The Political Signals Russia Sends With Each Huge Barrage on Ukraine
© Serhii Korovainyi/Reuters
© Serhii Korovainyi/Reuters
© Mark Abramson for The New York Times
At least 13 people have been killed and dozens are injured in Nepal after demonstrations against a government social media ban led to clashes between protesters and security forces.
Thousands heeded a call by demonstrators describing themselves as Generation Z to gather near the parliament building in Kathmandu over the decision to ban platforms including Facebook, X and YouTube.
Nepal's Minister for Communication Prithvi Subba told the BBC police had had to use force - which included water cannons, batons and firing rubber bullets.
The government has said social media platforms need to be regulated to tackle fake news, hate speech and online fraud.
But popular platforms such as Instagram have millions of users in Nepal, who rely on them for entertainment, news and business.
Demonstrators carried placards with slogans including "enough is enough" and "end to corruption".
Some said they were protesting against what they called the authoritarian attitude of the government.
As the rally moved into a restricted area close to parliament, some protesters climbed over the wall.
"Tear gas and water cannons were used after the protesters breached into the restricted area," police spokesman Shekhar Khanal told the AFP news agency.
A Kathmandu district office spokesperson said a curfew was imposed around areas including the parliament building after protesters attempted to enter.
Last week authorities ordered the blocking of 26 social media platforms for not complying with a deadline to register with Nepal's ministry of communication and information technology.
Since Friday, users have experienced difficulty in accessing the platforms, though some are using VPNs to get around the ban. So far, two platforms have been reactivated after registering with the ministry following the ban.
Nepal's government has argued it is not banning social media but trying to bring them in line with Nepali law.
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.
US President Donald Trump's administration has asked the Supreme Court to let it withhold more than $4bn (£3bn) in foreign aid.
The administration is seeking an emergency order as it tries to claw back funds for foreign assistance programmes that have already been allocated by Congress.
A lower court last week said the Trump administration had a statutory obligation to spend the money, and an appeals court declined last Friday to freeze that ruling.
The president attempted to use a rarely used legislative tool to withdraw the funds. Since returning to the White House, Trump has cancelled billions of dollars in foreign aid that he says does not align with his objectives.
Solicitor General D John Sauer said in Monday's filing that the lower court's injunction "raises a grave and urgent threat to the separation of powers".
"The President can hardly speak with one voice in foreign affairs or in dealings with Congress when the district court is forcing the Executive Branch to advocate against its own objectives," Sauer wrote.
The Supreme Court could rule at any time.
Last week, Judge Amir Ali ruled the US government had to spend the allocated money unless Congress voted to approve the Trump administration's request.
On 28 August, Trump notified the House of Representatives that the administration would not spend billions in foreign aid allocated by Congress earlier this year.
Those funds include some $3bn for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as money for the state department, international peacekeeping and for democracy-promotion in other countries.
Trump, a Republican, has largely dismantled USAID, the main foreign aid agency, because he said its spending was wasteful.
To revoke the foreign aid money, he said he was using a so-called pocket recission through the Impoundment Control Act, which gives a US president the power to request the cancellation of funds approved by Congress.
Such notice so late in the fiscal year means the money may go unspent because Congress does not have enough time to act on the request.
A group of nonprofits and businesses that receive money for foreign assistance projects filed a legal challenge to the move.
It is reported to be the first time in nearly half a century that the president has moved to unilaterally claw back funding in this way.
The Trump administration has already said it plans to spend another $6.5bn in funds appropriated for foreign aid, following lawsuits from aid groups.
This is not the first time the tussle over foreign aid funding has ended up at the Supreme Court.
In March, the justices rejected a bid from the president to keep $2bn in foreign aid frozen while the case moved forward. It was a 5-4 ruling.
The third British victim killed in the Lisbon funicular crash has been named by police.
David Young, 82, from Holyhead on Anglesey, was among 16 people who died last Wednesday when the Glória funicular derailed and crashed into a building in Portugal's capital.
His family described him as a "lifelong transport enthusiast", saying it was a comfort that "his final moments were in pursuit of the hobby which gave him so much happiness".
Over the weekend Cheshire Police confirmed the other British victims were Kayleigh Smith, 36, and her partner Will Nelson, 44.
Known to most as Dave, he was raised in Auchterarder, Perthshire, but moved to Holyhead in 1980 where he had a "long career as a customs officer".
"In retirement he enjoyed visiting heritage railways and tramways around the world," they said," his family said.
Llinos Medi, MP for Ynys Môn, sent her condolences to Mr Young's family and "to those who have been affected".
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was "deeply saddened" by the incident.
"His thoughts are with their families and those affected by this terrible incident," a spokesperson said.
"We stand united with Portugal during this difficult time."
The city's funicular railways - Glória, Lavra, Bica and Graça - are a popular tourist attraction and known for their yellow tram-like vehicles.
Officials said a cable along the railway's route snapped, but the rest of the mechanism was functioning properly.
The brakeman tried to apply emergency brakes but failed to prevent the derailment,
The cause of the crash remains unknown.
Nationals of Portugal, South Korea, Switzerland, Canada, France, Britain, Ukraine and the US are among the dead, according to police.
François Bayrou, the French prime minister, is set to lose a confidence vote on his stewardship, in the latest twist in a period of chaos inside the National Assembly.
Bayrou, 74, is the fourth prime minister in two years under President Emmanuel Macron, whose second term is office has been overshadowed by political instability.
Bayrou's minority government called for €44bn (£38bn) of budget cuts to tackle France's mounting public debt and is now is heading for collapse.
The BBC looks at what led to this political crisis and what could happen next.
French President Emmanuel Macron took a gamble in June 2024.
Faced with a bruising loss for his party in the European Parliament vote, he called a snap parliamentary election which he hoped would achieve "a clear majority in serenity and harmony".
Instead, it resulted in a hung, divided parliament that has made it difficult for any prime minister to garner the necessary support to pass bills and the yearly budget.
Macron appointed Michel Barnier last September but within three months the man who negotiated Brexit for the EU was out - the shortest period since France's post-war Fifth Republic began.
Bayrou is set to suffer the same fate, just under nine months since he came to office last December.
Meanwhile some parties – chiefly on the far right and the far left – continue to clamour for an early presidential election.
Macron has always said he will not stand down before his term ends in 2027.
Instead, he will likely have to choose between appointing a fifth prime minister in less than two years - who again risks working on borrowed time - or calling snap elections for parliament, which could result in an even more hostile National Assembly.
There are few good options for the president as the effects of his June 2024 gamble continue to reverberate.
Bayrou's key issue is France's debt crisis, and what he says is the need to slash government spending to head off a catastrophe for future generations.
Simply put, France's government has for decades spent more money than it has generated. As a result, it has to borrow to cover its budget.
The French government says, in early 2025, public debt stood at €3,345 billion, or 114% of GDP.
That is the third highest public debt in the eurozone after Greece and Italy, and equivalent to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Last year's budget deficit was 5.8% of GDP and this year's is not expected to be 5.4%. So public debt will continue to grow as borrowing covers the shortfall.
France - like many developed nations - is facing the demographic headache of an ageing population - fewer workers being taxed and more people drawing the state pension.
Bayrou is among those French politicians who want to slash the deficit by redefining generous social programmes - such as state pensions.
In his speech to parliament on Monday, Bayrou spoke of a country on "life support" and addicted to spending.
Two years ago France raised the pension age from 62 to 64 for those born in 1968 or afterwards, and Bayrou has warned that the sense that French workers can stop working during their early 60s is now out of date.
However there is much opposition to further cuts. The government of Bayrou's predecessor collapsed in a confidence vote on the issue last December.
Politicians on the left have called for tax rises, rather than budget cuts.
If as expected Bayrou loses the vote in the National Assembly early this evening, then France is probably heading for another period of doubt, drift and speculation.
It is possible President Emmanuel Macron will act quickly to appoint a new prime minister – it's certainly in the country's interest that he do so.
But practicalities – and precedent – both suggest this could turn out to be a drawn-out process.
Macron has to find a name sufficiently unobjectionable to at least some of the parliamentary opposition that they won't automatically bring him or her down.
The first two PMs in this benighted parliament – Barnier and Bayrou – took weeks to find. The third won't be any easier.
In the meantime Bayrou would presumably stay on as caretaker head of government.
There is pressure from some quarters – notably Marine Le Pen's National Rally – for a new dissolution of the Assembly and parliamentary elections. But there are also strong voices saying it would be a waste of time, because a new vote would be unlikely to change much.
Beyond that there are also voices – from the far left this time – calling for Macron's resignation as president. But don't watch this space. Knowing the character of the man, it is most unlikely to happen.
If Bayrou falls, pressure will be strong on Macron to name a successor from the left. The last two were from the right and centre, and a left alliance came out numerically top in the 2024 election.
Olivier Faure, the leader of the Socialist Party, would be one possibility. The 57-year-old has a group of 66 deputies in the National Assembly.
Two other possibilities from the left are former PM Bernard Cazeneuve, and the veteran ex-minister Pierre Moscovici, currently head of the Cour des Comptes, the official accounting office.
If Macron decides to stick with the centre and right, his first choice would probably be Sebastien Lecornu, 39, the current defence minister who is a member of Macron's Renaissance party and said to be close to the president.
Another conservative whose name has been mentioned is the current minister of labour and health, Catherine Vautrin.
Two other possibilities from inside government are Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who now leads the Republicans, and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin.
But with all eyes on the 2027 presidential election, would these heavyweights want the electoral kiss-of-death which is to be Macron's next PM?
On 11 September 2021, Tom Phillips and his three children went missing for the first time.
His Toyota Hilux was found parked below a tide line at a beach near his parents' home in Marokopa on New Zealand's North Island. Police launched a massive search operation by land, sea and air.
Less than three weeks later, the family returned home, with the father claiming they had been on a camping trip.
Then, on 12 December that year, they vanished again. Aside from a few chance sightings and grainy frames of CCTV footage, the bushman and his three children had not been seen since.
That was, until the early hours of Monday morning, when police responding to a report of an attempted burglary entered into a shoot-out that resulted in Mr Phillips' death, ending a four-year manhunt.
Many questions about his disappearance remain, including why he took his children and disappeared into New Zealand's harsh wilderness, and whether he was able to evade capture for so long by having help.
When Mr Phillips returned home for the first time in 2021, he was charged with wasting police resources. The search effort over the harsh, unforgiving landscape of the western Waitomo region had cost New Zealand authorities hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Police did not launch a fresh search the second time he and his three children - Ember, Maverick, and Jayda, aged five, seven and eight, respectively, at the time - went missing.
When he failed to appear at a court appearance on 12 January 2022, police issued a warrant for his arrest.
Mr Phillips returned to his family home alone at night to collect supplies on 9 February that year.
He was then not seen for more than a year.
Police have said in the past they believed Mr Phillips took his children - now aged nine, 10 and 12 - over a custody dispute with their mother, though he never offered any explanation as to why he had done this.
Mr Phillips was known to be a bushman who had some survival training. Locals in Marokopa have said he was someone who wanted to be off the grid and had not been on any social media platforms.
Police believed he and his children had survived out in the dense wilderness surrounding Marokopa.
But it seems Mr Phillips and his children could not survive in the bush on their wits alone.
There was a string of sightings around Kawhia between August and November 2023, including multiple alleged robberies, as well as at a hardware store and on quad bikes.
CCTV footage captured around that time appeared to show Mr Phillips and one of his children - both wearing camouflage and masks over their faces - attempting to break into a store in Piopio, south-west of Marokopa, police said.
When Mr Phillips was shot on Monday, police said they found multiple firearms and other loot on his quad bike.
Police have previously said they believed Mr Phillips was being aided in his evasion by others.
When he was suspected of a bank robbery in Te Kuiti, a small town in the Waitomo region, police said there was an accomplice.
Fewer than 100 people live in the tight-knit community of Marokopa. While there was no suggestion that his family had assisted him, given the custody dispute, there have been questions about whether someone who knew him was helping him remain hidden or knew of his whereabouts.
In June 2024, police issued an NZ$80,000 (£37,200) reward for information that might lead to the location of Mr Phillips and his three children. The deadline expired without any breakthroughs.
They were next seen that October. A group of teenage pig hunters who had been trekking through the bush around Marokopa spotted them and filmed the brief encounter on their phones.
In the grainy footage, Mr Phillips could be seen leading his children through the rugged terrain, all wearing camouflaged clothing, raincoats and large backpacks.
New Zealand media reported that the teenagers had briefly spoken to one of their children to ask if anyone knew they were there. The child had replied "only you" and kept walking, the father of one of the teenagers told New Zealand's 1News.
The sighting prompted an unsuccessful three-day search involving police and army helicopters. Police said last month that they felt an aggressive search was the wrong approach, as they said Mr Phillips was armed and considered dangerous.
He was not seen again until late August this year, when he and one of his children were captured on CCTV allegedly breaking into a store in Piopio, making off with grocery items.
It was Piopio he returned to on Monday morning. It was at about 02:30 local time (14:30 GMT on Sunday) that police were called to a report of an attempted burglary at a rural farm supply shop there, which police believe Mr Phillips had unsuccessfully targeted before.
A quad bike carrying two people was seen heading towards Marokopa. Police laid spikes along the road and, when these stopped the quad bike, officers said they were met with gunfire.
Police said the first officer to reach the scene was shot in the head and he remains in a serious condition. A second officer returned fire and Mr Phillips died at the scene, police said.
The child who was with him was unharmed and provided police with information that led them to the other two children, who were at a remote campsite in the bush between Marokopa and Te Kuiti in near-freezing conditions, police said.
The children - whose wellbeing had been the top concern in New Zealand throughout their disappearance - are now being cared for by the authorities.
© Philip Cheung for The New York Times
© Philip Cheung for The New York Times
© Michael Ciaglo for The New York Times
© Jennifer Taylor for The New York Times
© Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson Collection, via Getty Images
法国国民议会议员于周一罢免了弗朗索瓦·贝鲁,拒绝了其就公共财政状况提出的信任投票请求。据一位亲信透露,弗朗索瓦·贝鲁是法兰西第五共和国首位在信任投票中被罢免的政府首脑,他将于周二上午向总统埃马纽埃尔·马克龙提交辞呈。
在一场激烈的辩论结束后,仅有194名议员投票支持他请求的信任票。
这一数字远远不足以抵挡364名反对票,这些反对者涵盖从国民阵线到法国不屈服党等多个派别。
虽然结果早已预料,但依然具有历史意义:弗朗索瓦·贝鲁并非必须请求信任投票,却成为第五共和国史上首位在信任投票中失败的政府首脑。
他说:“我主动接受了这场考事实真相的考验……最危险的是选择不去面对。” 但他选择面对了。
目光现在转向马克龙,如果他想避免再次解散议会,必须尽快找到一位新总理。
多名人选被提及:国防部长塞巴斯蒂安·勒科尔努、司法部长热拉尔·达尔马宁、劳动与健康部长凯瑟琳·沃特兰、经济部长埃里克·隆巴尔,法兰西北部大区共和党主席泽维尔·贝特朗,前外交部长、前社会党人让-伊夫·勒德里昂……
这些人选遭到国民阵线和法国不屈服党的强烈反对。
国民阵线领导人勒庞在议会表示:“鉴于当前政治形势,新政府很可能无法通过预算讨论。”她强调,“解散议会对马克龙来说不是选择,而是义务。”
法国不屈服党则继续要求马克龙辞职或被弹劾,其议员将提交相关动议。该党团负责人马蒂尔德·帕诺特周一宣称:“总统不愿改变政策?那我们就必须更换总统。”
On 11 September 2021, Tom Phillips and his three children went missing for the first time.
His Toyota Hilux was found parked below a tide line at a beach near his parents' home in Marokopa on New Zealand's North Island. Police launched a massive search operation by land, sea and air.
Less than three weeks later, the family returned home, with the father claiming they had been on a camping trip.
Then, on 12 December that year, they vanished again. Aside from a few chance sightings and grainy frames of CCTV footage, the bushman and his three children had not been seen since.
That was, until the early hours of Monday morning, when police responding to a report of an attempted burglary entered into a shoot-out that resulted in Mr Phillips' death, ending a four-year manhunt.
Many questions about his disappearance remain, including why he took his children and disappeared into New Zealand's harsh wilderness, and whether he was able to evade capture for so long by having help.
When Mr Phillips returned home for the first time in 2021, he was charged with wasting police resources. The search effort over the harsh, unforgiving landscape of the western Waitomo region had cost New Zealand authorities hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Police did not launch a fresh search the second time he and his three children - Ember, Maverick, and Jayda, aged five, seven and eight, respectively, at the time - went missing.
When he failed to appear at a court appearance on 12 January 2022, police issued a warrant for his arrest.
Mr Phillips returned to his family home alone at night to collect supplies on 9 February that year.
He was then not seen for more than a year.
Police have said in the past they believed Mr Phillips took his children - now aged nine, 10 and 12 - over a custody dispute with their mother, though he never offered any explanation as to why he had done this.
Mr Phillips was known to be a bushman who had some survival training. Locals in Marokopa have said he was someone who wanted to be off the grid and had not been on any social media platforms.
Police believed he and his children had survived out in the dense wilderness surrounding Marokopa.
But it seems Mr Phillips and his children could not survive in the bush on their wits alone.
There was a string of sightings around Kawhia between August and November 2023, including multiple alleged robberies, as well as at a hardware store and on quad bikes.
CCTV footage captured around that time appeared to show Mr Phillips and one of his children - both wearing camouflage and masks over their faces - attempting to break into a store in Piopio, south-west of Marokopa, police said.
When Mr Phillips was shot on Monday, police said they found multiple firearms and other loot on his quad bike.
Police have previously said they believed Mr Phillips was being aided in his evasion by others.
When he was suspected of a bank robbery in Te Kuiti, a small town in the Waitomo region, police said there was an accomplice.
Fewer than 100 people live in the tight-knit community of Marokopa. While there was no suggestion that his family had assisted him, given the custody dispute, there have been questions about whether someone who knew him was helping him remain hidden or knew of his whereabouts.
In June 2024, police issued an NZ$80,000 (£37,200) reward for information that might lead to the location of Mr Phillips and his three children. The deadline expired without any breakthroughs.
They were next seen that October. A group of teenage pig hunters who had been trekking through the bush around Marokopa spotted them and filmed the brief encounter on their phones.
In the grainy footage, Mr Phillips could be seen leading his children through the rugged terrain, all wearing camouflaged clothing, raincoats and large backpacks.
New Zealand media reported that the teenagers had briefly spoken to one of their children to ask if anyone knew they were there. The child had replied "only you" and kept walking, the father of one of the teenagers told New Zealand's 1News.
The sighting prompted an unsuccessful three-day search involving police and army helicopters. Police said last month that they felt an aggressive search was the wrong approach, as they said Mr Phillips was armed and considered dangerous.
He was not seen again until late August this year, when he and one of his children were captured on CCTV allegedly breaking into a store in Piopio, making off with grocery items.
It was Piopio he returned to on Monday morning. It was at about 02:30 local time (14:30 GMT on Sunday) that police were called to a report of an attempted burglary at a rural farm supply shop there, which police believe Mr Phillips had unsuccessfully targeted before.
A quad bike carrying two people was seen heading towards Marokopa. Police laid spikes along the road and, when these stopped the quad bike, officers said they were met with gunfire.
Police said the first officer to reach the scene was shot in the head and he remains in a serious condition. A second officer returned fire and Mr Phillips died at the scene, police said.
The child who was with him was unharmed and provided police with information that led them to the other two children, who were at a remote campsite in the bush between Marokopa and Te Kuiti in near-freezing conditions, police said.
The children - whose wellbeing had been the top concern in New Zealand throughout their disappearance - are now being cared for by the authorities.
Food critic Grace Dent and chef Anna Haugh are the new hosts of MasterChef, after Gregg Wallace and John Torode were sacked.
Dent has appeared regularly as a guest on MasterChef, while Haugh has been a judge on the spin-off Professionals series.
Wallace and Torode had hosted the show for 20 years, but were axed in July after a report upheld claims against them.
The BBC decided to broadcast this year's amateurs series of MasterChef - with both Wallace and Torode in it - for the sake of the chefs who had taken part in it.
Author and podcaster Dent was a contestant on MasterChef: Battle Of The Critics in 2023.
Last year, it was announced that she would host the next series of Celebrity MasterChef alongside Torode, after Wallace temporarily stepped back from presenting the show following allegations against him.
The BBC has not yet announced what it plans to do with the completed celebrity series.
Dublin-born chef Anna Haugh is the founder of Myrtle restaurant in London, and is also a familiar face on TV screens.
She replaced Wallace in the final episodes of the current MasterChef amateurs series, as that's when the allegations against him first emerged during filming in November.
The BBC has also confirmed that chef and television presenter Matt Tebbutt will replace Wallace as a judge on the next series of MasterChef: The Professionals.
The Saturday Kitchen host will join Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti on the programme.
The controversy over MasterChef started last year, when BBC News first revealed claims of inappropriate sexual comments against Wallace.
The show's production company ordered an immediate inquiry into the allegations. This summer, the report upheld more than 40 claims against Wallace including one of unwelcome physical contact and three of being in a state of undress.
A claim that Torode had used a severely offensive racist term was also substantiated.
Wallace has insisted he was cleared of the "most serious" allegations, while Torode says he has "no recollection" of the incident.
Carlos Alcaraz might only be 22, but he is already producing results that put him alongside some of the biggest stars tennis has ever known
When Carlos Alcaraz won his sixth Grand Slam title on Sunday, he did so by thoroughly outclassing the world's number one player in probably the best performance of his career so far.
Defending US Open champion Jannik Sinner - whose record on hard courts over the past two seasons is among the most imperious of any player on any surface in tennis history - was induced into a timid display in which he was overawed by the Spaniard.
The quality of Alcaraz's performance in his 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4 victory led to something of an existential crisis in Sinner, who insisted afterwards that he needs to revamp game in order match Alcaraz's level.
For his part, Alcaraz believes he is reaching new heights.
"I played perfectly," he said after lifting the trophy. "This is the best tournament so far that I have ever played. The consistency of my level has been really, really high - it's something I've been working on."
At age 22, Alcaraz is already talked about among the sport's greatest ever players. But just how well does he rank against them so far?
BBC Sport has examined how he compares against the men's game's legends at the same stage of their careers.
Since Alcaraz joined the ATP Tour as a 16-year-old, he has been lauded for the variety of his play, being able to combine cutting low slices with ferocious forehands and deft drop shots to consistently catch opponents off guard and win points in breathtaking ways.
But his ability to stitch together that kind of all-around quality on any surface is what is already setting him apart from anybody else.
Alcaraz has now won two Grand Slams on each of the hard, grass, and clay surfaces – only Rafael Nadal (when aged 24), Mats Wilander (aged 24), and Novak Djokovic (aged 34), have ever achieved the same feat in the men's game.
The speed at which Alcaraz is racking up the majors is astonishing, too - he has taken only 19 tournaments to win six slams, second only to the record of 18 set by Bjorn Borg in 1978.
Only Borg has won six slams at a younger age than Alcaraz, doing so by winning three on clay at Roland Garros and three on grass at Wimbledon.
At 22 Nadal also had six (but won the last of those when he was a few months older than Alcaraz), while Pete Sampras was on five, and Wilander four.
The likes of eight-time Wimbledon winner Roger Federer (three) and 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic (one) were way behind the pace of Alcaraz at his age.
Alcaraz won the first of his Grand Slam titles in New York in 2022 aged 19, and followed it up with his maiden Wimbledon triumph the following year.
In the past two seasons he has won two majors per year. If he were to carry on at that trajectory, he would equal Djokovic's tally of 24 in 2034, when he will be 31 and should still have many years of his career ahead of him.
The rate at which Alcaraz is winning matches on the biggest stages also makes clear that he already belongs in the most illustrious company.
During 2025 he has equalled Nadal's record for most Grand Slams in a calendar year by a player aged 22 or younger, and is second only to Borg for match win percentage at Grand Slams at this age.
Alcaraz's serve has never been a weakness, but he rendered it one of his most irrepressible weapons in New York by increasing his power to levels he has never before shown.
Against Sinner he served a stunning 10 aces, raising his average serve speed from 113mph to 120mph between his opening victory against Reilly Opelka and the final.
During the tournament Alcaraz won 84% of his first-serve points and 63% on his second serve, both higher than anybody else in the tournament, and hit the fastest serve of any player during the final, clocking a whopping 134mph.
Compared to Roland Garros and Wimbledon earlier this year, when Alcaraz beat and then lost to Sinner in the finals, the difference in serve speed is stark.
The set Alcaraz lost in the latest final was the only one he dropped in the entire tournament, and the three breaks of serve he suffered during the fortnight are the second-lowest in Grand Slams since 1991 - Sampras was only broken twice when he won Wimbledon in 1997.
And most impressively of all, the measly 10 break points he faced during the fortnight are the lowest of any Grand Slam winner since 1991.
Despite his glowing review of his own performance at Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz still believes he has a way to go before he reaches his pinnacle.
"At 22 years old, it's difficult to already be at your maximum level", he said after demolishing Sinner. "Little by little I'll keep improving to try and get there.
"The best Carlos hasn't come out yet."
Aside from terrifying the rest of the tour, that statement begs a big question - how exactly can Alcaraz possibly improve from here?
It's true that the Spaniard remains prone to occasional bouts of erratic shot-making during high-level matches, sometimes succumbing to half-an-hour or so spells in which his touch and depth appear to desert him.
Indeed, in the set he lost to Sunday on Sinner, Alcaraz made 11 unforced errors, compared to only two each in the previous and following sets.
Alcaraz's win makes him the new world number one, and leads his head-to-head record against Jannik Sinner 10-5
Cutting those periods out could be a way to maintain his peak ruthlessness and restrict the chance for top quality opponents to gain a foothold in matches.
And if the improvement in the serve is anything to go by, perhaps Alcaraz could even add further development to some of the already immensely impressive skills he possesses.
During Sunday's final he hit a couple of groundstrokes that surpassed 100mph, a staggering level of speed to be reaching during rallies against any player, never mind one who hits as hard as Sinner. Striking at that kind of speed on a more regular basis would make him almost impossible to beat.
No matter how he develops his game and how many more majors he wins from here, Alcaraz has already demonstrated that he is among the very best players the sport has known.
Fans around the world can now watch and see whether, by the end of his career, he is lauded as the undisputed greatest ever.
Additional data collection and visualisations by Jordan Butler.
In a corner of a cavernous 1890s factory in southern Massachusetts, 15 people are bent over sewing machines, churning out specialty, hospital-grade neonatal gear.
They are all that remain of what was once a much bigger manufacturing operation, most of which the Teixeira family shut down in 1990, reinventing their business as a largely warehousing and distribution business.
Since US President Donald Trump started rolling out sweeping tariffs, the Teixeiras have been fielding more inquiries from companies newly interested in their US-based sewing services.
But they have turned down those offers, deterred by the difficulty of hiring in the midst of an immigration crackdown and doubts that the demand will be sustained.
It's just one of the many indications that achieving the manufacturing revival promised by the president is likely to be far more difficult than the White House has claimed.
"It's just not going to happen," said Frank Teixeira, who joined the family business in the 1970s and oversaw its dismantling and reinvention as Accurate Services Inc.
"Tariffs are a bad policy and eventually are going to come home to haunt us."
Trump campaigned for the presidency on the promise of a better economy, engineered in part by tariffs that he said would lower costs and usher in a new golden age.
The message proved to resonate with voters, helping the campaign make unexpected inroads in working-class areas long considered Democratic strongholds.
That includes the Teixeiras' base of Fall River, a former textile manufacturing hub, where Trump's win marked the first in the city by a Republican presidential candidate in roughly a century.
But his plans were widely panned by experts, who warned that the tariffs, which are a tax on imports, would instead raise prices for American businesses and consumers and slow growth - with particular risks for manufacturers, who often rely on imported supplies.
Now nine months into the president's term as the tariffs take hold, the gulf between Trump's rhetoric, which boasts of investments pouring into the country, and the reality on the ground in places like Fall River, is starting to show.
Employment growth in the US has slowed precipitously this year, including in manufacturing. After expanding after the pandemic, payrolls at manufacturing firms have shrunk this year, shedding 12,000 jobs last month alone.
Business surveys indicate that activity in the sector is in contraction.
Last month, 71% of manufacturers questioned by the Dallas branch of the Federal Reserve said the tariffs - which range from 10% to 50% on most imports - had already had a negative impact on their business, raising the cost of resources and hurting profits.
At Matouk, a maker of high-end bedding up the road from the Teixeiras', boss George Matouk said that between April and August tariffs had already added more than $100,000 (£74,000) a month in costs, as they hit supplies like cotton fabric from India and Portugal and down from Liechtenstein.
Founded by his grandfather in 1929, the company has grown to employ about 300 people in recent years - a point of pride for Mr Matouk, who faced naysayers when he returned as the third generation to join the family business after graduating from Columbia Business School in the late 1990s.
But the sudden tariff expense has forced the firm to cut investments on things such as new equipment and spending on discretionary items like marketing.
Despite the made-in-America distinction of many of his products, Mr Matouk said he expected no benefits from the tariffs because higher costs were pushing him to raise prices, a move likely to weigh on sales.
"Because the materials are subject to tariffs just like everything else, the benefits are not there," he said.
Mr Matouk called the current challenges faced by his firm "demoralising in a new way", since they have been inflicted deliberately, by government policy.
"We've done all of the things we were supposed to do in order to invest in the industrial base of the United States when no one else was willing to do it and it's just really frustrating that now we're being penalised," he said.
Studies on the impact of the more limited tariffs imposed by Trump during his first term on manufacturers in the US have found that small job gains in protected industries, like steel, were more than offset by losses at other firms that were dependent on parts.
But Mike van der Sleesen, who runs motorcycle jacket business Vanson Leathers, said he thought the changes this year had been so disruptive that it was premature to make predictions.
Mr van der Sleesen, who voted for Trump last year, is no fan of the president's tariffs, which have driven up his costs some 15% this year.
However, he shared the president's concerns that foreign companies could easily access the US market, while US firms looking to sell abroad encounter hurdles in the form of tariffs and other taxes.
"It's been a very uneven and unfair trade path for a company like Vanson," said Mr van der Sleesen, whose business was founded in 1974 and employed more than 160 people as recently as 2000, before the wallop of China's entry into the global order shrunk the workforce to about 50.
"We shouldn't charge them and they shouldn't charge us in my view but that's never going to happen," he said.
For now, demand for his jackets, which can sell for thousands of dollars, has held up. He said his suppliers in the US were reporting an uptick in activity.
"We haven't heard overtime in the textile world for 20 years!" he said. "It's hard to be confident that you can predict what it's going to shake out to be because the changes have been so dramatic."
On the streets of Fall River, many Trump supporters said they remained willing to give the president time to put his strategy to the test.
"We should be able to manufacture," said Tom Teixeira.
The 72-year-old retired transit worker voted for Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024, won over in part by his message on the economy.
"I know how it was and it can improve but it's not going to improve overnight," said Mr Teixeira, who is not related to the Teixeira manufacturers, adding that he had yet to notice any major price increases this year.
"A year from now, if things aren't cheaper, we'll see."
On Sunday, Brazilians celebrated their country's independence from Portugal as they do every year on 7 September: with patriotism, military parades, flag-waving and churrascos – Brazilian barbecues.
But with a verdict imminent in the trial on coup charges of former President Jair Bolsonaro, this year the day was marked by rival rallies.
Thousands took to the streets chanting slogans about freedom: some in defence of democracy, others in defence of the ex-president who stands accused of trying to overthrow it.
On Tuesday, five Supreme Court justices will start to deliver their verdicts one by one on whether Jair Bolsonaro masterminded a coup to cling to power after losing the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The allegations include proposing a coup to military commanders, knowing of a plot to assassinate President-elect Lula da Silva and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, and inciting supporters to attack government buildings on 8 January 2023 after casting doubt on the electoral system.
Bolsonaro denies the charges, calling them politically motivated, a view shared by his supporters – and US President Donald Trump.
Trump has labelled the trial "political persecution" and imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods, as well as sanctions on Supreme Court Justice Moraes, who is leading the trial.
Jair Bolsonaro's son Eduardo, who successfully lobbied for the imposition of the tariffs in the US, has defended the move, telling the BBC last month that he believes "freedom comes first, before the economy".
But many Brazilians see it as deeply unpatriotic to support inflicting economic pain on Brazil for the Bolsonaro family's own political fortunes.
"Brazil is totally divided," acknowledged Bianca, who attended a large pro-Bolsonaro rally in São Paulo on Sunday.
"But I believe with US sanctions, those who were in favour [of the trial] are taking their foot off the gas," she added, draped in combined Brazilian and US flag.
Patriotic symbols like Brazil's national flag and football shirt have long been co-opted as the uniform of Bolsonaro's right-wing base, but some also donned Trump paraphernalia.
Crowds demanded "Amnesty!" and "Moraes, out!"
Another protester, Erica, said the trial was "just a big theatre because everyone knows his conviction is already determined".
But there are many here who disagree.
At a nearby rally of Bolsonaro opponents, crowds chanted "no amnesty" and "dictatorship, never again".
Huge inflatable figurines of Bolsonaro in a prison uniform and Trump bobbed above signs saying: "Prison for Bolsonaro" and "Trump, paws off Brazil".
One wore the football shirt, which left-wing Brazilians hope to reclaim, saying "I'm not a Bolsonaro minion".
The crowd was optimistic he could be convicted.
One of the protesters, Rafael, called Bolsonaro's arrest a "victory", accusing him of having committed "serious crimes" against Brazilians.
"It's still very polarised. Until recently, the right was strong. But since Trump's actions there's been a shift to the left. It's about sovereignty and preventing foreign interference," he added.
"All the evidence shows it was a coup attempt," said Karina. "I hope justice is done to show you can't do whatever you want for your own gain."
This trial has carved deep rifts and reignited debates about democracy in Brazil.
The 8 January riots and the coup allegations are so troubling to Bolsonaro critics because Brazil's democracy is still young.
It was restored in 1985, after two decades of a dictatorship backed by the US.
The Supreme Court casts itself as guardian of this democracy.
But it has become a lightning rod. Its judges are appointed by presidents but can also put presidents and ministers on trial.
Some sit on the electoral court and strike down laws. Its president was once Lula's lawyer, adding fuel to accusations of bias from Bolsonaro supporters.
An inquiry into fake news, including online threats to the court, led by Justice Moraes has jailed Bolsonaro allies and taken down social media accounts.
Critics say this stretches the court's remit into policing and politics; supporters call it a model for the digital age.
The court's role in Bolsonaro's trial, in which Moraes is both a rapporteur and the target of the alleged assassination plot which is part of the case, has led both sides to accuse the other of authoritarianism.
Bolsonaro's critics argue he attempted to install a dictatorship.
His supporters, on the other hand, say the sweeping powers the court has used to investigate the alleged coup and the rioting in the capital, Brasília, are an abuse of judicial powers.
Those who believe the judiciary has gone too far in prosecuting people involved in the storming of government buildings on 8 January 2023 often cite the case of Débora Rodrigues dos Santos.
The 39-year-old Bolsonaro supporter received a 14-year sentence after scrawling "You lost, idiot" in lipstick on the statue of Justice outside the Supreme Court.
While her prison sentence was later turned into house arrest because she has children who she cares for, the fact that she was tried on coup charges before the Supreme Court continues to anger many.
"They tried her for graffiti. I've never heard of someone being sentenced to 14 years in prison for lipstick. It was a demonstration, and they were labelled as terrorists," her sister Claudia told the BBC.
Claudia said Débora regretted the graffiti but did not regret attending the 8 January protest, which she said was her "right" as she had lingering "doubts" about the outcome of the election.
Claudia credits Bolsonaro's "love for the flag" with inspiring "housewives, the WhatsApp aunt, the bricklayer, the businessman" to engage in politics.
She argues that, because no coup materialised, Bolsonaro cannot be guilty of one.
"If he is convicted of a coup, that also condemns 1,200 people who were protesting there," she said.
But there are others who think the events of 8 January 2023 were much more than a simple protest.
Ricardo Cappelli is the former minister tasked with restoring order in Brasília after the storming of the key buildings.
He recalls "coup-mongering" protesters invading three branches of government and committing "barbaric acts" in the Supreme Court, "symbolically attacking an institution fundamental to Brazilian democracy".
He believes this trial will help "turn a page in history" by showing Brazil will not tolerate threats to democracy again.
"Never have those behind a coup or attempted coup sat in the dock in Brazil," he told the BBC.
To him, the trial also sets a global example. He argues that if the US Capitol riots had happened in Brazil, "Donald Trump would most likely be sitting in the dock".
As a verdict nears, Bolsonaro's party – which has a majority in Congress – is pushing a bill to grant him and the 8 January protesters amnesty, as nerves build that their alleged ringleader is about to fall.
Mr Cappelli's answer to those who call the response authoritarian is: "Study history. Amnesty for past coup attempts resulted in new coups. Today's pardoned coup plotter becomes tomorrow's coup plotter."
For years, Bolsonaro has split Brazil into loyalists and opponents.
For his fans, this trial equals persecution for a coup that never happened; for his critics, protection against another dictatorship.
Even some moderate right-wingers hope this trial might finally draw a line, but with such different definitions of authoritarianism, polarisation could still deepen.
法新社消息称,据知情人士周一透露,法国和德国提议欧盟将俄罗斯石油公司卢克石油(Lukoil)纳入制裁对象范围,卢克石油是一家在欧洲有业务的俄罗斯公司。此外,还要针对欧盟范围之外帮助俄罗斯销售石油的国家进行制裁,这将成为欧盟正在准备的第十九轮制裁措施的一部分。
据悉,法国和德国在一份工作文件中强调,石油和天然气的销售是俄罗斯战争努力的主要资金来源。因此,它们认为,有必要进一步将制裁范围锁定在俄罗斯能源销售中起关键作用的公司,包括卢克石油,这是一家在俄罗斯石油行业中为数不多的私营集团。作为俄罗斯主要的石油生产商之一,这家公司在欧盟拥有许多加油站,尤其是在比利时。
法国和德国还希望加强制裁那些帮助规避现有制裁的第三方实体,比如某些炼油厂,这些炼油厂使用俄罗斯石油炼制后再以其他原产地名义在欧盟市场销售。
自俄罗斯入侵乌克兰以来,欧盟已停止进口俄罗斯石油,但鉴于斯洛伐克和匈牙利对俄罗斯石油比较依赖,因此被给予豁免。
该文件还建议加强打击那些俄罗斯用以规避西方制裁的金融机构。文件指出,至少有250家小型银行参与了支持俄罗斯战争的金融交易。这份法德联合文件旨在为欧盟新一轮制裁的讨论提供参考。
继7月中旬公布的第十八轮制裁后,欧盟正在准备新一轮制裁措施,主要目的是削减克俄罗斯从石油收益中获得的资金。
目前,欧盟委员会正在制定这些建议,之后还需要得到27个欧盟成员国的批准。
美国已表示准备对俄罗斯采取新一轮制裁,并呼吁欧洲采取行动。欧盟制裁特别代表大卫·奥沙利文(David O'Sullivan)预计周一将在华盛顿与美国官员会谈,讨论制裁的相关事宜。
尼泊尔警方周一在首都加德满都暴力驱散了反对当局封锁社交媒体以及反腐败的示威活动,至少 17 人死亡,数百人受伤。
法新社9月8日加德满都报道,上周,尼泊尔政府下令屏蔽26个平台,包括Facebook、YouTube、X和LinkedIn,原因是这些平台未在规定时间内注册,此举引发数百万用户的愤怒和不满。
今天周一上午,数千名年轻人聚集在加德满都街头,要求恢复他们最喜欢的网络服务,并谴责他们所说的困扰这个喜马拉雅小国的腐败祸害。
法新社记者看到,当警方使用催泪瓦斯、水炮、警棍和实弹阻止游行队伍接近议会时,局势急转直下。
20岁的伊曼·马加尔因手臂中弹受伤住院治疗,他表示:“我本来是来参加和平示威的,但政府毫不犹豫地动用了武力。”
金属子弹
他展示伤口时补充道:“这不是橡胶子弹,而是金属子弹,它打掉了我的一部分手掌”。“医生说我需要接受手术。”
法新社向警方发言人谢卡尔·卡纳尔求证时,他只提到“当示威者进入禁区时,警方使用了催泪瓦斯和水炮”。
据卡纳尔称,根据傍晚公布的最新统计数据,“已有17人死亡”,另有400人受伤,其中包括约100名警察。
据该医院发言人兰贾娜·尼泊尔称,至少有三名伤者在加德满都民用医院不治身亡,该医院共收治了150多名伤者。
她告诉法新社:“我从未见过医院如此混乱的场面,”。“催泪瓦斯弥漫在整个医院,使医护人员难以开展工作。”
来自尼泊尔共产党的总理KP·夏尔马·奥利领导的政府将于晚间召开紧急会议。
宵禁
首都当局在多个区域实施宵禁,包括议会所在地以及总统和政府首脑的官邸所在区域。
国际特赦组织要求对警方干预事件展开“全面、独立且公正的调查”,并证实警方使用了实弹射击。
尼泊尔通信和信息技术部周四宣布,根据最高法院2023年的一项裁决,将封锁许多平台,要求它们任命一名当地代表和一名内容监管负责人。
封锁措施周一仍在继续,扰乱了许多活动,激起了用户的愤怒。
24岁的学生尤扬·拉杰班达里对法新社表示:“我们在此谴责社交媒体被封锁,同时也谴责尼泊尔制度化的腐败。”
20岁的伊克沙玛·图姆罗克补充道:“这项决定体现了政府的专制作风,我们希望改变这种状况。”
自封锁生效以来,仍在运行的平台(如Tik Tok)上充斥着质疑政界人士子女奢华生活的视频。
“全球各地都出现了反腐败运动,他们(领导人,编者注)担心这里也会出现同样的情况,”另一位抗议者布米卡·巴拉蒂评论道。
政府在周日的声明中否认了限制自由的意图,并解释说希望创造“一个保护自由并允许自由行使的环境”。
政府重申,一旦收到相关平台的注册申请,就会恢复其运营。
周四颁布的封锁令并非首次。去年7月,政府曾以网络诈骗案件激增为由暂停Telegram通讯服务。
© Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times
法新社惠灵顿9月8日报道:太平洋岛国领导人将于周三开始在所罗门群岛举行峰会,但中国在该地区日益增长的影响力威胁着区域合作,为峰会蒙上阴影。
作为中国盟友和本次峰会东道国的所罗门群岛,今年禁止包括台湾在内的大多数非成员参与太平洋岛屿论坛(FIP)会议。
据一些观察人士称,霍尼亚拉当局是在北京当局的要求下采取行动,将台湾排除在外。台湾通常与数十个合作伙伴共同出席这个会议,此外还有18个论坛成员国参与。
太平洋地区多个岛国谴责了这一决定,其中三个国家在外交上承认台湾:马绍尔群岛、帕劳和图瓦卢
新西兰外交部长温斯顿·彼得斯上月对法新社表示,如今外部势力能决定我们邀不邀请谁。这不符合太平洋地区的行为方式。
竞争性影响
台北和北京都试图在南太平洋扩大影响力,中国甚至斥资数亿美元在该地区修建体育设施、总统府和医院。
法新社说,共产中国从未统治过台湾,但北京方面将台湾视为其一个省份,自1949年中国内战结束以来,中国未能将台湾与其领土统一。中国对台湾施加越来越大的压力,并反对任何对台湾的外交承认
以前,罗门群岛曾经承认台湾,直至2019年,这个太平洋岛国选择了与中国结盟(与台湾断交)。
如今作为亲密伙伴,霍尼亚拉与北京于2022年签署了一项不透明的安全协议。在这次峰会召开之前,中国还向所罗门群岛提供了警用车辆和装备。
观察家们担心,中国的影响力会引发紧张局势,并危及该地区在气候变化、卫生和安全等各个领域的重要合作。
中国已成为“房间里的大象”。澳大利亚前外交官、现任洛伊研究所太平洋岛屿项目主任米哈伊·索拉对法新社解释道。
北京方面表示,它将以某种形式出席这次太平洋岛国峰会。
但是,一些新西兰官员向法新社表示,他们担心如果中国出席,这个论坛可能会“塌台”。
敏感谈判闭门
据法新社说,各项会议将于周三在所罗门群岛首都霍尼亚展开,主要采取闭门形式。 Les
预计届时紧张点将不断出现。除中国问题外,跨国安全合作也将成为敏感议题,因为即使是为了应对区域威胁,成员国都不愿放弃他们视为来之不易的主权。
由于瓦努阿图在国际法院胜诉,气候变化也将成为一个重要议题。该判决确立了各国必须应对气候变化,否则就必须给予赔偿。
虽然论坛合作伙伴在自然灾害风险管理方面开展合作,但一些成员国对其他成员国开放深海采矿或油气勘探表示担忧。
另据路透社的报道说,太平洋岛国峰会周一在所罗门群岛登场,为期一周,预计这个峰会将在中美紧张关系加剧的背景下,通过一份“和平海洋”宣言。
由于澳大利亚承诺将与其邻居岛国密切合作,提高各方对海平面上升和风暴加剧带来挑战的认识后,与会领导人预计将支持澳大利亚申办第31届联合国气候大会。
据路透社9 月8 日更新的消息,缅甸前领导人昂山素季的儿子上周五表示,昂山素季的心脏问题日益严重,需要紧急医疗救治,他呼吁军政权立即将母亲从“残酷且危及生命”的监禁中释放。
昂山素季的儿子金·阿里斯告诉路透社, 80 岁的母亲自2021年的政变推翻政府以来一直被军方拘留,大约一个月前,她曾要求去看心脏病专家,但无法确定这个请求是否得到批准。
此外,阿里斯还表示,昂山素季还患有骨头和牙齿问题疾病,并说,其母亲可能在3月份造成3700多人死亡的大地震中受伤。他在Facebook视频中呼吁军方释放昂山素季和缅甸所有政治犯。
军方发言人佐敏吞周六晚间对国家媒体(MRTV)表示,有关昂山素季健康状况的报道是为了转移人们对军方首脑敏昂莱访华参加阅兵式的注意力。并说,敏昂莱在访华期间与中国国家主席习近平见了面。
诺贝尔和平奖得主昂山素季是缅甸民主运动的长期象征,她被以煽动、腐败和选举舞弊等罪名判处27年徒刑,但她否认了所有指控。
她最后一次公开露面是在 2021 年 5 月的法庭上,即政变几个月后,当时国家电视台播放的画面显示,她端坐在被告席上,双手放在膝盖上,戴着外科口罩。
参差多态,才是幸福本源
这几天我的朋友圈里流传一个“跨省抓捕的因言获罪案”消息:
湖南株洲一位自媒体人“笔耕下的阳光”(笔名)因为发表对邻省某个乡镇党委书记的批评文章而被带走。
我联系了代理律师,得到反馈说,“笔耕下的阳光”确实是在8月11日左右被以涉嫌“寻衅滋事罪”被那个外省县的公安局刑事拘留了,而他也确实是写文批评了那位乡镇党委书记。目前律师已在县看守所与他会见过了。
写几篇文章批评乡镇党委书记,就要《刑法》这种国家大法来伺候?法律何以至此?这类故事,处理链条每个环节上的人,都要经受人性、道德上的拷问,也都有载入史册的价值。
在访问过程中,我发现了一个值得注意的细节:那个最早传出的信息中,包含了这个冠名“法治在线人员查询系统”的截图,以证明“笔耕下的阳光”是“新闻部记者”的身份。许多写作者也不疑有它,纷纷转发。
但是,这种截图显然有问题。
上面的马赛克是我加的,原图并没有,有显示真名和照片
首先,国内目前叫“法治在线”的是中央电视台“法治在线”栏目,这个栏目不可能独立于央视之外自己建一个人员查询系统。其次,根据截图底部“京ICP备18057013号”,我到工信部ICP信息备案管理系统核查,得到的结果是没有这个备案号。
我没有找到原始网站,但这个截图上的“新闻部记者”的信息显然是水得很。这家网站甚至不敢用“记者证号”而用“小记者证号”,而且给当事人空着,没给号。
这个截图上真正有效的信息是“会员证号JTAQ302”,换言之,他通过某种渠道成为某个未经备案网站的会员,但他很希望拥有一个“新闻记者”的身份。也许,这家网站真正吸引人之处,是与央视栏目“同名”。
因此,严格来说,根据当前的新闻注册、审核机制,“笔耕下的阳光”是个“假记者”。
在这份截图上,我看到的是一个普通写作者的身份焦虑。
放在10年前,我对这类“假记者”很是反感,因为“假记者”往往举止不端。比如,一些年份的山西省,更是肆无忌惮。
可是,如今,我却对“笔耕下的阳光”多了一种理解之后的同情。
我略略看了他的过往文章,不少是为各地底层小老百姓呼吁的批评性稿件。
这是一个高风险的写作领域。远的,比如鸿茅药酒事件里的谭秦东。在只有5个粉丝的帐号发了一篇短文却被跨省抓捕,出来后整个人就明显不好了,到现在,8年了,这位医生都还在困境中。近的,比如甘肃省的邓建国。2023年12月,他发布视频质疑孩子学校校服存在质量问题,被县公安局以寻衅滋事为由行政拘留。然后,他有了“污点”,工作丢了,妻子跑了。在失业和离婚的的双重打击之下,最重要的是自己为孩子说了真话却被社会以极端方式否定(校服被证实确实存在质量问题),他得了抑郁症,今年9月1日才出院,其实就是前两天。在网友们的呼吁声中,9月2日,县公安局撤销了对他的行政处罚,道歉并赔偿3237.08元。我看今天(9月8日)有记者去采访邓建国,他说,他接受了道歉,希望能找一份工作,和妻子复婚,“自己已不在乎周围人的眼光,也不关心官方如何处分该案相关人员。”如果他真的战胜了抑郁,会不关心如何处分相关人员吗?这件事,以邓建国这650天承受的代价,真的是三千来块赔偿所能平复的吗?
这个风险来自于4个方面:挖掘事实的能力、写作尺度的把控、利益相关方的打击、平台的规训。
这里,首先是一个以什么姿态写作的问题。弯腰割韭菜,不平则鸣拍案而起,平平静静说人话、跪舔……每个人有每个人的选择。其中,为底层民众发声、不平则鸣拍案而起,这种姿态最为大众所需要,但选择的人最少。因为风险高,人们自然会趋利避害。
在回答了姿态问题之后,那些还在以这种姿态写作的少数人,还面临一个我们常常忽视的问题:以什么身份来写作?
按照当前规则,他们没有“新闻采访权”。他们也不在有主管单位的媒体机构工作。孔子说,“不在其位,不谋其政”。因此,我们常常会看到有人这么质问:“谁让你写的?”
好像确实没有谁让我写,那么,是我自己让我自己写的,行不行?一种说法是“写作是一种权利”,可是,这项权利又是谁赋予你的呢?特别是当这项“写作的权利”要对抗权力,甚至本身就是一项权力的时候。
这种权利能不能“自我赋权”?
在高风险的背景下,写作者不得不回答这个问题。否则就会底气不足。
“笔耕下的眼光”的选择是:给自己找了一个“法治在线新闻部记者”的头衔,并在被刑拘的时候,亮出来,试图以此解释自己写作权利的来源。他想以此保护自己,至少,显得自己是一个“有身份的人”。
即便这个记者身份破绽百出。
有几分尴尬,也有几分荒谬与悲哀。显然,这种回答并不理想,也不值得效仿。
因为没有合适的答案。大多数写作者,都会面临“怎么介绍自己”的困难。
说是“作家”吧,明显有狂妄自大的嫌疑,毕竟当前全国能称为“作家”的写作者,寥寥无几。(有一段时间我被称为“专栏作家”,我就觉得羞愧难当。)
说是“公共知识分子”吧,大多数写作者的学识并没有这么深,文章达不到这个高度,即便有少数写作者达到公共知识分子的标准,往往也会遭到他们的天敌“公公知识分子”的围殴。
社会上常用的一个称呼是“自媒体人”。但是,这个“自”是什么意思?是“自主”吗?在这个流量绑架一切的时代,平台算法、资本流量才是背后的真正推手,“自媒体”不可能“自主”。是“自由”吗?难道还有“不自由媒体人”?这在逻辑上不大对了。以公众号为例,全国有三千多万个微信公众号,难道有三千多万个“自媒体人”?肯定不是。MCN下的写作者和个体写作者很难放在一个圈子里,财经评论员和游戏主播不能说是一类人……“自媒体人”这个概念缺乏识别度,法律上也不承认。这四个字里,唯有“人”是准确的,在禽兽遍地的年代,成为一个“人”确实是很高的评价了,但也没有达到准确定位的效果。
就说我自己吧,我有在媒体单位工作十多年的经历,以“记者”“主笔”“主编”自称时,就比较自然。后来写公众号文章了,朋友们向第三者介绍起我来,就有点为难。用网络上用得最多的“小编”吧,又怕不礼貌。
有的朋友介绍说是“呦呦鹿鸣主理人”,有的朋友比较抬举我,介绍说是“社会观察家”。但都经不起推敲:
“主理人”是一个不错的称呼,但是它在职业上过于模糊。咖啡店蛋糕店老板可以叫主理人,理发店Tony老师也可以叫主理人,水浒里的郑屠也可以叫“镇关西”肉铺主理人。
“社会观察家”就更模糊了,每个人都可以是社会观察家,其中滔滔不绝的北京出租车司机还是其中的佼佼者,我?显然不是。不合群。
因此,我也没能解决这个问题。经常有人给我打电话的时候,开头就开不好。
我比较幸运的是,读者朋友们比较赏脸,较早在微信公众号上获得比较多的关注者,有读者支持,我的身份焦虑就逐渐淡化了。再加上我本着一个自我流放的“野生”态度,就更容易自我调试。比如,不少朋友把“呦呦youyou”读成“aoao”,称呼我为“嗷嗷老师”,我也觉得没什么不好。毕竟,很多文章都是在打仗,刀光剑影的,可不是就要嗷嗷叫嘛,狭路相逢勇者胜。
可是,大多数写作者并不像我这么幸运,大多数人的身份焦虑是不断升级的,最后就干脆放弃最初的写作理念。
所以,这个问题很是需要解决。在没有得到合适的答案之前,我对“笔耕下的阳光”不那么上得了台面的行为,也就难以一棍子扫过去。
我看了“笔耕下的阳光”的一些文章,从我一个写作者的角度来看,不少语言过于激越,不管是从新闻,还是从文学角度,都还有很大的改进、提高空间。至少,如果是我当编辑,这样的来稿大概率是要返回重写的。
但是,我绝不能否定这类文章的价值,恰恰相反,这类文章不是太多了,而是太少了。他们需要的是时间,只要这类文章多起来,文章水平自然也会提高起来。
当前真正着急的是:当人们遭遇不公,很难找到帮助发声的人。选择太少了。比如,这几天,上海某区的一位政协委员就在和我反复沟通,讲述自己的遭遇。这位博士已经用尽了所有方法,也找了市面上所有媒体,但是,得到的只是不断的挫折。发声渠道还是太少了,或者渠道很多,但可以站出来发声的太少。这位委员和我认识有几年了,我也想帮他,但我自己精力很有限,自顾不暇,甚至可以说泥菩萨过江自身难保。当我环顾四周,想找到一个有分量的渠道来帮他发声时,却发现并没有选择。
类似的情况非常多。这种时候,我往往是想:要是他们更多的、值得信任的发声渠道就好了。可是,这个愿望似乎有点奢侈。之前的许多调查记者同行们,已经纷纷转行,而一些有知名度的写作者,失联的失联、退隐的退隐。即便是我自己,号称“日拱一卒”,不也经常断更吗?
有几个人愿意冒着“寻衅滋事”的风险,呕心沥血地陷入这种“没名没分”的焦虑之中呢?
子曰,必也正名乎?如果社会确实需要这样的一种存在,那么,就需要我们在概念上、权利上、保障上,给与定义,给与解释,给与明确。然后,一切才会进入正确的轨道,而不是一会跨省一会失业一会离婚,一惊一乍的,不和谐。
今天,我们先把问题提出来。
参差多态,才是幸福本源。百家争鸣,一个社会的创造力才能得以释放。中国曾经有那样的时代,将来也会有这样的时代。
上期周报:【CDT周报】第234期:不要谎言要真相,不要奴役要自由
过去一周中国数字时代【404文库】新增文2篇,【每日一语】新增网语5条,【大事记】收录热点事件2条,刊登读者投稿2篇,投稿请点此。
9月1日—7日,这一周。
“战狼”导演兼演员吴京近来遭遇了史诗级的人设翻车,沦为了全网群嘲的对象。8月22日,吴京出品的电影《再见,坏蛋》票房惨淡无奈撤档,上映十天票房不足30万元。讽刺的是,当年吴京自导自演的《战狼2》不仅登上中国票房榜首,还一举打破了多项影史纪录。这种“前热后冷”的反转令人瞠目,吴京怎会沦落至此?于是有人开始深挖吴京的过往,试图寻找到一些答案,却未想翻出一堆黑料。例如,有人讥讽吴京是唯一一个没当过兵却还得了“退伍综合症”的人,他过度沉溺于硬汉人设,至今都困在自己的‘战狼光环”里“。还有人批评,吴京一直在刻意打造“爱国表演艺术家”人设,实际上却常常言行不一,早年他甚至还以满洲八旗子弟后人自居自傲。也有网友发现,吴京有种刻在骨子里的“巨男子主义”,生活中自负、油腻、爹味,他与妻子在参加一档综艺时,不但让妻子闻自己的脚,还对妻子实施冷暴力,甚至炫耀自己的家庭地位很高。不少人感叹吴京的妻子谢楠在婚姻中太憋屈和卑微,以至于用“妃子和皇帝”来形容二人的关系。
当然,最终让吴京彻底翻车的,还是八年前的“迷之采访”,并非人们熟知的“我爱国无罪”、“艾姆拆腻子I’m chinese”,而是另外两段更抽象、更迷惑的表达。当年《战狼2》大火后,有记者在采访吴京时问到“拍电影遇到的最大难点是什么”,吴京摇头晃脑、自信满满甩出三句话:“坦克是没有后视镜的”、“枪炮是不长眼的”、“还有黑哥们儿的语言是不通的”……吴京本意或许是想说,自己的团队克服了大量困难才完成拍摄,但那种“爹味自信表达”让人感到格外不适。在另一段采访中,他还大谈特谈自己在军事电影时的惊险经历:“我跳过楼!你跳过吗?”、“我被坦克压过!你被压过吗?”、“我野外生存把人干了,你干过吗?”、“中国的蚯蚓我吃遍了,你吃过吗?”
吴京一连串夸张炫耀的言辞最终导致了他的人设崩塌,如今各大视频平台掀起了一波恶搞潮流。许多网友用最新AI技术大肆玩梗——“司马懿是没有后世敬的”、“西天取经最大的难点在哪里”、“考试怎么跟同桌沟通的”…….曾经的全民偶像彻底成了梗王与小丑,硬生生跌下了爱国神坛。之后,胡锡进在微博上为吴京叫屈,没想到却火上浇油。有人表示吴京的言行固然让那些视他为偶像、标杆的人失望,但当初他与爱国强绑定、成为战狼的化身,也是离不了官方的推波助澜。正如吴京当年在采访中所言“我不过是拿了一根火柴,用一个小火星把大家的爱国情绪点燃了”。前后8年,吴京便从爱国符号沦为抽象符号,这种民间心态的转变耐人寻味。的确,当掏出护照也逃不出妙瓦底,常呼口号也缓不了现实困窘,炽烈的狂热终将归于冷静,甚至反噬成怨气。
9月3日,为纪念抗战胜利暨反法西斯胜利80周年,习近平在北京主持了大型阅兵仪式,并对外展示了各类尖端的军事装备。有26位外国国家元首和政府首脑受邀出席纪念活动,其中并无西方主要国家,而俄罗斯、朝鲜、伊朗领导人悉数到场。印尼总统普拉伯沃因近日国内的示威浪潮曾计划取消出访,但最终还是于3日凌晨抵京。3日上午,习近平与多国元首齐登天安门城楼时,普京与金正恩分别站在习近平的两侧,三人并肩站在首排,构成了历史性的同框,上一次出现类似画面已是在朝鲜战争时期。不少网友嘲讽三人同框是“中俄朝新轴心”、“邪恶三巨头”、“独裁者联盟”、“反正义联盟”、“新时代纳粹”、“三个终身制”、“法西斯纪念反法西斯胜利”。
的确,除了金正恩依靠世袭成为朝鲜最高领导人,习近平与普京则通过各自的政治操作实现了“无限连任”,三人无疑都已成为了非常典型的独裁者。此外,普京自2022年起挑起对乌克兰的侵略战争,欧洲至今动荡不安。中国与朝鲜则长期对邻国(指台湾、韩国)武力威慑,动辄扬言开战。三国无疑都是当今世界和平的重大威胁,然而在本次大阅兵上,解放军却打出“和平必胜”、“正义必胜”的标语,真可谓“始于作伪,终于无耻”。更何况,细数法西斯主义的典型特征就会发现,它高度集权、个人崇拜、反对自由民主、大搞军事主义,而这恰恰是中朝俄三国的共同共同写照,但如今他们却自诩是反法西斯主义的中坚力量。
当独裁者压制所有反对、握有至高权力之后,他真正想要的会是什么呢?答案或许既令人意外,又并不意外,无非是更漫长的统治,甚至妄图长生不老,以求权力久续。在此次阅兵式开始前,习近平通过翻译对普京说“过去超过70岁的人很少见,而如今人们到了70岁还是个孩子”。普京回答道:“随着生物技术不断发展,人类器官会不断移植,越活越年轻,甚至可以长生不老。”习近平接着回答“有人预测本世纪人类可能可以活到150岁”。这番对话让不少人惊诧不已,甚至一度怀疑它是AI生成的,之后多个信源证实了其真实性,可谓“现实疯过AI”。有人发现,习近平所提的“150岁”正好与301医院6年前提出的“981首长健康工程目标”(延长领导人寿命至150岁)吻合,这显示出普京和习近平两人一个是真懂器官移植,一个是真想要活到150岁。
目前央视已删除这段争议视频,并撤销了相关外媒的视频版权。在墙内平台上,“长生不老”、“150岁”成为了敏感词,遭到严厉审查。有人感叹,他们在有直播的公开场合毫不避讳谈论这些内容,属实让人难绷,因为完全超出了正常人的想象,而这也引爆了很多“地狱梗”。有人追问,那个68岁的孩子算不算幼年早逝,难不成别有隐情?有人调侃,在人生路上习近平还是个小学生,所以简称巨婴。有人惊讶,“拉清单”原来指的是器官移植名单吗?有人嘲讽,在强制为人民服务方面,他还给自己规划了78年的任期。有人批评,中国人在几千年的皇帝制度中没有走出来。而中国的皇帝,也在几千年的求长生美梦中没有走出来。有多家媒体都评论道,习、普的对谈无意间显示出他们都意图长期执政,而独裁者的长寿是一个令人绝望的信息,预示着对整个世界的深重威胁。
2025年8月1日—8月31日,我们测试发现有47篇墙内文章遭到“404”(绝大多数为微信文章)。涉及的主要话题有:江油事件、亮证姐事件、杨兰兰事件、《八分半》被封杀、董袭莹/协和4+4事件后续、武大图书馆性骚扰事件、“强制社保”政策等,已加入中国数字时代【404文库】。目前项目总收录文章2218篇。
近日,针对“九三阅兵”,中国的言论审查的强度明显提高,多名中国网民因在社交媒体或微信群等批评阅兵遭到禁言,甚至被拘留。1.在微信群批评阅兵,被行政拘留十天 2.微博发帖问“为什么女兵化妆男兵不化妆”被禁言7天 3.微信视频号批评阅兵被禁言30天 4.襄阳网民发布诋毁九三阅兵言论被拘
9月3日,中国国家主席习近平在北京主持大型阅兵,纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年。在阅兵开始前,习近平与20多位国家元首和政府首脑一起登上天安门城楼,俄罗斯总统普京和朝鲜最高领导人金正恩分别站在习近平的右侧与左侧,三人历史性同框,成为了国际舆论的焦点。
吴京,只是在那个时间点,恰好迎合了那样的心态和情绪罢了。而这个时代呢?是一切鸡血都打不下去的时代,再怎么往血管里直接推鸡血,银行的催款短信和现实的残酷性,都会让这种鸡血显得可笑可悲,无聊甚至无耻。一肚子气怎么发作?吴京是个好靶子。不是吴京变了,不是观众变了,是时代变了。这就是为什么你要做什么事,顺应大势,才能事半功倍的原因啊。
近期,知名视频博主 @户晨风 发微博建议“年轻人应该要待在这样的城市”,并列举了4个标准,其中包含“有山姆会员店”,该帖引发了网民热议。有人认为户晨风的观点本质是在探讨“城市宜居标准”,其潜台词是经济活力、开放程度、发展程度等,具有一定道理。但也有人批评户晨风的说法是“暴论”,过于偏颇过于粗糙,是有意制造争议吸引流量。
2024年国务院审计报告披露了一个让人不安的数字:13个省份挪用或违规调剂社保基金,涉及金额406.26亿元。看到这个消息,说实话,第一反应是不敢相信。406亿意味着什么?这相当于 100万退休人员一年的基础养老金。关键这些钱,原本等着我们退休时领的,现在被拿去给公务员发工资、还政府债务了。
好产品即使不公布订单、不搞预售、甚至是不开发布会,都会有大量的用户追着下单。产品不灵,即使在短时间里拥有了看上去还不错的成绩,最后也只会变成回旋镖,啪啪的打在自己的脸上。毕竟一个连订单数量都不敢自信公布的产品,又有可能好到哪里去呢?
一边股市大好,一边是截至9月4日,今年留置的大型企业家已达37人。相比2024年全年,41家上市公司的51人被留置,包括27名实控人兼董事长、12名董事长、5名董事、2名独董、5名高管。凤凰网「风财讯」据此得出结论:大概率会超去年水平。
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!”
疫情结束之后,我回武汉,我妈跟我说当时她去殡仪馆看到一地的骨灰,用一个个小口袋装着,铺满整个地面,她哭了,她说,想到你姥姥就那样一直躺在冰凉的地上就觉得难过,不能入土为安。她想了那么多种姥姥离开的方式,万万没有想到是这样走的。
昨天自媒体圈荡起一个不小的风波,那就是知名公众号“呦呦鹿鸣”回归了。我印象中之前他因为写山东的“下跪”文化惹下了麻烦,停更过一年左右,后来复出,结果没过半年,又再次停更,这次足足停了一年半。有消息说他这次闭关,不仅仅是因为麻烦,还有身体原因。不过回来了,总归是好事。
张水华的处境就是我们的处境。只有在一个有毒的职场,才会把一个人仅仅只当作一个数字、一件工具、一份耗材。在一个真正健康的职场,会把人当人,看得见一个个活生生的、充满个性与思想的人,给予足够的尊重,释放每个人的潜能。
1980年,《中国青年》刊登了那封署名“潘晓”的长信——《人生的路啊,怎么越走越窄》。那年我十六岁,还在读高中,和许多同龄人一样,对那封信引发的惊涛骇浪浑然不觉。直到多年后重读,我才恍然明白:那不仅是一个时代的心声,更是一代人的精神初恋。
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。
刘雨卿今年25岁,结婚4年,当上了全职妈妈,有一个快3岁的儿子。在朋友和邻居眼中,她漂亮、温柔、爱家庭,和丈夫金波从校园恋爱一路走进婚姻,符合人们对于一位“完美妻子”“完美妈妈”的期待。也是这一年,8月22日清晨,她冰凉地躺在医院抢救室,失去了生命迹象。两天后,来自河北沧州市孟村公安局的警情通报称,刘雨卿因钝性外力作用致颅脑损伤而死亡,而犯罪嫌疑人正是她的丈夫金波。
2025年8月1日,因三起医疗纠纷遭遇7个月网暴,河南省周口市第六人民医院妇产科主任邵晓蓓留下“为我正名”的遗言,自杀离世。据邵医生丈夫向媒体透露,三起纠纷的患者家属在互联网平台上通过互推作品吸引网络水军,散布谣言攻击邵医生,邵医生本人的社交账号及医院官方账号的评论区也充斥着大量谩骂诋毁。目前,当地启动的事件联合调查组还未公布调查结果。
2024年,受霸王茶姬“伯牙绝弦”等茶饮爆品推动,茉莉鲜花收购价一路飙升。横县(现已改为横州市,但注册地理品牌仍为“横县茉莉花”)茉莉花均价达40元/斤,甚至有种植户4亩收入超20万元。这样的高利润极具吸引力,不仅本地农户扩大种植规模,还吸引了外地资本涌入。由于花价过高,不少人跟风种植,有人笑称“砖头缝里也种”,一心追逐短期收益,却未察觉盲目扩种的危机。
从4月份京东和美团围绕骑手社保展开的舆论战,到9月1日强制缴纳社保的新规,骑手的劳动状况越来越受到人们的关注。但是,对于很多骑手来说,社保似乎是一个非常遥远的事情,他们总是紧盯着眼前的生活压力。骑手以透支自己的身体健康为代价,一刻不停地穿梭于食物供应链的“最后一公里”。很少有人意识到,为顾客餐食而奔忙的他们,却往往是这个系统里最难吃上一顿健康饭的人。
1、
前些时间,有个几十万粉丝的网络大V,平日里总是高举“爱国”大旗,吸引了大批粉丝追捧。可其实呢,被发现这是一个劣迹斑斑的谣棍,将2008年汶川地震遇难儿童照片伪造成“加沙冲突受害者”;将俄罗斯博物馆畸形婴儿标本图片标注“日本731细菌部队婴儿标本”……其所谓的正义凛然,只是在以“爱国”之名博取流量。
自诩“爱国”,以造谣的方式来吸引粉丝的,并不是只有上面提到的这一位。此前,还曾有博主在屡屡被打脸后,大言不惭的反问:“因为爱国而造谣,有错吗?”
他们屡屡“造谣”,真的是如他们所说的,因为爱国情怀吗?
恐怕没那么纯粹。
有网友就发现,上面那位造谣式爱国的博主,曾经因为一天的流量有700多元,颇为得意的炫耀“收益还是不错”。
为了流量,一些人已经毫无底线,拼凑不实信息、张冠李戴,可偏偏又要给自己冠上一个“爱国”的名义。
2、
这些年在网络看到太多的“爱国”表演:为日本发生地震叫好的,要捐家产捐自己的命去打日本的,还有扬言要炸地球的,要把美国佩洛希的飞机打下来的……直到最近的张雪峰,声称打台湾要捐一个亿……说出来的话,一个比一个牛X,没有最牛,只有更牛。
一年多以前,媒体曾发文称,鼓励仇恨的博主做到千万级帐号,是平台的耻辱。
但是,一年过去,这种鼓励仇恨的帐号消停了吗?没有,而是愈演愈烈。
你说要踏平东京,他就说要核爆美国;你说要造多少多少枚核弹,他就放言要把地球都炸了;你说打导弹,他就说放氢弹,再加海啸与地震;你说中国应该去日本驻军,他就说日本是中国领土不可分割的一部分;你说捐一年工资打台湾,他就说捐一个亿……
网络上,一些人争先恐后的比赛“豪言壮语”,一个比一个狠,一个比一个没有底线,越狠越能吸引到更多粉丝,越没有底线越能赚到更多流量。
3、
这些人说的话会兑现吗?不会的。
以前有个叫李毅的,就是那个自称美国博士,声称死四千人等于一个没死的那个李毅,多次放豪言,要在祖国统一的时候,随部队去打头阵。但问题是,这个李毅是一个没有经过任何军事训练的老头,身体还不一定健康,上前线只会是个混吃混喝的累赘。真发生战争,根本不可能让李毅去战场的。
所以,别看这些人说的很牛X,其实都是抛出一些不需要兑现、也无法兑现的“豪言壮语”,但又足够表示勇气和忠诚,更重要的是,足够吸引眼球,足够博取流量。
对于这些人,有一个词可以形容:鸡贼。
但是,他们的种种极端言论,却是在通过网络传播戾气,而从这些人的留言评论区来看,让我担心的是,一些他们的支持者受不会受到其蛊惑以后,成长为潜在的“U型锁”,给社会制造不安定的危险因素。
而他们可能带来的另一个危害是,因为他们的激进言论助长的网络戾气,一些正在踏踏实实的从事加强两岸合作交流,为和平统一祖国默默贡献力量的人,也有可能被认为是软弱不够强硬,从而承受不该有的压力,甚至是不该有的指责。
没有付出任何成本,却给社会制造了潜在的危害,反而博了个“爱国”的名声,还赚够了流量,赚了大钱。
什么是精致利己?这就是,从不利人,专门利己。
4、
今年1月,@体德学院校长李维刚 在直播间卖牛肉卷,被顾客发现是AB货(应该是被合作方坑了)。随后李维刚不仅公开诚恳道歉,而且自掏腰包,先行赔付,买一赔十。
彼时的李维刚,只是个百万粉丝的网红。有人估算,李维刚这一把,至少要赔掉七百多万。既不豪横又缺钱的李维刚,据说还是借钱凑齐的赔付款。
与李维刚这个案例可以对比的是,当有顾客要求“张雪峰168元高考预测卷被指漏洞百出”的款给退了时,向客服反馈后得到的回应是,承认错误,但拒绝退款。
168元钱的高考预测卷,并不便宜,很多学生家庭也不宽裕。
“整体最起码捐他M一个亿”“公司帐上永远有这个钱”的张雪峰,豪横、又不缺钱,能不能给那些因为信任他而购买了预测卷的学子们道个歉?即使做不到像李维刚那样“买一赔十”,能不能把这区区的168元钱都给退了呢?
这是我看到的另一条新闻。那些当年听了劝,一窝蜂的跑去报考土木专业的学生,在毕业后面临就业难。那些学生是不是被“收割”了?
“我怕我就不会说,说了我就一定会做”的张雪峰,一诺千金,豪气干云,要不要对那些当年信任他的学子们道个歉?
“老子他M的先捐五千万”的张雪峰,可不可以先给这些当年听他劝的学子们一些支持,帮他们一把?
5、
诚信、良知这个东西,有的人身上有,但有些人身上就是没有的。
6、
在观察者网的报道《承诺捐款5000万支持统一引争议,张雪峰回应》的留言区,张雪峰获得了一边倒的支持。
在我的文章评论区,也有人留言称,司马南瑕不掩瑜。
虽然司马南在美国买房,在中国偷税,但他“爱国”啊!就这样,“爱国”堂而皇之地被一些人当作违法作恶的遮羞布。
如果不能及时纠正这种恶劣的风气,如果社会不能采取行动,可以想象的是,在未来,还会有更多的人涌入这条赛道,涌现出更多的伪“爱国”大V,也涌现出更多的堂而皇之的荒诞。
一个多月前,仙桃市民政局刚发公告向民众征集不正之风和腐败问题线索,其中重点涉及殡葬领域。
9月5日,湖北省仙桃市监委发布消息,该市郑场殡仪馆馆长丁仁波落马。看来群众对丁馆长意见不是一般大。
乃悟其实也纳闷儿,仙桃这个地方在短视频平台上是出了名的一切从简,甚至拥有自己专属词条“仙桃酒席”,丁馆长在这种地方也能刮出油吗?
财新网今天发新闻整理了一下,不单是仙桃,仅在过去一年时间里,就有包括四川达州、内江、德阳、福建晋江、重庆万州、吉林白城、广州佛山、安徽安庆等多地殡葬业务相关工作人员被查。
乃悟在裁判文书网上简单搜索了一下,仅仅是公开出来的,和殡仪馆馆长相关的贪污受贿判决书就超过100份,细看一下还真是八仙过海。
从你真正躺平开始,来车拉你需要人情,放哪个冷柜需要人情,用什么告别厅需要人情,第几炉烧你需要人情,现场鲜花有专门供应商,墓地买卖特许专营,墓碑都要指定品牌……什么?骨灰盒你想自己带,不好意思,必须在殡仪馆现场买。
赚完家属的还不算完,国家那头还能薅一笔。殡仪馆的车辆要维修购置吧,火化炉要维修和新购吧,这些都可以成为殡仪馆的猫腻。
比如四川省都江堰市殡仪馆,此前因为招待和烟酒等等,在外面欠了30万的外债。2012年以后,这些费用不能走公账了,馆长就拉来财务等人,商量着怎么处理。大家一合计,干脆找个供应商报销。
三个人还认认真真开了馆长办公会,还:
形成了会议纪要。
然后,馆长找到了卖鲜花的老刘,和他商量着,说会议已经决定了,以后鲜花你来供应,赚的钱咱们四六分账。
就这样,殡仪馆不仅还清了欠的招待费,年底了还能给领导层发发奖金。
中国平均丧葬花费已经接近4万元,按照每年1000万死亡人数来看,这就是一个高达4000亿的产业链。
这么大的利益链,上下其手的可不只有有编制的人员。
中国人讲究一个入土为安,特别是广大农村地区,历来是殡葬改革的重点和难点。这么多年了,还是有很多群众希望土葬,但又和政策冲突,那怎么办呢?
只要你能让村干部不管,基层民政所长不管,那基本就没问题了,村民们也不会相互举报。
乃悟看了一下判决书,火葬改土葬的价格也不固定,从800至13000元不等。有的家属不懂事儿,没交钱,还会受到村干部威胁:
不交钱坟给你扒了。
有的村干部,几年时间,给20位土葬的开了绿灯,收了超过16万,而他要做的仅仅是睁一只眼闭一只眼。
当然,这些还都是小钱。
大家还记不记得,去年有位律师曾爆出过一起大案。山西一家公司,从全国各地的殡仪馆收购死者遗体,用来做同种异体骨的原料,8年时间,营收高达3.8亿。
这玩意儿有多赚钱呢,市面上销售的同种异体骨一小包含3—5克,售价是四五千元。一个成年人的骨头重量一般占体重的15%左右。也就是说,一个60kg的成年人,骨头为9kg左右。
这家公司被警方查处的时候,还剩多少骨头呢?
18吨。
什么黄金储备,弱爆了。