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Today — 8 November 2024News

美大选后 台经济部称将拟措施助台企撤中

8 November 2024 at 20:47

2024-11-08T12:44:20.682Z
位于新竹市的联华电子半导体工厂

(德国之声中文网)台湾经济部长郭智辉周四(11月8日)指出,他认为特朗普上任之后的贸易政策对台湾影响不会太剧烈,但对在中国的台商会产生较大的影响。

过去四十年,台湾企业受益于较低的成本,在中国投资了数十亿美元。而即将在明年一月回归担任美国总统的特朗普在竞选期间曾多次谈及,未来将会对进口产品征收10%到20%的关税。对于中国制的产品,特朗普更威胁要征收高达60%的关税。

特朗普当选或加速台商返台

郭智辉说,台湾政府已经做好准备,包括将尽快提出协助台企将生产基地从中国转出的措施,以降低美国可能实施的高关税政策冲击。他在立法院进行政策报告时表示:「经济部不是等着接招,我们对所有情况的变异随时掌握」。郭智辉也提到,特朗普当选有可能让在中国的台商加速回流台湾。

事实上在近几年来,由于中国经济低迷、国际政经情势等因素,不少台湾企业早已逐渐减少赴中投资,甚至将业务移出中国。根据台湾经济部今年初公布的数据显示,截止至2023年11月为止,台商对中国大陆(不含港澳)的年度投资额仅有29亿美元,较前一年减少了近34%,且仅占该年度台商海外投资总额的12%。

新政策助力台企业出海

郭智辉也指出,在他今年五月上任后没多久就推动「境外关内」,准备把供应链带到海外,这也是因应方式之一。所谓「境外关内」即由政府主导,在外国设立园区供企业进驻、在当地生产商品,同時帮助台湾企业解决原料、人才、物流、关税等问题。

当被问到对于特朗普称「台湾抢走美国的芯片生意」的看法,郭智辉强调,「我们不是抢,而是在替美国人生产」。他认为,台湾和美国在半导体方面是互补的,台湾拥有完整的半导体供应链,而设计则是美国的强项。他也补充,台湾出口至美国的多为高科技产品,台积电也会持续在美国扩大投资,这些都是在帮助美国建立产业基础。

(路透社、联合报、中央社等)

© 2024年德国之声版权声明:本文所有内容受到著作权法保护,如无德国之声特别授权,不得擅自使用。 任何不当行为都将导致追偿,并受到刑事追究。



多数德国人希望尽快举行新一届大选

8 November 2024 at 19:47

2024-11-08T11:25:23.668Z
以基民盟主席默尔茨为代表的在野党党首纷纷催促肖尔茨下周就提议联邦议院举行信任投票。

(德国之声中文网)在德国红绿灯“政治联姻”宣告破裂之后,在野党基民盟主席默尔茨(Friedrich Merz)已经一再要求迅速举行新一届联邦议院选举。本周五(11月8日),他再次呼吁联邦总理肖尔茨,下周三(13日)就提请联邦议院对现任柏林政府做出信任投票。肖尔茨在过去两天一直坚持要等到明年1月15日再举行信任投票。

联邦议院对政府进行信任投票是举行新一届大选的前提。在无法赢得联邦议院信任的情况下,联邦总理可以提请联邦总统解散联邦议院。按照德国基本法中的相关规定,联邦议院解散后60天之内必须举行新的大选。根据总理肖尔茨提出的时间表,新一届大选有可能在明年3月底举行。

在何时举行信任投票的问题上,默尔茨与肖尔茨之间存在巨大分歧。默尔茨抱怨肖尔茨没有对为什么要等两个月后,而不是下周就要求举行信任投票做出合理的解释。

除了基民盟之外,选项党、“莎拉·瓦根克内希特联盟”(BSW)和被赶出联合政府的自民党也都要求下周就举行信任投票。

BSW党首瓦根克内希特在接受法新社采访时说:“红绿灯政府出现的人事混乱局面表明新的选举不能再推迟。总理早就失去了对一切的控制,民众对此已经无法再理解。”

被肖尔茨解职的前财政部长、自民党主席林德纳周三晚间也表示支持“立即进行信任投票和新的选举”。他说,这不仅“对民主很重要…… 我们的国家不能再浪费任何时间”。

选项党领导人韦德尔周三晚间也向肖尔茨提出迅速举行信任投票,“以便让这个国家能够尽快重新开始”。她还呼吁联盟党和自民党与选项党达成协议,以便“建立一个没有社民党和绿党的政府”。

德国联邦总统施泰因迈尔向自民党前部长们发出“离职证书”。

周四,德国联邦总统施泰因迈尔向自民党籍的前财政部长林德纳、前教育部长施塔克-瓦青格(Bettina Stark-Watzinger)和前司法部长布施曼(Marco Buschmann)发放了“离职证书”。

同样为自民党成员的数字和交通部长维辛(Volker Wissing)宣布退党,得以留任,同时还兼任司法部长。

社民党籍的库基斯(Jörg Kukies)接任财政部长。

绿党籍的农业部长厄兹代米尔(Cem Özdemir)同时兼任教育部长。

如果周日就举行联邦大选……

根据德国电视二台周五(11月8日)发布的“政治晴雨表”民调,30%的受访者支持在明年3月举行新的联邦议院大选,但54%的受访者更倾向于大选更早举行。民调显示,84%的受访者认为提前举行联邦选举是正确做法,13%的受访者表示反对。此外,12%的受访者认为联邦议院的选举应该按照原定的时间表举行,也就是应等到明年9月再举行。

按照这项民调,如果周日就举行大选,各党派的得票率将是:社民党16%,基民盟和基社盟组成的联盟党33%,绿党12%,自由民主党3%,选项党18%,左翼党4%,“莎拉·瓦根克内希特联盟”(BSW)6%,其他政党合计8%。

(德新社、法新社等)

© 2024年德国之声版权声明:本文所有内容受到著作权法保护,如无德国之声特别授权,不得擅自使用。任何不当行为都将导致追偿,并受到刑事追究。

Susie Wiles appointed - who else could be in Trump's new administration?

8 November 2024 at 12:02
Getty Images A composite photograph of Elon Musk, wearing his signature blazer and t-shirt combination as he's interviewed, Susie Wiles, who has a cropped grey hair do, in a black turtleneck and red jacket, and RFK Jr with short grey hair, wearing a navy tie with flamingos on and a grey suitGetty Images
Elon Musk and RFK Jr are among Trump's most prominent backers, while Susie Wiles (centre) co-managed his election campaign

Donald Trump's transition team is already vetting potential candidates who could serve in his administration when he returns to the White House in January.

On Thursday, he made the first announcement naming his campaign co-manager Susan Summerall Wiles as his White House chief of staff.

Many of the figures who served under Trump in his first term do not plan to return, though a handful of loyalists are rumoured to be making a comeback.

But the US president-elect is now surrounded by a new cast of characters who may fill his cabinet, staff his White House and serve in key roles across government.

Here is a look at the some of the names being floated for the top jobs.

Robert F Kennedy Jr

Reuters RFK Jr, who has grey hair, wears a grey suit, with a white shirt and navy patterned tie, as he waves at crowds at a Trump rally in MichiganReuters

The past two years have been quite a journey for the nephew of former President John F Kennedy.

An environmental lawyer by trade, he ran for president as a Democrat, with most of his family speaking out against his anti-vaccine views and conspiracy theories as they endorsed Joe Biden's re-election.

He then switched to an independent candidacy but, failing to gain traction amid a series of controversies, dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump.

In the last two months of the 2024 election cycle, he spearheaded a Trump campaign initiative called "Make America Healthy Again".

Trump recently promised he would play a major role related to public health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Safety Administration (FDA).

RFK Jr, as he is known, recently asserted he would push to remove fluoride from drinking water because "it's a very bad way to deliver it into our systems" - though this has been challenged by some experts.

And in an interview with NBC News, Kennedy rejected the idea that he was "anti-vaccine", saying he wouldn't "take away anybody's vaccines" but rather provide them with "the best information" to make their own choices.

Rather than a formal cabinet position, Kennedy used the interview to suggest he could take on a broader role within the White House.

Susie Wiles

Reuters Susie Wiles, who has a grey cropped haircut, wears gold hoop earrings with a gold pendant necklace and a black top underneath a baby blue blazer which has a white and gold brooch on it as she looks on during a Trump rallyReuters

Trump's landslide victory over Kamala Harris was masterminded by campaign co-chairs Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, who he referred to in his victory speech on Wednesday as "the ice baby".

She has since been confirmed to be the incoming chief of staff under the second Trump administration - Trump's first confirmed appointment for his second term - making her the first woman to take on the role.

Wiles, who Trump claimed "likes to stay in the background”, is considered one of the most feared and respected political operatives in the country.

Less than a year after she started working in politics, she worked on Ronald Reagan’s successful 1980 presidential campaign and later became a scheduler in his White House.

In 2010, she turned Rick Scott, a then-businessman with little political experience, into Florida’s governor in just seven months. Scott is now a US senator.

Wiles met Trump during the 2015 Republican presidential primary and she became the co-chair of his Florida campaign, at the time considered a swing state. Trump went on to narrowly defeat Hillary Clinton there in 2016.

Wiles has been commended by Republicans for her ability to command respect and check the big egos of those in the president-elect's orbit, which could enable her to impose a sense of order that none of his four previous chiefs of staff could.

Elon Musk

Reuters Elon Musk, wearing a black 'Make America Great Again' cap, a black blazer and grey emblazoned t-shirt, points to a sign for Donald Trump's presidential campaign as he speaks at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania Reuters

The world's richest man announced his support for the former president earlier this year, despite saying in 2022 that "it's time for Trump to hang up his hat and sail into the sunset".

The tech billionaire has since emerged as one of the most visible and well-known backers of Trump and donated more than $119m (£91.6m) this election cycle to America PAC - a political action committee he created to support the former president.

Musk, the head of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of the social media platform X, also launched a voter registration drive that included a $1m (£771,000) give-away to a random swing-state voter each day during the closing stretch of the campaign.

Since registering as a Republican ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, Musk has been increasingly vocal on issues including illegal immigration and transgender rights.

Both Musk and Trump have concentrated on the idea of him leading a new "Department of Government Efficiency", where he would cut costs, reform regulations and streamline what he calls a "massive, suffocating federal bureaucracy".

The would-be agency's acronym - DOGE - is a playful reference to a "meme-coin" cryptocurrency Musk has previously promoted.

Mike Pompeo

Reuters Mike Pompeo, who has neat grey hair brushed to the side, wears a grey suit, white shirt and red tie as he testifies before the House Select Committee in WashingtonReuters

The former Kansas congressman served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and then secretary of state during Trump's first administration.

A foreign policy hawk and a fierce supporter of Israel, he played a highly visible role in moving the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He was among the key players in the implementation of the Abraham Accords, which normalised relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

He remained a loyal defender of his boss, joking that there would be "a smooth transition to a second Trump administration" amid Trump's false claims of election fraud in late 2020.

He has been tipped as a top contender for the role of defence secretary, alongside Michael Waltz, a Florida lawmaker and military veteran who sits on the armed services committee in the US House of Representatives.

Richard Grenell

Reuters Richard Grenell, who has short brown hair, wears a blue suit jacket and white shirt, as she stands in front of a microphone onstage at a conventionReuters

Richard Grenell served as Trump's ambassador to Germany, special envoy to the Balkans and his acting director of national intelligence.

The Republican was also heavily involved in Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat, in the swing state of Nevada.

Trump prizes Grenell's loyalty and has described him as "my envoy".

In September, he sat in on Trump's private meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The former president has often claimed he will end the war in Ukraine "within 24 hours" of taking office and Grenell has advocated for setting up an autonomous zone in eastern Ukraine as a means to that end - an idea seen as unacceptable by Kyiv.

He's considered a contender for secretary of state or national security advisor, a position that does not require Senate confirmation.

Karoline Leavitt

Reuters Karoline Leavitt, who has straight blonde shoulder-length hair, and wears a silver cross necklace with a cream coat, beams during a rally in 2022Reuters
Karoline Leavitt was Trump campaign's spokeswoman

The Trump 2024 campaign's national press secretary previously served in his White House press office, as an assistant press secretary.

The 27-year-old Gen-Zer made a bid to become the youngest woman ever elected to the US Congress in 2022, to represent a seat in her home state of New Hampshire, but fell short.

She is tipped to become the White House press secretary - the most public-facing position in the cabinet.

Tom Homan

Getty Images A photo of Tom Homan delivering an address in Salem, Ohio in March 2024Getty Images

Tom Homan served as the acting director of the US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (Ice) during the first Trump administration, where he was a proponent of separating migrant children from their parents as a way to deter illegal crossings.

At the time, he made headlines for saying politicians who support sanctuary city policies should be charged with crimes. He later resigned from his Ice position in 2018, mid-way through the Trump presidency.

He has since emerged as a key figure in developing Trump's mass migrant deportation plan, and has been floated as a potential pick to head the Department of Homeland Security.

Homan spoke on the deportation plan last month in an interview with BBC's US partner CBS News, saying that "it's not going to be - a mass sweep of neighbourhoods."

"They'll be targeted arrests. We’ll know who we’re going to arrest, where we’re most likely to find ‘em based on numerous, you know, investigative processes," he said.

COP29 chief exec filmed promoting fossil fuel deals

8 November 2024 at 14:06
Watch: Secret footage shows COP29's chief Elnur Soltanov discussing gas and oil deals

A senior official at COP29 climate change conference in Azerbaijan appears to have used his role to arrange a meeting to discuss potential fossil fuel deals, the BBC can report.

A secret recording shows the chief executive of Azerbaijan's COP29 team, Elnur Soltanov, discussing "investment opportunities" in the state oil and gas company with a man posing as a potential investor.

"We have a lot of gas fields that are to be developed," he says.

A former head of the UN body responsible for the climate talks told the BBC that Soltanov's actions were "completely unacceptable" and a "betrayal" of the COP process.

Reuters A sign announcing the COP29 United Nations Climate Change Conference November 11-22 2024, against a backdrop of white multi-storey apartment buildings Reuters
Baku is hosting this year's COP29 United Nations Climate Change Conference

As well as being the chief executive of COP29, Soltanov is also the deputy energy minister of Azerbaijan and is on the board of Socar.

Azerbaijan's COP29 team has not responded to a request for comment.

Oil and gas accounts for about half of Azerbaijan's total economy and more than 90% of its exports, according to US figures.

COP29 will open in Baku on Monday and is the 29th annual UN climate summit, where governments discuss how to limit and prepare for climate change, and raise global ambition to tackle the issue.

However, this is the second year in a row the BBC has revealed alleged wrongdoing by the host government.

The BBC has been shown documents and secret video recordings made by the human rights organisation, Global Witness.

It is understood that one of its representatives approached the COP29 team posing as the head of a fictitious Hong Kong investment firm specialising in energy.

He said this company was interested in sponsoring the COP29 summit but wanted to discuss investment opportunities in Azerbaijan's state energy firm, Socar, in return. An online meeting with Soltanov was arranged.

Getty Images A red and green oil pump at an oil well in the capital city Baku, with apartment blocks, a screen and a park in the background 
Getty Images
Azerbaijan has rich oil and natural gas deposits

During the meeting, Soltanov told the potential sponsor that the aim of the conference was "solving the climate crisis" and "transitioning away from hydrocarbons in a just, orderly and equitable manner".

Anyone, he said, including oil and gas companies, "could come with solutions" because Azerbaijan’s "doors are open".

However, he said he was open to discussions about deals too – including on oil and gas.

Initially, Soltanov suggested the potential sponsor might be interested in investing in some of the "green transitioning projects" Socar was involved in - but then spoke of opportunities related to Azerbaijan's plans to increase gas production, including new pipeline infrastructure.

"There are a lot of joint ventures that could be established," Soltanov says on the recording. "Socar is trading oil and gas all over the world, including in Asia."

Soltanov then described natural gas as a "transitional fuel", adding: "We will have a certain amount of oil and natural gas being produced, perhaps forever."

The UN climate science body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, acknowledges there will be a role for some oil and gas up to 2050 and beyond. However, it has been very clear that "developing… new oil and gas fields is incompatible with limiting warming to 1.5C".

It also goes against the agreement the world made at the last global climate summit to transition away from fossil fuels.

Soltanov appeared eager to help get discussions going, telling the potential sponsor: "I would be happy to create a contact between your team and their team [Socar] so that they can start discussions."

A couple of weeks later the fake Hong Kong investment company received an email - Socar wanted to follow up on the lead.

Attempting to do business deals as part of the COP process appears to be a serious breach of the standards of conduct expected of a COP official.

These events are supposed to be about reducing the world's use of fossil fuels – the main driver of climate change – not selling more.

The standards are set by the UN body responsible for the climate negotiations, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The UN said it could not comment directly on our findings but remarked that "the same rigorous standards" are applied to whoever hosts the conference, and that those standards reflect "the importance of impartiality on the part of all presiding officers".

Its code of conduct for COP officials states they are "expected to act without bias, prejudice, favouritism, caprice, self-interest, preference or deference, strictly based on sound, independent and fair judgement.

"They are also expected to ensure that personal views and convictions do not compromise or appear to compromise their role and functions as a UNFCCC officer."

Getty Images Dressed in a smart blue dress and flanked by the flags of the United Nations and France, Christiana Figueres makes a speech during the opening of COP21 in Paris in 2015Getty Images
Christiana Figueres, who presided over the historic Paris agreement, says doing deals on fossil fuels is a “betrayal” of the COP process

Christiana Figueres, who oversaw the signing of the 2015 Paris agreement to limit global temperature rises to well below 2C, told the BBC that she was shocked anyone in the COP process would use their position to strike oil and gas deals.

She said such behaviour was "contrary and egregious" to the the purpose of COP and "a treason" to the process.

The BBC has also seen emails between the COP29 team and the fake investors.

In one chain, the team discusses a $600,000 (£462,000) sponsorship deal with a fake company in return for the Socar introduction and involvement in an event about "sustainable oil and gas investing" during COP29.

Officials offered five passes with full access to the summit and drafted a contract which initially required the firm to make some commitments to sustainability. Then it pushed back, one requirement was dropped and "corrections" were considered to another.

The BBC asked Azerbaijan's COP29 team and Socar for comment. Neither responded to the requests.

The findings come a year after the BBC obtained leaked documents that revealed plans by the UAE to use its role as host of COP28 to strike oil and gas deals.

COP28 was the first time agreement was reached on the need to transition away from fossil fuels.

直接安排10万亿元!地方政府化债压力将大大减轻

By: 新华社
8 November 2024 at 16:27

新华社

财政部部长蓝佛安在11月8日举行的十四届全国人大常委会第十二次会议新闻发布会上介绍,从2024年开始,我国将连续五年每年从新增地方政府专项债券中安排8000亿元,专门用于化债,累计可置换隐性债务4万亿元。再加上这次全国人大常委会批准的6万亿元债务限额,直接增加地方化债资源10万亿元。

同时也明确,2029年及以后到期的棚户区改造隐性债务2万亿元,仍按原合同偿还。

蓝佛安表示,政策协同发力后,2028年之前,地方需要消化的隐性债务总额从14.3万亿元大幅下降至2.3万亿元,化债压力大大减轻。

Trump Flipped Hispanic South Texas

Donald J. Trump’s biggest gains anywhere were along the Texas border, a Democratic stronghold where most voters are Hispanic. He won 12 of the region’s 14 counties, up from five in 2016.

© Gabriel V. Cárdenas for The New York Times

The support for President-elect Donald J. Trump across South Texas, a working-class region, provided the starkest example of what has been a broad national move toward the Republican candidate among Hispanic and working-class voters.

Trump’s Historic Chief of Staff Pick, and What Elon Musk Wants Now

Plus, for $200, he was the voice of the internet.

© Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times

The president-elect turned to his top political aide Susie Wiles to fill a key post managing the White House when he returns to office.

What a Second Trump Term Could Mean for Your Money

Here’s what the president-elect has said he might do with your taxes, student loans, Social Security and more.

© Doug Mills/The New York Times

In Donald J. Trump’s first term as president, income tax rates fell for most people, but those tax cuts last only through the end of 2025.

Hungary’s Viktor Orban and European Far-Right Leaders Welcome Trump’s Return

8 November 2024 at 18:39
Viktor Orban of Hungary and other right-wing European politicians hail the return of a U.S. president who shares their tough views on issues like immigration.

© Petr Josek/Associated Press

Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary gambled heavily and publicly on a Trump victory.

Argentina Drove Down Teen Pregnancy. Then Came Javier Milei.

Argentina has been known as one of Latin America’s most socially progressive countries. But President Javier Milei’s austerity measures have cut programs aimed at helping women.

Feminist-themed paintings in the small town of Oran, Province of Salta, Argentina.

Will Musk Influence Trump on Climate Change and Electric Vehicles?

8 November 2024 at 18:04
The Tesla billionaire is a key figure in the president-elect’s orbit. One question is whether his views on climate and clean energy will have any sway.

© Doug Mills/The New York Times

Elon Musk is expected to have a direct line to the White House in the coming months.

Former Adams Aide Is in Plea Talks in Federal Witness Tampering Case

8 November 2024 at 16:00
Mohamed Bahi was accused of tampering with witnesses and destroying evidence in the corruption investigation into Mayor Eric Adams and his campaign fund-raising.

© Jefferson Siegel for The New York Times

Mohamed Bahi, center, served as the mayor’s liaison to New York City’s Muslim community before his arrest on federal criminal charges.

Keep Fluoride in New York Water? Mayor Adams Hesitates, Then Weighs In.

8 November 2024 at 07:52
President-elect Donald J. Trump has indicated that he would support ending water fluoridation. Mayor Eric Adams was reticent on the issue, before eventually taking a side.

© Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times

For two days, Mayor Eric Adams deflected questions about whether he supported water fluoridation, an accepted health practice that may be in jeopardy under a new Trump administration.

How My War Came Home

8 November 2024 at 19:04
A reporter thought of his city in the west of Ukraine as a haven from Russian bombs — until a strike hit his street.

© Mykola Tys/EPA, via Shutterstock

Ukrainians gathered at the site of a Russian strike on a residential area of Lviv, in western Ukraine, in September. The yellow apartment building in the background is where the reporter and his family live.

House Committee Targets Chip Technology Firms for China Ties

8 November 2024 at 18:01
It requested information from a handful of firms that make chip manufacturing possible about their commercial ties to China.

© Jim Wilson/The New York Times

A House committee said information it was seeking would help it better understand how much chip-making technology was flowing to China.

Elwood Edwards, Voice of AOL’s ‘You’ve Got Mail!’ Alert, Dies at 74

8 November 2024 at 14:16
Early in the internet era, he was also behind AOL’s “Welcome!” “File’s done” and “Goodbye” messages. “They said my voice was heard more than 35 million times a day.”

© Phil Long for The New York Times

Elwood Edwards was the voice of AOL’s “You’ve Got Mail” alert, which earned him mostly anonymous fame and a guest role on “The Simpsons.”

Ireland to Hold General Election: What to Know

8 November 2024 at 13:01
The Republic of Ireland will hold its first general election in almost five years on Nov. 29, after Prime Minister Simon Harris said he would dissolve parliament on Friday.

© Nathan Howard/Reuters

Simon Harris, the prime minister of Ireland, in Washington last month.

What Trenton Doyle Hancock Learned From Philip Guston

7 November 2024 at 21:35
The Jewish Museum pairs the Texas artist with a 20th-century master. Together they confront racism with horror — and humor.

© Meridith Kohut for The New York Times

Trenton Doyle Hancock at his studio in Houston. He was first introduced to Philip Guston’s work by a printmaking teacher in college, and it clicked with him immediately.

From Musk to 'ice maiden' Wiles: What new Trump administration may look like

8 November 2024 at 12:02
Getty Images A composite photograph of Elon Musk, wearing his signature blazer and t-shirt combination as he's interviewed, Susie Wiles, who has a cropped grey hair do, in a black turtleneck and red jacket, and RFK Jr with short grey hair, wearing a navy tie with flamingos on and a grey suitGetty Images
Elon Musk and RFK Jr are among Trump's most prominent backers, while Susie Wiles (centre) co-managed his election campaign

Donald Trump's transition team is already vetting potential candidates who could serve in his administration when he returns to the White House in January.

On Thursday, he made the first announcement naming his campaign co-manager Susan Summerall Wiles as his White House chief of staff.

Many of the figures who served under Trump in his first term do not plan to return, though a handful of loyalists are rumoured to be making a comeback.

But the US president-elect is now surrounded by a new cast of characters who may fill his cabinet, staff his White House and serve in key roles across government.

Here is a look at the some of the names being floated for the top jobs.

Robert F Kennedy Jr

Reuters RFK Jr, who has grey hair, wears a grey suit, with a white shirt and navy patterned tie, as he waves at crowds at a Trump rally in MichiganReuters

The past two years have been quite a journey for the nephew of former President John F Kennedy.

An environmental lawyer by trade, he ran for president as a Democrat, with most of his family speaking out against his anti-vaccine views and conspiracy theories as they endorsed Joe Biden's re-election.

He then switched to an independent candidacy but, failing to gain traction amid a series of controversies, dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump.

In the last two months of the 2024 election cycle, he spearheaded a Trump campaign initiative called "Make America Healthy Again".

Trump recently promised he would play a major role related to public health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Safety Administration (FDA).

RFK Jr, as he is known, recently asserted he would push to remove fluoride from drinking water because "it's a very bad way to deliver it into our systems" - though this has been challenged by some experts.

And in an interview with NBC News, Kennedy rejected the idea that he was "anti-vaccine", saying he wouldn't "take away anybody's vaccines" but rather provide them with "the best information" to make their own choices.

Rather than a formal cabinet position, Kennedy used the interview to suggest he could take on a broader role within the White House.

Susie Wiles

Reuters Susie Wiles, who has a grey cropped haircut, wears gold hoop earrings with a gold pendant necklace and a black top underneath a baby blue blazer which has a white and gold brooch on it as she looks on during a Trump rallyReuters

Trump's landslide victory over Kamala Harris was masterminded by campaign co-chairs Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, who he referred to in his victory speech on Wednesday as "the ice baby".

She has since been confirmed to be the incoming chief of staff under the second Trump administration - Trump's first confirmed appointment for his second term - making her the first woman to take on the role.

Wiles, who Trump claimed "likes to stay in the background”, is considered one of the most feared and respected political operatives in the country.

Less than a year after she started working in politics, she worked on Ronald Reagan’s successful 1980 presidential campaign and later became a scheduler in his White House.

In 2010, she turned Rick Scott, a then-businessman with little political experience, into Florida’s governor in just seven months. Scott is now a US senator.

Wiles met Trump during the 2015 Republican presidential primary and she became the co-chair of his Florida campaign, at the time considered a swing state. Trump went on to narrowly defeat Hillary Clinton there in 2016.

Wiles has been commended by Republicans for her ability to command respect and check the big egos of those in the president-elect's orbit, which could enable her to impose a sense of order that none of his four previous chiefs of staff could.

Elon Musk

Reuters Elon Musk, wearing a black 'Make America Great Again' cap, a black blazer and grey emblazoned t-shirt, points to a sign for Donald Trump's presidential campaign as he speaks at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania Reuters

The world's richest man announced his support for the former president earlier this year, despite saying in 2022 that "it's time for Trump to hang up his hat and sail into the sunset".

The tech billionaire has since emerged as one of the most visible and well-known backers of Trump and donated more than $119m (£91.6m) this election cycle to America PAC - a political action committee he created to support the former president.

Musk, the head of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of the social media platform X, also launched a voter registration drive that included a $1m (£771,000) give-away to a random swing-state voter each day during the closing stretch of the campaign.

Since registering as a Republican ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, Musk has been increasingly vocal on issues including illegal immigration and transgender rights.

Both Musk and Trump have concentrated on the idea of him leading a new "Department of Government Efficiency", where he would cut costs, reform regulations and streamline what he calls a "massive, suffocating federal bureaucracy".

The would-be agency's acronym - DOGE - is a playful reference to a "meme-coin" cryptocurrency Musk has previously promoted.

Mike Pompeo

Reuters Mike Pompeo, who has neat grey hair brushed to the side, wears a grey suit, white shirt and red tie as he testifies before the House Select Committee in WashingtonReuters

The former Kansas congressman served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and then secretary of state during Trump's first administration.

A foreign policy hawk and a fierce supporter of Israel, he played a highly visible role in moving the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He was among the key players in the implementation of the Abraham Accords, which normalised relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

He remained a loyal defender of his boss, joking that there would be "a smooth transition to a second Trump administration" amid Trump's false claims of election fraud in late 2020.

He has been tipped as a top contender for the role of defence secretary, alongside Michael Waltz, a Florida lawmaker and military veteran who sits on the armed services committee in the US House of Representatives.

Richard Grenell

Reuters Richard Grenell, who has short brown hair, wears a blue suit jacket and white shirt, as she stands in front of a microphone onstage at a conventionReuters

Richard Grenell served as Trump's ambassador to Germany, special envoy to the Balkans and his acting director of national intelligence.

The Republican was also heavily involved in Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat, in the swing state of Nevada.

Trump prizes Grenell's loyalty and has described him as "my envoy".

In September, he sat in on Trump's private meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The former president has often claimed he will end the war in Ukraine "within 24 hours" of taking office and Grenell has advocated for setting up an autonomous zone in eastern Ukraine as a means to that end - an idea seen as unacceptable by Kyiv.

He's considered a contender for secretary of state or national security advisor, a position that does not require Senate confirmation.

Karoline Leavitt

Reuters Karoline Leavitt, who has straight blonde shoulder-length hair, and wears a silver cross necklace with a cream coat, beams during a rally in 2022Reuters
Karoline Leavitt was Trump campaign's spokeswoman

The Trump 2024 campaign's national press secretary previously served in his White House press office, as an assistant press secretary.

The 27-year-old Gen-Zer made a bid to become the youngest woman ever elected to the US Congress in 2022, to represent a seat in her home state of New Hampshire, but fell short.

She is tipped to become the White House press secretary - the most public-facing position in the cabinet.

Tom Homan

Getty Images A photo of Tom Homan delivering an address in Salem, Ohio in March 2024Getty Images

Tom Homan served as the acting director of the US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (Ice) during the first Trump administration, where he was a proponent of separating migrant children from their parents as a way to deter illegal crossings.

At the time, he made headlines for saying politicians who support sanctuary city policies should be charged with crimes. He later resigned from his Ice position in 2018, mid-way through the Trump presidency.

He has since emerged as a key figure in developing Trump's mass migrant deportation plan, and has been floated as a potential pick to head the Department of Homeland Security.

Homan spoke on the deportation plan last month in an interview with BBC's US partner CBS News, saying that "it's not going to be - a mass sweep of neighbourhoods."

"They'll be targeted arrests. We’ll know who we’re going to arrest, where we’re most likely to find ‘em based on numerous, you know, investigative processes," he said.

Princess of Wales to attend Remembrance events

8 November 2024 at 18:35
BBC Breaking NewsBBC

The Princess of Wales will attend Remembrance events in London at the weekend, Buckingham Palace has said.

She will attend both the Sunday service at the Cenotaph and the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday evening.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts.

Parents paying over the odds for baby milk, watchdog warns

8 November 2024 at 18:08
Getty Images A close up of a baby being fed from a bottle by its motherGetty Images

Parents have been "paying over the odds" for baby milk because of a lack of competition in the formula market, a government watchdog has said.

It stopped short of recommending price controls, but said they remain a possibility, adding parents have been "shouldering the costs" of price increases in the market for years.

The Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) interim report said the baby milk industry needed a shake-up to help parents struggling to afford it.

"We're concerned many parents opt for more expensive products, equating higher costs with better quality for their baby," CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell said.

Just two companies - Danone and Nestle - control the majority of the UK market.

Both firms have previously welcomed the investigation.

Susie Wiles: Who is Trump’s new chief of staff?

8 November 2024 at 07:49
Reuters Susie Wiles seen at a Trump rallyReuters

US President-elect Donald Trump has announced his campaign manager, Susan Summerall Wiles, will serve as his White House chief of staff when he takes over the presidency next year.

In a statement, Trump said that Wiles "just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history" and "is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected".

"It is a well deserved honour to have Susie as the first-ever female chief of staff in United States history," he continued. "I have no doubt that she will make our country proud.”

Wiles, 67, is the first woman to be appointed White House chief of staff.

The Trump transition team is currently working to choose top members of the incoming Republican administration, including the heads of all 15 executive departments, such as the secretaries of state and defence, from 20 January.

In his victory speech this week, Trump referred to Wiles as "the ice maiden" as she stood behind him on stage.

She operates mostly “in the back”, the president-elect said, but she is known as one of the most feared political operatives in the US.

"Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again," he added in his statement on Thursday, referring to his oft-repeated campaign slogan.

Who is Susie Wiles?

Getty Images Susie Wiles appears on stage with Donald Trump during his victory speech this week in FlordiaGetty Images
Susie Wiles briefly appeared alongside Donald Trump at his election victory event

A profile by Politico earlier this year described Susie Wiles as feared but little known.

Less than a year after Wiles started working in politics, she joined Ronald Reagan’s campaign ahead of his 1980 election.

She went on to play a key role in transforming politics in Florida, where she lives.

In 2010, she turned Rick Scott, a then-businessman with little political experience, into Florida’s governor in just seven months. Scott is now a US senator.

Wiles met Trump during the 2015 Republican presidential primary and became the co-chair of his Florida campaign. He went on to win the state over Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, who put her in charge of his successful gubernatorial race two years later, described Wiles as “the best in the business”.

Wiles worked on the Trump campaign alongside Chris LaCivita, a veteran of Republican politics with decades of experience.

The two worked with Trump to formulate a winning presidential primary strategy.

In her Politico profile, the 67-year-old grandmother - who is the daughter of late American football player and broadcaster Pat Summerall - said that she comes from a "traditional" political background.

“In my early career things like manners mattered and there was an expected level of decorum," she said, describing the Republican party as significantly different than the one of several decades ago.

"And so I get it that the GOP of today is different," she said, referring to the Republican party, who are also called the Grand Old Party (GOP).

"There are changes we must live with in order to get done the things we’re trying to do."

The chief of staff is considered to be the president's top aide, and plays a crucial role in every president's administration.

They essentially serve as the manager of the White House and are responsible for putting together a president's staff. A chief leads the staff through the Executive Office of the President and oversees all daily operations and staff activities.

They also advise presidents on policy issues and are responsible for directing and overseeing policy development.

BBC graphic saying more on the election
BBC graphic of the US flag

中国人大常委会通过增加地方政府债限额6万亿元

中国第14届全国人大常委会第12次会议周五(8日)批准国务院新增加6万亿元的专项债,作为处理地方政府债务限额置换存量隐性债务。增新的6万亿元债务限额将分3年实施,使今年末地方债务的额限由29.52万亿元,增加至35.52万亿元。

财政部部长蓝佛安在人大常委会闭幕后出席记者会,解释建议新增6万亿元专项债的原因和效果。他形容,这次是近年力度最大的化债举措,也是化解今年地方隐性债务的“及时雨”。

他表示,虽然在各方努力下,已把2023年全国隐性债的规模缩减至14.3万亿。但今年以来受外部环境变化和内需不足等因素所影响,经济形势出现新问题,税收收入和土地创收大减,增加各地地方化解债务的难度。他承认,一些地方隐性债务规模大、利息重,存在爆雷的风险,消耗地方可用财力。

针对此情况,2024年开始,连续5年安排8000亿元,专门用来化债可置换债务共4万亿,再加这次批准的6万亿限额,直接增加地方可化债资源至10万亿元。记者会中指出,在2029年及以后年度到期的改造隐性债共2万亿元仍按原合同偿还,在3项政策协同发力下,到2028年前,地方消化的隐性债务总额从14.38万亿,大幅减少至2.3万亿元,估计5年累积可节约6000亿元的利息,可以减轻地方政府的化债压力,“让地方可以卸下包袱、轻装上阵。”

责编:许书婷

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© 路透资料照。

中国人大常委会批准国务院新增加6万亿元的专项债。
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