美国季度GDP增幅2.8%…… | 英语咖啡馆

America’s economy expanded by 2.6% in the third quarter, the strongest annualised growth rate since last year. But that was largely due to a drop in imports and a surge in exports; domestic demand rose by just 0.5%. Consumer spending slowed. Separately, the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 7.08% for the first time in 20 years. Interest-rate rises by the Federal Reserve are cooling the housing market.

Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, declared that the West’s “dominance over world affairs is coming to an end” in a speech to the Valdai Discussion Club, a talk shop in Moscow. Meanwhile the White House cautioned that any attacks on American satellites would be met with retaliation after a senior Russian official called them “legitimate” targets if they were involved in the war in Ukraine.

The European Central Bank has doubled its key interest rate to 1.5%, the highest level since 2009, and signalled that it would increase further. The ECB is determined to curb “far too high” levels of inflation (the euro area’s figure was 9.9% in September). European leaders voiced concern over raising rates and dampening demand given that Europe is heading into a recession.

Meta’s share price fell by about a fifth, shaving more than $80bn from its market capitalisation, after the social-media firm reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit. Revenues at Facebook’s parent company declined by 4% year-on-year, to $27.7bn. Weaker digital-ad spending continues to crimp growth at its social-media core.

Three heavily armed men killed at least 15 people and injured another 40 in an attack on a Shia shrine in Shiraz, a city in southern Iran. Islamic State, a Sunni terrorist group, claimed responsibility. Meanwhile Iranian security forces clashed with crowds honouring Mahsa Amini’s tomb in her Kurdish hometown of Saqez. Her death in police custody 40 days ago triggered widespread and ongoing protests against Iran’s theocratic rulers.

Royal Dutch Shell posted underlying profits of $9.5bn in the third quarter, more than double the figure in the same period last year but a slowdown from a bumper second quarter. The war in Ukraine briefly pushed oil prices to $120 a barrel. Europe’s largest oil and gas company said they would raise its payout to shareholders by 15% amid calls for a more stringent windfall tax.

Stormont, Northern Ireland’s parliament, has been recalled in an eleventh-hour attempt to form a government. The devolved region’s power-sharing agreement collapsed in May, when Sinn Féin, the left-wing party associated with Irish unification, won the election. The DUP, which came second, want a closer trade union with Britain. This year’s second election will be triggered if no compromise is reached by midnight.

【参考译文】

美国经济在第三季度增长了2.6%，是自去年以来最强劲的年化增长率。但这主要是由于进口下降和出口激增；国内需求仅增长了0.5%。消费者支出放缓。另外，30年固定利率抵押贷款的平均利率上升到7.08%，这是20年来的第一次。美联储的利率上升正在冷却住房市场。

俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔-普京在莫斯科瓦尔代讨论俱乐部的一次演讲中宣布，西方 "对世界事务的主导地位即将结束"。同时，白宫警告说，在一名俄罗斯高级官员称美国卫星参与乌克兰战争为 "合法 "目标后，任何对美国卫星的攻击都将遭到报复。

欧洲央行已将其关键利率提高了一倍，达到1.5%，是2009年以来的最高水平，并表示将进一步提高。欧洲央行决心遏制 "过高 "的通货膨胀水平（欧元区9月份的数字为9.9%）。鉴于欧洲正在进入衰退期，欧洲领导人对提高利率和抑制需求表示担忧。

在这家社交媒体公司报告了低于预期的季度利润后，Meta的股价下跌了约五分之一，从其市值中削减了800多亿美元。Facebook母公司的收入同比下降了4%，至277亿美元。疲软的数字广告支出继续压制其社交媒体核心的增长。

三名全副武装的男子在对伊朗南部城市设拉子的一个什叶派圣地的袭击中至少杀死15人，另有40人受伤。逊尼派恐怖组织 "伊斯兰国 "声称对此负责。与此同时，伊朗安全部队与纪念马赫萨-阿米尼（Mahsa Amini）在库尔德人家乡萨盖兹（Saqez）的坟墓的人群发生冲突。40天前，她在警察拘留所的死亡引发了对伊朗神权统治者的广泛和持续的抗议活动。

荷兰皇家壳牌公司第三季度公布的基本利润为95亿美元，是去年同期的两倍多，但与第二季度的丰收相比有所放缓。乌克兰的战争短暂地将油价推高到每桶120美元。欧洲最大的石油和天然气公司表示，在要求征收更严格的暴利税的呼声中，他们将把对股东的派息提高15%。

北爱尔兰议会Stormont已经被召回，试图在最后一刻组建政府。5月，当与爱尔兰统一有关的左翼政党新芬党赢得选举时，这个权力下放地区的权力分享协议崩溃了。第二名的DUP希望与英国建立更紧密的贸易联盟。如果在午夜前没有达成妥协，今年的第二次选举将被触发。