Chapek)让进步的员工和保守的政客都很不高兴，因为他摸索出了公司对佛罗里达州一项针对男女同性恋、双性恋和变性者教育的新法律的反应。他的合同还剩9个月，他迫切需要迪士尼的过山车重新开始爬升。


斯里兰卡的遗憾现状

照片。GETTY IMAGES
抗议者要求斯里兰卡总理马欣达-拉贾帕克萨辞职已有数周。但他直到5月9日才同意下台，当时他的支持者来到首都科伦坡，袭击了抗议者，激起了暴力报复行为。

这引发了内阁的解散，也许为民族团结政府铺平了道路。但是，团结是许多斯里兰卡人心中的最后一件事。抗议者已经烧毁了几位政治家的房子。约有220人在暴力事件中受伤。包括一名议员在内的8人已经死亡。作为回应，政府已经命令军队 "当场 "射杀暴力抗议者。

任何新政府都必须进行痛苦的经济改革，在这样一种热火朝天的气氛中，这是一个很高的要求。反对派政治家们不想承担修复马欣达和他的兄弟--总统戈塔巴亚-拉贾帕克萨造成的混乱的责任。而目前，总统似乎决心抵制要求自己辞职的呼吁。


"这一点我知道是真的"

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。"

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。

星期三。哪些中世纪的官员会穿戴饰有其主人的纹章的徽章？

星期二。欧洲航天局为其天气和环境监测卫星取了什么名字？

不要害怕完美--你永远达不到。

萨尔瓦多-达利