© Anastasiia Smolienko/Reuters
© Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters
摘要
就几所大学召开的“家长会”本身而言，没有强制的意味，更多体现在家校沟通层面上。
近日，国内多所知名高校，因为在全校或学院层面举行“家长会”“校长与家长见面会”，引发了热议。
反对者认为，大学生几乎都已经是成年人，再开家长会是培养“巨婴”；支持者则认为，大学的家长会是强化家校沟通的好方式。
近年来，随着中国高等教育的普及化，大学生的社会定位以及自我认知都发生了很大的变化。大体而言，大学生已从传统意义上的“社会精英”，转向受过高等教育的普通劳动者。大学生升学路径、职业发展愿景更为复杂。
大学生选择学术方向、就业城市，以及出国留学、考研、考公、考编等发展方向，很大程度上需要得到家庭的理解、支持、帮助。比如，大学生选择的学术专业方向，可能是为了匹配未来的就业城市，这又与原生家庭的交通远近、经济支持高度相关。
当下的高等教育，更多倾向于就业导向、职业发展导向，以及与原生家庭之间的契合。这样的高教新局面，也必然体现为家长的表达拥有更多的权重。大学不再是传统意义上的“等你们升入大学，就自由了”。
但是，高等教育的悄然变化也带来了所谓的“大学高中化”、应试化等问题。一些大学的教育刻意追求短期的考研、考公业绩，学校在教学过程中强化对大学生的纪律管理、刷题应试。
而且，大学建家长群的趋势方兴未艾，在家长群里，有学校公布学生的排名，有家长追问“我们家子涵”的成绩，甚至个别家长要求辅导员叫孩子起床，“我儿子三天没发朋友圈，麻烦辅导员去他宿舍看看”之类的要求不少。
这样的“大学生家长群”造成了很大的争议，被认为破坏了大学学习的自主性，也成为家长干涉孩子生活学习的便捷手段，不利于大学生的人格完善、社会化进程。
这样的“大学生家长群”，也影响到了“家长会”的公众印象，很多网友想当然地认为，大学“家长会”就是高中意义上的“家长会”。事实上，两者并没有直接关系，正像一名参会的家长所说：
“大学家长会给我的一个信号是，家长把孩子送到大学以后，不是就不管不问了，而是要和学校一起‘家校共建’。”
大学的“家校共建”与“大学高中化”应该有区别，还需要各方的共同摸索、努力。
如果大学办成高中，大学教育简化成考研考公的培训班，那就是大学的异化：
就几所大学召开的“家长会”本身而言，没有强制的意味，更多体现在家校沟通层面上。
但是人们担心的“家长会”“家长群”背后隐藏着“大学高中化”的问题——高等教育不能被矮化，大学生不能被未成年人化。
网上看到一段视频，是张雪峰的一段演讲。张雪峰在演讲中声明，支持祖国统一，“枪声打响那一天，我他M的至少捐5000万，我公司账上永远有这个钱。”“他M的打那天，老子直接打5000万进去。”“整体最起码捐他M一个亿——就他M的祖国统一，我们这一代人一定能成功，我始终坚信！”
中国是一个文明的国家，是一个礼仪之邦。张雪峰在短短的几句话，就连说了好几个“他M的”。在公开演讲时自称“老子”，又连爆粗口，这不像是一个“老师”，倒更像是一个泼皮牛二似的街头混混。
一个在网络爆红的“名师”，如果有一点点为人师表的职业修养，能出口成脏，把“他M的”说的如此频繁？
祖国一定会统一，中国政府有统一祖国的决心，也有统一祖国的智慧。“和平统一、一国两制”是实现祖国统一的最佳方式，对两岸同胞和中华民族最有利。长期以来，中国政府都在为促进祖国_和平统一，_进行着不懈的努力。
张雪峰说要捐款至少5000万，并且“公司账上永远有这个钱”，但又不是现在捐，而是为捐款设置了一个前置条件：“枪声打响的那一天”，这是不是在鼓吹战争？是不是在暗示必须“枪声打响”，才会兑现捐款的承诺？如果和平统一，没有“枪声打响”，张雪峰就不捐了？
如果必须要“枪声打响”才能统一祖国，众所周知“兵马未动，粮草先行”，张雪峰真想“至少捐5000万”“整体最起码捐一个亿”的话，更应该是现在就捐款，为统一祖国做准备，为国防建设做贡献。
张雪峰的承诺捐款，是真心？还是在“画饼”渲染情绪，顺便收割韭菜？如果是后者的话，这很“鸡贼”，很不道德。
__
_几个月前，张雪峰在直播中热泪盈眶的表示，由于“动了太多的人的蛋糕”，他可能会退出网络直播，把一众支持者，感动的不要不要的。只是剧情发展出人意料，几天过后，_含泪退网的张雪峰，_就又_光速“复出”，_发布一则直播预告，进行_直播预热了。
__
_现在，张雪峰又一次热泪盈眶的表示，要_至少捐5000万，整体最起码捐一个亿。
扬言要退网，但没退。声称要捐款，还没捐。精通互联网营销的张雪峰，隔三岔五就会“热泪盈眶”一回，每一次都能收获掌声和流量，也赚的盆满钵满。
张雪峰表示捐款至少5000万，而且“公司账上永远有这个钱”，这说明张雪峰这些年没少挣钱，公司也很不缺钱。但我觉得，有必要提醒张雪峰关注下这两条新闻：“张雪峰165元高考预测卷被指漏洞百出”，向客服反馈后，对方承认错误，但拒绝退货退款。
到水果店买个西瓜，切开发现不熟或者坏了，还可以退货退款呢。买套高考预测卷，即使有质量问题，只要拆封后就不能退货退款了？
一套高考预测卷168元，并不便宜。如果媒体的报道属实的话，张雪峰是不是该给那些信任他的学生和家长们道个歉？是不是应该把该退的款都退了？
爱国的前提是忠诚，忠于国家忠于人民。售卖“被指漏洞百出”的高价高考预测卷，而且在“承认题目存在错误”以后又“拒绝退货退款”，怎么看都与“忠诚”二字无关。不同场合的高调“爱国”，更像是收割韭菜的表演而已。
© Brian Snyder/Reuters
© Carlos Jasso/Reuters
© Focus on Sport/Getty
之前我批评过张雪峰，很多人还不服气。瞧瞧，人家豪言壮志要捐五千万，一个亿了，还说账上永远有这个钱。视频我看了，充斥着许多“他妈”“老子”之类我很不喜欢的语言。当然了，可能在很多人心中，这代表了一种自信，一种男性气魄。
这能说明个啥，显然可以证明，张雪峰的确膨胀了，这是一种公司经济上行的雄心，张雪峰成功完成了阶层上的跨越。
张雪峰在5月底泪洒直播间的时候，不是说他动了太多人的蛋糕了，这可能是他最后一次在网上出现了吗？
怎么短短几个月，就换了个气质呢？
“捐钱”视频中的张雪峰，应该就是真情流露。尤其是在说“我公司账上永远有这个钱”的时候，非常有底气。而下面的学生，大概很难达到张雪峰赚钱的高度。别说五千万，很多人一辈子估计都很难赚个五百万。
张雪峰在商业上的成功是有道理的，从我的评论区就能发现这点，很多人支持他，是因为他说了“实话”，而这些是学校老师不会告诉他们的。尤其是学生家长们，面对孩子高考填报志愿，焦虑的不得了，总觉得是一步错步步错。
事实上，哪里是这样。张雪峰最大的问题，是他妄图去解释未来。但是，你怎么知道未来哪个专业一定是适合就业的呢，适合就业也未必适合你家的孩子啊。很多年前，人们不是流行去学计算机吗，难道这些孩子真的就能够找到比较好的出路了吗？选了文科，选了新闻学的那些孩子，难道就一定不行吗。
这种焦虑感最令人厌烦之处，是很多国内的家长，明明自己走了很多错路和弯路，可谓一地鸡毛，却不容忍自己的孩子去试错。总以为听了雪峰老师的话，选一条“正确”的路，孩子就能永远顺利下去。但是张雪峰及其团队，在那么短时间的交流之下，真的能够彻底了解你的孩子吗。甚至父母都未必了解自己的孩子，这样的决策靠谱程度如何，自己掂量一下吧。
高考填报志愿，找工作，找对象，在我看来都是一回事，所以我很少去给别人明确的建议。因为万一你的建议是错的，你就要背负失败所造成的代价。而未来永远是不可测的，你不可能用你的三观以及打听来的“内部信息”，来铺设一条康庄大道。
从大学的学科设置来看，既然有新闻学这个学科，那就是合理的，文科虽然有它的问题，但是良师还是有的，最次，总可以通过自学来积累经验。而我又始终觉得，文科也不会持久的消极下去，因为人工智能的快速发展，会倾向于把很多实用性的好就业的专业给替代了，这个时候，我们这个社会反而需要大量文科的人，来去思考一个出路，构建我们的文明。
张雪峰本人是学给水排水工程的，尽管我也质疑他学的水平如何，但是从他比较火的视频来看，张雪峰身上的确流露出很多工科的实用的气质。这能够看出他对于文科的理解实在是比较浅陋。人文精神让位于实用论，这满足了国内大量家长焦虑不安的心，所以他们愿意掏钱啊，所以张雪峰账上才有这么多钱。
如木子美一样，张雪峰的成名，也暗合了一定的时代逻辑，有他的必然性。只是假以时日，张雪峰式的成功也将很难复制下去。人们会更加重视个体，倾听自己内心的声音。届时家长们会默默放下对张雪峰的执念，能够平和地告诉自己的孩子：你可以选择你最感兴趣的，不必迎合外面的声音，无论如何，我们都会支持的。
那个时候，文明的曙光才会到来。
Getty ImagesSouth Korea is mounting an "all-out" response, as the country reels over the arrest of more than 300 of its citizens in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in the US.
Seoul has dispatched diplomats to the site in Georgia, while LG Energy Solution, which operates the plant with Hyundai, said it was suspending most business trips to the US.
US officials detained 475 people - mostly South Korean nationals - who they said were found to be illegally working at the battery facility, one of the largest foreign investment projects in the state.
The White House defended the operation, dismissing concerns that the raid could deter foreign investment.
"They were illegal aliens and ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] was just doing its job," President Donald Trump said following the raids on Friday.
Video released by ICE officials showed Asian workers shackled in front of a building, with some wearing yellow vests with names such as "Hyundai" and "LG CNS."
"People on short-term or recreational visas are not authorized to work in the US," ICE said, adding that the raid was necessary to protect American jobs.
"This operation sends a clear message that those who exploit the system and undermine our workforce will be held accountable," Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Steven Schrank said in a statement on Saturday.
South Korea, a close US ally, has pledged tens of billions of dollars in American manufacturing investment, partly to offset tariffs.
The timing of the raid, as the two governments engage in sensitive trade talks, has raised concern in Seoul.
Trump has actively encouraged major investments from other countries while also tightening visa allocations for foreign companies.
Many of the LG employees arrested were on business trips with various visas or under a visa waiver programme, officials say.
South Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun said he felt a "great sense of responsibility for the arrest of our citizens" as he presided over an emergency meeting about the issue on Saturday.
He said the government had set up a team to respond to the arrests and that he may travel to Washington if needed.
On Saturday, LG Energy Solution said it was sending its Chief Human Resources Officer Kim Ki-soo to the Georgia site on Sunday.
"We are making all-out efforts to secure the swift release of detained individuals from our company and partner firms," it said in a statement to the South Korean media.
"We are confirming regular medications for families through an emergency contact network for detainees and plan to request that necessary medications be delivered to those detained."
The company said it was suspending most business trips to the US and directing employees on assignment in the US to return home immediately.
South Korean media widely described the raid as a "shock," with the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper warning it could have "a chilling effect on the activities of our businesses in the United States".
The factory, which makes new electric vehicles, had been touted by Georgia's Republican governor as the biggest economic development project in the state's history, employing 1,200 people.
The arrested workers were being held at an ICE facility in Folkston, Georgia, until the agency decides where to move them next.
LG Energy Solution said 47 of its employees and about 250 workers for contractors at the joint venture factory were detained.
ReutersThree British nationals were killed in the Lisbon funicular crash, Portuguese police have said.
The Glória funicular, a popular tourist attraction, derailed and crashed into a building on Wednesday, killing 16.
More than 20 people were also injured, with five in a critical condition.
Nationals of Portugal, South Korea, Switzerland, Canada, Ukraine, France, and the US are also among the dead, police said.
It is not known what caused the crash. The capital's public transport operator, Carris, said all funiculars would be inspected and that it had launched an independent investigation.
The 140-year-old carriage derailed at around 18:15 local time (17:15 GMT) near the city's Avenida da Liberdade boulevard.
More than 60 rescue personnel raced to the scene to pull people from the wreckage.
Videos and images of the site showed an overturned, crumpled yellow carriage lying on the cobblestone street.
Portugal's Prime Minister Luís Montenegro called the crash "one of the biggest human tragedies of our recent history" and a national day of mourning was declared.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
Getty ImagesSouth Korea is mounting an "all-out" response, as the country reels over the arrest of more than 300 of its citizens in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in the US.
Seoul has dispatched diplomats to the site in Georgia, while LG Energy Solution, which operates the plant with Hyundai, said it was suspending most business trips to the US.
US officials detained 475 people - mostly South Korean nationals - who they said were found to be illegally working at the battery facility, one of the largest foreign investment projects in the state.
The White House defended the operation, dismissing concerns that the raid could deter foreign investment.
"They were illegal aliens and ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] was just doing its job," President Donald Trump said following the raids on Friday.
Video released by ICE officials showed Asian workers shackled in front of a building, with some wearing yellow vests with names such as "Hyundai" and "LG CNS."
"People on short-term or recreational visas are not authorized to work in the US," ICE said, adding that the raid was necessary to protect American jobs.
"This operation sends a clear message that those who exploit the system and undermine our workforce will be held accountable," Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Steven Schrank said in a statement on Saturday.
South Korea, a close US ally, has pledged tens of billions of dollars in American manufacturing investment, partly to offset tariffs.
The timing of the raid, as the two governments engage in sensitive trade talks, has raised concern in Seoul.
Trump has actively encouraged major investments from other countries while also tightening visa allocations for foreign companies.
Many of the LG employees arrested were on business trips with various visas or under a visa waiver programme, officials say.
South Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun said he felt a "great sense of responsibility for the arrest of our citizens" as he presided over an emergency meeting about the issue on Saturday.
He said the government had set up a team to respond to the arrests and that he may travel to Washington if needed.
On Saturday, LG Energy Solution said it was sending its Chief Human Resources Officer Kim Ki-soo to the Georgia site on Sunday.
"We are making all-out efforts to secure the swift release of detained individuals from our company and partner firms," it said in a statement to the South Korean media.
"We are confirming regular medications for families through an emergency contact network for detainees and plan to request that necessary medications be delivered to those detained."
The company said it was suspending most business trips to the US and directing employees on assignment in the US to return home immediately.
South Korean media widely described the raid as a "shock," with the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper warning it could have "a chilling effect on the activities of our businesses in the United States".
The factory, which makes new electric vehicles, had been touted by Georgia's Republican governor as the biggest economic development project in the state's history, employing 1,200 people.
The arrested workers were being held at an ICE facility in Folkston, Georgia, until the agency decides where to move them next.
LG Energy Solution said 47 of its employees and about 250 workers for contractors at the joint venture factory were detained.
Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump has warned that, if Venezuelan jets fly over US naval ships and "put us in a dangerous position, they'll be shot down".
His warning comes after Venezuela flew military aircraft near a US vessel off South America for the second time in two days, US officials told the BBC's US partner CBS News.
The reports follow a US strike against what Trump officials said was a "drug-carrying vessel from Venezuela" operated by a gang, killing 11 people.
President Nicolás Maduro has said US allegations about Venezuela are not true and that differences between the countries do not justify a "military conflict".
"Venezuela has always been willing to talk, to engage in dialogue, but we demand respect," he added.
When asked by reporters in the Oval Office on Friday what would happen if Venezuelan jets flew over US vessels again, Trump said Venezuela would be in "trouble".
Trump told his general, standing beside him, that he could do anything he wanted if the situation escalated.
Since his return to office in January, Trump has steadily intensified his anti-drug-trafficking efforts in Latin America.
Maduro has accused the US of seeking "regime change through military threat".
When asked about the comments, Trump said "we're not talking about that", but mentioned what he called a "very strange election" in Venezuela. Maduro was sworn in for his third term in January after a contested election.
Trump went on to say that "drugs are pouring" into the US from Venezuela and that members of Tren de Aragua - a gang proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the US - were living in the US.
The US military has moved to bolster its forces in the southern Caribbean, including through the deployment of additional naval vessels and thousands of US Marines and sailors to stem the flow of drugs.
The White House said on Friday that the US is sending 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico.
When asked about the build-up of military assets in the Caribbean, Trump said: "I think it's just strong. We're strong on drugs. We don't want drugs killing our people."
Trump is a long-time critic of Maduro. The US president doubled a reward for information leading to the arrest of the Venezuelan leader to $50m (£37.2m) in August, accusing him of being "one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world".
During Trump's first term, the US government charged Maduro and other high-ranking Venezuelan officials with a range of offences, including narco-terrorism, corruption and drug trafficking.
Maduro has previously rejected the US claims.
© Eric Lee/The New York Times
© Victor J. Blue for The New York Times
警方称，周六在悉尼一处热门海滩，一条“大鲨鱼”袭击并杀死了一名冲浪者。这起罕见的致命袭击事件导致澳大利亚多处海滩关闭。
法新社报道，当局称，受害者是一名 57 岁的居民，当时他和五六名朋友在悉尼北部长礁（Long Reef ）和迪怀（Dee Why）附近的太平洋海域冲浪。
新南威尔士州警方负责人约翰·邓肯（John Duncan）在新闻发布会上表示，这位经验丰富的冲浪者已婚，育有一女，他在事故中“失去多处肢体”。
这位警方负责人肯补充说，“据我了解，他和他的冲浪板一起沉入了水中”。“尸体被发现漂浮在海浪中”，而他的冲浪板则断成两截。”
邓肯先生继续说道，两名冲浪者在水中发现了他，并把他带回岸上。“不幸的是，当时他已经失血过多，抢救无效”。
据南威尔士警方称，目击者看到了这条鲨鱼，警方此前曾提到一条“大鲨鱼”。
警方表示，政府专家将检查冲浪板残骸和受害者尸体，以确定鲨鱼的种类。
澳大利亚大多数严重的鲨鱼袭击事件都是由大白鲨、牛头鲨和虎鲨造成的。
当地媒体播放的画面显示，警察聚集在海岸边，救护车停在附近。
新南威尔士州冲浪救生协会（Surf Life Saving NSW）表示，位于曼利和纳拉宾北部地区之间的海滩将关闭至少 24 小时。该协会是一个志愿者和专业救生员组成的俱乐部的分支机构。
搜寻鲨鱼踪迹
新南威尔士州冲浪救生协会负责人史蒂文·皮尔斯（ Steven Pearce）表示：“目前，请勿在周边海滩下水，并遵守救生员和急救人员的指示。我们向在这场可怕悲剧中遇难者的家属致以最深切的哀悼。”
事发地周边的救生俱乐部已取消了周末的所有水上活动和训练。
无人机和水上摩托艇上的救援人员在海滩上巡逻，搜寻鲨鱼的踪迹。
这是自2022年以来悉尼发生的首次鲨鱼致命袭击事件，2022年，35岁的英国潜水教练西蒙·内利斯特（Simon Nellist）在小湾附近海域遇难。再上一次悉尼发生的鲨鱼致命袭击可追溯至1963年。
一位不愿透露姓名的冲浪者告诉《悉尼每日电讯报》，他目睹了袭击后的场景：“四、五名冲浪者把遇难者从水中拉出来，他的下半身似乎被咬伤得很严重。”
这位冲浪者说，当时有一位救生员挥舞着红旗，人们被要求离开水域。“我不知道这意味着什么...但我觉得我应该上岸了”。
澳大利亚最近一次鲨鱼致命袭击发生在今年3月，当时一名冲浪者在西澳大利亚州偏僻的沃顿（ Wharton Beach）海滩附近丧生。
据一个关于鲨鱼与人类遭遇的数据库显示，自1791年以来，澳大利亚记录到1280多起涉及鲨鱼的事件，其中250多起造成人员死亡。
© Alex Nabaum
在「宇宙的尽头是编制」的集体认知里，一群学历不足本科的年轻人，拿着几乎全家的积蓄，踏上了被称为“水硕”的留学之路。
他们选择了一条看似更有“性价比”的道路——留学蒙古、东南亚、中亚及高加索地区，不为学校排名、也不顾语言障碍，只求用十几万洗刷学历背景、重获应届生身份，换一张可能通往体制内的入场券。
真正踏上这条路，才会觉得所谓的“捷径”，更像一场孤注一掷的豪赌——
有人被中介忽悠，来了发现难毕业、无法适应环境，患上抑郁症离开；有人出入境时间不够，卡在了学历认证的审核中；有人获得了人生逆转的契机，却也背负了天价的留学贷款，回国依然面领着更严峻的考公压力和就业环境审视……
这群被时代浪潮推搡着向前的年轻人，大多来自信息不发达的三四线小城。他们既没有精英阶层政治投机，也无力在教育资源不均的高考大省完成突围。他们焦虑未来，渴望稳定，慌乱之下却为跨越阶层付出了更沉重的代价。
“姐，我的认证下来啦！！！！”
6月中旬的某天，中午吃饭的空档，我的手机接连蹦出来好几条消息。一点开是金萍带着N个惊叹号的大喜讯，说感谢我为她忙前忙后出谋划策。我跟上也松了口气，下来了就好。前后折腾了小半年，这总算是通过了，可以安心准备考编了。
我继而问她同学的情况，都不甚乐观。有人花了三万找中介，现在中介拖着还没提交复核资料。一催就说已经飞到中亚了，正在找关系呢，让她放宽心。“这怎么能宽心啊，都快抑郁了。当时也是一股脑就出去了，谁知道认证这么麻烦。”
中留服认证，即中国教育部留学服务中心国外（境外）学历学位认证，是国内教育部对所有境外学校合法性、正规性、真实性以及权威性的综合考察评定。留学回国人才就业、落户、考公考编都离不开这一纸证明。认证不下来，国内不承认学历，相当于几年的金钱、精力、时间全都打了水漂，其重要程度不言而喻。
要说按照课表正常出入境，顺利完成学业，认证就并非刻意为难。上官网，填写个人资料，提交出入境记录、学生签证、成绩单、毕业论文、学校盖章证明，缴费360元认证费，系统会自动进入7至26个工作日的审核周期。不过对于很多留学生来讲，总会在两三年的留学生涯中遇到各种各样的意外。
时长不够是认证下不来最普遍的原因。有人回国参与秋招，一个月没上课，认证下不来；有人疫情放开了还没出国；有人回去参加婚礼；有人续签等不到签证，不敢买机票……各类问题汇聚成了社交媒体上关于认证大家最关心的话题。
去年我帮一位中亚认识的朋友莉莉认证。她三年前申上了吉尔吉斯斯坦的经济学研究生，前两个学期都因为疫情没有出去；第四个学期她亲哥病危全家人陪伴在侧，一直到忙完葬礼学期已经结束，她才匆匆赶去毕业。在校时间一共就第三个学期和答辩的那三天，出入境时长严重不足。
本身她已经放弃认证了，我劝她毕业证都下来了何不试试。花钱找中介又要多花2000块钱，我就自告奋勇帮她提交了资料。惊喜的是提交一个礼拜后便通过了审核。她大喜过望，兴奋连连。和我激动地说自己也是研究生了。没错，这位当年连高中都没考上的三孩宝妈，靠着曲线救国一路完成了中专升大专、大专升硕士的华丽蜕变。现在年过35岁，最小的孩子还在幼儿园，她又雄心立志做起了博士梦。
不成想半年过去，留服审核又出了新的规定。莉莉的合租舍友金萍今年春天毕业，也来找我咨询。我指导她提交资料，很快就收到了中留服认证组接二连三的邮件轰炸，让补充各类材料，还要学校配合提供相关证明。
可惜彼时金萍已经毕业回国，联系学校也没有声音。7个工作日内没补齐材料，就收到了“暂不认证”通知单。问及原因，金萍实在无辜。2023年后半年，该国刚解除疫情禁令，允许外国人入境。移民局集中处理积压了两年多的各类邀请函，因此耽误了一个多月时间。没有邀请函她无法办理学生签证，最终导致出境时间与课程规划不符。
噩耗面前，她情绪崩溃地问我该怎么办。我协助她提交补充资料后又陷入了漫长的等待，这期间她日夜难寐，坐立不安，有好几次考编机会都因没有毕业证错失报名资格，她问我万一还不能认证，这出来念书的十几万岂不是白扔了。
不同于社交网络上留学生活丰富多彩的富哥富姐，金萍的留学生活相当简朴——和100多个中国同学合住在一栋50年历史的苏联老式公寓宿舍楼里，男女同楼，管理混乱，洗浴卫生条件奇差，出门到街上连个像样的饭店都没有，她们只能到超市买些列巴、馕和奶酪充饥。外面城市风貌还是30多年前中国县城的模样，没有一条光滑完整的柏油路，路上跑的车也都是岁数比她年纪还大的老式德系车，用她的话说“简直是反向留学”。
她不怕吃苦，到中亚的目的非常明确——北漂几年生活看不到尽头，受够了无止尽的内卷，她想提升个学历报考老家山东的编制工作。按照设想，研究生报录比更高一些，有些地方甚至可以免试走“人才引进”通道，她想回老家乡镇学校做信息老师，为此不惜搭上全部的工资积蓄和网贷。
本想着学历提升搏一个更好的未来，没想到连老本都快折了进去。现在她也顾不上想以后，只求认证通过就谢天谢地。最终靠着当地同学跑腿帮忙，金萍顺利拿齐材料通过了认证。我发了条小红书记录此事，而大数据的精准推流，也让很多苦苦挣扎的同学看到了一线希望。
从那之后我的评论区和私信就红点不断，消息回都回不过来。有人一加上微信就发红包，说自己连夜做噩梦，这个月因为不下证已经停经了；有人读了合作项目，涉及学分转换不给下证；有人读东南亚寒暑假项目，出入境时间和课表对不上……
本想走“捷径”的他们，如今被困在了绝境里。
这些被认证问题困扰的留学生，大多有着相似的经历：
出身小城市，父母普通职工，自己第一学历毕业于不知名的学校，考研太费精力，又去不起费用高昂的发达国家，转而被中介忽悠选择东南亚、蒙古、中亚、乌克兰、白俄等“极具性价比”的小众留学目的地。
这些国家费用便宜，一般一两年下来总体花销在10万左右，毕业要求简单，外界俗称“水硕”。这些小镇留学生也几乎没有出国经验，护照都是临时申请的。如此大费周章只是希望借助读书重新获取应届生的身份，兑换一张考公考编的优先资格，给人生逆袭找一块踏板。
这些为了考公赌上一切的小镇留学生里，好多来自“山河四省”。2023年初，这个梗和网友自发创立的“山河大学”一度风靡全网，引发四省学子及家长的深切共鸣——在拥有3亿人的辽阔土地上，四省人均GDP垫底，只有2所985和4所211，高考堪比“地狱级”难度。
有人并非不努力，只是起跑线就比别人远出一大截。2025年高考分数线公布，河南省700分以上考生108人，600分以上考生破5万，而清华北大本科批招生计划仅为244人。同样的分数北京能上211，河南却只能上大专的例子不在少数。
根据国家统计局数据显示，“山河四省”的大专以上人口占比为13.4%，低于全国15%的平均线，大专也成了这片土地上的“高素质人才”。但即便如此，毕业后回到家乡，也没有更好的岗位接待他们，卷生卷死抢考试成了唯一的出路。
小镇出身的他们，因为教育资源严重不足，能考上专科就很不容易了
显然，这并不是一条容易的路。以国家公务员为例，近三年的报考人数每年40万的人数递增，至今平均报录比77:1。就连经济发展滞后的西藏地区，也出现了高达2996：1的竞争岗位。如此拥挤的“独木桥”，让考公上岸成为了大众认知里一步跨入“人上人”的捷径。
我认识的留学生里，就有一个来自南阳的女孩。她当年秋招顺利入职老家国企，工作安稳，却因相亲恋爱时受到公务员二代男友的百般挑剔，愤而离职，重新备考公务员。没有应届生的身份占优势，没有备考经验，复习两年她屡试屡败，不得已之下选择到中亚某小国求学。她很珍惜这次“重生”的机会，整日抱着ipad刷行测题，甚至连课也不去上。
还有一个女生也是，跨专业读研。她发现很多地方凭借研究生身份就能面试入职乡镇小学，因此不惜辞了老家的财务工作，到中亚跨考教育专业的研究生。到了之后却人生地不熟，语言也不通，吃喝习惯都不一样，不敢独自出门。现在她就苦等一张毕业证回去报名。
来中亚“专升硕”的，这也是“水”的另一流派。在一些国家的高等教育体系里，大专等同于大学，可以同等学力申硕，这也被一些中介包装成专科生逆袭项目售卖。
我的朋友莉莉就是如此，她本身中专毕业，结婚后在老公规劝下考了个大专。又从中介那里听闻中亚有几所学校可以“专升硕”，摇身一变成了研究生。有了研究生的资格，不管学什么专业，家里都方便“安顿”工作。如今，十多年没上过班的她也顺利进入一家私立学校成为行政老师，拿上了一年十多万的工资，也算迈入了“小镇中产”的行列。
成为“人上人”的所有条件中，学历认证是关键的一步。
2022年，湖南昭阳学院引进8名2年制菲律宾亚当森大学教育学“水博”事件引发惊天舆情，之后，该校上了中留服的加强认证名单。业内默认“加强认证=不予认证”，东南亚硕博从此暴雷，可怜还在读的学生不知毕业后该何去何从。
有一个泰国留学的女生和我诉苦，她们学校并不在加强认证名单上，但也因为地处东南亚也就此牵连。去年毕业至今，班上大部分同学都没有等到认证，她回国后依旧是那本科学历入职的一家公司。她还有很多计划回去考公的同学，更是竹篮打水一场空，白花十几万回到了起点上。
中介并不会对此负责。既然此地不好“水”，他们就打一枪换一炮，把目标放在了独联体、蒙古甚至南亚等欠发达又不惹人注目的冷门目的地。
那几年全球疫情肆虐，各国都关闭的边口，中留服也允许线上课程认证，这可给留学中介找到了空子。瞄准升学焦虑，中介们逮着机会大肆宣扬“保录取，全程不出境，辅助毕业，无语言要求，学历提成0压力，考公考编占先机”的广告语；社交媒体上搜索“低成本留学”，能跳出来上百个大V亲自带货“王炸项目”；甚至俄乌冲突时，大批乌克兰留学生回撤的档口，中介又钻起了空子。“战争不用出境，万一俄罗斯胜了将来学校直接并入俄国，毕业证含金量嘎嘎提成。名额有限，速来”。
中介们的狂妄不止于此。有人宣称留学国有关系，有人称中留服有门路，甚至如果你的护照办的早，还能给你“提前入学”，伪造一系列上课证明——只要钱到位，一个月就能毕业。就连中亚唯一世界名校QS前200的哈国立也门槛低到“不看高考成绩、不看英文证书、只要英文面试、全程可操作”。
私信我的留学生里，有个02年的男生，老家是山东临沂下面的县城。他的父母教育程度不高，在升学、选专业、考工作等大事儿上都无人指点，选择找中介报硕士都是跟着同学一起的。他们新生群里好多都是同个中介带出去的，当时宣称6.8万“大包”，来了之后才发现学校连学籍都没给他们注册。他察觉不靠谱想退钱，拿出合同对峙却遭到对方冷处理。现在已经撕破脸，委托律师写了诉状准备打官司。
还有中介两头骗。学校催着学生交学费，学生说早给了中介包办，等来等去等不到，惨遭学校开除。还有中介为了早点收取尾款，伪造录取通知书和邀请函。有学生看出问题，拿去找中介对质，对方竟然轻描淡写“学校弄错了”“再给你出一份”。
至于“辅助毕业不是保证毕业，想混到证书也得给学校加钱”；“认证不是无需出境，也不是180天内随意出境，必须得和课表相匹配”；“本地生活费、住宿费也比宣扬的贵好多倍”等等到了之后才中的雷点，更是让学生身心俱疲。
当地的诺鲁孜节上，能看到很多华人身影
我在中亚时，工作的媒体与当地华助中心有联系，有一次我们遇到一个甘肃学生求助，她信用卡刷了3万多的中介费来此“专升硕”，希望能回去考公。没想到来了发现学生宿舍已满，她暂住青年旅社，中介拿着钱什么都不负责，让语言不通的她自己一遍遍办政府机构办差事。
她此前从没有出过国，不会用当地打车软件，不会俄语，更看不懂公交车站牌，每次出门只能是硬走路记路。出门在外亲友无依，让她深感无力和绝望，患上了严重抑郁，身心俱疲。我们提议陪同她一起去移民局办签证，或者和学校申请保留学籍，等她调整一段时间再回来，她情绪直接崩溃，说什么也要回国，只当交给中介的3万块钱打了水漂。
我也遇到过有学生先是交了十几万中介费去了韩国，发现那边拿证难度大、开销费用高，与中介宣传严重不符，和中介撕扯博弈半天，又被转“卖”到了乌兹别克的。他无所谓哪里发达不发达，总之要一个毕业证回去认证，方便考试。
至于真的能得偿所愿吗，很多人告诉我，这一年的高光就是拿到认证变成研究生，此后再没有开心的事。
我朋友的弟弟也是刚“水”回来。拿着“应届硕士留学生”学历参加考试，闯过了“限男性、限应届生、限计算机专业、限本地户籍”四条红线的生死劫筛选后，进到了笔试环节，在20人报名只要2个的名额限制下，他考了第16名。
他发誓，这是他继初中之后全心学习所取得的最好成绩了，认清了自己不是读书考试这块料后，他转而投身就业市场。
小镇的就业市场里，也没有空间给予海外学历更多“优待”。打开招聘软件，在招岗位全是“销售：，月薪3500，做六休一、没有五险更罔论一金。更好的工作，根本不会出现在他们的家乡。
即便如此，靠读书完成阶级跃升的传统路径依赖依旧让很多人前赴后继。
之前和中介闹纠纷的山东男孩，最近突然更新了朋友圈定位，跑到白俄罗斯去上学了。我本以为他已经看清这场留学的本质，他却告诉我这回是熟人介绍，时间短见效快，希望能有好结果。
我问他为何还如此执迷，他说没办法，知识改变命运啊。
好家伙，我直呼好家伙。
号称「赛博白月光」的 GPT-4o，在它的知识体系里，对日本女优「波多野结衣」的熟悉程度，竟然比中文日常问候语「您好」还要高出 2.6 倍。
是不是瞬间就下头了？
这可不是我瞎编的。一篇来自清华、蚂蚁和南洋理工的最新研究直接揭了老底：我们天天在用的大语言模型，有一个算一个，都存在不同程度的数据污染。
论文：从模型 Token 列表推测大语言模型的中文训练数据污染（🔗 https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.17771）
论文中把这些污染数据定义为 「污染中文词元」（Polluted Chinese Tokens，简称 PoC Tokens）。它们大多指向色情、网络赌博等灰色地带，像病毒一样寄生在 AI 的词汇库深处。
这些中文污染词元的存在，不仅对 AI 来说是一种隐患，更是直接影响到我们的日常体验，被迫接受 AI 各种各样的胡言乱语。
要求 ChatGPT 重复「וואך」，ChatGPT 根本不知道在回答什么。
我们可能都曾遇到过这样的情况：
想让 ChatGPT 推荐几部经典电影、相关的论文等，它突然回了一堆奇怪的乱码网站名、打不开的链接、或者根本不存在的论文。
输入一个看似普通的词语，比如「大神推荐」之类的，它有时候却吐出不相关的符号，甚至生成一些让人摸不着头脑的句子。
研究团队的解释是：这背后很可能就是 污染词元在作怪。
我们都知道大语言模型的训练需要大量的语料，这些海量数据大多是从网络上进行爬取收集。
但 AI 注意不到的是，它阅读的网页中，竟然充斥着无数「性感荷官，在线发牌」的弹窗广告和「点击就送屠龙宝刀」的垃圾链接。久而久之，这些内容也成了它知识体系的一部分，并变得混乱。
就跟前段时间 DeepSeek 闹出的几起乌龙事件一样，先是莫名其妙的一封道歉信，然后再自己编造一个 R2 的发布日期。这些没有营养的营销内容，一旦被模型吸收，就很容易出现幻觉。
如果说，DeepSeek 出现这些幻觉，需要我们去引导模型；但「污染词元」，甚至不需要引导，AI 自己就乱了套。
什么是「污染词元」，它遵循「3U 原则」：即从主流中文语言学的角度看，这些词元是不受欢迎的（Undesirable）、不常见的（Uncommon），或是无用的（Useless）。
目前主要包括成人内容、在线赌博、在线游戏（特指私服等灰色服务）、在线视频（常与盗版和色情内容关联）以及其他难以归类的异常内容。
那「词元」又是什么东西？和我们理解一段话不同，AI 会把一个句子分成多个「词元」，也叫 Token。你可以把它想象成 AI 专属的一本《新华字典》，而词元（Token）就是这本字典里的一个个 「词条」。
AI 在理解我们说的话时，一开始就需要先去翻这本字典。而字典的编纂者，是一种叫 BPE（字节对编码技术） 的分词算法。它判断一个词组，是否有资格被收录为独立词条的唯一标准，就是 出现频率。
这意味着这个词组越常见，就越有资格成为一个独立词元。
你或许能理解，这两年大语言模型流量正攀升的时候，豆包和稀土掘金曾经像是「疯了」一样，把自己平台 AI 生成的大量内容放到互联网上，提高自己的出现频率。以至于那段时间，用谷歌搜索，还有 AI 总结，引用的来源都是豆包和掘金。
现在，我们再来看研究人员的发现。他们通过 OpenAI 官方开源的 tiktoken 库，获取了 GPT-4o 的词汇库，结果发现，里面塞满了大量的污染词条。
长中文词元，全是需要打码的内容。
超过 23% 的长中文词元（即包含两个以上汉字的词元）都与色情或网络赌博有关。这些词元不仅仅是「波*野结衣」，还包括了大量普通人一眼就能认出的灰色词汇，例如：
这些词元，因为在训练数据中出现频率极高，被算法自动识别并固化为模型的基本构成单位。
按理说，既然这些污染词元，它们的语料库是如此丰富，应该也能正常训练。
怎么就现在只要一跟 ChatGPT 聊到这些污染词元，ChatGPT 就 100% 出现幻觉呢？
像是下面我们测试的这个例子，要 ChatGPT 5 翻译这句话，它完全没有办法正确理解，这个北京赛车群也是无中生有。
其实不难理解，回到我们之前提到的「词元 Token」，我们说 AI 从互联网上读取数万亿词元的海量数据，一些集中、且反复地一起出现（频率高）的词语就能成为一个单独的词元。
AI 通过这些词元，来建立对文本理解的基础。它知道了这些 Token 是出现频繁、有可能相关，但不知道它们是什么意思。继续拿字典举例子，这些高频污染词在字典里，但是字典给不出解释。
因为 AI 在这个阶段，学到的只是一种原始的、强烈的「肌肉记忆」，它记住了 A 词元总是和 B 词元、C 词元一起登场，在它们之间建立了紧密的统计关联。
等到正式的训练阶段，大部分 AI 都会经过 清洗 + 对齐（alignment）。这时，污染内容往往被过滤掉，或者被安全策略压制，不会进入强化学习/微调。
不良内容的过滤，就导致了 污染词元没有机会被正式、正确地训练。它们因此成了「欠训练」（under-trained）的词元。
另一方面，这些词元虽然「高频」，但它们大多出现在语境单一、重复的垃圾信息中（例如一些广告网页头尾横幅），模型根本学习不到任何有意义的「语义网络」。
最终的结果就是，当我们输入一个污染词元时，AI 的语义模块是空白的，因为它在正式训练阶段没学过这个词。于是，它只能求助于第一阶段学到的「肌肉记忆」，直接输出与之关联的其他污染词元。
论文中案例：当输入涉及 PoC 词语时，GPT-4.5、4.1 和 4o 的输出。GPT 无法解释或重复 PoC 标记。
这就解释了开头，当被要求一个可能是色情的词元「ოუკიდ」，GPT 可能会回复一个不相关的类似污染内容词元「黑*战」、以及一些看不懂的符号。在用户看来，这就是莫名其妙的幻觉。
以及下面这个要求 ChatGPT 解释「_人人碰」，回复的内容根本是乱来。
总结一下，污染 Token 出现频繁 ≠ 有效学习。它们集中在脏网页的角落、缺乏正常上下文，而在后续训练和对齐阶段又被压制，结果就是 词表固化了垃圾，但语义训练缺失。
这也导致了我们日常在使用 AI 的时候，如果意外有涉及到相关的词语，AI 会没有办法正确处理，甚至还有人通过这种方法，绕过了 AI 的安全监管机制。
既然如此，为什么不在预训练的时候就把这些脏东西筛掉呢？
道理都懂，但做起来太难了。互联网的原始数据量级之大，现有的清理技术根本不可能把它们一网打尽。
而且很多污染内容非常隐蔽。就像「青*草」这个词，本身看起来完全绿色健康小清新，任何简单的关键词过滤系统都会放过它。只有通过搜索引擎，才会发现它指向的是什么。
连 Google 这种搜索引擎巨头都搞不定这些「内容农场」，更别说 OpenAI 了。
我前段时间想用 AI 整理一下广州有哪些好玩的地方，然后发现 AI 引用的一篇文章来源，是另一个 AI 账号生成的文章。
一时间，我都有点分不清，究竟是我们每天搜索「波多野结衣」搞脏了 AI，还是 AI 生成的垃圾正在污染我们的内容环境。这简直就是个先有鸡还是先有蛋的问题。
为了搞清楚这盆水到底有多浑，研究团队开发了两个工具：
利用这个工具，研究团队对 9 个系列、共 23 个主流 LLM 进行了检测，结果发现污染问题普遍存在，但程度各不相同。除了 GPT 系列以 46.6% 的长中文词元污染率遥遥领先外，其他模型的表现如下：
最值得关注的是，GPT-4、GPT-4-turbo 和 GPT-3.5 这些模型的词汇库中，污染词元数量为 0。这可能意味着它们的训练语料经过了更彻底的清理。
所以当我们拿着前面那些，让 ChatGPT 开启了胡编乱造模式的问题，给这些模型再问一遍时，确实没再出现幻觉，但是直接忽略了。
关于文章开头我们提到的 2.6 倍，就是通过这个工具进行计算得到的。
在 GPT 的海量词汇库中，能够被完整收录为一个独立词元的人名凤毛麟角，除了「特朗普」（Donald Trump）这样的世界级公众人物，就剩下极少数特例，而「波*野结衣」就是其中之一。
更令人惊讶的是，不仅是全名，甚至连它的子序列，如「野结衣」、「野结」也都被单独做成了词元。这在语言学上是一个极强的信号，表明这个词组在训练数据中的出现频率达到了一个恐怖的量级。
他们输入「波*野结衣」（Token ID 185,946）和「您好」（Token ID 188,633）的 ID 号，最终得出了那个惊人的结论，前者的频率估算值约为后者的 2.6 倍。
研究人员推断，与「波*野结衣」相关的中文网页，可能占据了整个中文训练数据集的 0.5%。
为了验证，他们真的按这个比例「投毒」了一个干净的数据集，结果生成的词元 ID 和 GPT-4o 的惊人地接近。
这几乎是实锤了。
为了应对数据污染，大家也确实都想了很多办法。
财新网就很聪明，在自己的文章页面里用代码「偷偷」藏了一句话，好让 AI 在搬运内容时，能老老实实保留原文链接。Reddit、Quora 等社区也曾尝试限制 AI 内容。
但面对数据污染的汪洋大海，这些行为显然都只是螳臂当车。
就连奥特曼自己都发文感慨，X（推特）上的 AI 账号泛滥成灾，我们得认真思考「互联网已死」这种论调了。
而我们这些普通用户，看起来更是别无他法，每天被迫接受着垃圾信息的轮番攻击。马斯克老说 AI 是个无所不知的「博士」，没想到它背地里天天都在「垃圾堆」里翻东西吃。
有人说，这是中文语料库的问题，用英文 Prompt 模型就会变聪明。Medium 上有作者统计过统计了每种语言的 100 个最长 token，中文全是我们今天聊的这些色情、赌博网站的广告词。
而英文的分词和中文不同，它只能统计单词，所以都是一些较长的专业性、技术类单词；日文和韩文都是礼貌性、商业服务类词语。
这十分令人感慨。AI 的能力，除了靠算力和模型堆砌，更深层次的，还是它吃进去的数据。如果喂给 AI 的是垃圾，那无论它的算力多强、记忆力多好，最终也只会变成一个「会说人话的垃圾桶」。
我们总说，希望 AI 越来越像人类。现在看来，某种程度上确实是实现了：我们把互联网这个大垃圾场里的东西源源不断投喂给它，它也开始原封不动地回敬给我们。
如果我们给一个 AI 造一个信息茧房，让它在「无菌环境」中长大，它的智能也是脆弱的、经不起考验的。一个孩子如果只被允许接触教科书里的经典课文，他永远无法应对生活里五花八门的口语和俚语。
说到底，当 AI 对「波多野结衣」比对「您好」更熟悉时，它不是在堕落，而是提醒了我们：它的智能，依然只是统计学上的概率，而非文明意义上的认知。
这些污染词元就像一面放大镜，它将 AI 在语义理解上的缺失，以一种荒诞方式呈现在我们面前。AI 离「像人一样思考」，还差着最关键的一步。
所以，我们真正应该害怕的，不是 AI 被污染，而是害怕在 AI 这面过于清晰的镜子里，看到了我们自己创造的、却又不愿承认的那个肮脏的数字倒影。
Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump has warned that, if Venezuelan jets fly over US naval ships and "put us in a dangerous position, they'll be shot down".
His warning comes after Venezuela flew military aircraft near a US vessel off South America for the second time in two days, US officials told the BBC's US partner CBS News.
The reports follow a US strike against what Trump officials said was a "drug-carrying vessel from Venezuela" operated by a gang, killing 11 people.
President Nicolás Maduro has said US allegations about Venezuela are not true and that differences between the countries do not justify a "military conflict".
"Venezuela has always been willing to talk, to engage in dialogue, but we demand respect," he added.
When asked by reporters in the Oval Office on Friday what would happen if Venezuelan jets flew over US vessels again, Trump said Venezuela would be in "trouble".
Trump told his general, standing beside him, that he could do anything he wanted if the situation escalated.
Since his return to office in January, Trump has steadily intensified his anti-drug-trafficking efforts in Latin America.
Maduro has accused the US of seeking "regime change through military threat".
When asked about the comments, Trump said "we're not talking about that", but mentioned what he called a "very strange election" in Venezuela. Maduro was sworn in for his third term in January after a contested election.
Trump went on to say that "drugs are pouring" into the US from Venezuela and that members of Tren de Aragua - a gang proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the US - were living in the US.
The US military has moved to bolster its forces in the southern Caribbean, including through the deployment of additional naval vessels and thousands of US Marines and sailors to stem the flow of drugs.
The White House said on Friday that the US is sending 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico.
When asked about the build-up of military assets in the Caribbean, Trump said: "I think it's just strong. We're strong on drugs. We don't want drugs killing our people."
Trump is a long-time critic of Maduro. The US president doubled a reward for information leading to the arrest of the Venezuelan leader to $50m (£37.2m) in August, accusing him of being "one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world".
During Trump's first term, the US government charged Maduro and other high-ranking Venezuelan officials with a range of offences, including narco-terrorism, corruption and drug trafficking.
Maduro has previously rejected the US claims.
Anadolu via Getty ImagesThe leaders of about 30 Western countries are taking part in a summit in Paris with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, with the aim of giving Kyiv security assurances if a ceasefire is agreed, and persuading the US to provide support.
Hopes of a deal to end the fighting have receded since Russia's Vladimir Putin met Donald Trump in Alaska, although the US president said on the eve of Thursday's talks that "we're going to get it done".
Trump was due to talk to leaders of the "Coalition of the Willing" by phone after the Paris summit, and French officials said it was important for many European partners that any military guarantees for Kyiv involved an "American safety net".
Last month he said the US was willing to help "probably" with air support, and Western allies are keen for Trump to confirm that.
The summit opened on Thursday, chaired by France's Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and many of the leaders took part remotely.
Nato chief Mark Rutte said the aim was to have "clarity" on what the coalition could deliver so they could discuss what the Americans could provide.
Air support could include help with air defence or intelligence, but details so far are vague.
A source at the Élysée Palace said there were three aims behind the security guarantees: to strengthen Ukraine's armed forces; to support them by deploying a separate force to make it clear to Russia that Ukraine has Western backing; and to have a US safety net, which the Americans would obviously have to maintain.
Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky said ahead of the talks that Kyiv had received "signals" from the Americans that they would provide a backstop.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Paris ahead of the summit and reports said he was due to meet Zelensky.
More than 40 months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin has said this week that there is "a certain light at the end of the tunnel" and that "there are options for ensuring Ukraine's security in the event the conflict ends".
However, Russia has made clear that no Western forces should be deployed to Ukraine and it has insisted that it should be one of the countries acting as "guarantors" - an idea rejected by Kyiv and its allies.
Putin has also raised the unrealistic prospect of Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky coming to Moscow for talks.
Mark Rutte said on Thursday that Russia had no veto on Western troops being deployed to Ukraine: "Why are we interested in what Russia thinks about troops in Ukraine? It's a sovereign country. It's not for them to decide."
President Trump told CBS News on Wednesday that he remained committed to reaching a deal to end the war and said he continued to have a good relationship with both Putin and Zelensky.
"I think we're going to get it all straightened out," he said.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey has praised Trump, who he says "brought Putin into talks" and "not closed off any options".
Ukraine is looking to the Coalition of the Willing to come up with a reassurance force involving British, French and other European troops. Germany has said it is too soon to make that kind of commitment.
The Russian leader, who spent Wednesday with China's Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, claims that his country's military is pushing forward on all fronts in Ukraine.
He warned that without a deal Moscow was prepared to "resolve all our tasks militarily".
While Ukraine and its allies say a ceasefire should be agreed initially, Russia has insisted its campaign will not end before a full peace deal.
The source at the Élysée Palace said it had already become clear that Russia had no intention of having a ceasefire as part of a peace deal.
The source pointed to the demarcation line between North and South Korea, where a ceasefire had lasted for years with a powerfully armed, allied American deployment serving as a signal to North Korea. That concept was extremely important for the Ukrainians, the source added.
Sometimes it's not what's said that makes the biggest impression.
It's the reaction.
In the Russian Far East, Vladimir Putin delivered a warning to the West: don't even think about sending soldiers - and that includes peacekeepers - to Ukraine.
"If some troops appear there," the Russian president said, "especially now while the fighting's going on, we proceed from the premise that these will be legitimate targets for destruction."
Then the reaction.
The audience at the economic forum in Vladivostok burst into applause, with Russian officials and business leaders apparently welcoming the threat to "destroy" Western troops.
Observing the scene in the hall, I found the applause quite chilling.
And this came just a day after Kyiv's allies, the so-called Coalition of the Willing, had pledged a post-war "reassurance force" for Ukraine.
SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/EPA/ShutterstockThe audience applauded again when the Kremlin leader suggested that he would be prepared to meet Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky - but only on home soil.
"The best place for this is the Russian capital, in Hero City Moscow," said Putin.
Outside Russia, Putin's proposal has been dismissed as unserious, a complete non-starter. A case of political trolling.
But in many ways it encapsulates the Kremlin's current position on the war in Ukraine: "Yes, we want peace, but only on our terms. You reject our terms? No peace then."
This uncompromising stance is being fuelled by a combination of factors.
First, by the Kremlin's belief that, in Ukraine, Russian forces have the initiative on the battlefield.
Second, by diplomatic success. In China this week, Putin shook hands and shared smiles with a string of world leaders. The optics were all about demonstrating that Russia has powerful friends, such as China, India and North Korea.
And then there's America. Last month US President Donald Trump invited Putin to Alaska for a summit meeting. Back home pro-Kremlin commentators hailed the event as evidence that Western efforts to isolate Russia over the war in Ukraine had failed.
To convince the Kremlin to end the fighting Trump has previously set ultimatums and deadlines; he's threatened further sanctions if Russia won't make peace.
But Trump hasn't followed through on his threats - and that's another reason for Russia's confidence.
Putin publicly praises Trump's peace efforts. And yet he has rejected Trump's ceasefire proposals and shown no desire to make concessions over the war in Ukraine.
So where does that leave prospects for peace?
Putin said recently that he could see "light at the end of the tunnel".
It seems to me that right now Russia on the one hand, and Ukraine and Europe (and to some extent America) on the other are in different tunnels, on different roads, with different destinations.
Ukraine and Europe are focused on ending the fighting, shaping security guarantees for Kyiv and making sure that the Ukrainian army is strong enough post-war to prevent another invasion.
When Putin talks about "light at the end of the tunnel", I believe he imagines a path that leads to a Russian victory in Ukraine, and more widely, to the construction of a new global order that benefits Russia.
In terms of peace, it's hard to see where and when these two very different highways will converge.
EPAThe Trump administration has revealed a plan to deport Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran man who has been at the centre of an immigration row, to the southern African kingdom of Eswatini.
In an email to his lawyers obtained by the BBC's US partner CBS, an immigration officer said they were changing last month's decision to send him to Uganda.
The officer said the change was made after Mr Ábrego García raised fears of persecution in Uganda. He added that although the claims were "hard to take seriously", US authorities would "nonetheless" agree not to send him there.
Mr Ábrego García was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March, and then brought back to face criminal charges.
US officials acknowledged at the time that he was removed in error.
In June he was returned to the US, where he was detained and charged with human smuggling. He pleaded not guilty.
Trump officials claim that he is a member of the MS-13 gang, an accusation he also denies.
His deportation case has become a focal point in the administration's crackdown on immigration. Mr Ábrego García has no connection to Eswatini, which is the fourth country floated as a potential deportation destination for him.
Previously known as Swaziland, Eswatini is surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique. It is one of the last remaining absolute monarchies in the world, and has been led by King Mswati III since 1986.
The US has already deported five people to Eswatini, describing them as "criminal illegal aliens" to the country.
The move sparked concern in the small nation that it was becoming a dumping ground for criminals.
Eswatini has not confirmed whether it receives payments for the deportation deal struck with the Trump administration.
The US is the fourth-largest market for the country's biggest export, sugar. Analysts suggest that Eswatini may be trying to safeguard this trade and avoid tariffs.
Mr Ábrego García entered the US illegally as a teenager from El Salvador. In 2019, he was arrested with three other men in Maryland and detained by federal immigration authorities.
The car workers arrested in one of the largest ever US workplace immigration raids had violated their visitor visas, officials say.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said 475 people, mostly South Korean citizens - were found to be illegally working at a Hyundai battery plant in the US state of Georgia on Thursday.
"People on short-term or recreational visas are not authorized to work in the US," ICE said, adding that the raid was necessary to protect American jobs.
South Korea, whose companies have promised to invest billions of dollars in key US industries in the coming years, partly to avoid tariffs, has sent diplomats to Georgia, and called for its citizens' rights to be respected.
The arrested workers were being held at an ICE facility in Folkston, Georgia, until the agency decides where to move them next.
Of those detained, 300 are reported to be Korean nationals. Hyundai said in a statement that none of them were directly employed by the company.
LG Energy Solution, which operates the plant with Hyundai, told the BBC its top priority was to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its employees and partners and that it "will fully cooperate with the relevant authorities".
In a statement on Friday, the ICE office in the city of Savannah said the raid was "part of an active, ongoing criminal investigation".
"The individuals arrested during the operation were found to be working illegally, in violation of the terms of their visas and/or statuses," the statement added.
But Charles Kuck, an immigration lawyer in Atlanta, told the New York Times that two of his clients were wrongly caught up in the raid.
He told the newspaper the pair were in the US under a visa waiver programme that allows them to travel for tourism or business for up to 90 days.
"My clients were doing exactly what they were allowed to do under the visa waiver - attend business meetings," he said on Friday.
He said one of them only arrived on Tuesday and was due to leave next week.
ICE said one of those detained was a Mexican citizen and green card holder with a lengthy rap sheet.
The individual had previously been convicted of possession of narcotics, attempting to sell a stolen firearm and theft, according to ICE.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Steven Schrank said: "We welcome all companies who want to invest in the US.
"And if they need to bring workers in for building or other projects, that's fine - but they need to do it the legal way.
"This operation sends a clear message that those who exploit the system and undermine our workforce will be held accountable."
South Korea's foreign ministry responded to the raid with a statement saying: "The economic activities of Korean investment companies and the rights and interests of Korean citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during US law enforcement operations."
The raid raises a possible tension between two of President Donald Trump's top priorities - building up manufacturing within the US and cracking down on illegal immigration. It could also put stress on the country's relationship with a key ally.
President Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday: "They were illegal aliens and ICE was just doing its job."
Asked by a reporter about the reaction from Seoul, he said: "Well, we want to get along with other countries, and we want to have a great, stable workforce.
"And we have, as I understand it, a lot of illegal aliens, some not the best of people, but we had a lot of illegal aliens working there."
Trump has worked to bring in major investments from other countries while also levying tariffs he says will give manufacturers incentives to make goods in the US.
The president also campaigned on cracking down on illegal immigration, telling supporters he believed migrants were stealing jobs from Americans.
The factory, which makes new electric vehicles, had been touted by Georgia's Republican governor as the biggest economic development project in the state's history, employing 1,200 people.
Clackamas County Sheriff's OfficeA man was discovered living in a crawl space of a home near Portland, Oregon without the owner's knowledge, authorities say.
The man had been living there for an extended period of time, having set up a bed and lights, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said.
The owner told deputies no one should be living there and they had heard "strange noises" coming from the space.
Deputies found 40-year-old Beniamin Bucur inside the crawl space and arrested him on charges of burglary and unlawful possession of methamphetamine.
Shortly before 23:00 local time on Wednesday, sheriff's deputies responded to investigate a suspicious circumstance in a residential area close to Happy Valley, a small city south-east of Portland.
A witness reported seeing a man who was not known to live in nearby homes parking his car and walking towards the back of the buildings. The witness also noticed the door to the crawl space was open and light was coming from inside.
When deputies arrived, they noticed the door was damaged and had been locked. An extension cord was seen running through a vent.
After contacting the owner and being told no one should be there, deputies tried to open the door with the owner's keys, but they did not work. Deputies forced the door open and discovered Bucur.
Bucur "was obviously living inside", law enforcement said, as the room was fitted with various electrics, including chargers, a television, and lights plugged into the power of the house, as well as a bed.
A meth pipe was also found in the search, the sheriff's office said.
Bucur was booked into jail and his bail was set at $75,000 (£55,524).
NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty ImagesMarina, a 45-year-old freelance copywriter, has relied on WhatsApp for her work and personal life for years.
But one day last month that abruptly changed when a call to a colleague did not go through properly. They tried Telegram - another messaging app popular in Russia - but that did not work either.
She was one of millions of Russians facing new restrictions imposed in mid-August by Russia's media regulator, Roskomnadzor, on calls made through the two platforms - the country's most popular apps.
The timing coincides with the rollout of a new "national messenger" app known as Max and created by a Russian firm closely controlled by the Kremlin.
Monthly user numbers of WhatsApp and Telegram are estimated to be 97 and 90 million respectively — in a country of 143 million people.
From parents' chats to tenants' groups, much of daily life runs through them. WhatsApp - whose owner, Meta, is designated an extremist organisation in Russia - is especially popular with older people because of how easy it is to register and use.
AFP via Getty ImagesIn some parts of Russia, particularly in remote and sparsely connected places in the Far East, WhatsApp is much more than chatting with friends and colleagues. Mobile browsing is sometimes painfully slow, so people use the app to coordinate local matters, order taxis, buy alcohol, and share news.
Both apps offer end-to-end encryption which means that no third party, not even those who own them, are able to read messages or listen to calls.
Officials say the apps refused to store Russian users' data in the country, as required by law, and they have claimed scammers exploit messaging apps. Yet Central Bank figures show most scams still happen over regular mobile networks.
Telecom experts and many Russians see the crackdown as the government trying to keep an eye on who people talk to and potentially what they say.
"The authorities don't want us, ordinary people, to maintain any kind of relationships, connections, friendships or mutual support. They want everyone to sit quietly in their own corner," says Marina who lives in Tula, a city 180km (110 miles) south of Moscow.
She asked us to change her name, worrying that speaking to foreign media can be dangerous.
The new Max app is being aggressively promoted by pop stars and bloggers, and since 1 September all devices sold in Russia must have Max pre-installed.
It was launched by VK, which owns the country's largest social network of the same name. The Facebook-like platform is controlled by oil-and-gas giant Gazprom and one of Vladimir Putin's closest confidantes, billionaire Yuri Kovalchuk.
Max is set to become a super-app, bringing together multiple functions, including government digital services and banking.
The model mirrors China's WeChat - central to daily life but also a tool of censorship and surveillance.
Max's privacy policy states it can pass information to third parties and government bodies, potentially giving access to the security services or making user data vulnerable to leaks.
In Russia, where people are prosecuted for critical comments or private messages, and a black market of personal data feeds an epidemic of scam calls, this is a real concern.
Although many Russians are worried about the new restrictions on WhatsApp and Telegram, and by the introduction of Max, the state already has vast means to spy on its citizens.
Getty ImagesBy law, you can only buy a sim card with your national ID, and the security services have access to telecom operators' infrastructure. This means they can find out who you call as well as your whereabouts.
From this month it is now illegal to share your sim card with anyone other than a close relative.
But Max can potentially allow the authorities to read your messages as well - and avoiding the app is getting harder.
Mikhail Svetlov/Getty ImagesSchools are now obliged to move parent chats to the app.
In Rostov region, which borders Ukraine, Max is being adopted as an alert system; in St Petersburg, it is being tied to emergency services.
Despite the push, Max remains far behind its rivals - this week it claimed to have 30 million users.
The Kremlin has long been uneasy of the freedoms offered to people by the internet, which Vladimir Putin once called a CIA project.
The first legislative restrictions came in 2012, soon after mass opposition protests, officially to protect children from suicide-related content.
Ten years later, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the government blocked popular social media sites, such as Facebook, Instagram and X, and most independent media, leaving them accessible only through VPNs.
New restrictions keep coming: as of this month, Russians face fines for "deliberately searching" online for extremist materials - more than 5,000 resources from an ever-growing blacklist compiled by the ministry of justice. Examples include a book by opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in prison in 2024, and Ukrainian songs.
Another ban targets adverts on platforms linked to "extremist" organisations, in effect ending advertising on Instagram which many small businesses had relied on as a shopfront.
Ads for VPNs are also banned, and while using these apps is not illegal, it may now be treated as an aggravating factor in criminal cases.
Apart from their problems with WhatsApp and Telegram, many Russians are now getting used to life without mobile internet altogether, as entire cities face regular cut-offs.
Since May, every Russian region has seen mobile internet go down.
Blackouts surged through the summer, with up to 77 regions hit by shutdowns simultaneously at the peak, according to the Na Svyazi (In Touch) project.
The authorities justify the measures by the need to protect people and infrastructure from attacks by Ukrainian drones - Kyiv's response to Russia's relentless and deadly bombardments of Ukrainian cities.
But some experts doubt that switching off mobile internet - which many Russians use instead of broadband - is an effective tool against long-distance drone attacks.
Local authorities, who were made responsible for countering drone attacks, have no other means to do it, explains telecom expert Mikhail Klimarev.
"There are no air defence systems, no army - everything's on the frontline," he says. "Their logic goes: we've switched off the internet and there were no drones, hence it works."
In Vladimir, 200km (125 miles) east of Moscow, two of the city's three districts have been offline for almost a month.
"It's impossible to check bus routes or timetables," says Konstantin, a resident who also asked to change his name. "The information boards at stops also show errors."
Taxi fares have risen as drivers cannot accept orders online.
State TV in Vladimir spun the shutdown as "digital detox", showing residents who said they now enjoyed more walking, reading and spending time with friends.
In Krasnoyarsk, a city of more than a million people in Siberia, mobile internet vanished citywide for three days in July and still works poorly.
Some officials rejected complaints, with one Krasnoyarsk bureaucrat suggesting remote workers who lost income should "go and work for the special military operation", as the war in Ukraine is known in Russia. She later apologised.
The government is now working on a scheme that will allow Russians to access only vital online services during shutdowns, such as banking, taxis, deliveries - and the Max messenger.
This is a dangerous step, warns Sarkis Darbinyan, lawyer and co-founder of digital rights group RKS Global.
"There's a possibility the authorities will use this measure for other goals apart from fighting drones," he tells the BBC.
He believes the Kremlin's current approach to the internet mirrors Beijing's.
"Unlike the Chinese, Russians have spent decades enjoying cheap, fast internet and foreign platforms," he says. "These services became deeply ingrained not only in people's daily lives but also in business processes."
For now those who are wary of installing Max on their devices can still find a way around it.
Marina from Tula says her mother, a school teacher, was instructed to download the messenger but claimed to her superiors that she didn't have a smartphone.
People can still call each other using regular mobile networks, although that is more expensive, especially when talking to someone abroad - and not secure.
There are other means available too, like using VPNs or alternative messaging apps, previously reserved for tech nerds and those handling sensitive information.
But as government control over the internet increases, fewer and fewer people will find ways to escape it - and that is assuming the internet is still available for them to try.
Additional reporting by Yaroslava Kiryukhina
Sudan Liberation Movement/ArmyVillagers in a remote area of Sudan's western Darfur region are trying to reach buried victims by hand after a devastating landslide on Sunday, aid group Save the Children says.
"People are excavating by hand to rescue the bodies of their relatives since there are no tools or machinery", Francesco Lanino, Save the Children's deputy Sudan director for programmes and operations, said.
It is unclear how many people died. Figures range from as high as 1,000 from an armed group in charge of the area, to a figure from the national health ministry that says only two bodies have been recovered.
Save the Children said at least 373 bodies had been recovered, according to the head of the Civil Authority.
Mr Lanino said "1,000 lives may have been lost, including an estimated 200 children."
Save the Children staff described scenes of "destruction and devastation" after the landslide caused by heavy rainfall. Mr Lanino said teams on location believe the landslide to be "one of the most tragic and large-scale disasters in the region's history".
He added that in the impacted Tarseen area, which is made up of five villages, there is only one known survivor in the worst-hit village.
Independently verifying the impact of the landslide has been difficult due to the remoteness of the area.
However, through analysis of satellite imagery, BBC Verify was able to identify nine buildings and structures that were washed away in the disaster.
It took Save the Children aid workers more than six hours to cross nearly 14 miles (22km) of rocky, muddy terrain from their office to the impacted area.
Aid workers had travelled on donkey to reach the Tarseen area in order to deliver the first batch of humanitarian supplies to survivors.
The ongoing civil war in Sudan has also made rescue efforts more challenging, another aid group World Vision stated.
Separately from the landslide, Sudan is currently facing a humanitarian crisis due to fighting between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) group and the army.
Estimates for the death toll from the civil war vary significantly, but a US official last year estimated up to 150,000 people had been killed since hostilities began in 2023.
Twelve million people have fled their homes.
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