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Today — 5 January 2025News

Severe winter storm puts much of US on high alert

5 January 2025 at 12:43
Getty Images Snow falls outside the US CapitolGetty Images

Tens of millions of Americans are bracing for a huge winter storm that could bring the heaviest snowfall and coldest temperatures in over a decade.

The storm, which started in the middle of the US, will move east in the next couple of days, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

Parts of the US not accustomed to severe cold, including Mississippi and Florida, have been warned to expect treacherous conditions.

Forecasters say the extreme weather is being caused by the polar vortex, an area of cold air that circulates around the Arctic.

"For some, this could be the heaviest snowfall in over a decade," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

AccuWeather forecaster Dan DePodwin said: "This could lead to the coldest January for the US since 2011."

He added that "temperatures that are well below historical average" could linger for a week.

Those low temperatures will be on the east coast as well, where the storm is expected to reach by Sunday evening.

In the central US, there will be "considerable disruptions to daily life" and "dangerous or impossible driving conditions and widespread closures" into Sunday, according to the NWS.

Some areas of Kansas and Indiana could see at least 8in (20.3cm) of snow.

In parts of the Midwest, blizzards are possible.

"Whiteout conditions will make travel extremely hazardous, with impassable roads and a high risk of motorists becoming stranded," the NWS warned.

Sleet and freezing rain is forecast for Missouri, Illinois, and swathes of Kentucky and West Virginia.

As the storm moves east, millions more Americans will see record low temperatures, forecasters said.

Cities including Washington DC, Baltimore and Philadelphia are preparing for snowy and icy conditions from Sunday into Monday. Snowfall of between 5-12in could be recorded in parts of Virginia.

Also on Sunday, portions of the southern US including Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi may see severe thunderstorms.

Private meteorologist Ryan Maue said: "It's going to be a mess, a potential disaster. This is something we haven't seen in quite a while."

American, Delta, Southwest and United airlines are waiving change fees for passengers because of the potential flight disruptions.

How Hybrid Tactics Targeted NATO Allies in 2024: Drones, Exploding Parcels, Sabotage

4 January 2025 at 19:12
Russia and other hostile states have become increasingly brazen in adopting “gray zone” attacks against Europe and the United States, leaving defense officials with a dilemma: How to respond?

© Ronald Wittek/EPA, via Shutterstock

Ramstein Air Base in Germany, one of the biggest U.S. posts in Europe, where mysterious drones appeared in what analysts suspected may have been a state-sponsored surveillance mission.

Jeju Air’s Problems Mount After Crash of Flight 7C2216

5 January 2025 at 13:01
South Korea’s leading low-cost carrier, heavy with debt and its stock already near record lows, is now facing intense public and government scrutiny.

© Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

The wreckage of the Jeju Air plane that struck a wall at the end of the runway at Muan International Airport in South Korea last Sunday.

Hong Kong’s Cabbies, Long Scorned and Frustrated, Face the End of an Era

A government push to modernize taxi services comes up against the habits of drivers known for driving fast and accepting only cash.

© Anthony Kwan for The New York Times

Joe Fong driving a taxi with five cellphones affixed on his dashboard. He sees no value in antagonizing customers. “You need a ride and I need your money.”

Austria's chancellor to quit as coalition talks collapse

5 January 2025 at 08:04
Reuters Head of Austrian People's Party (OEVP) and Chancellor Karl Nehammer addresses the media during the election campaign in Vienna, 5 Sep 24Reuters

Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer says he will resign in the coming days, both as chancellor and party leader, after talks about forming a coalition government collapsed.

The chancellor said his party - the conservative People's Party (ÖVP) - and the Social Democrats had failed to agree on key issues.

The liberal Neos, another party involved in the talks, also pulled out on Friday.

In September the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) won an unprecedented victory in Austria's general election, but the other parties ruled out forming a coalition with the FPÖ's leader Herbert Kickl.

The collapse of the talks could lead to the conservatives negotiating with the far-right, or to a new election taking place, analysts have said.

The Russia-friendly FPÖ has been in a ruling coalition before. It would likely welcome a new election as opinion polls suggest its popularity has grown further since September.

The FPÖ has said in a statement on X that three months have been lost by the coalition talks and adds that "instead of stability, we have chaos".

The party has called for Social Democrat leader Andreas Babler to also resign and said President Alexander Van der Bellen bears "a significant share of responsibility for the chaos that has arisen and the lost time".

The FPÖ won almost 29% of the vote in September's election, the People's Party came second with 26.3% and the Social Democrats third, with 21%.

There was a high turnout of 77.3% as Austrian voters took part in an election dominated by the twin issues of migration and asylum, as well as a flagging economy and the war in Ukraine.

The FPÖ's Kickl promised to build "Fortress Austria", to restore Austrians' security and prosperity.

The party wants firm rules on legal immigration and it has promoted the idea of remigration, which involves sending asylum seekers to their original countries.

The FPÖ was founded by former Nazis in the 1950s.

Two days before last year's general election vote some of its candidates were caught on video at a funeral where an SS song was sung.

The party later denied the song, dating back to 1814, had any link to "National Socialist sentiments".

【CDT报告汇】CECC年度报告:从强迫劳动到技术支持,西方企业充当中共镇压人权的同谋(外二篇)

5 January 2025 at 10:01

blockquote>

编者按:《CDT报告汇》栏目收录和中国言论自由及其他人权问题相关的报告资讯。这些报告的来源多种多样,包括机构调查、学术研究、媒体报道和网民汇集等等。也欢迎读者向我们推荐值得关注的报告。

中国数字时代本周推荐媒体:

“真实故事奖”(True Story Award) :是首个全球新闻报道奖项,旨在表彰全球各地高质量的新闻报导,评选作品涵盖中文在内的9 种语言。

2025获奖中文作品:
【在場】國境之間:「春天革命」與泰緬邊界上的緬甸流亡者
【端传媒,在場】被两地“驱逐”的人
【澎湃新闻网】我是董宇,不是“铁生”
【三联生活周刊】梅大高速塌方:没有抵达家乡的打工者
【凤凰周刊冷杉RECORD】《隐痛66岁:当一位农村女性遭受三次性侵》
【GQ】以AI之名:一个父亲复生女儿的决心
【 正面连接】从家中偷走一个11岁女孩
【《人物》杂志】一个高中生和她拍下的117根手指
【Women我们】软肋

一、CECC 年度报告:2024 中国人权状况依旧恶劣,西方企业充当帮凶

2024 年底,美国国会及行政当局中国委员会 (CECC) 照例发布了中国人权状况和法治发展 2024 年度报告,结果显示,中国 2024 年人权依旧恶劣。然而,报告特别指出,大量西方企业参与其中,是中共侵犯人权的“同谋” (complicity)。

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报告封面
CDT 档案卡
标题:【CDT报告汇】CECC年度报告:从强迫劳动到技术支持,西方企业充当中共镇压人权的帮凶(外二篇)
作者:中国数字时代
发表日期:2025.1.4
主题归类:强迫劳动
主题归类:俄乌战争
主题归类:良心犯
CDS收藏:公民馆
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

CECC 主席史密斯 (Christopher Smith) 表示:“在今天发布的 2024 年度报告中,CECC 再次与中国人民站在一起,对抗中国共产党…… 我们还严厉批评了那些与这些侵害行为有牵连的西方企业,包括那些使用被强迫劳动污染的供应链的企业。从此以后,他们再也不能说:‘我们不知道。’”

具体来讲,西方企业协助中共侵犯人权主要在于“使用强迫劳动和协助中国创建大规模生物特征监控系统”。

比如,报告特别点名德国知名汽车制造商大众汽车 (Volkswagen)。委员会称,有明确证据显示:大众汽车不仅涉嫌违反《防止强迫维吾尔人劳动法》的进口规定,还在新疆维吾尔自治区吐鲁番市利用遭强迫的维吾尔劳工修建测试跑道。

报告还提及了西方公司的撇清责任的办法——“审计清洗” (auditing washing)。这一现象是指这些西方公司雇佣某些审计公司,然后这些审计公司宣称其认证的中国工厂与供应链不存在强迫劳动或其他侵犯人权行为,以此帮助这些公司撇清责任。比如,审计机构“洛宁-人权和尽责商务”(Löning Human Rights & Responsible Business)的一位审计师公开与一次审计报告撇清关系。然而,正是这份审计让大众汽车在 2023 年 12 月声称:“没有发现任何侵犯人权的行为或更为广泛的工作条件问题。”

此外,这份 317 页的报告和去年一样,再次谈及了中国日益恶化的人权状况。报告详细记录了中国当局侵犯人权的行为,包括侵犯公民自由(言论自由、宗教自由和公民社会)、法治、歧视、虐待和人口贩卖、工人权利、西藏、新疆和港澳等问题。

其中,报告在摘要中特别强调了六点问题:

在新疆维吾尔自治区持续发生的暴行。
工会权益活动人士所遭到的镇压,尤其是在过去一年中罢工和劳工抗议数量上升的背景下。
不断推进的对香港民主自由的瓦解,利用国家安全法监禁了逾一千名政治犯。
试图摧毁包括藏人、南蒙古人以及维吾尔人在内的少数民族的语言和文化的行为。
在政治上被视为具有威胁性的公民社会组织和倡导活动上进一步加强控制,包括对宗教信徒和宗教社群的严厉打击。
恢复对朝鲜人的强迫遣返。

最后,该委员会表示,为了应对这些问题,美国国会提出了多项立法以制止这一情况,并表示会继续监督中国的人权状况。

二、美国国家科学院院刊:俄罗斯媒体成功塑造中国互联网的俄乌战争叙事

2024 年 12 月 30 日,《美国国家科学院院刊》(PNAS)上发表了一篇论文 《穿越防火墙:外媒在塑造中国社交媒体俄乌战争叙事中的作用》,结论显示俄罗斯媒体塑造了微博上的俄乌战争叙事。

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文章封面

该研究首先收集了俄乌战争初期(2022 年 2 月至 4 月)微博上与此相关的 43 万余条帖子。研究者与其团队首先使用预训练 BERT 模型从庞大的微博数据中识别出 2,183 个主要叙事(narratives),然后对比分析来自中国、俄罗斯、乌克兰和美国约 10,000 家新闻网站的 826 万篇报道,以评估微博叙事在不同媒体生态系统之间的对应关系、首次出现时间以及影响力传播轨迹。

这一研究的主要目的是分析中国数字审查体系是否使微博用户对国际时事的获取几乎完全依赖官方媒体。

结果发现,俄罗斯新闻网站在与微博叙事相匹配的数量上占据主导,而中国新闻网站仅有约 10% 的微博叙事与之高度关联,甚至仅有 5% 的叙事最早可追溯到中国网站。此外,俄罗斯媒体对微博舆论的整体影响也显著高于中国媒体,其对微博舆论的“引导力”占比高达近八成。换言之,尽管中国的数字审查制度被普遍视为“防火墙”,但该研究显示,微博上与俄乌冲突相关的信息并非仅由中国官方媒体“把关”,而是受到外语媒体(尤其是俄语媒体)的显著影响。研究者指出,这一结果与传统的“信息孤岛”假说并不完全吻合。

最后,作者表示:“总体而言,这些结果表明,尽管中国实行严格的审查制度,但中国民众在数字领域并未与世界其他国家隔绝。中国国家媒体并不是国内观众了解外交事务的唯一守门人。我们的研究结果还强调,英语或纯粹西方导向的视角可能会导致人们误以为中国在数字领域是孤立的。考虑到其他语言和背景,很明显,在中国境外流传的叙事也出现在中国互联网上。”

三、维权网:十二月中国新增41名良心犯

公民维权志愿者联网组织维权网于12月31日发布了十二月《中国大陆在押政治犯、良心犯月度报告》。根据该报告,维权网上期名录中的44人已被刑满释放或取保获释。本期获悉有2名良心犯在狱中被迫害致死。并获悉有被羁押的3人被判刑,9人狱中有新动态。同时,本期新增被刑事拘留/被精神病/强迫失踪3人以及38人被判刑,共计41人。被捕的主要原因是维权上访,参加宗教活动,以及参加民主人权活动等。

1、本月获悉上期名录中刑满释放及取保获释的44人的名单:

白彦宾、卞丽训、常秀娥、陈淑琴、杜志俊、

范一平、何庆云、胡德元、黄爱华、江笑容、

金永新、靳玉玲、景润茹、寇爱梅、李萍、

栗静、 林国兰、刘淑萍、刘嗣祖、娄亚红、

马庆霞、梅新英、潘冬梅、任桂芬、孙淑杰、

汤芳琼、王红、 王卫真、吴玉娟、夏忆林、

徐建鑫、袁王柱、袁文格、曾永昭、张凤莲、

张美玲、张宪、 张小荣、赵常碧、卓顺珍、

江贤俊、訚爱梅、段振伟、曹培植、

2、羁押人员3人被判刑:

7年:董郁玉、

4年6个月:张忠顺、

2年6个月:宋泽、

3、被刑事拘留、被精神病、强迫失踪3人:

李宜雪:江西维权人士,女。李宜雪女士维权事件源于其在2022年4月14日遭派出所辅警猥亵,并在向警方指控后,竟然被警方送至江西省精神病院强制入院56日的事件。2022年12月21日,南昌市公安局西湖分局发通报回应,认定涉事辅警赖某吉不存在猥亵行为,并指李宜雪在2022年4月中先后4次在公共场合扬言自杀、自称患有抑郁症、难以入睡,丁公路派出所因此将其送至江西省精神病院,医院诊断后收治入院,民警也于当日通知家属。李宜雪后以医疗损害责任纠纷为由起诉江西省精神病院,并在网上曝光遭遇、发视频回应通报。2022年12月6日,诉江西省精神病院案一审开庭,庭审约两个小时,法院宣布择期宣判。2024年12月14日,李宜雪发布两则短视频称西湖分局筷子巷派出所所长带十余人闯入家中并破坏门口监控设备,此后李宜雪失联,引发网民持续关注。西湖区委宣传部12月17日通报称,当地小区此后每日上门关心,李宜雪一直在家中。大批中国大陆网民尝试多种方式联系李宜雪未果。2024年12月22日,南昌市公安局西湖分局、西湖区南浦街道办事处发布通告称,12月13日夜间北京安定医院3名专家(另5名民警、1名小区干部陪同)已在协商后上门到李宜雪家中为李宜雪鉴定,并与李宜雪父亲谈话,12月21日北京安定医院作出李宜雪患有强迫性障碍、人格障碍,鉴于李宜雪当前病情,22日已将其送诊。上述公告并未打消公众质疑,相反,大陆民间舆论对中共当局再次强制将李宜雪关进精神病院一事表达强烈的不满,谴责之声一夜之间如海啸一般。

多杰旦仁:藏族,他是位于青海果洛州久治县的多杰旦民族职业技术学校校长。多杰旦仁波切于2024年11月初被失踪,中共当局警告当地僧俗民众不得谈论他被失踪情况和传送他的开示视频等。多杰旦职业学校有1300多学生,藏人开始担心这个职校的命运。

刘汉斌:重庆自媒体人,网名:文艺犯。2024年11月27日,刘汉斌因公开声援内蒙古清河县失地农民维权,被内蒙古呼和浩特警方以涉嫌“寻衅滋事罪”跨省抓捕,并被刑事拘留,目前关押在呼和浩特市第一看守所。律师提出取保候审的请求,于2024年12月6日被呼和浩特警方以“案件重大复杂”为由拒绝,并且限制律师的正常会见权利。刘汉斌是一名长期关注社会问题、敢于揭露真相的自媒体人。他通过个人平台记录和揭露中国基层社会的不公现象,特别是失地农民的困境。此次事件的起因是刘汉斌公开支持内蒙古清河县失地农民的维权行动,揭露当地政府强行征地、补偿不足等问题。这些失地农民多年来上访未果,甚至遭到地方政府的暴力打压和非法拘禁。

4、本期新增被判刑的38人名单:

16年:帕尔哈提·吐尔逊(维)、

10年:任建平、毛丽旦·依拉吾冬(维)、李卓忠、廖燕琼、

9年:杜秀艳、

7年9个月:邹家成、

7年6个月:陈敏、

7年:高晓颖、张秀芳、赵家贤、

6年9个月:林卓廷、

6年6个月:彭卓棋、李秀珍、

6年1个月:钟锦麟、

6年:姚锡锐、

5年:谢育军、

4年6个月:丛伟、

4年:杨秀花、黄邵溥、王建、

3年6个月:李孟君、刘春华、

3年3个月:李春丰、

3年:段桂秀、张旭、金宝存、杨淑玉、

2年10个月:杨洁、

2年6个月:张淑杰、赵鸿娥、

2年:朱亚梅、

1年9个月:王改梅、

1年6个月:杨毓萍、

1年4个月:杨美华、

1年:孙超、李俊飞、苑俊丰、

5、本期获悉狱中被迫害致死的2人名单:

王忠实、姚静娇、

截止发稿为止,中国目前共有1651名在押政治犯、良心犯。其中,死缓11人,无期徒刑18人,有期徒刑1387人,刑期不明24人,羁押未判235人,另有大量人员 “被精神病” 和强迫失踪并未完全记录在内。

每位政治犯、良心犯的被捕原因详情请访问维权网:《维权网:中国大陆在押政治犯、良心犯月度报告(2024年12月31日)第111期(共1651人)》

此外,我们还需要关注的有非营利组织中国劳工通讯对于中国劳工权利的追踪报道。十二月份中国发生了安全事故0起,工人集体行动166起,工人求助36起。

Guatemalan forces arrive in Haiti to fight gangs

5 January 2025 at 10:10
Reuters Guatemalan soldiers hold a Guatemala flag as they arrive in Haiti for a security mission, at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, HaitiReuters
Guatemalan security forces hold their country's flag as they arrive in Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince

A contingent of 150 Guatemalan soldiers has arrived in Haiti, tasked with helping to restore order amid the chaos wrought by armed gangs.

A first group of 75 soldiers arrived on Friday and another 75 on Saturday, all drafted from the military police, according to Guatemala's government.

A state of emergency has been in place across the Caribbean nation for months as the government battles violent gangs that have taken control of much of Port-au-Prince.

The forces are in Haiti to boost a United Nations-backed security mission led by Kenya that has so far failed to prevent violence from escalating.

Kenya sent nearly 400 police officers in June and July last year to help combat the gangs.

This was the first tranche of a UN-approved international force that will be made up of 2,500 officers from various countries.

A small number of forces from Jamaica, Belize and El Salvador are also in Haiti as part of the mission and the US is the operation's largest funder.

In March 2024, armed gangs stormed Haiti's two biggest prisons, freeing around 3,700 inmates.

The Ouest Department - a region including the capital Port-au-Prince - was originally put under a state of emergency on 3 March, after escalating violence gripped the capital.

Chronic instability, dictatorships and natural disasters in recent decades have left Haiti the poorest nation in the Americas.

In 2021, President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated by unidentified gunmen in Port-au-Prince.

Since then the country has been wracked by economic chaos, little functioning political control and increasingly violent gang warfare.

如果数字的她终有一天取代我:来自南周主播的观察

在过去的一年多,有两个一模一样的主播,在主持南方周末“来说说看”栏目的播报。哪怕是这家报社里的员工,可能也分不清两者的区别。

“有一天,我给我7岁的女儿看数字‘小岚’播报的视频。她说,这个人怎么跟妈妈有点不像。我问,哪儿不像,她就说,眨眼有点奇怪。”

(本文首发于2025年1月2日《南方周末》)

南方周末记者 苏有鹏

责任编辑:吴筱羽

(吴筱羽使用AI工具生成/图)

世界上第一位虚拟新闻女主播的生日是2000年4月19日,新世纪到来不久。她叫安娜诺娃,28岁,略带美国东部口音,创造她的英国报业联会觉得,她对男性和女性将具有同样大的吸引力。不过,在24年之后,这位头发、衣服和瞳孔都是绿色的女士,或许会让人联想到被淘汰的电脑游戏。

风向变成了尽可能的真实和完美。

在过去的一年多,有两个一模一样的主播,在主持南方周末“来说说看”栏目的播报。哪怕是这家报社的员工,可能也分不清两者的区别。她们一位是何京岚,南方周末研究院副秘书长,一个7岁女孩的母亲;另一位是数字“小岚”,她拥有和何京岚完全一样的外貌,是何京岚在一个秋日上午的切片。

数字“小岚”存活在每一个何京岚来不及录制视频的时刻,有时,她还能在互联网上收获不错的反馈。当人们越来越担忧工作是否会被人工智能取代时,何京岚已经有了另一种独特体验:人工智能正在压缩人类获得正反馈的机会。

以下为何京岚的讲述。

跨界主播

我第一次作为主播出现在南方周末的视频号上,是2023年4月13日。当时,北京出台了一项征收集体土地的文件,指出,要将“拆迁”改为“搬迁”。我们就从这个切口出发,做了简单的解读。

我一直在南方周末研究院的秘书处工作,日常工作需要和报社内的各个部门打交道,“主播”是一次跨界尝试。就在那个月,全媒体创意内容部的同事找到我,觉得我普通话还不错,就让我尝试出镜口播。刚开始没有把握,一是没有经过专业的训练,二是对形象不是很自信。她又劝我,说暂时没经费请专业主持来做这个事情,我的领导也支持我试一下。我想,组织都不嫌弃我,我也愿意去做一些尝试,就赶鸭子上架了。

大家有一股想到就干的热情。我记得那天是周五,中午我答应了,晚上就要拍。他们想拍出短视频平台上黑色背景、有采访感的片子,可是我头也没洗,穿着一件很随意的灰格子衬衫就上了。相机是和同事借的,

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欢迎分享、点赞与留言。本作品的版权为南方周末或相关著作权人所有,任何第三方未经授权,不得转载,否则即为侵权。

Olympic Sprinter Charged in Confrontation With Miami Beach Police

5 January 2025 at 10:11
A lawyer for Fred Kerley, a two-time Olympic medalist, described the police handling of the situation as “an unreasonable use of force.”

© Daniel Berehulak/The New York Times

Fred Kerley won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Games.

NHS App upgrade to give patients more choice over treatment

5 January 2025 at 08:44
BBC The NHS app is seen on the screen of a smartphone.BBC

Plans for an upgraded NHS App to allow more patients in England to book treatments and appointments will be part of a package of measures unveiled by the government on Monday.

The changes will allow patients who need non-emergency elective treatment to choose from a range of providers, including those in the private sector.

Ministers and NHS leaders will publish this week what is described as an elective reform plan designed to speed up planned treatment.

But the British Medical Association (BMA) said there was a risk the policy would "discriminate or alienate" patients who did not have access to digital technology.

The plan will set out how the government intends to meet one of its key election pledges – for more than nine in 10 patients to have their treatment or be signed off within 18 weeks of a referral by the end of this parliament.

Currently fewer than six in 10 are dealt with in that time. The aim will be to reduce significantly the overall waiting list which stands at just under 7.5 million.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the move will shift the NHS "into the digital age" and help cut waiting times "from 18 months to 18 weeks".

The plans would "put patients in the driving seat and treat them on time", and they would be "put in control of their own healthcare", Mr Streeting said.

Action will also be taken to tackle missed appointments, which can be costly for the health service, including an artificial intelligence pilot to help pinpoint patients that may need extra help to attend.

The Department of Health said the NHS app would allow more patients needing non-urgent treatment to view and manage appointments.

The first step of the plan will come into force in March, when patients at more than 85% of acute trusts will be able to view their appointments on the NHS app.

Reminders would be sent out by hospitals to reduce the number of appointments missed. Diagnostic tests could be booked at specialist centres with the results coming through more quickly.

They will also be able to contact their healthcare provider and receive regular updates, including how long they are likely to wait.

Patients already have the right to choose where they would like their treatment, including in the private sector, but are not always told that. Details of NHS and independent providers will be made clearer through the app.

Some of these features are already available on the NHS app and a website Manage Your Referral. But officials say just 8% of bookings are made through these platforms.

Other plans include expanding a scheme for GPs to discuss some cases with  hospital specialists before making referrals to ensure patients are treated in the right setting.

The current Advice and Guidance Scheme has resulted in 50% of cases being directed to more appropriate care rather than being put on long waiting lists and so reducing pressure on hospitals. These include some ear, nose and throat conditions.

GPs will also be able to refer patients with certain conditions directly for tests or scans without the need to see a consultant first.  The aim is to reduce waiting times and remove those who are given the all clear from waiting lists.

Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, said using technology would revolutionise access to healthcare and put "patients in the driving seat of elective care".

But the chair of the BMA council, Professor Phil Banfield, said the focus should be on patients most in need rather than a "wasteful obsession" with artificial targets.

He said there was a danger patients without access to tablets and smartphones would be alienated.

"We already have a two-tier health system – those who can and cannot pay to access care," he said. "We must guard against creating a third tier of the disenfranchised vulnerable".

Tim Mitchell, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said a new plan for reducing waiting times would be very welcome. But he added the government would fall short of its target without further reform and investment "including upgrading IT and crumbling NHS facilities".

Slicing veggies, baking cakes - will Meghan's rebrand work?

5 January 2025 at 08:33
Netflix A picture of Meghan from her new show, With Love, MeghanNetflix
The duchess's new eight-part series premieres on 15 January

It's the picture of domestic bliss.

The Duchess of Sussex, picking flowers, slicing veggies and decorating cakes in a trailer for her new Netflix show.

There's also a scene where she harvests honey, and hugs her husband, Prince Harry.

Meghan, it appears, has rebranded herself. Her new look is described by public relations expert Chloe Franses as similar to the "trad wife" social media trend, inspired by 1950s housewives.

In that sense, it is a departure for Meghan, who has been known as a feminist and a Hollywood actress.

But Frances says it's actually a return to Meghan's roots, as the duchess used to be a lifestyle blogger before she married Harry.

And as ever with Meghan, it's proving divisive. Franses praises it as "authentic," while Alex Silver, a media relations expert, calls it "tone deaf".

So what's the reason for her new TV show, With Love, and will it work?

'Harry and Meghan are separating their brands'

Reuters A close up pic of Meghan and HarryReuters
Harry and Meghan met in 2016 and married in 2018

One of the most striking things about the trailer is that it's Meghan on her own, rather than with Harry.

Since stepping down as senior royals in 2020 and moving to California, the pair have pursued various ventures together, including starting a production company and charitable foundation.

But with this new show, it looks like the couple increasingly want to do their own thing professionally - and to create two separate income streams.

"They seem to have separated their brands," says Pauline Maclaran, professor of marketing and consumer research at Royal Holloway.

"I think it's likely to be much more successful, because I think the two of them together weren't really getting any strong recognition."

Moving away from royal connections

The relaunch also signifies a move away from royal life.

Since stepping back as senior royals, Harry and Meghan have continued to talk about the monarchy - including in their 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview and Harry's book Spare.

But in this new TV show, Meghan "isn't drawing on her royal connections" anymore, says Maclaren.

Instead, it focuses on lifestyle and wellness - areas she already explored before she met Harry through her lifestyle blog The Tig.

On The Tig, Meghan shared beauty, diet and fashion tips, recipes, travel advice, and words of wisdom about love and life.

The Tig was closed in 2017, but PR experts have said that returning to lifestyle could be a smart move.

"This is a well-trodden path for a woman in the public eye who has a lifestyle that straddles aspirational as well as challenging," Frances says.

Others are more sceptical.

Netflix A scene from Meghan's new show, featuring actress Mindy KalingNetflix
Famous guests star in Megan's new show, including actress Mindy Kaling

"There are more interesting and significant world events that are happening, which she could be talking about," Silver says. "She could've been raising awareness for charitable work or something.

"I think she is all about herself. As a publicist, I can't understand how she can't read a room."

Experimenting in the world of lifestyle has also backfired for some others in the public eye.

Brooklyn Beckham's debut photography book was roundly mocked on social media, for instance - with one picture of an elephant receiving particular ire.

'It's about her own commercial interests'

This is not Meghan's first foray into the business world - an industry fraught with risk and reward.

The couple's previous business initiatives include a multi-million pound deal with Netflix.

They appeared in another Netflix show, called Harry & Meghan, about their relationship. Both were also named as executive producers for the recent Polo documentary, but it drew low ratings from critics including in The Guardian and The Telegraph.

Spotify's big bet on Meghan also fell flat.

In July 2023, the streaming giant and the Sussexes's Archewell Audio announced they were parting ways in a mutual decision.

At the time, experts suggested there hadn't been a big enough audience for Megan's Archetypes podcast to justify keeping it going.

Last March, she launched a different lifestyle brand called American Riviera Orchard. It currently has more than 600,000 followers on Instagram, and features nine posts from when it launched - but there have been no posts since then.

With this new venture, some have speculated that Meghan is hoping to open up further business opportunities for herself, such as partnerships with major supermarkets and brands.

If so, she would be following in the path of others such as Hollywood A-lister Gwyneth Paltrow, with her hugely successful lifestyle platform Goop.

"This is clearly all about her own commercial interests," says Silver.

"They're aware their income is going to dry up at some stage. Their lifestyles are quite lavish, they're mixing in upmarket circles and they don't want to be the poor relation."

Will it change the public's view of her?

When it comes to the new TV show, royal expert Victoria Murphy says she "[doesn't] think there's any doubt that people will watch it initially and it will do well".

But she says the real test is whether it engages a consistently large following and really builds a strong global brand for her outside the monarchy.

McLaren agrees, saying she thinks the show will chime with certain groups of people, particularly in the US.

"A lot of the public won't be interested in this but I don't think that's her aim - I think she'll be trying to get other mothers like herself really."

Silver, for her part, argues that Meghan may be hoping to "detoxify" her brand with the new show.

But she doesn't think the show will resonate with the public.

"I can't imagine this is going to be a well viewed thing," Silver says.

Perhaps the reaction to the trailer tells us everything we need to know about how this latest venture is likely to go down.

After it dropped on Thursday, thousands of column inches were dedicated to it.

The Daily Mail, for example, picked apart every single detail of every frame in the trailer, most of it unsympathetic.

The duchess, it seems, is of never ending interest - especially for the British tabloids. But she also has a core fan base on social media.

For her detractors, they will say this is glossy and superficial, Hollywood at its worst.

But for her fans, they will say it's great to see her back, and that this shows exactly what the Royal Family are missing.

In other words, this is likely to reinforce whatever people think about Meghan on either side.

Additional reporting by Guy Lambert and Nadine Yousif.

Washington Post cartoonist quits after satire aimed at owner Bezos rejected

5 January 2025 at 06:15
Getty Images People walk by the outside of a building that has a sign that reads "The Washington Post"Getty Images

A Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist has resigned from the Washington Post after the newspaper refused to publish a cartoon satirical of the paper's billionaire owner Jeff Bezos.

Ann Telnaes, a long-time Washington Post cartoonist, created a cartoon of Mr Bezos and other tycoons kneeling before a statue of President-elect Donald Trump.

Ms Telnaes announced her resignation in a Substack post Friday: "In all that time I've never had a cartoon killed because of who or what I chose to aim my pen at. Until now."

David Shipley, the editorial page editor at the paper, said he decided not to run the cartoon in order to avoid repetition, not because it mocked the paper's owner.

In the cartoon, Mr Bezos, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and OpenAI's Sam Altman are depicted on their knees giving bags of cash to a statue of Trump.

Mickey Mouse is also depicted prostrate in the cartoon. ABC News – which is owned by Disney – last month agreed to pay $15m to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by Trump.

"The cartoon that was killed criticizes the billionaire tech and media chief executives who have been doing their best to curry favor with incoming President-elect Trump," Ms Telnaes wrote in her resignation announcement.

She said the cartoon was satirising "these men with lucrative government contracts and an interest in eliminating regulations".

Ms Telnaes said the Washington Post's refusal to run the cartoon was a "game changer" and described it as "dangerous for a free press".

But Mr Shipley told the BBC his decision not to publish the cartoon was because of repetition of another piece set to publish.

"I respect Ann Telnaes and all she has given to The Post. But I must disagree with her interpretation of events," he said in a statement. "Not every editorial judgment is a reflection of a malign force."

He added: "My decision was guided by the fact that we had just published a column on the same topic as the cartoon and had already scheduled another column – this one a satire – for publication."

Last month, Mr Bezos announced Amazon would donate $1m to Trump's inauguration fund and make a $1m in-kind contribution.

Mr Bezos also described Trump's re-election victory as "an extraordinary political comeback" and dined with him at the president-elect's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

The newspaper faced a liberal backlash weeks before the November presidential election after Mr Bezos interceded to prevent the editorial board endorsing Vice-President Kamala Harris.

Mr Bezos defended the move, but the newspaper reported it lost more than 250,000 subscribers following the decision.

The Los Angeles Times, whose owner Patrick Soon-Shiong is also depicted in the now-killed cartoon, made a similar move and said the newspaper would not publish its endorsement of Harris in October.

Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet among stars gathering for Golden Globes

5 January 2025 at 08:36
Getty Images Zendaya at the Los Angeles premiere of "Challengers" held at Regency Village Theatre on April 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaGetty Images
Zendaya is nominated for her performance in sports drama Challengers

The Golden Globe Awards take place later, with Emilia Pérez, Conclave, Anora and The Brutalist in the running for the top prizes.

Film acting nominees include Zendaya, for tennis drama Challengers, and Timothée Chalamet for his starring role in Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are both up for their roles as sorcery students in Wicked, the musical adaptation of the hit stage show, while Daniel Craig is nominated for 1950s romance Queer, Demi Moore is up for body horror The Substance, and Nicole Kidman for erotic drama Babygirl.

Kate Winslet has two nominations - for Lee, a film about war photojournalist Lee Miller, and for her leading TV role in political satire The Regime. Selena Gomez is also up for two - for the film Emilia Pérez, about a Mexican drug lord who changes gender, and TV mystery comedy Only Murders in the Building.

The event marks the first major ceremony of the film awards season, which culminates with the Oscars on 2 March.

The Globes will be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on Sunday evening, beginning at 01:00 GMT on Monday for UK audiences.

A win at the Globes can help boost a film's profile at a crucial time, when Bafta and Oscar voters are preparing to fill in their nomination ballots.

But the Globes is a much less formal event than the Academy Awards, with celebrities generally in a good mood after the Christmas break, ready to mingle over a few drinks and have fun with their acceptance speeches.

The main film contenders:

  • 10 nominations - Emilia Pérez
  • 7 - The Brutalist
  • 6 - Conclave
  • 5 - Anora, The Substance
  • 4 - Challengers, A Real Pain, Wicked, The Wild Robot
  • The Golden Globe nominees in full

Baby Reindeer, Shogun and The Bear are among the shows competing in the TV categories.

In recent years, the voting body behind the Globes has expanded and diversified its membership and brought in a new code of conduct.

The changes follow a scathing investigation by the LA Times in 2021 which exposed various ethical lapses, such as voters accepting "freebies" from studios and PR agencies lobbying for nominations.

Which films are nominated at the Globes?

Searchlight Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg in A Real PainSearchlight
A Real Pain has four nominations, including two for its stars Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg

The Golden Globes split their film categories by drama and comedy/musical, which allows them to nominate more movies and hand out more prizes than other ceremonies.

The film with the most nominations is Emilia Pérez, a largely Spanish-language musical about a dangerous cartel leader who wants to quit the world of crime and live a new life as a woman.

However, several of its 10 nominations are in the same categories - with two nods in best original song and two in best supporting actress.

Other contenders in the musical/comedy category include Anora, the story of a New York stripper who falls for the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch.

The Substance, which sees a woman trade her body for a younger, more beautiful version of herself is also nominated, along with A Real Pain, about two cousins travelling across Poland after the death of their grandmother.

Getty Images Mikey Madison at the 15th Governors Awards held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood on November 17, 2024 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaGetty Images
Mikey Madison is nominated for her performance in Anora, which won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival

In the drama category, acclaimed historical epic The Brutalist follows a Hungarian architect who tries to build a new life for himself in America following World War Two.

It's up against Conclave, based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris, which depicts a group of gossipy and scheming cardinals who gather in Rome to select the new Pope.

Nickel Boys, about two young men forced to attend a reform school in 1960s Florida, and September 5, which dramatises the terror attack on the 1972 Munich Olympics from the perspective of the sports journalists who covered it, are also in the running.

The other drama contenders include the sandy sci-fi sequel Dune: Part Two and A Complete Unknown, about Bob Dylan’s rise to fame in the 1960s.

Blockbusters including Deadpool & Wolverine, Twisters, Inside Out 2, Gladiator II and The Wild Robot will compete for the cinematic and box office achievement award, which was introduced last year to recognise more mainstream films.

Dune: Part Two was not submitted in that category despite its huge financial success, reportedly because the film's producers wanted Globe voters to focus on its artistic merits.

That means if members want to vote for the film, they will have to do so in the main categories.

Which actors are in the running?

Getty Images  Selena Gomez, wearing CHANEL, and Ariana Grande, wearing CHANEL, attend the Academy Women's Luncheon presented by CHANEL at the Academy Museum Of Motion Pictures on December 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.Getty Images
Pop stars Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande are nominated for Emilia Pérez and Wicked respectively

There's a much higher chance of an actor being nominated at the Globes, where there are 36 slots available, than at the Oscars, which have 20.

As a result, the Globes are able to lean in to big celebrity names, ensuring their ceremony is well attended by A-listers, not all of whom will necessarily go on to score an Oscar nomination.

British acting nominees this year include Daniel Craig (Queer) Kate Winslet (Lee), Ralph Fiennes (Conclave), Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) Hugh Grant (Heretic), Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door) and Felicity Jones (The Brutalist).

They are joined by stars including Angelina Jolie (Maria), Nicole Kidman (Babygirl), Demi Moore (The Substance), Glen Powell (Hit Man), Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) and Zendaya (Challengers).

There are two pop stars in the race - with Ariana Grande (Wicked) and Selena Gomez (Emilia Pérez) both in the running for best supporting actress.

Other well-known nominees include Amy Adams (Nightbitch), Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) and Denzel Washington (Gladiator II).

Paramount Denzel Washington in Gladiator IIParamount
Denzel Washington is among the Hollywood A-listers nominated, for his role as Macrinus in Gladiator II

The supporting actor category will see two former Succession stars go head to head - Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) and Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice).

Strong's co-star Sebastian Stan has two nominations - one for playing Donald Trump in The Apprentice and one for A Different Man.

But some of the strongest contenders this awards season aren't necessarily Hollywood A-listers, such as relative newcomer Mikey Madison (Anora), Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez), Brazil's Fernanda Torres (I'm Still Here) and Russian actor Yura Borisov (Anora).

Away from the top categories, other notable nominees include singer Robbie Williams in the best original song category, for Forbidden Road, from his biopic Better Man.

Two of this year's winners have already been announced: Viola Davis will take home the Cecil B DeMille Award, for outstanding contribution to film, while Ted Danson will be honoured with the Carol Burnett Award, for excellence in television.

Who is hosting the Golden Globes?

Getty Images Nikki Glaser performs onstage during The Scleroderma Research Foundation's Cool Comedy Hot Cuisine: A Tribute to Bob Saget at Edison Ballroom on November 08, 2023 in New York CityGetty Images
Nikki Glaser said she hoped to continue the Globes tradition of making jokes about the A-listers in attendance

The Globes have traditionally had excellent taste in hosts, regularly enlisting an acerbic personality to make cutting jokes about the A-list guests.

They are continuing that model this year with US comic Nikki Glaser, who gave a barnstorming performance at The Roast of Tom Brady last summer.

Glaser said she was "absolutely thrilled" to be hosting the Globes, adding she was looking forward to getting a "front row seat" at "one of my favourite nights in television".

"It's one of the few times that show business not only allows, but encourages itself to be lovingly mocked (at least I hope so). (God I hope so)," she said in a statement.

"Some of my favourite jokes of all time have come from past Golden Globes opening monologues when Tina [Fey], Amy [Poehler] or Ricky [Gervais] have said exactly what we all didn't know we desperately needed to hear.

"I just hope to continue in that time-honoured tradition (that might also get me cancelled). This is truly a dream job."

How to watch the Golden Globes

Getty Images Viola Davis attends the 2024 LACMA Art + Film Gala presented by Gucci at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on November 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaGetty Images
Viola Davis, pictured in November, will receive the prestigious Cecil B DeMille Award

US viewers can watch the show live on the CBS network, which is airing the Globes as part of a five-year deal.

It will also stream on Paramount+ with Showtime. The ceremony starts at 01:00 GMT and usually lasts between three and four hours.

UK viewers without a VPN can expect to see highlights on social media, YouTube and news bulletins on Monday morning.

A Frigid First: Chile’s President Visits Antarctica to Bolster Claims

5 January 2025 at 08:51
Chile’s president traveled to the South Pole, the first visit of any sitting Latin American president, according to his office.

© via Reuters

A photograph released by the Chilean Presidential Palace shows President Gabriel Boric at the Ceremonial South Pole during his visit on Friday.

'Powerful yet so humble' - Americans gather to say goodbye to Jimmy Carter

5 January 2025 at 07:26
Watch: Tributes paid to 'great man' Carter at start of state funeral in Georgia

Americans have been gathering to remember Jimmy Carter as a nearly week-long state funeral gets under way for the 39th US president.

Saturday's procession from Carter's home in Plains, Georgia, to Atlanta marked the beginning of the six-day public goodbye for the statesman, who passed away last month aged 100.

Carter will be flown to Washington DC on Tuesday where he will lie in state at the US Capitol before a service on Thursday that will feature remarks from former American presidents.

Mourners from the state of Georgia and around the world have gathered in Atlanta to pay their respects.

Reuters Mourner outside Carter CenterReuters

Among those who came on Saturday was Heather Brooks, an Atlanta resident and "great admirer" of the Democrat.

"[I] found him to be always kind, relatable, just an awesome individual who has done so much for the world, not just America," Ms Brooks told the BBC.

She said she had met Carter a handful of times and described him as "powerful yet so humble".

Paige Alexander, the head of the Carter Center, told the BBC that the ex-president should be remembered for his "sincerity and integrity".

"I mean, at the end of the day, you have a politician who would say during a debate, you know, 'the Honourable President [Gerald] Ford and I disagree on these issues'," Ms Alexander said. "You don't hear that now."

The grassy area outside the Carter Center has been overflowing with flowers, handwritten tributes and bags of peanuts, a reference to Carter's early years as a peanut farmer in Plains.

Reuters A photo of President Carter is seen through a windowReuters

Those who knew the former president well, like Jill Stuckey, a long-time friend of the Carter family, said she will miss his - and his wife Rosalynn's - commitment to helping others.

That's something Ms Stuckey said the couple was committed to "until the day they passed".

"I don't know how we're going to get used to a world without President Carter," she told the BBC.

On Saturday the motorcade passed the Methodist church where the Carters married in 1946, and the home where they lived and died.

The former president will be buried there alongside Rosalynn, who died in late 2023 aged 96.

The procession also stopped in front of Carter's boyhood home and family farm just outside Plains. The site is now part of Jimmy Carter National Historical Park, which rang the old farm bell on Saturday 39 times to honour the 39th president.

The motorcade then stopped at the Georgia state capitol building for a moment of silence led by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.

Mourners will be able to visit Carter at the presidential library on 5 January and 6 January before he is flown to Washington DC on 7 January.

For two days he will lie in state at the US Capitol Rotunda, where the public will be able to pay their respects.

His life will be commemorated at Washington National Cathedral on 9 January in a service attended by several former presidents.

Reuters A sign that reads "Plans, Georgia Home of Jimmy Carter Our 39th President" hangs outside a shopReuters

On top of the political praise Carter is expected to receive in the coming days will be the personal tributes from his extended family.

For Jason Carter, the former president's grandson, it is the personal connection he had with people that he will especially miss.

"I think for many people in the country he was a beacon of love and respect and I think that's worth celebrating," the former Georgia state senator told the BBC.

Austria's chancellor to quit as coalition talks collapse

5 January 2025 at 08:04
Reuters Head of Austrian People's Party (OEVP) and Chancellor Karl Nehammer addresses the media during the election campaign in Vienna, 5 Sep 24Reuters

Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer says he will resign in the coming days, both as chancellor and party leader, after talks about forming a coalition government collapsed.

The chancellor said his party - the conservative People's Party (ÖVP) - and the Social Democrats had failed to agree on key issues.

The liberal Neos, another party involved in the talks, also pulled out on Friday.

In September the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) won an unprecedented victory in Austria's general election, but the other parties ruled out forming a coalition with the FPÖ's leader Herbert Kickl.

The collapse of the talks could lead to the conservatives negotiating with the far-right, or to a new election taking place, analysts have said.

The Russia-friendly FPÖ has been in a ruling coalition before. It would likely welcome a new election as opinion polls suggest its popularity has grown further since September.

The FPÖ has said in a statement on X that three months have been lost by the coalition talks and adds that "instead of stability, we have chaos".

The party has called for Social Democrat leader Andreas Babler to also resign and said President Alexander Van der Bellen bears "a significant share of responsibility for the chaos that has arisen and the lost time".

The FPÖ won almost 29% of the vote in September's election, the People's Party came second with 26.3% and the Social Democrats third, with 21%.

There was a high turnout of 77.3% as Austrian voters took part in an election dominated by the twin issues of migration and asylum, as well as a flagging economy and the war in Ukraine.

The FPÖ's Kickl promised to build "Fortress Austria", to restore Austrians' security and prosperity.

The party wants firm rules on legal immigration and it has promoted the idea of remigration, which involves sending asylum seekers to their original countries.

The FPÖ was founded by former Nazis in the 1950s.

Two days before last year's general election vote some of its candidates were caught on video at a funeral where an SS song was sung.

The party later denied the song, dating back to 1814, had any link to "National Socialist sentiments".

Slicing veggies, baking cakes - will Meghan's rebrand work?

5 January 2025 at 08:33
Netflix A picture of Meghan from her new show, With Love, MeghanNetflix
The duchess's new eight-part series premieres on 15 January

It's the picture of domestic bliss.

The Duchess of Sussex, picking flowers, slicing veggies and decorating cakes in a trailer for her new Netflix show.

There's also a scene where she harvests honey, and hugs her husband, Prince Harry.

Meghan, it appears, has rebranded herself. Her new look is described by public relations expert Chloe Franses as similar to the "trad wife" social media trend, inspired by 1950s housewives.

In that sense, it is a departure for Meghan, who has been known as a feminist and a Hollywood actress.

But Frances says it's actually a return to Meghan's roots, as the duchess used to be a lifestyle blogger before she married Harry.

And as ever with Meghan, it's proving divisive. Franses praises it as "authentic," while Alex Silver, a media relations expert, calls it "tone deaf".

So what's the reason for her new TV show, With Love, and will it work?

'Harry and Meghan are separating their brands'

Reuters A close up pic of Meghan and HarryReuters
Harry and Meghan met in 2016 and married in 2018

One of the most striking things about the trailer is that it's Meghan on her own, rather than with Harry.

Since stepping down as senior royals in 2020 and moving to California, the pair have pursued various ventures together, including starting a production company and charitable foundation.

But with this new show, it looks like the couple increasingly want to do their own thing professionally - and to create two separate income streams.

"They seem to have separated their brands," says Pauline Maclaran, professor of marketing and consumer research at Royal Holloway.

"I think it's likely to be much more successful, because I think the two of them together weren't really getting any strong recognition."

Moving away from royal connections

The relaunch also signifies a move away from royal life.

Since stepping back as senior royals, Harry and Meghan have continued to talk about the monarchy - including in their 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview and Harry's book Spare.

But in this new TV show, Meghan "isn't drawing on her royal connections" anymore, says Maclaren.

Instead, it focuses on lifestyle and wellness - areas she already explored before she met Harry through her lifestyle blog The Tig.

On The Tig, Meghan shared beauty, diet and fashion tips, recipes, travel advice, and words of wisdom about love and life.

The Tig was closed in 2017, but PR experts have said that returning to lifestyle could be a smart move.

"This is a well-trodden path for a woman in the public eye who has a lifestyle that straddles aspirational as well as challenging," Frances says.

Others are more sceptical.

Netflix A scene from Meghan's new show, featuring actress Mindy KalingNetflix
Famous guests star in Megan's new show, including actress Mindy Kaling

"There are more interesting and significant world events that are happening, which she could be talking about," Silver says. "She could've been raising awareness for charitable work or something.

"I think she is all about herself. As a publicist, I can't understand how she can't read a room."

Experimenting in the world of lifestyle has also backfired for some others in the public eye.

Brooklyn Beckham's debut photography book was roundly mocked on social media, for instance - with one picture of an elephant receiving particular ire.

'It's about her own commercial interests'

This is not Meghan's first foray into the business world - an industry fraught with risk and reward.

The couple's previous business initiatives include a multi-million pound deal with Netflix.

They appeared in another Netflix show, called Harry & Meghan, about their relationship. Both were also named as executive producers for the recent Polo documentary, but it drew low ratings from critics including in The Guardian and The Telegraph.

Spotify's big bet on Meghan also fell flat.

In July 2023, the streaming giant and the Sussexes's Archewell Audio announced they were parting ways in a mutual decision.

At the time, experts suggested there hadn't been a big enough audience for Megan's Archetypes podcast to justify keeping it going.

Last March, she launched a different lifestyle brand called American Riviera Orchard. It currently has more than 600,000 followers on Instagram, and features nine posts from when it launched - but there have been no posts since then.

With this new venture, some have speculated that Meghan is hoping to open up further business opportunities for herself, such as partnerships with major supermarkets and brands.

If so, she would be following in the path of others such as Hollywood A-lister Gwyneth Paltrow, with her hugely successful lifestyle platform Goop.

"This is clearly all about her own commercial interests," says Silver.

"They're aware their income is going to dry up at some stage. Their lifestyles are quite lavish, they're mixing in upmarket circles and they don't want to be the poor relation."

Will it change the public's view of her?

When it comes to the new TV show, royal expert Victoria Murphy says she "[doesn't] think there's any doubt that people will watch it initially and it will do well".

But she says the real test is whether it engages a consistently large following and really builds a strong global brand for her outside the monarchy.

McLaren agrees, saying she thinks the show will chime with certain groups of people, particularly in the US.

"A lot of the public won't be interested in this but I don't think that's her aim - I think she'll be trying to get other mothers like herself really."

Silver, for her part, argues that Meghan may be hoping to "detoxify" her brand with the new show.

But she doesn't think the show will resonate with the public.

"I can't imagine this is going to be a well viewed thing," Silver says.

Perhaps the reaction to the trailer tells us everything we need to know about how this latest venture is likely to go down.

After it dropped on Thursday, thousands of column inches were dedicated to it.

The Daily Mail, for example, picked apart every single detail of every frame in the trailer, most of it unsympathetic.

The duchess, it seems, is of never ending interest - especially for the British tabloids. But she also has a core fan base on social media.

For her detractors, they will say this is glossy and superficial, Hollywood at its worst.

But for her fans, they will say it's great to see her back, and that this shows exactly what the Royal Family are missing.

In other words, this is likely to reinforce whatever people think about Meghan on either side.

Additional reporting by Guy Lambert and Nadine Yousif.

Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet among stars gathering for Golden Globes

5 January 2025 at 08:36
Getty Images Zendaya at the Los Angeles premiere of "Challengers" held at Regency Village Theatre on April 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaGetty Images
Zendaya is nominated for her performance in sports drama Challengers

The Golden Globe Awards take place later, with Emilia Pérez, Conclave, Anora and The Brutalist in the running for the top prizes.

Film acting nominees include Zendaya, for tennis drama Challengers, and Timothée Chalamet for his starring role in Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are both up for their roles as sorcery students in Wicked, the musical adaptation of the hit stage show, while Daniel Craig is nominated for 1950s romance Queer, Demi Moore is up for body horror The Substance, and Nicole Kidman for erotic drama Babygirl.

Kate Winslet has two nominations - for Lee, a film about war photojournalist Lee Miller, and for her leading TV role in political satire The Regime. Selena Gomez is also up for two - for the film Emilia Pérez, about a Mexican drug lord who changes gender, and TV mystery comedy Only Murders in the Building.

The event marks the first major ceremony of the film awards season, which culminates with the Oscars on 2 March.

The Globes will be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on Sunday evening, beginning at 01:00 GMT on Monday for UK audiences.

A win at the Globes can help boost a film's profile at a crucial time, when Bafta and Oscar voters are preparing to fill in their nomination ballots.

But the Globes is a much less formal event than the Academy Awards, with celebrities generally in a good mood after the Christmas break, ready to mingle over a few drinks and have fun with their acceptance speeches.

The main film contenders:

  • 10 nominations - Emilia Pérez
  • 7 - The Brutalist
  • 6 - Conclave
  • 5 - Anora, The Substance
  • 4 - Challengers, A Real Pain, Wicked, The Wild Robot
  • The Golden Globe nominees in full

Baby Reindeer, Shogun and The Bear are among the shows competing in the TV categories.

In recent years, the voting body behind the Globes has expanded and diversified its membership and brought in a new code of conduct.

The changes follow a scathing investigation by the LA Times in 2021 which exposed various ethical lapses, such as voters accepting "freebies" from studios and PR agencies lobbying for nominations.

Which films are nominated at the Globes?

Searchlight Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg in A Real PainSearchlight
A Real Pain has four nominations, including two for its stars Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg

The Golden Globes split their film categories by drama and comedy/musical, which allows them to nominate more movies and hand out more prizes than other ceremonies.

The film with the most nominations is Emilia Pérez, a largely Spanish-language musical about a dangerous cartel leader who wants to quit the world of crime and live a new life as a woman.

However, several of its 10 nominations are in the same categories - with two nods in best original song and two in best supporting actress.

Other contenders in the musical/comedy category include Anora, the story of a New York stripper who falls for the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch.

The Substance, which sees a woman trade her body for a younger, more beautiful version of herself is also nominated, along with A Real Pain, about two cousins travelling across Poland after the death of their grandmother.

Getty Images Mikey Madison at the 15th Governors Awards held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood on November 17, 2024 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaGetty Images
Mikey Madison is nominated for her performance in Anora, which won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival

In the drama category, acclaimed historical epic The Brutalist follows a Hungarian architect who tries to build a new life for himself in America following World War Two.

It's up against Conclave, based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris, which depicts a group of gossipy and scheming cardinals who gather in Rome to select the new Pope.

Nickel Boys, about two young men forced to attend a reform school in 1960s Florida, and September 5, which dramatises the terror attack on the 1972 Munich Olympics from the perspective of the sports journalists who covered it, are also in the running.

The other drama contenders include the sandy sci-fi sequel Dune: Part Two and A Complete Unknown, about Bob Dylan’s rise to fame in the 1960s.

Blockbusters including Deadpool & Wolverine, Twisters, Inside Out 2, Gladiator II and The Wild Robot will compete for the cinematic and box office achievement award, which was introduced last year to recognise more mainstream films.

Dune: Part Two was not submitted in that category despite its huge financial success, reportedly because the film's producers wanted Globe voters to focus on its artistic merits.

That means if members want to vote for the film, they will have to do so in the main categories.

Which actors are in the running?

Getty Images  Selena Gomez, wearing CHANEL, and Ariana Grande, wearing CHANEL, attend the Academy Women's Luncheon presented by CHANEL at the Academy Museum Of Motion Pictures on December 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.Getty Images
Pop stars Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande are nominated for Emilia Pérez and Wicked respectively

There's a much higher chance of an actor being nominated at the Globes, where there are 36 slots available, than at the Oscars, which have 20.

As a result, the Globes are able to lean in to big celebrity names, ensuring their ceremony is well attended by A-listers, not all of whom will necessarily go on to score an Oscar nomination.

British acting nominees this year include Daniel Craig (Queer) Kate Winslet (Lee), Ralph Fiennes (Conclave), Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) Hugh Grant (Heretic), Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door) and Felicity Jones (The Brutalist).

They are joined by stars including Angelina Jolie (Maria), Nicole Kidman (Babygirl), Demi Moore (The Substance), Glen Powell (Hit Man), Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) and Zendaya (Challengers).

There are two pop stars in the race - with Ariana Grande (Wicked) and Selena Gomez (Emilia Pérez) both in the running for best supporting actress.

Other well-known nominees include Amy Adams (Nightbitch), Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) and Denzel Washington (Gladiator II).

Paramount Denzel Washington in Gladiator IIParamount
Denzel Washington is among the Hollywood A-listers nominated, for his role as Macrinus in Gladiator II

The supporting actor category will see two former Succession stars go head to head - Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) and Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice).

Strong's co-star Sebastian Stan has two nominations - one for playing Donald Trump in The Apprentice and one for A Different Man.

But some of the strongest contenders this awards season aren't necessarily Hollywood A-listers, such as relative newcomer Mikey Madison (Anora), Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez), Brazil's Fernanda Torres (I'm Still Here) and Russian actor Yura Borisov (Anora).

Away from the top categories, other notable nominees include singer Robbie Williams in the best original song category, for Forbidden Road, from his biopic Better Man.

Two of this year's winners have already been announced: Viola Davis will take home the Cecil B DeMille Award, for outstanding contribution to film, while Ted Danson will be honoured with the Carol Burnett Award, for excellence in television.

Who is hosting the Golden Globes?

Getty Images Nikki Glaser performs onstage during The Scleroderma Research Foundation's Cool Comedy Hot Cuisine: A Tribute to Bob Saget at Edison Ballroom on November 08, 2023 in New York CityGetty Images
Nikki Glaser said she hoped to continue the Globes tradition of making jokes about the A-listers in attendance

The Globes have traditionally had excellent taste in hosts, regularly enlisting an acerbic personality to make cutting jokes about the A-list guests.

They are continuing that model this year with US comic Nikki Glaser, who gave a barnstorming performance at The Roast of Tom Brady last summer.

Glaser said she was "absolutely thrilled" to be hosting the Globes, adding she was looking forward to getting a "front row seat" at "one of my favourite nights in television".

"It's one of the few times that show business not only allows, but encourages itself to be lovingly mocked (at least I hope so). (God I hope so)," she said in a statement.

"Some of my favourite jokes of all time have come from past Golden Globes opening monologues when Tina [Fey], Amy [Poehler] or Ricky [Gervais] have said exactly what we all didn't know we desperately needed to hear.

"I just hope to continue in that time-honoured tradition (that might also get me cancelled). This is truly a dream job."

How to watch the Golden Globes

Getty Images Viola Davis attends the 2024 LACMA Art + Film Gala presented by Gucci at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on November 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaGetty Images
Viola Davis, pictured in November, will receive the prestigious Cecil B DeMille Award

US viewers can watch the show live on the CBS network, which is airing the Globes as part of a five-year deal.

It will also stream on Paramount+ with Showtime. The ceremony starts at 01:00 GMT and usually lasts between three and four hours.

UK viewers without a VPN can expect to see highlights on social media, YouTube and news bulletins on Monday morning.

【CDT关注】歪脑|高耀洁去世一周年: 民间防艾人士今何在

5 January 2025 at 07:25
CDT 档案卡
标题:高耀洁去世一周年: 民间防艾人士今何在
作者:丹木
发表日期:2024.12.30
来源:歪脑
主题归类:高耀洁
CDS收藏:人物馆
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

CDT编者按:2023年12月,有中国“民间防艾第一人”之称的高耀洁医生在美国纽约逝世,享年95岁。2024年12月30日,自由亚洲电台旗下的中文新闻杂志歪脑(WhyNot)采访了与高耀洁有过交往的防艾公益人士,回顾他们近年来所遭受的压力和人生轨迹。文章作者为丹木。本文是节选,点击这里访问歪脑阅读原文。CDT转载保存过多篇来自歪脑的文章,点击此处查看。

2023年12月10日,中国“民间防艾第一人”高耀洁医生去世。12月19日,她的葬礼在纽约近郊芬克利夫公墓举行,约200人冒雨参加了葬礼,其中包括她的亲属、与她一同从事艾滋病公益或晚年照料帮助过她的志愿者、人权律师、学者、媒体人、她治愈过的患者家属等。

这个出生在山东曹县、从小接受传统教育并缠足的地主女儿,熬过了战乱和文化大革命,成为在河南颇有声望的妇科医生,1996年,已经退休的高耀洁在一次会诊中发现患者由于输血感染艾滋病,意识到血库可能被污染,从此走上揭露中国艾滋病血祸、防艾和救助艾滋遗孤的道路。

当人们在纪念和缅怀高耀洁时,另一个绕不开的话题,是她揭露这场公共卫生灾难后受到的打压:她被非法限制人身自由,儿女遭到株连,最终不得不在耄耋之年出走美国,再也不能回到故土。

本文采访了几位从世纪之交开始参与艾滋病公益、并与高耀洁有过交往的人,他们所遭受的压力以及之后的人生轨迹,也是中国社会环境变化的缩影。

胡佳的防艾经历:软禁、毒打、被旅游

高耀洁去世的消息传出后,一位外媒记者试图寻找胡佳——这位从艾滋病公益事业开始逐渐走上异议之路的人权活动家,是高耀洁生前最器重的工作伙伴和晚辈之一。

然而胡佳迟迟没有回复,他沉浸在极度悲伤之中。不仅仅因为高耀洁的去世,更因为他处在国保严密的监控下,无法亲身向这位平生最尊敬的前辈道别。

胡佳与高耀洁最初相识,是在2001年。那一年,胡佳偶然了解到艾滋病正在河南农村蔓延,于是从环保志愿者转向艾滋病工作。年底,他和同伴通过电台募集到保暖衣物等物资,准备捐赠给艾滋村的贫困家庭。

运送物资的卡车被大雪困住,胡佳和同伴在12月24日乘火车先行到达河南。白天,他们在漯河市下车,探访艾滋病人,胡佳第一次见到骨瘦如柴、濒临死亡的艾滋病感染者。“我握着他的手,有一瞬间感觉自己变成了那个垂死的人,透过他的眼睛,看见了站在床前的我,”——胡佳至今仍忘不掉那一幕。午夜,胡佳和朋友们走在上蔡县街头,他们看见一辆送葬的车,车上一身白衣的女人无声地哭泣,宛如幽灵。

圣诞节当天,警察突袭了他们入住的宾馆,将他们软禁四天,并销毁了照相机的全部胶卷。

和警察一起来的,还有一名当地负责艾滋病防治的官员。被软禁的几天里,警察和官员轮番恐吓他们,毫不掩饰对记者和NGO的厌恶与恐惧。“真的是‘金句’频出”,胡佳嘲讽道。他至今还清楚地记得这些政府官员的话:“非政府组织就是反政府组织……我们防火防盗防记者”。他们勒令志愿者把物资交给政府分发,因为“必须让老百姓感谢共产党”。

[…]

村民成刚:“在我眼里,每个生命都是刻骨铭心的悲剧”

记者找到了曾经协助胡佳等人的村民成刚,他介入艾滋病救助工作,是因为他的第一任妻子也感染了艾滋病,感染者和家属通过正常渠道向当地卫生部门官员反映,官员只是说:“谁让你们去卖血?”

成刚不愿回忆前妻的死亡,记者提及艾滋病时,他做了一个“嘘”的手势,以防有人听到。他甚至记不清一些事件发生的具体年份,“巴不得丢掉那些记忆”,他说。

为了替患者和孤儿寻求帮助,成刚带着微薄的打工收入去寻找媒体,但没有媒体愿意报道,他又找到了北京的NGO,此后,他成为了NGO在河南的合作伙伴。成刚负责协助志愿者进村,救助艾滋孤儿,并写下艾滋病村的真实情况,其中一部分甚至在中国疾控中心下属的媒体发表。

这些工作为他惹来了麻烦,一次,他用笔名发表的作品被当地官员看到,官员到村里来打听,成刚假装什么也不知道,问道:“找到这个人怎么办?”官员答道:“抓了撂监狱里去!”成刚吓得赶紧逃离,“鞋子都跑掉了”。为了逃避骚扰和追捕,他露宿过田野、坟地,一度跑到北京,借住在NGO工作的朋友家。

后来,成刚写下的故事被集结成书。他统计了本村2000-2005年死于艾滋病的298人的姓名、性别、死亡时间和年龄,详细记录了部分人为了盖房子、娶妻卖血,最终死于艾滋病的故事,他写道:“对于国家,他们也许是数字,可是在我眼里,每个生命都是刻骨铭心的悲剧。”

这本书注定无法在中国正式出版,只能由公益机构印刷,储存在民间社会研究机构传知行的仓库里。然而,2014年,传知行被查抄、关闭时,这些书也作为“非法出版物”被没收。

如今,时过境迁,成刚也不再“对抗政府”。他开了一家店铺,重新结婚生子,成为了小康之家。他仍然关注着过去并肩战斗的人们,除此之外,他不再过多关注公共事务。

[…]

李喜阁也已经销声匿迹很久,她曾经是中国最著名的艾滋病感染者之一,频繁地参加上访、应NGO和北京高校邀请赴北京讲学,甚至在2005年12月世界艾滋病日期间,登上中央电视台新闻会客厅栏目和北京新闻台“人生热线”节目。2006年,她到卫生部上访,被原籍公安局刑拘,取保候审后仍被软禁。

img

李喜阁(右)与高耀洁的合影(爱知行网站)

2009年后,网上关于她的消息越来越少,现在也几乎没有人能够联系到她。根据多个信息来源提供的消息,她与政府的关系有所缓和,回归了平静的生活。

胡佳有时候会想念李喜阁的二女儿琳琳,当年,他曾经认琳琳做干女儿,李喜阁带女儿到北京治病、上访时,胡佳的母亲主动提出邀请她们到家里吃饭,毫无恐惧与歧视。“琳琳已经是成年的大姑娘了,不知道结婚了没有,”他自言自语,当他提到琳琳或许只能和艾滋病感染者结婚时,语气又充满了遗憾。

李丹:寻找温和的空间

img

李丹(左一)与高耀洁的合照(受访者提供)

随着河南农村艾滋病问题逐渐解决,以及中国政府对民间组织的不断骚扰,当年关注艾滋病议题的志愿者们四散天涯,走上了不同的人生道路。有人选择了淡出社会活动,有人将议题转向人权和民主化问题,也有人选择更加温和的公益活动。

李丹曾经是与胡佳一同工作的志愿者,他毕业于北京师范大学天文系,硕士阶段研究太阳物理,2004年,他决定放弃学位,成为全职志愿者,创办了NGO“东珍纳兰”,东珍的北京办公室与亚洲促进会合作成立了“惟谦艾滋法律中心”,协助艾滋病患者维权,并开展引入国外防艾经验、高校艾滋巡讲等工作。河南办公室则致力于救助艾滋孤儿,在商丘市开设了东珍艾滋孤儿救助学校。

2008年惟谦的一份特刊记录了东珍孤儿学校遭到骚扰的情况:商丘市本地活动家因协助开办学校、接受外媒采访而被以“聚众扰乱公共秩序”的罪名刑拘,当地政府“每天派便衣警察跟踪员工出行、派人深夜闯入东珍员工宿舍进行恐吓骚扰……由便衣警察或雇佣村民对员工进行抢劫和殴打。”由于当地政府的压力,学校最终停止运营。

河南工作结束后,李丹开始致力于对高危群体进行艾滋病防治宣传,但在2011年,他发现这个议题很难得到社会大众的关注,于是转型从事文化工作,尝试开办公共空间、举办活动,为NGO和文化领域工作者提供连结的机会。

李丹本人保持着温和的作风,但2014年后,随着国内空间收紧,他的事业还是遇到了越来越多的困难,“公民社会的人不是出国,就是坐牢”,他说。2019年,他的公共空间关门大吉。他觉得,现在看来,这算是不幸中的大幸,至少不必在疫情期间浪费房租苦熬。

时至今日,李丹仍在国内的审查体系之下从事文化策展工作,致力于举办女性艺术展和国际文化交流。不过,由于网络环境的变化,即使是这样的活动,也难以避免“小粉红”的攻击。2023年底,他的活动被小粉红视为“煽动性别对立”和“勾结境外势力”,遭到一场严重的网络暴力。

(节选)

In Kosovo, Christian Converts Hope to Revive a Pre-Islamic Past

Christian converts in Kosovo, where the vast majority of people are Muslim, hope to revive a pre-Islamic past they see as a key to their European identity.

© Armend Nimani for The New York Times

Two men chatting in front of a church in the village of Llapushnik, Kosovo, where a baptism ceremony took place in November.

Italy’s Prime Minister Visits Trump in Mar-a-Lago

5 January 2025 at 09:12
Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, joins just a handful of other world leaders who have been to the president-elect’s Florida estate since his victory.

© Scott McIntyre for The New York Times

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., on Friday.

Snow and freezing rain sweep UK with amber warnings in place

5 January 2025 at 07:23
Snow and ice warnings issued for parts of UK

Heavy snow and freezing rain are set to bring considerable disruption across the UK, with an amber weather warning now in force.

Parts of northern England, the Midlands and Wales are forecast to be among the worst hit as adverse weather pushes northwards throughout the night, possibly bringing 20-40cm (7.8-15.7in) of snow in some places.

The Met Office has warned of hazardous travel conditions and told motorists it is "safer not to drive". Power cuts are possible and some rural communities could get cut off.

Less severe yellow weather warnings are also in force covering other areas, including Scotland, Northern Ireland and southern parts of England.

The amber weather warnings in place are:

  • A warning for snow and freezing rain covering most of Wales and central England, including the Midlands and the north-west cities of Liverpool and Manchester, until noon on Sunday
  • A separate warning for snow covering most of northern England including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District from 21:00 GMT on Saturday to midnight on Sunday.

Amber warnings are more serious than yellow warnings and indicate a possible risk to life due to severe weather, as well as more significant travel disruption.

Much of England and Wales is covered by a separate yellow warning for snow and freezing rain into Sunday, though there is uncertainty over how disruptive the adverse weather could be, with milder temperatures forecast.

Most of Northern Ireland, as well as an swathe of northern Scotland, are also covered by yellow warnings for snow and ice.

Prof Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that freezing rain occurs when droplets fall onto surfaces at temperatures below zero degrees and instantly freeze, causing a "glazed ice" on the ground.

Snowfall began in western parts of England on Saturday evening, and a zone of wet weather will continue to move northwards across England and Wales overnight, turning readily to snow as it interacts with the cold air that is sitting across the UK.

The heaviest snow is expected in higher parts of Wales, the Midlands and northern England with up to 30-40cm possible over the mountains of north Wales, the Peak District and the Pennines.

At lower levels some disruptive snow is likely but in places this will mix with rain - falling on cold surfaces, leading to the threat of ice.

Cumbria Police said on Saturday afternoon that it had received numerous calls about a multiple-vehicle collision on Wrynose Pass in the Lake District.

Road users in England's north have been warned up to 25cm of snow could hit parts of the network including the A66 Old Spittal, A628 Woodhead Pass and M62 at Windy Hill.

Reuters A stag lies amongst frosty foliage in Richmond Park on Saturday. Only its head and antlers are visible.Reuters
A stag lies amongst frosty foliage in Richmond Park on Saturday

Eastern parts of Northern Ireland could also see a little snow overnight with up to 10cm possible over the hills.

Snow and ice will also affect parts of southern and eastern Scotland through the early hours, with wintry showers in northern Scotland also giving the chance of slippery conditions.

Across southern counties of England and southern Wales any snow is likely to turn back to rain as milder air pushes in - temperatures in parts of south west England could be as high as 12C by the end of the night.

On Sunday further snow is expected to accumulate across parts of northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, where it will remain cold.

Heavy rain will be more of an issue across Wales, central and southern England where milder conditions will develop.

Fresh yellow weather warnings will also come into force in some areas on Sunday.

Heavy rain and thawing snow could lead to flooding in some parts of north-west England and Wales, while localised snow and ice warnings cover parts of Scotland where it will remain cold.

Temperatures are forecast to dip again from Monday, and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) amber cold weather health alerts for all of England remain in place.

You can keep up to date with BBC Weather forecasts online and on the app.

Join the BBC Weather Watchers community here.

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