2022.04.13美国总统乔-拜登乌克兰的行动描述为 "种族灭绝"，

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Updated 1 hour ago (11:03 GMT+1 / 06:03 New York)

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President Joe Biden described Russia’s actions in Ukraine as a “genocide” for the first time, saying that it has “become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out even the idea of being Ukrainian”. Though Mr Biden’s comments do not carry any legal weight Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, praised them, saying that “calling things by their names is essential to stand up to evil.”

Vladimir Putin said that peace talks had hit a cul-de-sac and that Russia’s assault would continue—suggesting that a frontal attack on eastern Ukraine is now inevitable. Russia’s president said that dialogue was impossible while Ukraine accuses Kremlin forces of war crimes against civilians in Bucha, atrocities The Economist has verified took place. Meanwhile, Russia claimed that over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers had surrendered in Mariupol. The port city has been under siege for weeks and could be close to falling.

The presidents of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland left for Kyiv to meet their Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. Gitanas Nauseda, Lithuania’s leader, said they were carrying a “strong message of political support and military assistance”. Poland and the Baltics were among the most vociferous critics of Russia’s military build up prior to the invasion. Germany’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, was also scheduled to join the trip but said on Tuesday that he was “not wanted” in Ukraine.

Police fined Boris Johnson, Britain’s prime minister, for attending several parties during the covid-19 lockdown. Mr Johnson had told the House of Commons he had not broken the lockdown laws his government had implemented. Lying to Parliament is usually a sacking offence. Mr Johnson apologised, but said he will not resign. He has been backed by his cabinet, and even Conservative MPs who previously said he should resign over “partygate” now argue that he must stay.

At least 16 people were injured at a Brooklyn subway station during Tuesday’s rush hour, New York City’s fire department said. Ten were shot, and five of them are in critical but stable condition. A manhunt is underway after the masked gunman fled the station in Sunset Park.

Britain’s inflation leapt to another 30-year high of 7% in March, up from 6.2% in February. The increase in food and fuel prices piles pressure on the embattled government to ease the cost-of-living squeeze. Inflation in America climbed to 8.5% for March, reaching its highest level since late 1981. Americans are also facing a double-digit increase in energy prices after President Joe Biden banned fuel imports from Russia.

The stock of Shionogi & Co, a Japanese drugmaker, fell by around 16%—the most in more than a decade—after it was announced that its experimental antiviral covid-19 drug harmed fetuses in animal trials. Similar treatments from competitors, such as Lagevrio from Merck & Co and Paxlovid from Pfizer, also raised risks for birth defects and were still approved for use.

Fact of the day: 144, the number of identical cuboids making up Tokyo's 1970s futurist Nakagin capsule tower. Read the full article.


Grim days in the Donbas

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
After nearly seven weeks of fighting, the war in Ukraine is about to turn uglier still. Russia has given up on capturing Kyiv, the capital, and is concentrating the fury of its battered units in an arc around the eastern Donbas region, under a new overall commander, General Alexander Dvornikov. The next phase will be reminiscent of the second world war, said Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba; “a knife-fight,” predicted an American official.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, is pleading with anyone who will listen—including the South Korean parliament—to send as many weapons as soon as possible. The onslaught could start within days, his government reckons. But the guns are hardly silent. Russian forces are inching forward and may be about to take the port city of Mariupol. The defending forces there say they are running out of food and ammunition. Claims that Russia has used chemical weapons are unproven. One way or another, though, expect many more horrors ahead.

Wall Street’s banks report results

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
Three months ago results from Wall Street banks kicked off a major stock market sell-off. After compensation costs at Goldman Sachs spiked, their share price shed almost 10% in a single day. Spooked investors realised price pressures were not transitory and that the Fed would have to raise rates sharply to control them. Share prices slumped.

Investors are unlikely to be so frightened by this week’s latest round of bank earnings (JPMorgan Chase reports on Wednesday, followed by Citi, Goldman, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo on Thursday). Granted, the uncertainty around war in Ukraine has dimmed some types of corporate activity, such as mergers, but volatility in stock and bond markets tends to encourage more trading. The next quarter on Wall Street is likely to be a mixed bag. One thing is clear: this set of bank results won’t trigger fears of prolonged inflation—because such concerns are already widespread. Data published on Tuesday showed that America’s consumer-price index rose by 8.5% in the year to March.

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Petrobras’s new president

PHOTO: DAVE SIMONDS
On Wednesday shareholders of Petrobras, Brazil’s state-controlled oil company, are expected to approve a new chief executive, chosen by the government. José Mauro Coelho, an industrial chemist, is the president’s choice. Jair Bolsonaro fired Joaquim Silva e Luna, a former general who had been in post only since April 2021, in March. The president first hoped to replace him with Adriano Pires, an economist, who refused the invitation.

The company needed “someone more professional,” Mr Bolsonaro complained last week. The war in Ukraine has pushed up energy prices around the world. But in Brazil petrol costs had already risen by 47% in 2021. General inflation is running at over 11% a year. Three-quarters of Brazilians blame the president for this, according to a poll conducted last month. He trails former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in opinion polls for the presidential election due in October. Mr Bolsonaro’s appetite for a shakeup at Petrobras may be about more than professionalism.

Sri Lanka’s economic woes worsen

PHOTO: REUTERS
Sri Lanka’s government announced on Tuesday that it will default on all foreign-currency denominated debt—around $35bn-worth at the end of 2021. The country’s foreign reserves have plunged by 70% in less than two years and stand at just $2.3bn. On April 18th, Ali Sabry, the finance minister, will start emergency talks with the IMF.

The finance ministry blames war in Ukraine and covid-19 for the default. But there are other factors. Tax cuts in 2019 have cost the government dearly. A currency peg at an overvalued rate has encouraged Sri Lankans to send remittances through unofficial channels, costing the public purse.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the increasingly unpopular president, wants to stay in power with the backing of a national-unity government. In a televised speech, his brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, the prime minister, admitted that talks with opposition parties and defectors have failed. But he made it clear that the pair will not quit. More turmoil lies ahead.



A soggy celebration of Thai New Year

PHOTO: ALAMY
Songkran is usually a joyful affair in Thailand. People drench friends using water pistols, plaster white powder across their faces and feast on seafood to celebrate the new year. Buddhists, a big majority of Thais, believe the ritual soaking purifies the soul and invites prosperity. Others join in as well. The three-day festivities begin on Wednesday, but not all Thais are counting their blessings.

Songkran has been cancelled two years running; this year celebrations will be (in one sense at least) watered-down again. Following a surge of covid-19 last month, the government has banned foam parties, alcohol at public gatherings and the water fights that are usually the main event—though traditional water sprinkling is allowed. Masks, albeit soggy ones, must be worn. Some would rather the revelry be cancelled altogether. Younger people complain on social media that the festival’s spirit has been washed away. Songkran is notorious for road accidents. Covid-19 has only added to the risks.

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Wednesday: Which actress, known for her performances in period dramas, is the great granddaughter of British prime minister Herbert Asquith?

Tuesday: Who was prime minister of Canada for most of the period between 1968 and 1984?

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世界简讯
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1小时前更新 (11:03 GMT+1 / 06:03 New York)


美国总统乔-拜登首次将俄罗斯在乌克兰的行动描述为 "种族灭绝"，他说，"越来越清楚的是，普京只是试图抹去甚至是作为乌克兰人的想法"。尽管拜登先生的评论不具有任何法律效力，但乌克兰总统沃洛德米尔-泽伦斯基对其表示赞扬，他说："直呼其名对于抵制邪恶是至关重要的。"

弗拉基米尔-普京说，和平谈判已经陷入死胡同，俄罗斯的攻击将继续下去--暗示现在对乌克兰东部的正面攻击是不可避免的。俄罗斯总统说，对话是不可能的，而乌克兰指责克里姆林宫部队在布卡对平民犯下战争罪行，《经济学人》已经证实了这些暴行的发生。与此同时，俄罗斯声称有超过1000名乌克兰士兵在马里乌波尔投降。这座港口城市已被围困数周，可能接近沦陷。

爱沙尼亚、拉脱维亚、立陶宛和波兰的总统前往基辅，与乌克兰总统沃洛季米尔-泽伦斯基会面。立陶宛领导人Gitanas Nauseda说，他们带着一个 "政治支持和军事援助的强烈信息"。波兰和波罗的海国家是对俄罗斯在入侵前的军事集结提出最强烈批评的国家之一。德国总统弗兰克-瓦尔特-施泰因迈尔(Frank-Walter Steinmeier)也原定参加这次旅行，但他在周二表示，他在乌克兰 "不受欢迎"。

警方对英国首相鲍里斯-约翰逊(Boris Johnson)进行了罚款，因为他在covid-19封锁期间参加了几个聚会。约翰逊先生曾告诉下议院，他没有违反他的政府实施的封锁法律。向议会撒谎通常是一种被解雇的罪行。约翰逊先生道歉了，但他说他不会辞职。他得到了内阁的支持，甚至之前说他应该因 "政党门 "而辞职的保守党议员现在也认为他必须留下来。

纽约市消防部门表示，在周二的高峰时段，布鲁克林的一个地铁站至少有16人受伤。10人被枪击，其中5人伤势严重但情况稳定。在蒙面枪手逃离日落公园的车站后，一场搜捕正在进行中。

英国3月份的通货膨胀率从2月份的6.2%跃升至另一个30年的高点，即7%。食品和燃料价格的上涨给陷入困境的政府带来了压力，要求其缓解生活成本的挤压。美国3月份的通货膨胀率攀升至8.5%，达到自1981年底以来的最高水平。在总统乔-拜登禁止从俄罗斯进口燃料后，美国人还面临着能源价格两位数的增长。

在宣布其实验性抗病毒药物covid-19在动物试验中伤害了胎儿之后，日本制药商Shionogi & Co的股票下跌了约16%，这是十多年来的最大跌幅。竞争对手的类似疗法，如默克公司的Lagevrio和辉瑞公司的Paxlovid，也引起了出生缺陷的风险，但仍被批准使用。

今天的事实。144，是构成东京1970年代未来主义的中金胶囊塔的相同立方体的数量。阅读全文。


顿巴斯的严峻日子

照片。GETTY IMAGES
经过近七周的战斗，乌克兰的战争即将变得更加丑陋。俄罗斯放弃了夺取首都基辅，并在新任总指挥官亚历山大-德沃尔尼科夫将军的领导下，将其受创部队的怒火集中在东部顿巴斯地区的一个弧形地带。乌克兰外交部长德米特罗-库莱巴（Dmytro Kuleba）说，下一阶段将让人想起第二次世界大战；一位美国官员预测说，"这是一场刀光剑影的战斗"。

乌克兰总统沃洛基米尔-泽伦斯基（Volodymyr Zelensky）正在恳求任何愿意倾听的人--包括韩国议会--尽快发送尽可能多的武器。他的政府估计，攻击可能在几天内开始。但枪声并不安静。俄罗斯军队正逐步向前推进，可能即将占领港口城市马里乌波尔。那里的防卫部队说他们的食物和弹药已经用完。关于俄罗斯使用化学武器的说法还没有得到证实。不过，无论如何，预计未来会有更多的恐怖。

华尔街的银行公布业绩

照片。GETTY IMAGES
三个月前，华尔街银行的财报拉开了股市大抛售的序幕。在高盛的赔偿成本激增后，他们的股价在一天内下跌了近10%。受到惊吓的投资者意识到价格压力不是暂时的，美联储将不得不大幅提高利率来控制它们。股价暴跌。

投资者不太可能被本周最新一轮的银行财报吓到（摩根大通周三报告，然后是花旗、高盛、摩根士丹利和富国银行周四的报告）。诚然，围绕乌克兰战争的不确定性已经使某些类型的企业活动变得暗淡，例如合并，但股票和债券市场的波动往往会鼓励更多的交易。华尔街的下一季度可能是一个混合的袋子。有一点是明确的：这组银行业绩不会引发对长期通胀的担忧--因为这种担忧已经很普遍了。周二公布的数据显示，截至3月的一年中，美国的消费者价格指数上升了8.5%。

在您的收件箱中获取简报
每周六次在早餐前送达。

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巴西石油公司的新总裁

照片。DAVE SIMONDS
周三，巴西国家控制的石油公司Petrobras的股东们预计将批准由政府选定的新首席执行官。工业化学家José Mauro Coelho是总统的人选。贾伊尔-博尔索纳罗(Jair Bolsonaro)于3月解雇了自2021年4月才上任的前将军若阿金-席尔瓦-卢纳。总统最初希望用经济学家阿德里亚诺-皮雷斯（Adriano Pires）取代他，但他拒绝了这一邀请。

该公司需要 "更专业的人"，博尔索纳罗先生上周抱怨说。乌克兰战争已经推高了全世界的能源价格。但在巴西，汽油成本在2021年已经上涨了47%。一般的通货膨胀率每年都在11%以上。根据上个月进行的一项民意调查，四分之三的巴西人为此责备总统。在将于10月举行的总统选举的民意调查中，他落后于前总统路易斯-伊纳西奥-卢拉-达席尔瓦。博尔索纳罗先生对巴西国家石油公司进行调整的愿望可能不仅仅是关于职业精神。

斯里兰卡的经济困境进一步恶化

照片。REUTERS
斯里兰卡政府周二宣布，它将在2021年底拖欠所有外币计价的债务--约350亿美元。该国的外汇储备在不到两年的时间里暴跌了70%，目前仅有23亿美元。4月18日，财政部长阿里-萨布里将开始与国际货币基金组织进行紧急会谈。

财政部将违约归咎于乌克兰的战争和covid-19。但也有其他因素。2019年的减税让政府损失惨重。汇率被高估的货币挂钩鼓励斯里兰卡人通过非官方渠道汇款，使公共财政损失惨重。

越来越不受欢迎的总统戈塔巴亚-拉贾帕克萨希望在民族团结政府的支持下继续执政。在一次电视讲话中，他的弟弟、总理马欣达-拉贾帕克萨承认，与反对党和叛逃者的谈判已经失败。但他明确表示，这两人不会退出。更多的动荡还在后面。



湿漉漉的泰国新年庆祝活动

照片。ALAMY
宋干节在泰国通常是一个欢乐的事件。人们用水枪浇灌朋友，在脸上涂抹白色粉末，大吃海鲜以庆祝新年。占泰国人大多数的佛教徒相信，浸泡仪式可以净化灵魂，并带来繁荣。其他人也加入其中。为期三天的庆祝活动于周三开始，但并非所有泰国人都在计算他们的祝福。

宋干节已经连续两年被取消了；今年的庆祝活动将（至少在某种意义上）再次被淡化。在上个月发生了19起贪污案之后，政府已经禁止了泡沫派对、公共集会上的酒精以及通常作为主要活动的打水仗--尽管传统的洒水活动是允许的。必须戴上面具，尽管是湿漉漉的面具。有些人宁愿完全取消狂欢。年轻人在社交媒体上抱怨，节日的精神已经被冲淡了。宋干节因道路事故而臭名昭著。Covid-19只是增加了风险。

每日问答

我们的咖啡师每天都会为您提供一个新问题。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（包括提及你的家乡城市和国家）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。哪位以演出年代剧闻名的女演员是英国首相赫伯特-阿斯奎斯的曾孙女？

星期二。在1968年至1984年的大部分时间里，谁是加拿大的总理？

给我第三好的技术。第二好的不会及时准备好。最好的将永远不会准备好

Robert Alexander Watson-Watt爵士