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Today — 14 August 2025News

Trump’s D.C. Police Takeover and National Guard Deployment: What to Know

14 August 2025 at 10:11
President Trump is the first president to use a declared emergency to wrest control of Washington, D.C.’s police force.

© Alex Kent for The New York Times

National Guard members on patrol around the Washington Monument on Tuesday.

After mass arrests, what happens next with Palestine Action ban?

14 August 2025 at 07:00
Reuters Three male police officers detain a female protester, who is holding a paper sign appearing to mention Palestine, during a rally challenging the UK government's proscription of "Palestine Action" under anti-terrorism law. In the background there are grand buildings a Palestine flag and a poster mentioning genocideReuters

The pictures from last week's sit-in protest in Parliament Square over the banned group Palestine Action were unprecedented.

As demonstrators held up placards reading, "I support Palestine Action", some 522 of them were arrested on suspicion of breaking terrorism laws - more than double the total such arrests in 2024.

Their average age was 54, said the police. Some 112 of them were over 70 years old.

The battle over the ban on Palestine Action (PAG) - last month, proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK - now feels as much a political and PR battle as a legal one.

And the organisers of the campaign are trying to capitalise on perceived sympathy among some of the public by organising another demonstration in September - hoping to force the state, through numbers, to lift the ban.

How does it end?

Does it risk becoming an "I am Spartacus moment"? - the words of Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, the Labour peer and civil rights campaigner?

That depends on three courtroom battles that will each, in turn, influence how Palestine Action is publicly perceived and legally characterised.

Let's start with the protesters arrested since July for showing support for the group - more than 700 so far.

One lawyer says it has been awkward so far for police officers.

"I've seen police look incredibly uncomfortable with the fact that they are having to treat these elderly people as criminals," said solicitor Katie McFadden, who advised many protesters, after their arrests, last Saturday.

"I've seen them in police custody and they've certainly been considerate and looked, frankly, quite shocked and horrified that this is what they were having to do as part of their job when they've signed up to go out and protect the public from dangerous criminals."

The real challenge for the police and prosecutors is how many protesters do they need to charge with support of a banned terrorist organisation to send a message to the public. And what message do they send if they don't charge them all?

EPA A large group of protesters are sitting down, many are holding up pieces of card or paper reading 'I oppose genocide I support Palestine Action'EPA
The average age of those arrested was 54, police say, with 112 over the age of 70

So far, three people have been charged with displaying an item showing support for Palestine Action during the first demonstration on 5 July. They will all appear in court next month.

The director of public prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson, had to consult the Attorney General's Office before he could go ahead with the charges because of additional safeguards in some terrorism cases.

That means that Lord Hermer, the Attorney General and also a cabinet minister, or his deputy, may have to be involved in each of the files that police send to prosecutors.

That, in turn, means the vast majority of the 700 may not know for months if they are going to end up on trial - in cases that could be more than a year away from a jury.

Just assuming they do get charged, history suggests the risk of a maximum of 14-year sentence is low.

Conventionally, a conviction like this would leave careers in tatters and have other life-changing effects.

The equation for some Palestine Action protesters is different.

Many are older people who have graduated from involvement in climate change activism and believe the ban breaches free speech safeguards. It seems many have fewer fears about the impact of arrest on their day-to-day lives.

So is the ban on Palestine Action a legal and PR disaster in the making for Home Secretary Yvette Cooper?

Huda Ammori, Palestine Action's co-founder, has said on social media: "The system can't cope when thousands resist."

EPA A woman with grey hair and wearing a necklace and checked shirt is carried away by officers, one of whom is holding her head as she lies still. In the background more officers and people taking pictures can be seenEPA

But ministers hope that the difference between the organisation she founded and other forms of protest over Gaza will become clear thanks to the second of the three linked legal battles soon to take centre stage.

In August 2024 alleged PAG supporters broke into Elbit Systems UK in Bristol, an Israeli defence firm that has long been a key target.

A repurposed prison van smashed through a security fence and crowbars and a sledgehammer were allegedly used to smash up equipment.

Three people were injured: a security guard and two police officers.

Palestine Action promoted video of the damage - but not any pictures of the alleged assaults.

Those allegations begin to come to trial in November. Some 18 people deny charges including criminal damage, assault causing actual bodily harm, violent disorder and aggravated burglary.

That incident prompted national security officials and the police to look at whether a terrorism ban on PAG could be justified, after having previously concluded that the vast majority of its highly disruptive activities amounted to minor criminal damage.

Metropolitan Police Metropolitan Police arrest processing point in central London at the protest in support of Palestine Action. There are lots of police officers standing near two blue tents. In the background a wall of officers wearing high-vis tops are standing in front of a group of people waving Palestine flagsMetropolitan Police
The police set up two arrest processing points in central London to deal with the number of protesters who were arrested

Documents disclosed to the BBC in the High Court show how the thinking on a ban had evolved. Palestine Action was becoming more militant, said officials. It had allegedly produced an "underground manual" that it was claimed detailed how to plan a "break-in", referring to face masks, burner phones and fake car number plates.

"With an efficient sledgehammer in your hand, you can cause quite a bit of damage," the manual read, before than detailing how to do so.

And this is where the UK's wide definition of terrorism comes in. It includes not just the threat or use of violence to advance a cause - but also the use of serious criminal damage.

That's because in the 1990s the IRA began causing economic damage through bombs, without taking life.

So when Cooper banned PAG, her decision was largely informed by what the Home Office has described as millions of pounds of criminal damage, not an assessment that it was a group of murderous militants.

"Proscription is about one narrow group that has been involved in violent attacks including injuries, including weapons, smoke bombs causing panic among innocent people, major criminal damage," the home secretary said following last Saturday's arrests.

"There may be people who are objecting to proscription who don't know the full nature of this organisation due to court restrictions on reporting while serious prosecutions are under way but it's really important that no one is in any doubt that this is not a non-violent organisation."

TOLGA AKMEN/EPA/Shutterstock Four police officers stand at the back of an open police van where a person appears to be being put in the back. Next to them a man holds a sign saying 'This is democracy'. In the background the Palace of Westminster can be seen.TOLGA AKMEN/EPA/Shutterstock
If the ban is overturned in the High Court then hundreds of those arrested would see their cases collapse

Ms Ammori has contested this characterisation, saying the government's own papers show that Palestine Action did not advocate for violence.

This brings us to the third of the three big legal challenges that will decide this affair: was the Home Secretary right?

The High Court will consider in the autumn if the ban was a rational and proportionate response to PAG's activities.

Jonathan Hall KC, the independent watchdog of terrorism laws, has previously told BBC News that the ban is legally workable because the group had moved from protest into what is effectively "blackmail" - suggesting it was exerting pressure to get what it wanted.

But Ms Ammori's legal team have a range of significant arguments around freedom of protest.

Volker Turk, the United Nations' human rights chief has got involved too, saying the ban is so wrong it places the UK outside international law.

The outcome of that case will define whether Palestine Action remains banned. If the ban falls, then the 700 arrested so far are free - their cases would collapse. As for the group itself, it may feel emboldened - but would know that it could still be banned again if its actions cross the terrorism laws line.

If the ban stands, then the advantage will be with the government - and arrests and charges will continue.

That is the counter-terrorism policing way: slowly but surely, step by step, seek to contain and, ultimately, crush the threat.

ADHD drugs cut risk of suicide, car accidents and criminality, study suggests

14 August 2025 at 07:07
Getty Images A young man with short dark hair and wearing a denim shirt appears distracted sitting in front of a laptop, which is on a wooden table, in a large open space. In the blurred background you can make out ceiling lamps, climbing plants and other wooden tables.Getty Images

Drug treatment can help people newly diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) to reduce their risk of substance misuse, suicidal behaviour, transport accidents and criminality, a study suggests.

These issues are linked to common ADHD symptoms such as acting impulsively and becoming easily distracted.

Some 5% of children and 2.5% of adults worldwide are thought to be affected by the disorder - and growing numbers are being diagnosed.

The findings, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), confirm the wider potential benefits of drug treatment and could help patients decide whether to start medication, the researchers say.

Having ADHD means the brain works differently to most other people's.

Symptoms can include difficulties concentrating and sitting still, having high energy levels and being impulsive.

Despite the surge in people asking for help, the disorder is not becoming more common. Last year a BBC investigation found long waits for assessment in the UK.

People are only diagnosed if the symptoms cause at least a moderate impact on their lives.

The most commonly prescribed drugs, called stimulants, help manage everyday symptoms but there has been limited evidence of longer-term benefits for people's behaviour, while well-publicised side-effects, such as headaches, loss of appetite and trouble sleeping, have sparked debate on their safety.

This BMJ study was based on 148,500 people aged six to 64, with ADHD in Sweden.

Some 57% started drug treatment and, of these, methylphenidate (also known as Ritalin), was prescribed, to 88%.

The researchers, from Southampton University and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, found taking ADHD medication was linked to reductions of first-time instances of:

  • suicidal behaviour - 17%
  • substance misuse - 15%
  • transport accidents - 12%
  • criminal behaviour - 13%

When recurrent events were analysed, the researchers found ADHD medication was linked to reductions of:

  • 15% for suicide attempts
  • 25% for substance misuses
  • 4% for accidental injuries
  • 16% for transport accidents
  • 25% for criminal behaviour

"Oftentimes there is no information on what the risks are if you don't treat ADHD," said Prof Samuele Cortese, study author and professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at University of Southampton.

"Now we have evidence they [drugs] can reduce these risks."

This could be explained by medication reducing impulsive behaviour and lack of concentration, which might reduce the risk of accidents while driving and reduce aggressive behaviour which could lead to criminality.

The researchers say the study was designed to be as robust as possible but cannot rule out the possibility the results were affected by factors such as people's genes, lifestyles and the severity of their ADHD.

Accessing the right medication for ADHD in many countries is not easy, with some drugs in short supply. In the UK waiting times to see specialists after diagnosis in order to access drugs can be several years.

Prof Stuart Kinner, head of the Justice Health Group at Curtin University in Western Australia, said the research demonstrated "the diffuse benefits of ADHD diagnosis and treatment".

"Failure to diagnose and treat ADHD can lead to self-medication with alcohol or other drugs, poor mental health, injury, and incarceration," he said.

"Too many people with undiagnosed ADHD end up in the criminal justice system, where their condition may remain undiagnosed and untreated."

Ian Maidment, professor in clinical pharmacy at Aston University, said the study "adds to our understanding of the potential benefits of these drugs".

However, he said the research did not assess whether patients actually took their medication or the impact of different doses.

Urban wildfire risk rising due to hot dry summers, scientists warn

14 August 2025 at 08:04
Getty Images A firefighter in a red t-shirt and protective trousers aims a hose at charred ground. Spray and smoke are visible. Green trees are in the background. Getty Images
A firefighter tackling a fire in east London on Tuesday

Cities across the UK are facing a growing threat from an emerging phenomenon called "firewaves" as temperatures rise due to climate change, scientists have warned.

The term, coined by researchers at Imperial College London, describes multiple urban wildfires triggered by extended periods of hot, dry weather.

The warning comes as firefighters battled three separate heath fires in London and a dramatic gorse blaze on Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh in recent days, as this summer's latest heatwave left vegetation across both capitals dangerously dry.

These fires, though now contained, highlight the increasing vulnerability of urban areas to wildfires - a risk that was once considered largely rural.

Guillermo Rein, professor of fire science at Imperial College London, has been working alongside the London Fire Brigade to help predict when conditions are ripe for a "firewave".

Based on current forecasts, he believes London could be at risk again by this weekend.

London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Tom Goodall said he welcomes any research that helps predict the likelihood of wildfires occurring.

The service is "ready to tackle the threat of wildfires head-on to help protect London's communities and green spaces", he added.

Prof Rein's research finds that, after ten consecutive days of very dry weather, vegetation becomes so desiccated across wide areas that the likelihood of multiple fires igniting simultaneously rises sharply.

Using detailed incident data from the London Fire Brigade dating back to 2009, combined with weather records, the team identified key factors that drive wildfire outbreaks in London.

One of the most important is a measure of how much moisture the atmosphere can extract from the land, known as the "vapour pressure deficit".

The higher the deficit, the drier the vegetation becomes, and the more easily it ignites.

"Vegetation doesn't just become a bit more flammable," explained Professor Rein, "it becomes much more flammable."

"Once the moisture content of the vegetation drops below a certain threshold, even a small spark can lead to a fast-spreading fire," he added.

BBC / Kevin Church A professor with grey hair with a pair of glasses wearing a white overall coat is igniting dry straw on a steel plate with a fire burner in a laboratory. Justin Rowlatt - also wearing a white overall coat and a pair of safety glasses - is looking on next to the professor.  BBC / Kevin Church
Professor Rein shows how easily a fire can ignite

Most fires are started by humans, whether accidentally or deliberately. But a warming world is creating conditions more conducive to these blazes.

"Climate change is bringing more heatwaves and longer dry spells," Prof Rein said.

"These conditions dry out fuels and increase the risk of wildfires. That risk is much greater now than it was even a decade ago."

While the researchers focused on London, concerns are widespread.

"I worry about all other UK cities and other northern European cities in particular because climate change seems to be making green vegetation that was not flammable very flammable indeed," said Prof Rein.

"And these places don't have a history of dealing with wildfires so don't have as much institutional experience as cities in the south of the continent."

Managing fire risk

Urban environments like London, with their abundance of parks and green spaces bordering residential zones, are particularly susceptible.

The concept of a "firewave" is meant to capture the unique danger posed when several fires erupt at once in densely populated areas, which has the potential to overwhelm emergency services and threaten homes and infrastructure.

That happened in the summer of 2022 when UK temperatures exceeded 40C for the first time on record.

On 19 July 2022, London Fire Brigade (LFB) experienced its busiest day since World War II.

Fires broke out simultaneously across the city, including a devastating blaze in Wennington, East London, which destroyed 37 buildings, five cars, and forced the evacuation of 88 homes.

Blake Betts, a borough commander with the LFB, has extensive experience dealing with wildfires in urban settings.

He emphasises the serious threat they pose, especially when open spaces are adjacent to residential properties.

"The potential for fires to spread into homes is very real," said Cdr Betts.

"We're seeing more extreme weather events, and that's why the London Fire Brigade has adopted a much more proactive approach."

BBC / Kevin Church Two fire engines are parked on the edge of a burnt out field adjacent to a row of houses. They must have driven on the field as you can see track marks on the brown, darkened ground. BBC / Kevin Church
This area of Dagenham was hit by a fire earlier this year

To meet this growing challenge, the LFB says it has invested in new technologies and equipment.

Drones now play a critical role in wildfire response, providing real-time aerial views that help commanders map fire spread and direct resources where they are needed most.

"The bird's-eye view from drones gives us a huge boost in situational awareness," explained a spokesperson from the LFB.

"It allows us to target our efforts where the risk to life and property is greatest."

In addition to drones, the brigade has introduced off-road vehicles capable of reaching fires in difficult terrain, such as heathland and grassland.

These vehicles can be used to create firebreaks – using water to soak the ground to help stop fires from spreading further.

The Imperial College London researchers argue that the Met Office's current definition of a heatwave does not adequately reflect the wildfire risk in urban areas.

They propose it adopts the term "firewave" to signal periods of extreme fire danger in cities - a concept they hope will inform future public safety strategies and climate resilience planning.

The Met Office has been asked for comment.

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Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here.

Students face nervous wait for A-level, T-level and BTec grades

14 August 2025 at 00:30
Getty Images Two female students smile as they look down at exam results they've just removed from brown envelopes. The student on the left has long straight blonde hair, and wears thick-rimmed black glasses and a blue, white and red checkered shirt. The student on the right has shoulder-length dark curly hair and wears a pink t-shirt. Both students are wearing black rucksacks.Getty Images

Students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive A-level, T-level and BTec National results on Thursday morning.

The amount of students getting top A-level results is expected to be broadly similar to 2024, after years of flux as a result of the Covid pandemic.

A record number of 18-year-olds will get into their first choice of university, the head of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) has predicted.

Dr Jo Saxton stressed that this year's Year 13s had received lower GCSE grades than previous cohorts as part of a plan to push down grade inflation that happened during Covid, and they would need universities to take that into account.

The pass rate for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams in Scotland rose across the board last week.

BTec National and Cambridge Technical results are also due to be released on Thursday along with AS-levels - which, in Wales and Northern Ireland, will count towards students' final A-level results next summer.

This is also the fourth year of results for vocational T-level qualifications in England.

To achieve the technical qualification, time is split between classroom learning and industry placements - with students awarded a pass, merit, distinction or distinction* after two years of work and study.

Freya, a student at Middlesbrough College, will be getting her grade for a T-level in health.

"It gives you a hands-on experience in what sort of things you're going to do in a real-world scenario, rather than just learning from a book," she said.

She is about to start a full-time job in an NHS maternity department, and hopes to ultimately become a midwife.

"I thought coming here [and] doing this course would give me the theoretical and physical knowledge to be able to achieve what I want to do," she added.

BBC/ Kate McGough Freya has blonde hair tied back and wears a uniform with her college branding. Behind her, out of focus, is a mock-up hospital room in a college, with mannequins lying in hospital beds.BBC/ Kate McGough

Dr Jo Saxton, the chief executive of Ucas, said last week that it was a "really, really good year" for UK students applying to university.

She said universities were keen to enroll UK undergraduates because there was more "uncertainty" around international student numbers and domestic students offered universities "stability" for "financial planning".

They could "quite possibly" accept students who did not meet the conditions of their offer, she added.

Dr Saxton also said Year 13 students would need universities to "respect and understand" the specific circumstances they have gone through.

They were in Year 8 and Year 9 during national lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.

Both years saw spikes in pass rates at GCSE and top grades at A-level, after exams were cancelled and results were based on teachers' assessments.

What followed was a phased effort to bring grades back in line with pre-pandemic levels.

The year that these students sat their GCSEs, 2023, was the final stage of that process in England. Grading returned to pre-pandemic standards in Wales and Northern Ireland last year.

It meant GCSE passes fell, with the steepest drop in England.

A bar chart showing a peak in the proportion of A* and A grades in 2020 and 2021, followed by a fall in 2022 and 2023 before a slight rise in 2024.

Dr Saxton said the "significant national programme to deflate their grades" at GCSE represented an "important backdrop" for those getting the grades for their Level 3 qualifications this week.

She also pointed out that, with GCSE grades down in 2023, fewer achieved the results they needed to start A-levels.

A-level entries fell from 825,355 last summer to 821,875 this summer, according to provisional data for England.

Dr Saxton said that students' previous grades would therefore "probably" be "fractionally higher" across the cohort.

Last year, with grading back to pre-pandemic standards across all three nations, 27.8% of all A-level grades were marked at A* or A - up from 27.2% in 2023 and 25.4% in 2019.

There is likely to be less emphasis this year on how grades compare to 2019 and more on how they compare to last year, since it is the second year that grading has returned to pre-pandemic levels across the board.

Students heading to university will pay higher fees in England and Wales this year. They have risen to £9,535 for undergraduate courses.

Maintenance loans have also gone up, meaning that students can borrow more to help with their living costs.

Rebel or traitor? Trial of Hong Kong's rebel mogul Jimmy Lai resumes

14 August 2025 at 06:12
Getty Images Jimmy Lai, in a gray suit and black pants, poses for a photograph during an interview with AFP news agency in Hong KongGetty Images
Lai is on trial for breaching national security and colluding with foreign forces

Hailed by some as a hero and scorned by others as a traitor, Hong Kong's pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai is in the final stage of his national security trial.

Closing arguments begin on Thursday for Lai, who is accused of colluding with foreign forces under a Beijing-imposed national security law.

The trial has drawn international attention, with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calling for Lai's release. The 77-year-old has British as well as Chinese citizenship - though China does not recognise dual nationality, and therefore considers Lai to be exclusively Chinese.

Lai has been detained since December 2020 and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if he is convicted.

Critics say Lai's case shows how Hong Kong's legal system has been weaponised to silence political opposition.

Lai has been a persistent thorn in China's side. Unlike other tycoons who rose to the top in Hong Kong, Mr Lai became one of the fiercest critics of the Chinese state and a leading figure advocating democracy in the former British territory.

"I'm a born rebel," he told the BBC in an interview in 2020, hours before he was charged. "I have a very rebellious character."

He is the most prominent person charged under the controversial national security law which China introduced in 2020, in response to massive protests which erupted in Hong Kong the year before.

The legislation criminalises a wider range of dissenting acts which Beijing considers subversion and secession, among other things.

Beijing says the national security law is necessary to maintain stability in Hong Kong but critics say it has effectively outlawed dissent.

Over the years, Lai's son Sebastien has called for his release. In February, the younger Lai urged Starmer and US President Donald Trump to take urgent action, adding that his father's "body is breaking down".

Rags to riches

Lai was born in Guangzhou, a city in southern China, to a wealthy family that lost everything when the communists took power in 1949.

He was 12 years old when he fled his village in mainland China, arriving in Hong Kong as a stowaway on a fishing boat.

While working odd jobs and knitting in a small clothing shop he taught himself English. He went from a menial role to eventually founding a multi-million dollar empire including the international clothing brand Giordano.

The chain was a huge success. But when China sent in tanks to crush pro-democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989, Lai began a new journey as a vocal democracy activist as well as an entrepreneur.

He started writing columns criticising the massacre that followed the demonstrations in Beijing and established a publishing house that went on to become one of Hong Kong's most influential.

Reuters Lai, dressed in a gray suit and beige pants, walks handcuffed and flanked by three police officers to a police vanReuters
Lai is among the most prominent people charged under Hong Kong's controversial national security law

As China responded by threatening to shut his stores on the mainland, leading him to sell the company, Lai launched a string of popular pro-democracy titles that included Next, a digital magazine, and the widely read Apple Daily newspaper.

In a local media landscape increasingly fearful of Beijing, Lai had been a persistent critic of Chinese authorities both through his publications and writing.

This has seen him become a hero for many in Hong Kong, who view him as a man of courage who took great risks to defend the freedoms of the city.

But on the mainland he is viewed as a "traitor" who threatens Chinese national security.

In recent years, masked attackers firebombed Lai's house and company headquarters. He was also the target of an assassination plot.

But none of the threats stopped him from airing his views robustly. He was a prominent part of the city's pro-democracy demonstrations and was arrested twice in 2021 on illegal assembly charges.

Getty Images "The evil law takes effect and has buried the two systems," read the headlines on copies of Apple Daily in the newspaper's publishing officeGetty Images
Apple Daily was unafraid to be openly critical of the Chinese state

When China passed Hong Kong's new national security law in June 2020, Lai told the BBC it sounded the "death knell" for the territory.

The influential entrepreneur also warned that Hong Kong would become as corrupt as China. Without the rule of law, he said, its coveted status as a global financial hub would be "totally destroyed".

The media mogul is known for his frankness and acts of flamboyance.

In 2021, he urged Donald Trump to help the territory, saying he was "the only one who can save us" from China. His newspaper, Apple Daily, published a front-page letter that finished: "Mr President, please help us."

For Lai, such acts were necessary to defend the city which had taken him in and fuelled his success.

He once told news agency AFP: "I came here with nothing, the freedom of this place has given me everything... Maybe it's time I paid back for that freedom by fighting for it."

Lai has been slapped with various charges - including unauthorised assembly and fraud - since 2020.

He has been in custody since December of that year.

The prosecution of Lai has captured international attention, with rights groups and foreign governments urging his release.

Over the years, Sebastien Lai has travelled the world to denounce his father's arrest and condemn Hong Kong for punishing "characteristics that should be celebrated".

"My father is in jail for the truth on his lips, courage in his heart, and freedom in his soul," he had said.

北京洪水前转移1.6万人,养老中心未被列入预案

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北京洪水前转移1.6万人,养老中心未被列入预案

郭莉莉, BERRY WANG
太师屯镇位于北京市东北部,镇里的房屋上个月曾被洪水淹没。
太师屯镇位于北京市东北部,镇里的房屋上个月曾被洪水淹没。 Jade Gao/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
大雨开始落下时,太师屯镇的居民们并不怎么担心。这个乡村小镇位于北京市东北部,距离市中心约110公里,地处远离山区的平原,不会遭受山区可能发生的泥石流,而且近代未曾发生过洪水。
尽管小镇离三条河的交汇处不远,但最近的一条河距离镇子也有大约400米,而且那条河直通一座大型水库。
因此,当那条名为清水河的河流在7月28日凌晨突然漫过河堤,导致街道被急流淹没时,人们震惊不已。人们冲出家门,大声叫醒邻居,并慌忙爬上屋顶。
太师屯镇养老照料中心是最早被淹没的房屋之一。养老中心的69名老年居民中有55人完全或部分失能,行动需要工作人员帮助,养老中心那天有八名工作人员。养老中心的平房很快被近2米深的洪水淹没。
广告
消防人员在早上7点左右赶到了那里,但汹涌的洪流将他们拦下,洪水的水流在最猛烈时比尼亚加拉大瀑布还要。三个小时后,救援行动才开始展开。中国官媒公开的画面显示,救援人员拴着绳子游进养老中心,尝试救出那些紧紧抓住窗台的人。但多数老人已经遇难。总共有31人死亡,这个数字震惊了首都乃至全国。
“说实话,谁也没想到会出这种事。不只是普通老百姓。我们村里有些老人已经七老八十了,打小就没有见过这么恶劣的天气,”49岁的蔡小奎(音)说道,他所在的葡萄园村与养老中心属于同一个镇。
随着中国为气候变化带来的更极端、更难以预测的天气做准备,北京市密云区的这场灾难也暴露出应急预案存在“漏洞”,当地官员对此也予以承认。北京市官员为此罕见地道歉,并在本周要求“踏踏实实落实”所有防洪救灾措施。
密云区位于北京东北部的山区,那里的一家商店在上个月的洪水过后一片狼藉。
密云区位于北京东北部的山区,那里的一家商店在上个月的洪水过后一片狼藉。 Florence Lo/Reuters
随着全球气温升高,洋流的变化导致历来干旱的中国北方地区降水增多。中国生态环境部今年6月发布的一份报告指出,华北地区去年雨季的降水量比1991年至2020年的平均值高出了83%。
北京及邻近省份河北最近发生的洪灾已造成至少60人死亡,迫使逾8万人转移,这标志着该地区15年来第五次遭受极端降雨。
英国埃克塞特大学研究水资源管理的教授伏广涛最近的分析显示,与2000年之前的一段时期相比,中国各地突发洪水的次数至少增加了一倍。
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首都曾在2012年、2016年和2023年发过大水,受灾地区集中在北京南部。但今年的强降雨发生在北部,那里的居民和官员们准备不足。
密云发大水前已连续五天降雨,部分地区的降水量已接近往常的全年降水量。密云以及水库上游干峪沟的强降雨导致清水河水位突破历史极值。到7月28日凌晨,清水河的流量已达到平日的1500倍。
迅猛的洪流涌入太师屯镇,冲倒了树木,冲走了汽车,然后迅速流入下游的密云水库,水库当时的水位已达到20世纪60年代建成以来的最高水平。虽然当局曾在48小时前发布了级别最高的红色预警,但并未下达具体的疏散命令。
密云水库泄洪,摄于上个月。
密云水库泄洪,摄于上个月。 Adek Berry/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
养老中心出现人员死亡后,北京市官员召开了新闻发布会,并在会上道歉,官员们介绍说,密云区已转移了逾1.6万名群众,虽然官员曾在几个地方挨门挨户地动员转移,但他们没有去养老中心。
“长期以来,养老中心所在镇中心区域都是安全的,预案没有将其列入转移范围,”密云区委书记余卫国说。“这说明我们的预案是有漏洞的,我们对于极端天气的认识是不足的。”余卫国说完这番话后,与其他官员一起低头默哀。
中国气象局在此事发生两天后表示,准确预报这类极端天气仍是一个“全球性难题”,气象部门将努力“加强”预警能力。
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在许多中国家庭面临养老困境的当下,密云养老中心几十名老人的死亡触动了人们的神经。有评论者在社交媒体上发视频呼吁彻底改革养老院的安全措施,或呼吁老百姓更好地照顾父母。
“密云事故彰显以往依赖经验救灾失效,”中国人民大学商学院教授吕景胜在微信上发文写道。“文明社会应对弱势群体负责。”
据北京公众环境研究中心的创始人、环保人士马军说,前几次洪灾发生后,北京市的官员们升级了城市排水系统,在低洼地段增设了抽水泵,将积水抽走。
救援人员在密云,摄于上个月。
救援人员在密云,摄于上个月。 Florence Lo/Reuters
“这次仍有一些非常惨痛的教训,”马军说。“很显然,监测仍存在差距。预警预报仍不像我们希望的那样准确。”
为了提高防洪能力,政府已对清水河以及中国北方的许多河流进行了疏浚和改造。但专家们表示,中国传统的防洪措施——增加防洪堤的高度或用混凝土对河道两边进行加固——反而加剧灾情,因为这些措施导致周边地区的蓄水能力遭到削弱。
“我们需要让地面可渗透。我们需要拆掉所有的混凝土,”北京大学教授、景观设计师俞孔坚说。“我们需要改变做法,但工程师们仍在把防洪堤建得越来越高。”
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中国官员上周六表示,西北省份甘肃的洪水已造成15人死亡,促使中国领导人习近平下令“千方百计搜救”30多名失踪人员。
葡萄园村的洪水退去后,居民们抱怨村里到处能闻到死鱼和死动物的恶臭。民居内淤泥遍布。但也有人称颂邻里的救援壮举。
村里的一群男子曾用装载机把屋顶上的居民运到安全地带,或给坐在充气艇上的救援人员当向导。蔡先生在村里经营着一家民宿,他为救援人员免费提供了住宿。他说,当地餐馆在洪水发生后曾为大家提供免费餐食。
“那种团结的感觉真的很强烈,”他说。“要知道,邻居之间通常可能会有些小矛盾,但发生这么大的事情后,人们真的一点儿都不自私。”

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自闭症男童大理失踪五天后遗体被寻获

14 August 2025 at 08:32

中国8岁自闭症男童王一铠在云南大理镇阳和茶厂附近走失五天后,救援人员星期三(8月13日)找到男童的遗体。

根据“大理融媒”微信公众号发布的搜救工作组通报,救援人员星期三傍晚5时许在大理镇清碧溪北侧山涧发现走失男童,已无生命体征。经现场勘验和综合调查,排除外力损伤致死,初步排除刑事案件可能。

王一铠上星期六(8月9日)走失。澎湃新闻曾报道,王一铠上午11时40分左右跟随一个夏令营团队攀登苍山时,与队伍走失。随后,当地多部门联合开展搜救,投入了搜救犬、无人机、热成像仪等。

红星新闻报道,大理多部门已对涉事夏令营机构“明日之光”展开调查。这家机构的营业范围为家政服务。

北京天安门广场下周暂停开放四天

14 August 2025 at 08:25

中国首都北京的天安门广场,将在下周暂停开放四天。

据北京日报客户端消息,天安门地区管理委员会星期三(8月13日)发布提示,按照天安门广场及周边区域施工作业安排,为确保游客和施工安全,天安门广场下周三(20日)至下周六(23日)暂停开放,下周日(24日)根据实际情况部分区域恢复开放。

北京市公安局公安交通管理局星期三也发布通告称,为保障专项活动安全顺利,星期五(15日)起至星期天(17日),天安门地区及相关道路分时分段临时交通管理。

中国政府9月3日将在天安门广场举行大阅兵,纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年。“九三阅兵”的首次综合演练,在上星期天(10日)凌晨结束,约2万2000人参加演练及现场保障工作。

中国官方6月24日宣布,中共总书记、国家主席、中央军委主席习近平,在“九三阅兵”当天将在天安门广场检阅部队并发表讲话。

广佛发布蚊媒传染病新传播风险区域

14 August 2025 at 07:37

中国广东省当前已进入基孔肯雅热等蚊媒传染病流行季节。广州和佛山等地连日来发布蚊媒传染病相关提示。

据中新社报道,广州市疾病预防控制中心星期三(8月13日)发布蚊媒传染病传播风险区域,截至12日,目前全市11区均有区域正在开展蚊媒传染病疫情处置,存在传播风险,提醒当地注意防蚊灭蚊。

了解蚊媒密度变化趋势,对基孔肯雅热等蚊媒传染病有一定的预警作用。广州市疾病预防控制中心8月初上线蚊媒地图新功能,居民可通过该地图了解蚊媒密度变化趋势。

最新的(8月第1周)蚊媒监测结果显示,监测的广州133个街镇中,90个街镇蚊媒控制达标,蚊媒低、中、高风险的街镇分别有29个、13个、一个。

与此同时,佛山市卫生健康局13日发布基孔肯雅热确诊病例新增情况,该市12日新增报告基孔肯雅热确诊病例108例,其中禅城区28例、南海区21例、顺德区55例、高明区两例、三水区两例。

佛山市疾病预防控制中心12日发布消息,截至12日,目前该市五个区均有区域正开展基孔肯雅热疫情处置,提醒民众做好防范措施。

广东省疾病预防控制中心传染病预防控制所所长、传染病防控首席专家康敏此前指出,广东新增报告病例数呈现连续下降趋势,但疫情波及面广,加上全球基孔肯雅热疫情高发,该省对外交流频繁,境外输入风险持续存在;同时叠加汛期台风、降雨等天气影响,蚊媒活动频繁,疫情防控还不能松劲。

AI晶片制造商天数智芯考虑在香港上市

14 August 2025 at 07:15

中国政府不鼓励本土企业使用英伟达处理器,投资者对中国人工智能(AI)晶片制造商的兴趣渐浓,天数智芯正考虑在香港上市。

据彭博社报道,匿名知情人士透露,获大钲资本支持的上海天数智芯半导体股份有限公司正在与顾问合作,可能通过上市募集3-4亿美元(3.84-5.12亿新元)。

据知情人士透露,讨论处于初步阶段,IPO规模等细节仍可能有变。

天数智芯是力图与英伟达展开竞争并提升中国晶片能力的数家初创企业之一,开发对于运行人工智能服务至关重要的GPU产品。

据路透社引述消息人士报道,中国政府就企业购买英伟达H20晶片一事,约谈了腾讯、字节跳动等大型互联网公司,要求企业解释采购原因,并对信息风险表达了担忧。

Rebel or traitor? Trial of Hong Kong's rebel mogul Jimmy Lai resumes

14 August 2025 at 06:12
Getty Images Jimmy Lai, in a gray suit and black pants, poses for a photograph during an interview with AFP news agency in Hong KongGetty Images
Lai is on trial for breaching national security and colluding with foreign forces

Hailed by some as a hero and scorned by others as a traitor, Hong Kong's pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai is in the final stage of his national security trial.

Closing arguments begin on Thursday for Lai, who is accused of colluding with foreign forces under a Beijing-imposed national security law.

The trial has drawn international attention, with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calling for Lai's release. The 77-year-old has British as well as Chinese citizenship - though China does not recognise dual nationality, and therefore considers Lai to be exclusively Chinese.

Lai has been detained since December 2020 and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if he is convicted.

Critics say Lai's case shows how Hong Kong's legal system has been weaponised to silence political opposition.

Lai has been a persistent thorn in China's side. Unlike other tycoons who rose to the top in Hong Kong, Mr Lai became one of the fiercest critics of the Chinese state and a leading figure advocating democracy in the former British territory.

"I'm a born rebel," he told the BBC in an interview in 2020, hours before he was charged. "I have a very rebellious character."

He is the most prominent person charged under the controversial national security law which China introduced in 2020, in response to massive protests which erupted in Hong Kong the year before.

The legislation criminalises a wider range of dissenting acts which Beijing considers subversion and secession, among other things.

Beijing says the national security law is necessary to maintain stability in Hong Kong but critics say it has effectively outlawed dissent.

Over the years, Lai's son Sebastien has called for his release. In February, the younger Lai urged Starmer and US President Donald Trump to take urgent action, adding that his father's "body is breaking down".

Rags to riches

Lai was born in Guangzhou, a city in southern China, to a wealthy family that lost everything when the communists took power in 1949.

He was 12 years old when he fled his village in mainland China, arriving in Hong Kong as a stowaway on a fishing boat.

While working odd jobs and knitting in a small clothing shop he taught himself English. He went from a menial role to eventually founding a multi-million dollar empire including the international clothing brand Giordano.

The chain was a huge success. But when China sent in tanks to crush pro-democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989, Lai began a new journey as a vocal democracy activist as well as an entrepreneur.

He started writing columns criticising the massacre that followed the demonstrations in Beijing and established a publishing house that went on to become one of Hong Kong's most influential.

Reuters Lai, dressed in a gray suit and beige pants, walks handcuffed and flanked by three police officers to a police vanReuters
Lai is among the most prominent people charged under Hong Kong's controversial national security law

As China responded by threatening to shut his stores on the mainland, leading him to sell the company, Lai launched a string of popular pro-democracy titles that included Next, a digital magazine, and the widely read Apple Daily newspaper.

In a local media landscape increasingly fearful of Beijing, Lai had been a persistent critic of Chinese authorities both through his publications and writing.

This has seen him become a hero for many in Hong Kong, who view him as a man of courage who took great risks to defend the freedoms of the city.

But on the mainland he is viewed as a "traitor" who threatens Chinese national security.

In recent years, masked attackers firebombed Lai's house and company headquarters. He was also the target of an assassination plot.

But none of the threats stopped him from airing his views robustly. He was a prominent part of the city's pro-democracy demonstrations and was arrested twice in 2021 on illegal assembly charges.

Getty Images "The evil law takes effect and has buried the two systems," read the headlines on copies of Apple Daily in the newspaper's publishing officeGetty Images
Apple Daily was unafraid to be openly critical of the Chinese state

When China passed Hong Kong's new national security law in June 2020, Lai told the BBC it sounded the "death knell" for the territory.

The influential entrepreneur also warned that Hong Kong would become as corrupt as China. Without the rule of law, he said, its coveted status as a global financial hub would be "totally destroyed".

The media mogul is known for his frankness and acts of flamboyance.

In 2021, he urged Donald Trump to help the territory, saying he was "the only one who can save us" from China. His newspaper, Apple Daily, published a front-page letter that finished: "Mr President, please help us."

For Lai, such acts were necessary to defend the city which had taken him in and fuelled his success.

He once told news agency AFP: "I came here with nothing, the freedom of this place has given me everything... Maybe it's time I paid back for that freedom by fighting for it."

Lai has been slapped with various charges - including unauthorised assembly and fraud - since 2020.

He has been in custody since December of that year.

The prosecution of Lai has captured international attention, with rights groups and foreign governments urging his release.

Over the years, Sebastien Lai has travelled the world to denounce his father's arrest and condemn Hong Kong for punishing "characteristics that should be celebrated".

"My father is in jail for the truth on his lips, courage in his heart, and freedom in his soul," he had said.

At the Kennedy Center, Trump Puts His Pop Culture Obsession on Display

14 August 2025 at 07:07
President Trump held forth about the nature of show business and his own tortured relationship with celebrity.

© Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times

President Trump announced the new class of Kennedy Center honorees on Wednesday and revealed that he would host this year’s ceremony.

Bakers on Texas-Mexican Border Are Found Guilty of Harboring Illegal Workers

14 August 2025 at 07:38
Leonardo Baez and his wife were among the first employers prosecuted for taking on undocumented immigrants at their bakery in Los Fresnos, Texas. They face up to 10 years in prison.

© Gabriel V. Cárdenas for The New York Times

Leonardo Baez, the owner of Abby’s Bakery in Los Fresnos, Texas.

Taxi Drivers Near $140 Million Settlement Over N.Y.C. Suspension Practices

14 August 2025 at 07:31
New York City could grant payouts to some 20,000 taxi drivers whose professional licenses were summarily suspended without sufficient due process.

© Yana Paskova for The New York Times

The settlement, part of a long-running class-action lawsuit, has the potential to be one of the largest in New York City’s history, experts said.

乌克兰:俄军在24小时内完成一年多以来的最大推进

14 August 2025 at 07:15
14/08/2025 - 00:59

在特朗普与普京举行峰会之前,欧洲领导人正忙于协商,俄罗斯军队却在推进。

当欧洲领导人正在协商之际,俄罗斯军队却在推进。根据法新社基于美国战争研究所(ISW)与“关键威胁项目”(CTP)提供的数据所进行的分析,8月12日星期二,在24小时内的时间内,俄军在乌克兰境内实现了过去一年多以来的最大推进。而且,在过去几周内,俄军在乌克兰境内的推进一直在持续加速。莫斯科方面本周三还声称又夺取乌克兰东部的 两个村庄。

法新社报道,欧洲领导人正在密集会谈,向美国总统施压,要求乌克兰总统泽连斯基参加定于8月15日星期五在阿拉斯加举行的特朗普-普京峰会。与此同时,8月12日,莫斯科军队相比前一天又推进或宣称控制了超过110平方公里的额外领土。这是自2024年5月底以来从未出现过的情况。过去几周,俄罗斯军队通常需要六天的时间才能推进这么多。

俄罗斯方面本周三还特别宣称,已夺取乌克兰东部的两个村庄。俄罗斯国防部 在一份声明中表示,其部队已占领位于顿涅茨克地区的尼卡诺里夫卡(Nykanorivka)和苏沃罗韦(Souvorové)两地。

顿涅茨克地区属战略要地,莫斯科军队近日在此快速推进,预示着俄军可能会有一次规模较大的突破。

乌克兰方面周三则下令位于该国东部战区附近的部分居民撤离。

乌克兰总统泽连斯基周二也证实,俄军的若干“作战小组”在该地区推进约10公里,但他淡化了俄军的战斗力,称这些是没有重型装备的步兵部队,并保证它们将“很快”被消灭。

乌克兰军队的兵力与装备均逊于俄军部队,数月来一直处于防御态势,尤其是在顿涅茨克地区。这片位于东部的地区,自两年前起便是俄乌交战的主要战场。2025年俄军在乌克兰境内约70%的推进都发生在这一部分前线。自2022年9月起,莫斯科即宣称吞并该地区。截至8月12日,俄方声称控制该地区79%的领土,而一年前这一比例为62%。



'Our children are dying' - rare footage shows plight of civilians in besieged Sudan city

14 August 2025 at 05:09
Watch: BBC obtains rare video from inside besieged el-Fasher in Sudan

The women at the community kitchen in the besieged Sudanese city of el-Fasher are sitting in huddles of desperation.

"Our children are dying before our eyes," one of them tells the BBC.

"We don't know what to do. They are innocent. They have nothing to do with the army or [its paramilitary rival] the Rapid Support Forces. Our suffering is worse than what you can imagine."

Food is so scarce in el-Fasher that prices have soared to the point where money that used to cover a week's worth of meals can now buy only one. International aid organisations have condemned the "calculated use of starvation as a weapon of war".

The BBC has obtained rare footage of people still trapped in the city, sent to us by a local activist and filmed by a freelance cameraman.

The Sudanese army has been battling the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for more than two years after their commanders jointly staged a coup, and then fell out.

El-Fasher, in the western Darfur region, is one of the most brutal frontlines in the conflict.

Children sit around a bowl and eat in Darfur
This may be the only meal these children get for a day

The hunger crisis is compounded by a surge of cholera sweeping through the squalid camps of those displaced by the fighting, which escalated this week into one of the most intense RSF attacks on the city yet.

The paramilitaries tightened their 14-month blockade after losing control of the capital Khartoum earlier this year, and stepped up their battle for el-Fasher, the last foothold of the armed forces in Darfur.

In the north and centre of the country where the army has wrestled back territory from the RSF, food and medical aid have begun to make a dent in civilian suffering.

But the situation is desperate in the conflict zones of western and southern Sudan.

At the Matbakh-al-Khair communal kitchen in el-Fasher late last month, volunteers turned ambaz into a porridge. This is the residue of peanuts after the oil has been extracted, normally fed to animals.

Sometimes it is possible to find sorghum or millet but on the day of filming, the kitchen manager says: "There is no flour or bread."

"Now we've reached the point of eating ambaz. May God relieve us of this calamity, there's nothing left in the market to buy," he adds.

The UN has amplified its appeal for a humanitarian pause to allow food convoys into the city, with its Sudan envoy Sheldon Yett once more demanding this week that the warring sides observe their obligations under international law.

The army has given clearance for the trucks to proceed but the UN is still waiting for official word from the paramilitary group.

RSF advisers have said they believed the truce would be used to facilitate the delivery of food and ammunition to the army's "besieged militias" inside el-Fasher.

They have also claimed the paramilitary group and its allies were setting up "safe routes" for civilians to leave the city.

Local responders in el-Fasher can receive some emergency cash via a digital banking system, but it does not go very far.

"The prices in the markets have exploded," says Mathilde Vu, advocacy manager for the Norwegian Refugee Council.

"Today, $5,000 [£3,680] covers one meal for 1,500 people in a single day. Three months ago, the same amount could feed them for an entire week."

Doctors say people are dying of malnutrition. It is impossible to know how many - one report quoting a regional health official put the number at more than 60 last week.

Hospitals cannot cope. Few are still operating. They have been damaged by shelling and are short of medical supplies to help both the starving, and those injured in the continual bombardment.

"We have many malnourished children admitted in hospital but unfortunately there is no single sachet of [therapeutic food]," says Dr Ibrahim Abdullah Khater, a paediatrician at the Al Saudi Hospital, noting that the five severely malnourished children currently in the ward also have medical complications.

"They are just waiting for their death," he says.

When hunger crises hit, those who usually die first are the most vulnerable, the least healthy or those suffering from pre-existing conditions.

"The situation, it is so miserable, it is so catastrophic," the doctor tells us in a voice message.

"The children of el-Fasher are dying on a daily basis due to lack of food, lack of medicine. Unfortunately, the international community is just watching."

International non-governmental organisations working in Sudan issued an urgent statement this week declaring that "sustained attacks, obstruction of aid and targeting of critical infrastructure demonstrate a deliberate strategy to break the civilian population through hunger, fear, and exhaustion".

They said that "anecdotal reports of recent food hoarding for military use add to the suffering of civilians".

"There is no safe passage out of the city, with roads blocked and those attempting to flee facing attacks, taxation at checkpoints, community-based discrimination and death," the organisations said.

Hundreds of thousands of people did flee in recent months, many from the Zamzam displaced persons camp at the edge of el-Fasher, seized by the RSF in April.

They arrive in Tawila, a town 60km (37 miles) west of the city, weak and dehydrated, with accounts of violence and extortion along the road from RSF-allied groups.

Life is safer in the crowded camps, but they are stalked by disease - most deadly of all: cholera.

It is caused by polluted water and has killed hundreds in Sudan, triggered by the destruction of water infrastructure and lack of food and medical care, and made worse by flooding due to the rainy season.

Medics look at a female patient with a drip at a health centre in Sudan
Makeshift centres have been built to treat patients who have cholera

Unlike el-Fasher, in Tawila aid workers at least have access, but their supplies are limited, says John Joseph Ocheibi, the on-site project coordinator for a group called The Alliance for International Medical Action.

"We have shortages in terms of [washing facilities], in terms of medical supplies, to be able to deal with this situation," he tells the BBC. "We are mobilizing resources to see how best we can be able to respond."

Sylvain Penicaud of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) estimates there are only three litres of water per person per day in the camps, which, he says, is "way below the basic need, and forces people to get water from contaminated sources".

Zubaida Ismail Ishaq is lying in the tent clinic. She is seven months pregnant, gaunt and exhausted. Her story is a tale of trauma told by many.

She tells us she used to trade when she had a little money, before fleeing el-Fasher.

Her husband was captured by armed men on the road to Tawila. Her daughter has a head injury.

Zubaida and her mother came down with cholera shortly after arriving in the camp.

"We drink water without boiling it," she says. "We have no-one to get us water. Since coming here, I have nothing left."

Back in el-Fasher we hear appeals for help from the women clustered at the soup kitchen - any kind of help.

"We're exhausted. We want this siege lifted," says Faiza Abkar Mohammed. "Even if they airdrop food, airdrop anything - we're completely exhausted."

Map of Sudan showing areas controlled by the army and allied groups, the RSF and allied groups and other armed groups

You may also be interested in:

Getty Images/BBC A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News AfricaGetty Images/BBC

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

Cherish bonds of love and friendship this summer, says Kate

14 August 2025 at 05:51
EPA Catherine, Princess of Wales, wears white on a sunny day at WimbledonEPA

The Princess of Wales has encouraged people to "cherish the bonds of love and friendship" this summer, as part of her Mother Nature video series.

In an Instagram post, Catherine narrates over clips showing natural landscapes and people enjoying the sunshine at the beach and in parks.

It is the second such post from the princess this year - she launched the series in May with a special message for Mother's Day.

Catherine has been making a gradual return to public duties since completing chemotherapy treatment last summer.

Most recently she attended both Wimbledon tennis finals, as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, and Colchester Hospital's Wellbeing Garden - both in July.

Alongside the video, which was posted to the princess' official Instagram account on Wednesday, she wrote: "It has never been more important to appreciate the value of one another, and of Mother Nature. Here's to Summer."

The scenery featured was shot at locations in Sheffield, Bradford, North Wales and Anglesey and the south coast.

As part of her narration, Catherine describes summer as the "season for abundance", saying that "as the flowers bloom and the fruits ripen, we too are reminded of our own potential for growth".

A group of dancers from The Royal Ballet School, who performed in a Westminster Abbey carol service hosted by the princess last year, are also featured.

The video concludes with Catherine encouraging us to "embrace the joy to be found in even the most fleeting of moments and shared experiences".

Unlike the first video in the series, published earlier this year, the Prince of Wales does not feature.

In that one, there were shots of the pair walking their dogs in Norfolk. Catherine also alluded to her cancer battle, saying nature had been her family's "sanctuary" for the past year.

Solomon Peña, Republican Ex-Candidate, Sentenced in Politically Motivated Shooting Plot

14 August 2025 at 06:57
Solomon Peña, who lost a bid for a seat in the New Mexico Legislature in 2022, was found guilty in March of orchestrating the attacks against state Democrats.

© Roberto E. Rosales/The Albuquerque Journal, via Associated Press

Solomon Peña was arrested in January 2023. The authorities said he had paid four men in cash to shoot at the homes of certain Democratic officials.

往事和随想|农民养老金十问十答

14 August 2025 at 06:00
CDT 档案卡
标题:农民养老金十问十答
作者:彭远文
发表日期:2025.8.13
来源:微信公众号“往事和随想”
主题归类:养老金
CDS收藏:话语馆
版权说明:该作品版权归原作者所有。中国数字时代仅对原作进行存档,以对抗中国的网络审查。详细版权说明

反对提高农民养老金的各种理由,我基本上都反驳过了,但登陆任何一个平台,在任何一条相关讨论下面,仍然充斥着这样的套话,令人不胜其烦。

为方便传播和大家使用,我收集了最常见的10个借口,并用最简洁的语言回答。请大家截图保存这篇文章,再看到这种不过脑子的话,就可以直接呼他脸上。

01 农民没交社保凭什么领养老金?

在没有社保制度的时候,中国农民有交公粮和“三提五统”,农民把维持最低生活生产之外的一切都上交了,除了不叫社保,比后面交社保的人交得多多了。

在中国建立社保制度之后,体制内和城市工人此前没有交社保,但视同已经缴纳,这就是“视同缴费年限”。这一政策农民被排除在外,如果一视同仁,现在60岁的农民至少有十多年工龄,70岁的农民至少有二十多年工龄,折算下来一个月应该拿多少退休金?

有人坚持认为“农业税是农民租种土地的租金”,那么国家作为雇主是否应为农民“没交社保”负主要责任?按规定雇主应承担三分之二,补缴后农民应该拿多少退休金?

02 养老金多缴多得,少缴少得,不缴不得

这话看似有理,其实不然。

首先它混淆了市场经济和社会保险的不同;其次它混淆了商业保险和社会保险的不同;最后,它混淆了社会保险的不同形式。

只谈社会保险,养老保险一般有三根支柱:一是财政负担的基础养老金,二是雇主和个人共同缴费的职业养老保险,三是个人储蓄的个人养老账户。对于个人养老账户这句话完全正确,对于职业养老保险大体成立但并不完全对应,对于基础养老金来说完全不成立。

基础养老金由纳税人承担,为低收入老人提供基本生活保障(有别于低保,它是普适的,可覆盖多数退休老人)。因为这是公共财政支出,所以遵循的原则是:收入越低补贴越高,收入越高补贴越低,达到一定收入水平不予补贴。

中国目前退休金领取和缴纳并不对等,不完全来自养老保险基金,有相当大的比例来自财政补贴。补贴原则并未遵循世界通行的规则,而是正好相反:收入最高的体制内退休人员补贴最高,人均超过3000元/月,收入中等的企业退休人员人均补贴500多元/月,收入最低的农民人均补贴不到200元/月。

03 城里低收入老人比农民更惨,你怎么不说?

对,所以应该建立普适的基础养老金制度。

我们经常说“提高农民基本养老金”,并不是只针对农村老人,而是针对所有低收入老人,只不过绝大多数农村老人正好属于这一人群。如果你关心城市低收入老人,更应该呼吁提高城乡居民基础养老金。

04 不交钱就能领养老金,以后大家都不交怎么办?

首先,基础养老金的额度不高,根据中国的经济情况,以600元-800元/月为宜。还应设置门槛和阶梯,比如退休收入低于3000元/月才有资格领取,越低领取越多。如果你能接受老了每个月拿不到一千元,当然可以。

其次,可以强制缴纳,社保本质上与税收相似,全世界社保基本上都是强制缴纳的。但应该降低缴纳比例,比如把目前雇主加个人合计24%降低到一半左右,减轻企业和劳动者负担,包括纳税人对体制内的负担。有了基础养老金,职业养老保险的替代率就没必要那么高。

最后,即便真的所有人都不交职业养老保险,相比中国目前的实际情况,未必是一件坏事:中国目前退休老人3亿多,按人均不到1000元/月的标准,中国财政完全可以承担,不仅可以缓解即将到来的养老危机,还能大幅度减轻企业和员工负担,极大促进经济发展和个人消费。

05 哪里拿钱给农民涨养老金,你掏钱吗?

首先,在养老保险基金之外,政府每年还有大量的财政补贴用于养老金发放(参见第二条)。

这里面存在严重的分配不公,根据最新的2023年财政部的数据,2200万体制内退休人员补贴超过8000亿,人均每月超过3000元;1.2亿企业职工补贴了7000多亿,人均每月500多;而收入最低的1.7亿城乡居民(农民)才补贴3000多亿,人均每月177元。假如取消所有的养老财政补贴,这笔钱足以建立600元/月普惠阶梯式的基础养老金制度,覆盖80%的退休老人。

换句话说,目前中国养老补贴方式是不对的,雇主和个人缴纳的部分不应补贴(多缴多得),而应全部用于针对低收入人群的城乡养老保险。

此外,目前中国养老支出占整体支出的比例远低于发达国家,也远低于很多发展中国家,还有不小的提升空间。目前中国一年财政支出约30万亿,即便单独再拿出1万亿用于提高农民养老金,养老支出占比仍然处于低位。

06 农民有土地,可以种地为生

农民并不真正拥有土地,土地使用权价值普遍很低。以租金而言,多数地方一亩地一年只能租几百元,很多地方甚至根本租不出去。分摊到每个月只有几十块钱,远不足以弥补养老金数千元的差距。

很多人觉得农村老人可以种地维持生计,请注意我们说的年老体衰的老人。城里人可以退休,重体力劳动者还可以提前退休,农民就应该干到死?如果这个理由成立,是不是给城里老人发个扫把就不用发退休金了?相比城市的就业机会,农民可以种地谈不上优势。很多农村老人情愿去城里当环卫工也不愿意种自己的一亩三分地,这还不够说明问题吗?

最后,可以建立农村老人退还土地换取更高养老金的机制。

07 农民还有宅基地,城里人可没有

城里人虽然没有宅基地,但是有房子。在中国近几十年高速城市化进程中,城里人的房产增值,远远超过农民宅基地的价值——就时代/制度红利而言,这完全不可同日而语。

需要注意到是:农民子弟进城是城里人房产增值的主要原因,时至今日,房价下行,农民的孩子因此背上了沉重的房贷负担,成为所谓“房奴”。

城里人无法买农民的宅基地,这被视为农民的“特殊待遇”,实际上,这不是特权而是对农民权益的损害。如果你的房子被限购,这对你有利还是不利?

08 农村生活成本低,不需要花太多钱

正好相反,在大多数物品上,农村的价格都高于城市,因为城市存在规模效应,能够把成本降到最低。无论是质量、价格还是种类,农村都无法跟城市相比。

很多人之所以有“农村生活成本低”的错觉,是因为农村老人把生活需求降到最低,把生活质量降到了最低。

09 我们这里农民有钱得很,有房租还有分红

听说城里家家都是拆迁户,每家都有几套房,光房租已经花不完了,还要退休金干嘛?很多城里人视野所及,最远只能看到城郊农民,而看不到更远更普遍的农民。

不过,确实应该区别对待。如前所述,基础养老金应设置收入门槛,高于一定水平就应该取消领取资格,这里的“收入”可包括房租、土地出租、集体分红、退休返聘收入等。

10 进体制的门敞开着,你不去考能怪谁?

皇帝轮流做,明年到我家,你干嘛不去做皇帝?

都抢着进体制内,谁来养体制内?这样的制度能长久吗?

就写到这里吧。其实,在大多数农民每个月不到200元养老金的现实面前,不需要任何理由——不管它是什么原因导致的,都应该改变。

我们不是要说服他们,在利益面前,是说服不了的;我们是要用事实、逻辑、道理,以及我们的声量,压过他们。

特朗普: 如果与普京会谈顺利的话,很快与泽连斯基和普京举行三边会谈

14 August 2025 at 06:45
14/08/2025 - 00:33

法新社报道,特朗普在被问及定于周五在安克雷奇与俄罗斯总统的面谈时告诉记者: “如果第一次会谈顺利,我们将很快举行第二次会谈。”

俄罗斯攻势升级,加上泽连斯基没有受邀前往安克雷奇,加剧了人们对特朗普和普京可能达成协议、迫使乌克兰做出痛苦让步的担忧。

特朗普在2024年竞选期间曾数十次承诺,将在就职第一天结束冲突,但在达成和平协议方面却进展甚微。

德国总理默茨: 特朗普和普京谈完之后,进一步的谈判乌克兰必须参与

14 August 2025 at 06:45
14/08/2025 - 00:24

法新社报道,默茨在与特朗普和欧洲领导人举行在线会议后表示:“乌克兰必须参与后续会谈。”他还补充说,在进行任何和平谈判之前,“必须先停火”。

乌克兰总统泽连斯基周三飞往柏林与默茨会面,随后两人与其他欧洲领导人一起与特朗普举行会谈。

其他参加通话的领导人包括法国总统马克龙、英国首相斯塔默以及欧盟和北约领导人。

默茨表示,停火“必须成为起点”,谈判必须包括对基辅的强有力安全保障,并“成为跨大西洋联合战略的一部分”。

他表示,“乌克兰已准备好就领土问题进行谈判”,但“法律认可俄罗斯占领的问题不予讨论”,而且“不得以武力改变边界的原则必须继续适用”。

默茨说:“乌克兰有希望实现和平。” 他周三召集了与泽连斯基和欧洲领导人的会晤,试图说服特朗普在与普京的峰会上尊重基辅的利益。

德国总理表示,会谈“非常富有建设性”。

他说:我们一致同意,在与普京总统会晤后,特朗普总统将首先通知乌克兰总统,然后立即通知欧洲各国国家元首和政府首脑。

 



英国首相斯塔默: 将积极的外交与对乌克兰的军事支持和对俄罗斯的压力结合起来

14 August 2025 at 06:45
14/08/2025 - 00:28

斯塔默在欧洲领导人会议上表示:“这场冲突已经持续了三年多,我们还没有找到任何……可行的停火方案。”

他在与德国总理默茨和法国总统马克龙共同主持的视频会议上表示:“现在我们确实有这个机会,因为美国总统努力了”。

乌克兰总统泽连斯基和目前正在英国访问的美国副总统万斯也参加了这次电话会议。

斯塔默表示,特朗普和普京周五在阿拉斯加的会晤“至关重要”,但他重申“没有乌克兰,就不应该进行任何关于乌克兰的谈判”。

他说:“这是一个关键时刻,我们必须将积极的外交与对乌克兰的军事支持和对俄罗斯的压力结合起来,”

马克龙:乌克兰的领土问题只能由乌克兰总统来谈判

14 August 2025 at 06:45
14/08/2025 - 00:20

马克龙在与美国总统特朗普通话后告诉记者:“有关乌克兰的领土问题只能由乌克兰总统来谈判

他表示,目前“没有正式的土地交换方案”。

马克龙表示,特朗普将于周五与俄罗斯总统普京会晤,寻求乌克兰停火,并补充说这个目标“非常重要”,“我们支持”。

马克龙表示,特朗普还将推动未来与普京和泽连斯基举行三边会晤,马克龙希望这样的会晤能够在欧洲“一个各方都能接受的中立国家”举行。

 

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