Show notes
1. Russia released more than 100 Ukrainian soldiers and officers who it had** captured** during Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region; Ukraine released the same number of Russians. It is the second large prisoner-of-war swap in two days. The deal was mediated by the United Arab Emirates—the eighth one brokered by the Gulf state since the start of 2024.
俄羅斯釋放了逾百名在烏克蘭突入庫爾斯克地區時俘虜的烏克蘭士兵和軍官；烏克蘭也釋放了相同數量的俄羅斯人。這是兩天內第二次大規模的戰俘交換。該協議由阿拉伯聯合大公國調解，這是該海灣國家自2024年初以來促成的第八次此類交換。
2. Dating apps may have contributed up to half of the growth in America’s income inequality since 1980, according to researchers from the Federal Reserve and Haverford College. Americans have become less picky about their mates’ race (though it is still their leading criterion), but more so about their skills, education and income, leading the well-off to partner up.
根據美國聯邦儲備局與哈弗福德學院的研究人員指出，自1980年以來，交友應用程式可能對美國收入不平等的增長貢獻了多達一半的影響。美國人在擇偶時對種族的挑剔程度有所降低（儘管種族仍是其主要標準），但對技能、教育程度和收入的要求則變得更加嚴格，這導致富裕人士更容易相互配對。
3. A third day of torrential rains across central and eastern Europe has put several countries at risk of the worst flooding in four decades. In Romania flash floods killed at least four; 5,000 households have been evacuated. The Czech Republic is on its highest flood alert in 38 locations; Poland has also started evacuations. Austria’s mountainous regions are seeing unusually heavy snowfall; multiple **freight **rail lines there are down.
連續第三天的暴雨席捲中歐和東歐多國，將多個國家置於四十年來最嚴重洪災的風險之中。羅馬尼亞的山洪已造成至少四人死亡，5,000戶家庭被迫撤離。捷克共和國在38個地區發布了最高級別的洪水警報；波蘭也開始進行疏散。奧地利的山區出現了異常的強降雪，當地多條貨運鐵路線已中斷。
4. America rejected allegations that it was involved in a plot to overthrow Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s president, after Venezuelan officials arrested three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech over a “destabilisation attempt”. Since stealing an election in July, Mr Maduro has cracked down on his opponents. Both America and Spain have recognised Edmundo Gonzalez, the opposition leader, as the winner of the election.
美國否認其參與推翻委內瑞拉總統尼古拉斯·馬杜羅的陰謀，這是在委內瑞拉官員逮捕三名美國人、兩名西班牙人和一名捷克人後，針對一場「顛覆企圖」的指控。自7月通過竊取選舉上台後，馬杜羅加大了對反對派的打壓。美國和西班牙都承認反對派領袖埃德蒙多·岡薩雷斯為該次選舉的勝選者。
5. Koizumi Shinjiro, a** top contender** to become Japan’s next prime minister, used a debate to** exhort (h is mute) America to allow Nippon Steel to buy US Steel**. He said the two allies needed a united industry in the face of cheap Chinese competition. Joe Biden, America’s president, and both candidates to replace him, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, oppose the deal.
小泉進次郎，日本下任首相的熱門候選人，利用一場辯論呼籲美國允許新日本製鐵收購美國鋼鐵公司。他表示，面對中國廉價競爭，兩國盟友需要統一的鋼鐵產業。美國總統喬·拜登以及取代他的兩位候選人，唐納·川普和卡瑪拉·賀錦麗，均反對這項交易。
Extra: 二戰結束後，日本在鋼鐵和軍備上受到多項限制，主要由美國主導的占領軍及隨後簽訂的條約和憲法規範：
1. 憲法第九條：1947年，日本頒布了新憲法，其中第九條明確規定放棄戰爭作為解決國際爭端的手段，不擁有戰爭能力或戰力。這意味著日本被禁止擁有進攻性軍備，僅能維持防衛性武裝力量，即自衛隊。
2. 鋼鐵產業的限制：二戰後的初期，盟軍佔領下的日本經濟受到嚴格控制，特別是在戰爭工業相關的領域。鋼鐵被視為軍事生產的關鍵資源，盟軍一度限制日本鋼鐵產業的發展，以防止其用於軍事目的。然而，隨著冷戰的升溫，美國對日本經濟的重建變得更有興趣，這些限制逐漸放鬆。
3. 《舊金山和約》與美日安保條約：1951年簽訂的《舊金山和約》結束了對日本的佔領，並在1952年正式生效。該和約允許日本恢復主權，但仍限制其軍事發展。美日安保條約則確保美國對日本的安全承諾，並使得日本依賴美國進行防衛，進一步限制其軍備擴張。
4. 自衛隊的發展：儘管憲法禁止擁有進攻性軍隊，1954年日本成立了自衛隊，作為一支防衛力量。在美國的支持下，自衛隊的規模和能力逐漸擴展，但仍受到憲法和法律的約束，僅限於防禦性用途。
5. 鋼鐵產業復甦：雖然初期受到限制，但隨著日本經濟復甦，特別是在冷戰背景下，美國對日本鋼鐵產業的態度改變。1950年代，日本鋼鐵產業迅速發展，成為全球重要的鋼鐵生產國，雖然不再直接用於軍事，但在經濟發展中扮演了重要角色。
總的來說，日本的軍備和鋼鐵產業在戰後初期受到嚴格限制，但隨著國際局勢變化，這些限制逐漸放寬，尤其是在經濟領域。軍事上，日本仍受憲法和國際條約的約束，限制其進攻性軍備的發展。
6. South Sudan’s transitional government** extended** its own mandate for another two years, delaying elections planned for December this year until 2026. It said that more time was needed to draft a permanent constitution, hold a census and register political parties. The tasks were set out under a peace deal signed in 2018 to end the civil war that followed the country’s secession from Sudan in 2011.
南蘇丹的過渡政府將其任期延長了兩年，將原定於今年12月舉行的選舉推遲至2026年。政府表示，還需要更多時間來起草永久憲法、進行人口普查並註冊政黨。這些任務是在2018年簽署的和平協議中設定的，該協議旨在結束該國自2011年從蘇丹分離後爆發的內戰。
7. Britain’s Conservative Party, which became the official opposition after a** disastrous** election in July, seems to be having trouble letting go of power. Some Tory MPs paid their departments a reported £2,000 ($2,625) to keep their ministerial “red boxes” as mementoes. In use since at least the 1850s, the flashy file cases have become collectables; Margaret Thatcher’s was auctioned off for £242,500 in 2015.
英國保守黨在7月的災難性選舉後成為了正式的反對黨，似乎仍難以放下權力。有報導稱，一些保守黨議員花費2,000英鎊（約2,625美元）向其部門購買了部長的「紅盒」作為紀念品。這些自至少19世紀50年代起便已使用的閃亮文件箱已成為收藏品；瑪格麗特·柴契爾的紅盒在2015年拍賣，成交價達到242,500英鎊。
**Extra Reading **
Could Japan and South Korea finally become friends?
Younger generations are less concerned with their countries shared history
Sep 5th 2024|SEOUL and TOKYO
Many young South Koreans now view National Liberation Day as just another holiday, showing generational changes in attitudes towards Japan. Relations between the countries have improved, with younger generations less focused on historical grievances, though resistance to Japanese aggression remains a core part of South Korean identity, especially in older generations.
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