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Today — 6 May 2025News

Trump considering 100% tariffs on movies not made in the US

6 May 2025 at 04:05
Getty Images General view of the Hollywood Sign above Lake Hollywood on 4 April, 2025 in Hollywood, California. Getty Images

US President Donald Trump says he plans to hit movies made in foreign countries with 100% tariffs, as he ramps up trade disputes with countries around the world.

Trump said he was authorising the US Trade Representative to start the process to impose the levy because America's movie industry was dying "a very fast death".

He blamed a "concerted effort" by other countries that offer incentives to attract filmmakers and studios, which he described as a "National Security threat".

"It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda!" Trump said on his Truth Social platform. "WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!"

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has imposed tariffs on countries around the world.

He argues that tariffs will boost US manufacturers and protect jobs - but the global economy has been thrown into chaos as a result, and prices on goods around the world are expected to rise.

Trump has hit China hardest with his tariffs salvo, imposing import taxes of up to 145% on goods from there.

His administration said last month that when the new tariffs are added on to existing ones, the levies on some Chinese goods could reach 245%.

Beijing has hit back with a 125% import duty on goods from the US.

Other countries currently face a blanket US tariff of 10% until a pause on higher levies expires in July.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said he was meeting with many countries, including China, on trade deals.

He added, however, that he had no plans to speak with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping this week.

Asked if any trade agreements would be announced this week, Trump said that could "very well be", but gave no details.

Trump Administration Asks Court to Dismiss Abortion Pill Case

6 May 2025 at 05:21
The request echoes the position the Biden administration took in the case in January, surprising some observers.

© Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

The typical medication abortion regimen involves mifepristone, which blocks a hormone needed for pregnancy development and was approved for abortion 25 years ago.

Ford Says Tariffs Will Cost Company $1.5 Billion in 2025

6 May 2025 at 05:08
Ford Motor also reported a sharp drop in profits in the first three months of the year.

© Nic Antaya for The New York Times

A Ford Motor plant in Wayne, Mich. The automaker said on Monday that it would drop its forecast for the year, saying that predicting the future had become too hard.

【404文库】“当英语世界创造着占全球60%的互联网内容,中文信息仅贡献1.3%的微小份额,这种悬殊对比揭开了残酷真相”(外二篇)

By: elijah
6 May 2025 at 04:48

CDT 档案卡
标题:【404文库】“当英语世界创造着占全球60%的互联网内容,中文信息仅贡献1.3%的微小份额,这种悬殊对比揭开了残酷真相”(外二篇)
来源:阜成门六号院难得君科学与真相

主题归类:董袭莹董明珠防火墙
CDS收藏:时间馆
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

《404档案馆》讲述中国审查与反审查的故事,同时以文字、音频和视频的形式发布。播客节目可在 Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify 或泛用型播客客户端搜索“404档案馆”进行收听,视频节目可在Youtube“中国数字时代· 404档案馆”频道收看。

欢迎来到404档案馆,在这里,我们一起穿越中国数字高墙

尽管中国的言论审查和舆论管控日趋严峻,国家对公民的监控也无处不在,但我们依然可以看那些不服从的个体,顶着被删号、被约谈、甚至被监禁的风险,对不公义勇敢发出自己的声音。

中国数字时代在“404文库”栏目中长期收录这些被当局审查机制删除的声音。如果您也不希望这些声音就这样消失,请随手将它们转发给您可以转发的任何人。

在本期的【404文库】栏目中,我们将选读过去一周中引起舆论关注的三篇404文章。

一、阜成门六号院|董小姐算是京城婆罗门权贵出身吗?

四月底,北京协和医院医生肖飞的桃色新闻牵出了董袭莹“门阀”事件,该事件在中文互联网上引起网民强烈不满。

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不少网民挖出了“董小姐”的家世背景,并对协和医院“4+4”医学博士项目表示质疑。

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有网民统计,该项目中不少人都是“有关系”的“门阀世家”,认为该项目专为权贵设立。

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面对网民们汹涌的讨论,微博、微信、小红书、抖音等平台均展开了严格审查。微信公众号“阜成门六号院”发表的一篇遭到审查删除的文章中,作者提出另一种看法,作者写道:

董小姐一事不能用权贵模式来解释,更确切是用知识阶层堕落或精英自甘腐败来解释,董被爆料的行为,处处显示出这个家庭的精致利己主义,或极其善于经营:

1.从医的人最起码讲医德,引导自己孙女读医学博士是可以,无可厚非,但是给自己孙女辅导博士论文,又把孩子安排到肿瘤医院这种人命关天地方的一线医务岗是怎么回事?这不是害孩子,更是以后祸害患者吗?

2.董的成长路是被家长精心设计的,从规避高考到美国就读社区大学,然后转学到巴纳德学院,成功获得哥大的名分,再到协和博士班,显示出这个家庭善于利用便捷通道,让孩子获得成功。

并且董家一直善于利用媒体,她上小学时,就登上北京市属媒体;进入协和以及实习后,又找央媒的外围媒体给予曝光,可能家长觉得知名度越高,意味着孩子越成功。

3.董小姐的行为也表明,她是一个很聪明的人,但是又是被溺爱长大的,被家庭灌输追求极致成功,而缺乏道德底线的。比如她与有妇之夫搞婚外恋,还堕胎;再比如,她在2022 年到 2024 年期间,一共发表11篇高水平论文,从骨科到妇科,从放射科到泌尿科,从高分子物理,到化学到生物医学,跨度之大令人咋舌。

这样复杂的高难度学术研究,即使华佗转世也不太可能完成,何况对于一个从经济学转到医学的0基础新手。她的这些运作背后,可以清晰看到家庭给她的穿针引线,以及家庭行事给她的影响。

二、难得君|解读董明珠的”海归间谍论”

除了协和“董小姐”外,另一知名“董小姐”董明珠近日也发表了惊人的“海归间谍论”,一些网民的有关讨论同样遭到审查。微信公众号“难得君”对此发表文章进行评论。

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然而,该文很快便被审查删除。

文中节选部分写道:

2025年4月,珠海格力电器股东大会的聚光灯下,71岁的董明珠以压倒性优势开启第五个任期。

这位曾带领格力从年产值不足2000万的小厂蜕变为千亿帝国的”铁娘子”,本应在这个时刻展现企业家的睿智与格局。然而,当被问及管理层年轻化议题时,她的发言却让全场哗然:“绝不用一个海归派,海归派里有间谍!”
这句话犹如投入湖面的巨石。

次日,”董明珠称海归有间谍”的词条在社交平台阅读量突破10亿,某知识社区相关话题下,留学归国人员集体发声:“我们带着技术回国,不是为了当‘背锅侠’”。

舆论场上,支持者搬出”国家安全”大旗,反对者则翻出格力发展史,从朱江洪时代引进日本压缩机技术,到2013年设立美国硅谷研发中心,格力成长的每个关键节点都深深烙着国际化的印记。

将“海归”与“间谍”简单划等号,暴露出三个深层次问题:

其一,在全球化退潮的背景下,部分企业家的开放心态正在萎缩。某跨国企业高管指出:”如果连最渴望报效祖国的群体都遭质疑,我们如何吸引真正的外籍专家?”

其二,反映出某些企业对人才评价体系的懒政思维。网络安全专家李明认为,”与其搞’海归洁癖’,不如建立科学背调机制,某某对全球人才’敞开大门+严格审查’的模式值得借鉴”。

其三,暴露出传统制造业在转型升级中的认知局限。正如某投行分析师所说:”当特斯拉上海工厂30%的工程师有海外背景时,排斥国际化人才实质是自我封闭。”

更深层的危机在于社会信任纽带的撕裂。据统计,改革开放以来,留学生回国率从2000年的23%升至2024年的82%,这些带着国际视野归来的建设者,不应因个别案例被污名化。

国家安全固然重要,但防范风险的正确方式绝不是”把孩子和洗澡水一起倒掉”。

三、科学与真相|从全球流量排名看中文信息茧房的困局

中共当局“把孩子和洗澡水一起倒掉”的一个典型案例便是建立互联网防火墙。近日,微信公众号“科学与真相”便发布文章,质疑这一现象,但毫无疑问,该文在微信平台很快便被删除。

作者写道:

截止2025年3月1日,根据 Similarweb 网站排名, 当全球网民在Google检索知识、在YouTube观看视频、在Facebook分享生活时,中国互联网用户正困守在一个由百度(第15位)、淘宝(跌出前100位)和微信构筑的数字孤岛。Alexa数据显示,全球前15大流量平台中,仅百度(第15位)、俄罗斯Yandex(第12位)和部分受限的雅虎(第10位)能在境内正常访问。这种物理层面网络隔绝,造就了人类文明史上最吊诡的景观:14亿人口的市场与全球60%的英语信息之间,横亘着无形的数字柏林墙。

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搜索引擎的对比尤为刺眼:Google以853亿月访问量统治着全球信息分发,而百度虽在中国市场独占鳌头,其国际影响力却仅限于中文世界。更令人深思的是,即便在被封锁的状态下,Google仍以断层优势稳居榜首,这种"缺席的统治力"印证了开放生态的顽强生命力。正如三星退出中国仍保持全球销量第一,谷歌被屏蔽13年依然傲视群雄,这些现象都在叩问:我们引以为傲的"市场规模",是否只是温水煮青蛙的幻象?

当英语世界创造着占全球60%的互联网内容,中文信息仅贡献1.3%的微小份额,这种悬殊对比揭开了残酷真相:每个中文网民本质上都生活在经过三重过滤的"楚门世界"。在抖音推送的娱乐至死中,在微博热搜的议程设置里,在微信朋友圈的信息茧房内,人们接触的所谓"海量信息",不过是浩瀚知识海洋中的涓滴之水。

这种认知局限在学术领域尤为致命。维基百科(第8位)作为全球最大的知识共享平台,其英文词条数量是中文版的15倍。当中国学生还在百度百科检索被阉割的知识时,国际学术界早已在arXiv、PubMed等开放平台实现知识共享。更可怕的是,那些呼吁"取消英语教育"的喧嚣,正在将阶层固化推向深渊——精英阶层通过VPN突破封锁获取全球60%的信息,而普通民众却被永久禁锢在1.3%的围城之中。

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[…]那些叫嚣"取消英语"的愚昧,那些沉醉"市场规模"的虚妄,那些迷信"信息管控"的短视,终将被证明是文明进程中的逆流。当俄罗斯Yandex都在努力突破语言边界时,我们是否该反思:困守1.3%的信息孤岛,真的能孕育出引领人类文明的力量吗?答案,早已写在谷歌853亿月访问量的星辰大海里。

以上是本期选读的三篇404文章。文章全文见中国数字时代网站。这些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。

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Amid Trump Cuts, Officials Resign From the National Endowment for the Arts

6 May 2025 at 05:08
Senior officials announced their resignations after the Trump administration withdrew grants from arts organizations around the country.

© Graeme Sloan/Sipa via Associated Press

A group of officials at the National Endowment for the Arts are resigning.

Zhao Xintong makes history as first Chinese player to win snooker World Championship

6 May 2025 at 03:42

Zhao closes in on historic victory over Williams in Crucible final

Zhao Xintong playing a shotImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Zhao Xintong won the UK Championship in 2021

  • Published

Zhao Xintong is just one frame away from becoming the first player from China to win the World Championship after extending his lead to 17-8 over Mark Williams in the final.

The 28-year-old, who is aiming to become the first amateur to triumph at the Crucible, led 11-6 overnight and was able to take three of the first four frames available on Monday to go 14-7 ahead at the mid-session interval.

And when he compiled a break of 52 to win the next, Zhao looked on course to win his second successive match with a session to spare and would record the biggest winning margin in a world final since Stephen Hendry defeated Jimmy White 18-5 in 1993.

Three-time winner Williams averted that possibility, briefly rallying to ensure the contest would at least extend to Monday evening with a break of 66 to get back to 15-8.

However, the Welshman, 50, who is the oldest ever finalist in Sheffield, was unable to make any further inroads.

His Chinese opponent, who was just three years-old when Williams won his first world crown in 2000, capitalised on a missed red to the left middle with a 66 break and cleared up again after Williams failed to drop in a red to the right corner to move on to the brink of a historic victory.

Zhao, who won the UK Championship in 2021 but then served a 20-month ban for his involvement in a match-fixing scandal which rocked the sport, is hoping to join Terry Griffiths and Shaun Murphy as the only qualifiers to capture snooker's biggest prize since the tournament's 1977 move to Sheffield.

He would also earn the £500,000 top prize and climb to 11th in the world rankings when he returns to the main professional tour next season.

The best-of-35 final continues on Monday at 19:00 BST and will be shown live on BBC Two.

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Media caption,

Zhao plays two 'unbelievable flukes' in World Snooker final

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Cable thefts leave thousands stranded on Spanish trains

6 May 2025 at 00:55
Getty Images trains at Santa Justa station, with lots of people on the platform.Getty Images

Thousands of people were left trapped on trains or stranded overnight after the theft of copper cables halted high-speed services between Madrid and southern Spain's Andalusia region.

Authorities opened an investigation on Monday after Sunday's theft, which Transport Minister Óscar Puente called a "serious act of sabotage".

He added that the cable theft took place at five locations, all within a few kilometres of each other on the high-speed line. On Monday morning, Puente said train operations were being "fully restored" .

This travel disruption comes a week after Spain and Portugal suffered a blackout, which similarly saw trains comes to a standstill. The cause is still unknown.

Getty Images Crowds of people stuck at a station.Getty Images
More than 10,000 passengers were affected by the cables theft
Getty Images man lying on floor wrapped in blanket. near him, sits a woman cross legged on her phone and a suitcases next to her. There is another woman wearing a backpack with her back to the cameraGetty Images
Passengers were left stranded overnight following the travel chaos

"All of a sudden in the last two weeks - what is going on?" Kevin, a tourist from the US told Reuters news agency as he waited at Madrid's Atocha station, where thousands were stranded.

More than 10,000 passengers were affected between Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Valencia and Granada, and at least 30 trains.

The disruption came after a long weekend in Madrid and ahead of the week-long Feria festival in Seville, which sees an influx of travellers to the city.

"Operations are now fully restored after a very difficult night for commuters... and staff, who had to respond under extremely complex circumstances," the transport minister said on Monday morning.

The theft locations, he said, were in areas accessed via forest trails.

Train services were gradually returning to normal, Spain's national rail manager Adif said on Monday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, the Spanish interior ministry said the country's civil guard, and police were in contact with Adif and other authorities to "clarify what happened and identify those responsible".

The price of copper has soared in recent years, and cable thefts from train and telecommunications networks have surged.

Romanian PM resigns and pulls out of coalition after nationalist vote win

6 May 2025 at 01:38
Reuters Marcel Ciolacu celebrates election victory on 1 December 2024Reuters
Marcel Ciolacu's government has only been in power for a matter of months

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has resigned and his Social Democrat party is to leave the government after a right-wing nationalist candidate won the first round of the presidential election.

George Simion, a eurosceptic who has promised to put Romania first, won 40.9% of Sunday's vote and is expected to win a run-off vote on 18 May.

He will face liberal Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan, who narrowly defeated the Social Democrat (PSD) candidate.

Ciolacu told party supporters that as the coalition had failed to meet its objective and "has no credibility after the Romanian vote, I will propose that PSD leaves this coalition".

His party had only come to power in a pro-EU coalition after elections on 1 December 2024, although George Simion's far-right party along with two other groupings had attracted a third of the vote.

Simion's victory was largely driven by popular frustration at the annulment of presidential elections late last year. His likely success on 18 May is awaited nervously in European capitals, as well as in Kyiv. He has said he wants an EU of strong, sovereign nations.

Ciolacu is now expected to submit his resignation to interim president Ilie Bolojan, who will then appoint a caretaker prime minister.

Bolojan himself took on the role of interim president last February because of the scandal surrounding the annulment of the presidential vote.

French minister apologises to Liverpool fans over Champions League chaos

6 May 2025 at 01:48
Reuters Liverpool fans locked out of the Stade de FranceReuters

France's former interior minister has apologised for the first time for the 2022 fiasco at the Stade de France which saw Liverpool football supporters wrongly blamed for a riot.

Gérald Darmanin admitted that security arrangements for the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid were wrong, and that his first public remarks – blaming English fans – were a mistake.

"It was a failure because I had not foreseen. That was a mistake on my part. I was led astray by my preconceptions," said Darmanin, now France's justice minister.

"The scapegoat was easy to find, and I apologise now to Liverpool supporters. They were quite right to be hurt. It was a mistake and a failure."

EPA Gérald Dermanin (middle-aged man with short-cropped grey hair) stands in front of two mics on a podium wearing a black suit, white shirt and black tie. Behind him are two EU flags and a French one with the bottom portion out of frameEPA
Gérald Darmanin admitted it was a "mistake" to point the finger at Liverpool fans for the security breakdown at the 2022 final

Police used tear gas on Liverpool supporters, and some fans were mugged by gangs of French youths.

In a lengthy interview on the Legend YouTube channel, Darmanin said the night was "the biggest failure" of his career.

"What I did not appreciate that evening was that the real problem was not coming from English supporters, but from delinquents who were robbing fans.

"Our security arrangements were not designed for that eventuality. We had riot police … with big boots and shields – not great for running. What you need against that kind of delinquency is officers in running shoes.

"We got our arrangements wrong. We were expecting a war of (football) hooligans, and what we got instead was muggers."

In their first comments after the problems, Darmanin and police chief Didier Lallement said the dangerous crush at the stadium was largely caused by Liverpool fans in possession of fake tickets.

The claim was subsequently debunked in an independent report commissioned by UEFA.

PA Media Liverpool fans clad in red shirts hold up their tickets to the Champions League 2022 final match in Paris from behind an iron gatePA Media
Liverpool fans were initially accused of causing the chaotic scenes at the Stade de France in 2022

In another section of the interview, Darmanin said that there was "no longer any safe place" in France - a comment that drew fire from the hard-right opposition.

"What a lot of French people can see is that (violence) has become general, it has metastasised. It's no longer only in the places where you once looked for potential problems.

"Nowadays you can see that the tiniest country village has experience of cocaine or cannabis."

National Rally MP Jean-Philippe Tanguy noted that Darmanin has been in government since President Emmanuel Macron's first election in 2017.

Tungay said he was "treating the French like imbeciles, making all these so-called tough declarations when the record is so catastrophic".

Darmanin, who is 42 and from the political right, did nothing in the interview to dispel speculation that he might be in the running to replace Macron in 2027.

"Do I think of the presidential election? The answer is yes," he said.

"That does not mean that I am going to be a candidate, but it does mean I have ambitions for the country to do better than what I see now."

Cable thefts leave thousands stranded on Spanish trains

6 May 2025 at 00:55
Getty Images trains at Santa Justa station, with lots of people on the platform.Getty Images

Thousands of people were left trapped on trains or stranded overnight after the theft of copper cables halted high-speed services between Madrid and southern Spain's Andalusia region.

Authorities opened an investigation on Monday after Sunday's theft, which Transport Minister Óscar Puente called a "serious act of sabotage".

He added that the cable theft took place at five locations, all within a few kilometres of each other on the high-speed line. On Monday morning, Puente said train operations were being "fully restored" .

This travel disruption comes a week after Spain and Portugal suffered a blackout, which similarly saw trains comes to a standstill. The cause is still unknown.

Getty Images Crowds of people stuck at a station.Getty Images
More than 10,000 passengers were affected by the cables theft
Getty Images man lying on floor wrapped in blanket. near him, sits a woman cross legged on her phone and a suitcases next to her. There is another woman wearing a backpack with her back to the cameraGetty Images
Passengers were left stranded overnight following the travel chaos

"All of a sudden in the last two weeks - what is going on?" Kevin, a tourist from the US told Reuters news agency as he waited at Madrid's Atocha station, where thousands were stranded.

More than 10,000 passengers were affected between Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Valencia and Granada, and at least 30 trains.

The disruption came after a long weekend in Madrid and ahead of the week-long Feria festival in Seville, which sees an influx of travellers to the city.

"Operations are now fully restored after a very difficult night for commuters... and staff, who had to respond under extremely complex circumstances," the transport minister said on Monday morning.

The theft locations, he said, were in areas accessed via forest trails.

Train services were gradually returning to normal, Spain's national rail manager Adif said on Monday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, the Spanish interior ministry said the country's civil guard, and police were in contact with Adif and other authorities to "clarify what happened and identify those responsible".

The price of copper has soared in recent years, and cable thefts from train and telecommunications networks have surged.

Ukraine claims strike in Russia's Kursk amid reports of fresh incursion

6 May 2025 at 02:40
Getty Images A Ukrainian military vehicle drives past a welcome sign to the Yunakivka village in Sumy, Ukraine, which is a checkpoint through the state border of Ukraine on the border with Russia. The sign is triangular and blue with white writing in the centre of the image. The vehicle is to the left of the sign. there are trees surrounding it.Getty Images
Ukraine originally launched a surprise cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk region in August, 2024

Ukraine said it hit a drone command unit in the Kursk region, amid reports of fresh attempts to cross into Russia.

Sunday's attack on the unit was located near the Russian village of Tyotkino, according to the Ukrainian general staff.

Multiple Russian military bloggers also reported that Ukrainian forces had attempted to cross into the village, posting images - as yet unverified by the BBC - of vehicles breaking through tank traps on the border.

The reports come after Moscow claimed in April to have regained control of the entire region, nine months after a Ukrainian forces launched a surprise invasion. Kyiv insists it still has soldiers operating across the border.

On Monday, Ukrainian forces fired missiles over the border and crossed minefields in special vehicles, according to the bloggers.

"The enemy blew up bridges with rockets at night and launched an attack with armoured groups in the morning," blogger RVvoenkor said according to Reuters news agency.

"The mine clearance vehicles began to make passages in the minefields, followed by armoured vehicles with troops. There is a heavy battle going on at the border."

In a statement on Monday, Ukraine said: "Nine months after the start of the Kursk operation, Ukraine's Defence Forces maintain a military presence on the territory of Russia's Kursk region."

While there has been no official response from Moscow, some military bloggers have also published maps showing opposing forces attempting to cross the border in two places towards Tyotkino - near where the drone command unit that was hit.

Meanwhile, in Sumy - around 12km across the border from Tyotkino in north-eastern Ukraine - local authorities urged people to evacuated from two settlements, Reuters reported.

Ukraine originally made its surprise incursion into Kursk in August 2024 to create a buffer zone and protect Sumy and surrounding areas, while also hoping to use it as a bargaining chip in future negotiations.

Trump Denies Posting Image of Himself as Pope, Laughing Off Critics

6 May 2025 at 04:28
The president suggested Catholics, who have criticized the apparently A.I.-generated image, were not offended, and said that anyone who was “can’t take a joke.”

© Eric Lee/The New York Times

“I had nothing to do with it,” President Trump said on Monday, referring to an image posted to his social media accounts of him as pope.

Did Cuomo’s ‘Message for Voters’ Violate Campaign Finance Rules?

6 May 2025 at 04:36
Andrew M. Cuomo may have violated New York City rules by using his campaign website to instruct a friendly super PAC how to help his mayoral bid.

© Anna Rose Layden for The New York Times

If Andrew Cuomo is found in violation of campaign finance rules, he could potentially lose out on millions of dollars in public matching funds in his bid to be mayor of New York City.

Trump Crypto Deals Provoke Senate Backlash and Calls for Investigation

Some Democrats who had supported legislation for so-called stablecoins are now demanding tougher language to prevent fraud and money laundering.

© Katarina Premfors for The New York Times

Eric Trump at a cryptocurrency event in Dubai last week. World Liberty Financial, a Trump-affiliated crypto firm, recently secured a deal to take $2 billion in deposits from an Emirati venture fund.

Trump Offers to Pay Immigrants Who Deport Themselves

6 May 2025 at 02:40
The administration says the program to pay migrants $1,000 once their travel home is confirmed will save money because of how expensive it is to find, detain and deport people.

© Doug Mills/The New York Times

Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, said self-deportation is the most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest.

Pulitzer Prizes: 2025 Winners List

6 May 2025 at 03:49
Here is the full list of winners and finalists.

© Doug Mills/The New York Times

The New York Times photographer Doug Mills was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for a sequence of photos of the attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The New York Times Wins 4 Pulitzer Prizes

6 May 2025 at 03:36
The New Yorker won three Pulitzers, and ProPublica was given the public service award for its coverage of the deadly consequences of state abortion bans across the country.

© Doug Mills/The New York Times

Doug Mills of The New York Times won the breaking news photography prize for his photos capturing the attempted assassination of Donald J. Trump last year.

Royals watch Red Arrows flypast and have tea with veterans for VE Day anniversary

5 May 2025 at 23:41
Royals greet veterans

The Prince and Princess of Wales have greeted veterans at the VE Day Parade as thousands line the streets of London to mark 80 years since the end of the World War Two in Europe begin.

William and Catherine exchanged words with veterans sitting on the Queen Victoria Memorial viewing platform, amid applause from the crowd.

King Charles is overseeing the Victory in Europe (VE Day) events, which span four days, and include a flypast over Buckingham Palace featuring 23 current and historic military aircraft.

At noon, the ceremony began with a recitation of Winston Churchill's famous VE Day speech by actor Timothy Spall.

PA Media The Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince Louis and the Prince of Wales watching the military processionPA Media
The Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince Louis and the Prince of Wales watching the military procession

The King and Queen were joined by the prince and princess, and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, to watch a military procession through the capital on Monday. Other events are also taking place across the country.

A military procession, involving more than 1,300 people made its way from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace.

The King stood and saluted as the procession reached the Queen Victoria Memorial.

Before the procession arrived, cadets and scouts watching on cheered and waved to the royal family from the paths nearby.

Later on, a flypast will follow, featuring 23 current and historic military aircraft.

Following Elizabeth II's death in 2022, this year will be the first landmark VE Day commemoration without any of the royals who stood on the balcony that day, 80 years ago.

PA King Charles III takes the salute from the military procession PA
King Charles III takes the salute from the military procession

VE Day was declared on 8 May 1945, after Britain and its allies formally accepted Nazi Germany's surrender after almost six years of war.

At 15:00, the then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced WW2 in Europe had come to an end.

Spontaneous celebrations erupted across the country, and the late queen and her sister Princess Margaret joined a group of friends to experience the excitement in London.

On Monday morning, the excitement began early for Maria and Chris Naynor and their three grandchildren, who left their home in Reading at 05:30 BST to get a prime spot along the Mall - armed with cream tea and gin and tonics.

Chris's father served in the armed forces and was wounded in Dunkirk, and his mother was out celebrating on the streets of London on VE Day in 1945.

Maria said it was critical to remember "all the people who gave their lives for freedom" and teach children about it.

Three boys hold union flags along the mall celebrating VE day.
Charlie, Harry and Theo Raynor are there to remember "all the people who died in the war."

To mark the historic event, the Cenotaph in Whitehall has been draped in a large Union flag - the first time the war memorial has been draped in Union flags since it was unveiled by King George V more than a century ago, in 1920.

Watching from the Mall, Grace Gothard, from Mitcham, made her Union Jack dress draped with the Ghanian flag while Satvinder Cubb, from Chingford made a frock made from two "Lest we forget" scarves.

Satvinder said they wanted to be in the capital to remember all the people "who fought for us", as the last generation of WW2 veterans were growing older.

She described the message of VE Day as bringing together people from different countries and different age groups to say "why don't we unite together? Why can't there be peace?"

Two  women are decked out in Union Jack memorabilia
Grace Gothard and Satvinder Cubb made their outfits for the occasion.

The Royal Family is hoping "nothing will detract or distract" from the commemorations, following Prince Harry's candid interview with the BBC on Friday, in which he discussed his estrangement from his father and desire for reconciliation.

The King and Queen will host a tea party at Buckingham Palace later in the afternoon for around 50 veterans, their families and other members of the wartime generation.

Timothy Spall reads Churchill's famous victory speech

Elsewhere, street parties will be held across the UK, with some councils such as Portsmouth waiving fees to close roads for the celebrations.

The Palace of Westminster, the Shard and Lowther Castle in Penrith are among buildings which will be illuminated from 21:00 BST on Tuesday.

A service at Westminster Abbey will begin with a national two-minute silence of remembrance on Thursday. Churches and cathedrals across the country will also ring their bells at 18:30 BST.

Pubs and bars in England and Wales which usually close at 23:00 BST will be able to keep serving for an extra two hours to celebrate on Thursday.

Additional reporting by Mallory Moench and Ashitha Nagesh

Grey banner reading "More on VE Day 80"

French minister apologises to Liverpool fans over Champions League chaos

6 May 2025 at 01:48
Reuters Liverpool fans locked out of the Stade de FranceReuters

France's former interior minister has apologised for the first time for the 2022 fiasco at the Stade de France which saw Liverpool football supporters wrongly blamed for a riot.

Gérald Darmanin admitted that security arrangements for the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid were wrong, and that his first public remarks – blaming English fans – were a mistake.

"It was a failure because I had not foreseen. That was a mistake on my part. I was led astray by my preconceptions," said Darmanin, now France's justice minister.

"The scapegoat was easy to find, and I apologise now to Liverpool supporters. They were quite right to be hurt. It was a mistake and a failure."

EPA Gérald Dermanin (middle-aged man with short-cropped grey hair) stands in front of two mics on a podium wearing a black suit, white shirt and black tie. Behind him are two EU flags and a French one with the bottom portion out of frameEPA
Gérald Darmanin admitted it was a "mistake" to point the finger at Liverpool fans for the security breakdown at the 2022 final

Police used tear gas on Liverpool supporters, and some fans were mugged by gangs of French youths.

In a lengthy interview on the Legend YouTube channel, Darmanin said the night was "the biggest failure" of his career.

"What I did not appreciate that evening was that the real problem was not coming from English supporters, but from delinquents who were robbing fans.

"Our security arrangements were not designed for that eventuality. We had riot police … with big boots and shields – not great for running. What you need against that kind of delinquency is officers in running shoes.

"We got our arrangements wrong. We were expecting a war of (football) hooligans, and what we got instead was muggers."

In their first comments after the problems, Darmanin and police chief Didier Lallement said the dangerous crush at the stadium was largely caused by Liverpool fans in possession of fake tickets.

The claim was subsequently debunked in an independent report commissioned by UEFA.

PA Media Liverpool fans clad in red shirts hold up their tickets to the Champions League 2022 final match in Paris from behind an iron gatePA Media
Liverpool fans were initially accused of causing the chaotic scenes at the Stade de France in 2022

In another section of the interview, Darmanin said that there was "no longer any safe place" in France - a comment that drew fire from the hard-right opposition.

"What a lot of French people can see is that (violence) has become general, it has metastasised. It's no longer only in the places where you once looked for potential problems.

"Nowadays you can see that the tiniest country village has experience of cocaine or cannabis."

National Rally MP Jean-Philippe Tanguy noted that Darmanin has been in government since President Emmanuel Macron's first election in 2017.

Tungay said he was "treating the French like imbeciles, making all these so-called tough declarations when the record is so catastrophic".

Darmanin, who is 42 and from the political right, did nothing in the interview to dispel speculation that he might be in the running to replace Macron in 2027.

"Do I think of the presidential election? The answer is yes," he said.

"That does not mean that I am going to be a candidate, but it does mean I have ambitions for the country to do better than what I see now."

Romanian PM resigns and pulls out of coalition after nationalist vote win

6 May 2025 at 01:38
Reuters Marcel Ciolacu celebrates election victory on 1 December 2024Reuters
Marcel Ciolacu's government has only been in power for a matter of months

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has resigned and his Social Democrat party is to leave the government after a right-wing nationalist candidate won the first round of the presidential election.

George Simion, a eurosceptic who has promised to put Romania first, won 40.9% of Sunday's vote and is expected to win a run-off vote on 18 May.

He will face liberal Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan, who narrowly defeated the Social Democrat (PSD) candidate.

Ciolacu told party supporters that as the coalition had failed to meet its objective and "has no credibility after the Romanian vote, I will propose that PSD leaves this coalition".

His party had only come to power in a pro-EU coalition after elections on 1 December 2024, although George Simion's far-right party along with two other groupings had attracted a third of the vote.

Simion's victory was largely driven by popular frustration at the annulment of presidential elections late last year. His likely success on 18 May is awaited nervously in European capitals, as well as in Kyiv. He has said he wants an EU of strong, sovereign nations.

Ciolacu is now expected to submit his resignation to interim president Ilie Bolojan, who will then appoint a caretaker prime minister.

Bolojan himself took on the role of interim president last February because of the scandal surrounding the annulment of the presidential vote.

Red Arrows, royals and a packed Mall - the celebrations in pictures

6 May 2025 at 00:03
PA Media The Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke of Edinburgh, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Princess Royal, King Charles III, the Duke of Kent, Queen Camilla, the Prince of Wales, Prince George, the Princess of Wales, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte all stand on the balcony in formal dress while the King and Queen wave.PA Media
The King and Queen were joined by members of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Monday

Four days of events to commemorate 80 years since Victory in Europe Day began with a military procession through London in front of huge crowds, proud veterans and three generations of royals.

PA Media An aerial view shows groups of military in formal attire marching down the Mall with Buckingham Palace in the background.PA Media

A military procession including Regiments of the Household Division and Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery paraded down the Mall from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace.

King Charles saluted as the procession arrived at the Palace having made its way up the Union Jack-lined Mall.

Reuters The same moment, the King saluting, is shown from the other side - the King can be seen front-on as he salutes wearing formal attire surrounded by other members of the crowd sitting while military personnell march in the foreground.Reuters

He was joined by other royals as well as veterans, politicians and members of the public, who welcomed the military groups as they drew nearer the Palace.

Three generations of royals were on show, including the King, Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales and their family.

Political figures in attendance included London's Mayor Sadiq Khan and Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife, Lady Victoria.

Getty Images The Princess of Wales laughs while wearing a plum-coloured dress and hat while sitting next to a veteran wearing military badges with bunting in front of them that says '80' on little red and blue flagsGetty Images
PA Media  (L-R) Veteran Bernard Morgan, the Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince Louis and the Prince of Wales sit on the front row of benches of a crowd outside Buckingham Palace with bunting saying '80' at the front.PA Media
PA Media Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife, Lady Victoria, seek their seats. She is wearing a white dress and he wears a dark suit and red tie.PA Media

Earlier, the procession began its journey outside Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament as the clock tower's famous bells rang out.

PA Media A low-down camera angle shows the military procession marching in Parliament Square outside Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament against a cloudy sky.PA Media

Meanwhile, actor Timothy Spall stood in front of Winston Churchill's statue in Parliament Square to recite part of the former wartime prime minister's original VE Day broadcast.

PA Media Actor Timothy Spall wears a suit and tie as he reads from an A4 booklet in front of the statue of Churchill in Parliament Square.PA Media

As he did so, the procession made its way around the corner and up the Mall.

PA Media Military members in bright red uniform, carrying gold sceptres and playing brass instruments, walk down the street.PA Media
PA Media Horseback military personnel wearing red uniforms and gold headwear march down the Mall.PA Media
PA Media Members of the procession carry flags of the Commonwealth nations while wearing brown uniforms and black hats, with their fists raised as they march in unison.PA Media
PA Media A narrow aerial view shows various groups of military parading down the Mall with the statue in front of Buckingham Palace in the foreground.PA Media

Outside of the high profile benches in front of Buckingham Palace, members of the public lined the Mall to watch the procession and take in the atmosphere.

Reuters A small girl wearing a pink jumper waves a Union Jack in her hand while on the shoulders of a member of the crowd lining the Mall, with other members of the public around them and green foliage in the background.Reuters
Reuters A small child wearing a bearskin hat and red uniform looks on as they sit on someone's shoulders with other members of the crowd next to them.Reuters

A group of Ukrainian soldiers joined the march, solemnly parading a Ukrainian flag and wearing military uniform.

PA Media Military personnel wearing camouflage uniforms walk through Parliament Square while carrying a blue and yellow Ukrainian flag with Big Ben in the background.PA Media

While over at the Tower of London, a display of almost 30,000 ceramic poppies made up the exhibition called The Tower Remembers, created by designer Tom Piper.

They were originally displayed as part of artist Paul Cummins's Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation at the Tower in 2014.

Getty Images A sea of red ceramic poppies flow down from the wall of the Tower of London onto the grass outside the building, with guards in uniform in the background.Getty Images
Getty Images A guard wearing formal attire looks on as red ceramic poppies are seen in the foreground against the backdrop of the Tower of London.Getty Images
Getty Images A guard wearing formal attire looks on as red ceramic poppies are seen in the foreground against the backdrop of Tower Bridge against a grey sky.Getty Images

VE Day 80: Poignant thank you to a heroic generation

6 May 2025 at 01:32
PA Media Princess of Wales with guests at a tea party for veteransPA Media
The Princess of Wales chatted to guests at a tea party for veterans

This VE Day 80 parade was a celebration that paid its respects, with some poignancy, to the wartime generation. There was an understated warmth that suited the moment.

This week's events will be one the last big public moments of recognition for the diminishing number of veterans from World War Two.

For Monday's events, veterans had pride of place on a viewing platform at the top of the Mall, sitting alongside the Royal Family and the prime minister, watching the military parade and marching bands.

These veterans are now in their late 90s and older, commemorating an event which took place when many were still only teenagers.

In today's fragile political climate there is often talk about defending democracy.

But these veterans had actually done that and won, and remain now as some of the last representatives of a generation that fought Nazism and all of the intolerance and barbarism that represented.

Many of those who had cared for others were now reliant on carers for themselves. It's a different kind of battle.

On the viewing platform King Charles was chatting to Joy Trew, a wireless operator in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, who was 18 on VE Day in 1945. This summer she will be 99 years old.

She said the King had helped tuck in a blanket to keep her warm on a chilly day. And she had told the King about the other female veterans: "A lot of the women look formidable and he said 'yes'."

After the modern RAF paid its own tribute with a thundering flypast, the veterans were slowly wheeled across to Palace, in one last column.

They were heading for a tea party held in their honour, with the King and Queen and Prince and Princess of Wales hearing first hand stories that will soon slip into history.

PA Media King Charles and Queen Camilla waved from the Palace balconyPA Media
King Charles and Queen Camilla waved to crowds from the Palace balcony

Joyce Wilding, aged 100, remembered the celebrations in London on VE Day: "We went to Piccadilly where there was a stream of people singing and dancing, there were soldiers up lampposts, it was extraordinary.

"We were outside Buckingham Palace and you could hardly move there were so many people cheering and singing."

In that euphoric moment, the King's mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, then in her twenties, had also secretly gone out among the crowds and had been part of a conga at the Ritz hotel.

Among the older guests was Henry Ducker, now aged 104, who was only 19 when he joined the RAF in 1940, working as a flight mechanic. He had spent VE Day in Italy.

He said Queen Camilla had been "quite funny, very humorous".

This 80th anniversary event had drawn big crowds along the Mall. They had given a particularly warm welcome to the Ukrainian contingent in the parade, carrying the blue and yellow flag of their country. It was a sharp reminder of present conflicts as well as those from the past.

The King had stood on the viewing platform, saluting the different military formations as they marched past. Was he thinking of his own grandfather, George VI, who had waved from the balcony on the original VE night?

PA Media Sir Keir Starmer hosted a Downing Street tea party for VE Day 80PA Media
Sir Keir Starmer hosted a Downing Street tea party for VE Day 80

Compared with reports of the feverish celebrations in 1945, these were relatively restrained crowds at this commemorative event. They were quietly paying their respects, many perhaps with their own thoughts and memories.

As is often the case with modern crowds, many were more interested in taking photos on their phones than cheering.

There is also an unmistakable growing distance in time.

Prince George was at Buckingham Palace for the tea party for veterans, listening in to the stories. But it's a long way back for his generation, with a 68-year gap between his birth and VE Day.

It's the same distance as between his father Prince William's birth and the outbreak of the First World War.

There were nostalgic street parties, but when younger generations hear about "spam" they'll be thinking about their email rather than the food cupboard.

This first big day of VE Day 80 commemorations caught the sense of reflection. The mood in London was good natured and supportive. Even the rain held off until the parade was over.

There were neighbourhood gatherings, from local community groups to Downing Street, celebrating the wartime spirit and a sense of togetherness.

And such public events might be a chance to privately remember those who had made sacrifices without ever seeking recognition.

It's a moment when memories are passed from one generation to the next and stories turn into history.

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University of Michigan President, Santa Ono, Set to Lead University of Florida

6 May 2025 at 02:42
The University of Michigan’s president, Santa Ono, is set to leave for the University of Florida to become one of the highest-paid public university presidents ever.

© Emily Elconin for The New York Times

Santa Ono, the president of the University of Michigan, will go from one university facing turmoil to another.
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