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比亚迪扩大分差,赛力斯入围前十丨整车制造业科创力榜单解读

一面是不断刷新的历史纪录,一面是越来越残酷的市场竞争。中国车企对研发的重视,达到史无前例的高度。

南方周末研究员 曹妍

责任编辑:黄金萍

2024年11月14日上午,中国2024年第1000万辆新能源汽车在武汉东风汽车的工厂驶出生产线,一举刷新了2023年全年958.7万辆的新能源汽车产量纪录。

按照中国汽车工业协会的数据,在刚刚过去的2024年1-10月,中国新能源汽车的销量已达到975万辆,也超过了2023年的总和949.5万辆,在新车中的占比接近四成。2024年1-10月,中国汽车的销量同比增长2.7%达2462.4万辆,2024年能否突破2023年的3009.4万辆,再攀历史新高?

一面是不断刷新的历史纪录,一面是越来越残酷的市场竞争。汽车,特别是新能源汽车不只是“卷价格”,还要“卷技术”——高算力芯片、高阶智驾系统、智能座舱加速了汽车产业向智能化发展。

在此过程中,中国车企对研发的重视,也达到史无前例的高度。在南方周末企业科创力数据库中,30家整车制造企业在2023年的研发投入合计1585亿元。

围绕研发投入、研发产出、公司发展等三个维度的27个指标,南方周末科创力研究中心对30家整车制造商进行综合评分,按照得分高低选出了最具“科创力”的10家。

2024年,比亚迪(002594.SZ)以92.55的总得分,保持着无人能撼动的“王者地位”;上汽集团(600104.SH)位居第二,分数为61.74,与第三名拉开近10分的距离;排在第三至第十的企业得分依次递减,总体差距并不明显。

对比2023年榜单,排名前九的车企依然在榜上,只是顺序有所变化;第十名则从小鹏汽车(09868.HK)换成赛力斯(601127.SH)。

汽车产业依赖技术和资金的长期积累,头部车企在短期内仍将维持当前位置,而一些具体指标则折射出行业发展的新变化和新趋势。

比亚迪VS.上汽集团,30分差距从何而来?

从主要科创指标数值来看,比亚迪不仅研发投入

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校对:赵立宇

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“占坑式辩护”难解背后:刑辩律师的新老“三难”

如何解决“占坑式辩护”,理论及实务界有不同观点。有学者提出,一种可能的做法是,至少让家属委托的律师会见一次当事人,以确认当事人的真实意愿。

刑诉法过去3次修改都扩充了辩护权的具体内容,但每次新增权利的实现都面临着形式上的障碍,主要矛盾是权利行使的受阻和不畅。

南方周末实习生 顾靓楠 南方周末记者 翟星理

发自:深圳

责任编辑:钱昊平

 

2021年9月9日,劳荣枝一审被判死刑。劳荣枝案中出现“占坑式辩护”。(视觉中国/供图)

2021年9月9日,劳荣枝一审被判死刑。劳荣枝案中出现“占坑式辩护”。(视觉中国/供图)

占坑式辩护正成为热点案件办理过程中经常出现的话题。从杭州“保姆纵火案”,到“劳荣枝案”“吴谢宇案”,均存在类似情形。

刑事案件中,办案机关通过指派法律援助律师的方式,占用辩护名额,从而导致当事人无法自主选择辩护人,这被形象地称为占坑式辩护。

辩护位之争的背后,是如何保障律师执业权的问题。虽然刑诉法和“两高三部”早有规定,但在司法实践中,律师辩护权屡屡受到挑战。

在刑事辩护领域,以前存在“老三难”问题,也即指阅卷难、会见难、调查取证难,而“新三难”则是发问难、质证难、辩论难。

2024年10月26日,在深圳大学举行的“刑事诉讼法修改与辩护制度完善”学术研讨会暨第十八届尚权刑事辩护论坛上,四川大学法学院教授韩旭认为,导致这一现象出现的一个重要原因是,侵犯律师辩护权的行为几乎不会受到实质性的追究。

一些地方已试图在解决。2024年10月中旬,辽宁省司法厅、省高级人民法院、省人民检察院、省公安厅、省国家安全厅联合印发《关于依法保障律师执业权利的规定》,天津、陕西、山西、重庆、广东、广西等地也先后出台过类似规定。

在韩旭看来,地方出台这类文件是个积极信号,但保障律师执业权需要从根源上解决问题,“从立法层面规制”。

 谁有优先权?

“吴敏案”是占坑式辩护的又一典型。

2024年4月11日,江西省鹰潭中院审理的吴敏受贿案开庭,家属委托的两位律师王春丽、张庆方被挡在门外。

吴敏退休前系江西省吉安市人大常委会主任。2023年12月22日,鹰潭市人民检察院以涉嫌受贿罪将吴敏起诉至鹰潭市中级人民法院。

吴敏的侄女吴姝婷向南方周末记者介绍,鹰潭中院通知开庭时,家属才知道,法院已经为吴敏指派了法律援助律师。吴敏受审期间,鹰

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校对:星歌

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生育支持政策对谁更有效?来自5413位育龄女性的调查

从未生育过的女性可能对生育支持政策的敏感度不强;首次生育的女性对育儿更为紧张和在乎,单一的经济支持政策很可能无法提高其生育意愿;完成过两次生育的女性生育动力更强,可能更注重生育支持政策的实用性。

南方周末记者 李桂

责任编辑:钱炜

2022年2月3日,湖北省襄阳市第一人民医院产科新生儿室,两位护士正忙着为新生儿做护理。(视觉中国/图)

2022年2月3日,湖北省襄阳市第一人民医院产科新生儿室,两位护士正忙着为新生儿做护理。(视觉中国/图)

生育支持政策能提高生育意愿吗?全国的答案或许还无从知晓,但4996名来自四川成都的育龄女性给出了肯定的答案。

前述数据源于在2023年3月进行的一项线上调查,受访者为5413位年龄在18岁至45岁、生活在成都市下辖20个区县的育龄女性。

基于此项调查,中国人民大学人口与发展研究中心教授宋健和西南交通大学公共管理学院讲师范文婷的研究成果以《生育支持政策体系的优化:对象分类与政策组合》为题,发表在《江西社会科学》杂志上。

该调查结果显示,不同婚姻状况和实际子女数量的女性对生育支持政策作用的评价不同,经济支持、时间支持和服务支持政策效果因人而异。宋健和范文婷建议,政策制定者可以根据政策对象分类,有针对性地优化相关政策,以满足不同群体的多样化需求,实现适度生育水平目标。

学术研究之外,一系列的生育支持措施也在不断推进。2024年10月28日,国务院办公厅印发《关于加快完善生育支持政策体系推动建设生育友好型社会的若干措施》,要求完善生育支持政策体系和激励机制,健全覆盖全人群、全生命周期的人口服务体系,有效降低生育、养育、教育成本,营造全社会尊重生育、支持生育的良好氛围。

以下是南方周末记者和宋健的对话。

处于生命周期不同阶段,对生育支持政策的需求不同

南方周末:为什么选择四川省成都市的育龄女性作为调研对象?

宋健:这是我们综合考虑调研地点的政策环境和城市代表性后的结果。

2021年中共中央、国务院发布的《关于优化生育政策促进人口长期均衡发展的决定》出台后,四川省攀枝花市成为全国首个推出生育经济补贴的城市;四川省也是对建立生育支持政策体系响应较早的地区,率先取消了对生育登记对象婚配和生育数量的限制条件。

成都作为四川省的省会城市,在生育支持政策的制定和实施方面具有政策先行示范的作用,包括支持全市试点建设“蓉易托”社区智慧托育中心、提高全市生育医疗待遇标准等。

此外,作为西部地区的新一线城市和“网红城市”,近十年来,成都吸引了大量青年人口流入,其常住人口的生育支持政策需求具有一定

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校对:吴依兰

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UK growth slows between July and September

Getty Images Young black woman stands underneath car, using a tool to fix the undercarriage. She has short grey hair, and is wearing blue overalls and light-blue surgical gloves. Getty Images

The UK's economy grew by 0.1% between July and September, according to the latest official figures.

Growth was lower than expected and the Office for National Statistics said activity was subdued across most industries during the three months.

Labour made boosting economic growth its top priority when it came into power but Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she was "not satisfied" with these latest figures.

This week she announced plans to reform the pensions sector to try to boost investment but the government is facing a backlash by some businesses who have criticised tax rises in the Budget.

The latest growth figures mark a slowdown from 0.5% expansion between April to June.

Zombie knives still for sale online despite ban, BBC finds

BBC BBC News's Dan Johnson holding one of the purchased knives. He is holding the large knife in two hands while wearing gloves, looking directly to cameraBBC
BBC News's Dan Johnson holding one of the purchased knives

Zombie knives and machetes are still available to buy online, some for under £20, more than a month after they were banned in England and Wales.

BBC News was able to purchase four knives from online retailers with UK websites, two of which were shipped from overseas.

After being presented with our findings, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said the law might need to be toughened further in future.

The Home Office said it was carrying out a "rapid review" into the sale of knives online.

In September, "zombie-style knives" and "zombie-style machetes" were banned in England and Wales, making it an imprisonable offence to own, make, transport or sell a wide range of “statement” knives favoured by criminal gangs.

However, our investigation suggests they are still making their way onto Britain's streets because some retailers are breaching - knowingly or unwittingly - the latest restrictions on advertising and selling them.

Four knives lying on a table in a row. They are varying in length but are all zombie knives
The four knives the BBC was able to buy from the UK websites of online retailers

We placed orders via the UK websites of four online retailers. It took just a few clicks to confirm the orders - in one case just two - in a standard online transaction. One retailer cancelled our order but three accepted, and couriers delivered the knives days later without the need for a signature.

Hunting&Knives sold us two serrated machetes, both 18 inches (45cm) long - one costing £19.99, the other £30.83.

HuntingCrossbows sold us a "Defender Xtreme Hunting Combat knife" with a 10-inch blade and a serrated edge, priced at £34.99. It appears the knife was shipped from the USA despite no indication it was being imported.

Meanwhile, NineFit sold us a "Fantasy Master Skull Crusher" sword for £60, listed as having a 20-inch (50cm) blade, which again appeared to have been sent from overseas.

The largest zombie knife lying on a table against a tape measure. The tape measure is against the blade to show the scale of it, at 20 inches (50cm)
The largest knife had a 20-inch (50cm) blade

Zombie-style knives are officially defined as a blade over eight inches (20.32cm) in length with a sharp point and a plain cutting edge, plus either a serrated edge, more than one hole in the blade, spikes, or more than two sharp points.

Four out of the five experts we spoke to agreed the weapons we purchased appeared to meet the legal definition of a banned knife.

"They all look like offensive weapons under the Act," said Anthony Orchard KC, a criminal barrister who’s prosecuted many stabbings and knife offences.

"Over the last eight to 10 years, these knives have become more and more common in the sort of murder cases that unfortunately we are prosecuting across the country."

One expert questioned whether the two machetes we bought met the definition of having a "sharp pointed end" - a definition that hasn’t been considered yet in court.

Commander Stephen Clayman, the NPCC's lead for knife crime, says the recent ban was a step forward - but more action is needed. He is conducting a review into the availability of knives online, especially on social media.

"This ban will have an impact, how much of an impact is difficult to say but we do know some of the large UK retailers will no longer be selling these knives and that’s got to be a good thing," he told the BBC.

"Is it enough? Time will tell. Will we have to change the law again, quite possibly."

Headshot image of Commander Stephen Clayman. He is looking at the camera and is wearing a grey suit, with a white shirt and grey spotted tie
Commander Stephen Clayman says we might need stricter laws in future

NineFit UK/Handelnine Global Limited didn’t reply to our request for comment, but the other two companies we purchased the knives from did.

Hunting&Knives said it had been reviewing and removing "articles that did not comply with the new law", adding: "It is not our intention to make prohibited articles available to the end customer."

HuntingCrossbows replied to our query about the legality of the weapon it sold us and other knives for sale on its website by saying "these are cosplay or display knives for decoration use only".

"These knives and manchettes (sic) can not damage any person unless modified," it added, a claim Mr Orchard said was “astonishing”.

There were more than 50,000 incidents of knife crime recorded in 2023-2024, an increase of 4% on the previous year, according to the latest ONS figures.

The government has made reducing knife crime a priority with a target of halving offences by 2034.

Border Force is responsible for scanning international mail suspected of containing drugs, firearms, knives, and counterfeit items or goods with unpaid customs fees - but not every package is checked.

The Home Office said: "When we receive information like this, it is very important Border Force can investigate potential illegal activity."

It said it had "launched a rapid review into the online sale of knives" and warned social media executives they would be held liable for advertising knives on their platforms. A consultation on banning "ninja swords" was also announced this week.

Close up image of Dr Olumide Wole-Madariola, looking to the left of the camera
Dr Olumide Wole-Madariola's teenage son, Malcolm, was stabbed to death in a zombie knife attack in 2018

Dr Olumide Wole-Madariola, whose son Malcolm was stabbed to death aged 17 in November 2018 when he tried to stop an attack on a stranger, says more still needs to be done.

"It was a zombie knife, a serrated zombie knife," Mr Olumide said of the attack on his son outside Clapham South underground station in South London. "A very cheap knife as well, it cost £19.99. That was the cost of the life of my son."

He has campaigned to ban zombie knives - and agreed to look at pictures of the knives we purchased. "It scares me when I see this," he said. "It scares me because lives are being lost daily.

"The government needs to do more. Each time a knife is used on someone, lives are shattered forever, homes are destroyed forever, futures are destroyed forever."

Home Office 'cut corners' buying £15m migrant camp

PA Media An aerial view of the Northeye prison site. Around a dozen white single-storey buildings are seen with open fields behind them. PA Media

The Home Office "cut corners" and made "a series of poor decisions", whilst under pressure to stop migrants being housed in hotels, when it paid £15m for an asbestos-contaminated derelict prison, the government's spending watchdog has said.

The National Audit Office (NAO) said the amount paid for the Northeye site in East Sussex, purchased in 2023 under the Conservative government, was more than twice what the seller had paid just a year earlier.

A report found "corners [were] cut" so the site could be acquired at speed to house asylum seekers, despite an assessment deeming it "high risk", and that the site was ultimately deemed "unfit for its intended purpose due to contamination".

The Home Office said the report related to the actions of the last government and that it remained "committed to ending the use of hotels and... achieving better value for the taxpayer".

In December 2022, then-prime minister Rishi Sunak delivered a statement in Parliament in which he vowed to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, saying that the government would "work to achieve this as quickly as possible".

In its report, the NAO said the statement "generated significant pressure within the Home Office to identify and secure sites for asylum accommodation at pace".

It added that, the following January, a decision to acquire Northeye was taken by a small group of ministers and officials from across Whitehall, despite the "technical due diligence and approvals process not having been undertaken".

The group included the minister for immigration and the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the report said, positions then held by Robert Jenrick and Oliver Dowden.

In February 2023, an environmental review identified a contamination risk from "asbestos-containing materials in existing buildings and contaminated ground", while a due diligence report assessed conditions at the site as "high risk".

The diligence report also estimated the cost of repairs to buildings at the site to be £20m, although this figure was not included in advice later submitted to ministers.

The following month, Jenrick announced that Northeye would be developed to house 1,200 people, and the sale was completed in September 2023.

The final price paid for the site was £15.4m, including £0.9m paid to the vendors - Brockwell Group Bexhill LLP - because the Home Office had underestimated how long it would take to complete the purchase.

Brockwell had bought Northeye in August 2022 for £6.3m.

The costs of remediation because of the contamination at the site were estimated to be between £1.1m and £3.6m.

The NAO concluded that the Home Office's attempt to acquire Northeye "within just a few months... led it to cut corners and make a series of poor decisions".

"This resulted in it purchasing a site that was unsuitable for [its] original purpose, and it paying more for it than it needed to."

In July, the Home Office said no decision had been taken on the use of the site and that it would “consider its strategy and broader requirements before taking a view on the future use of it”.

Responding to the NAO's report, it said: “Having inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain, with tens of thousands of cases stuck in a backlog, we remain committed to ending the use of hotels and housing people in more suitable and cost-effective achieving better value for the taxpayer".

“We will continue to restore order to the system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly."

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, a Conservative MP and chairman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, said that, “once again, rushed and misjudged decision-making has resulted in the Home Office overpaying for an asylum accommodation site that is not fit for purpose".

“I am concerned that the Home Office deviated from standard practice, overlooked warnings about the condition of the site and lacked expertise to properly oversee the purchase of Northeye.”

First Glastonbury tickets sell out in 30 minutes

BBC A crowd of people at Glastonbury's pyramid stage. People are holding flags and there are fireworks in the air.BBC
The first batch of Glastonbury 2025 tickets sold out within 30 minutes

The first group of tickets for Glastonbury Festival 2025 sold out in 30 minutes, organisers have confirmed.

Festival-goers had to navigate a new booking process when the sale for coach travel tickets opened at 18:00 GMT on Thursday.

Fans were "randomly assigned a place in a queue" rather than having to refresh the holding page when the tickets went live.

A statement from the official festival X account announced at 18:32 that tickets had sold out, alongside a note on its website.

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See Tickets later said that "confirmation emails are going out now to everyone who got @Glastonbury coach tickets this evening" in a post on X.

The sale of standard tickets will take place on Sunday at 09:00.

It comes a week after the world-famous festival announced it had changed the way fans would join its booking process.

The change came after a spotlight was shone on various issues within online ticket selling including the use of dynamic pricing and tickets being resold by touts.

The subject made headlines after the release of Oasis tickets in September prompted the government and the UK's competition watchdog to pledge they would look at the use of prices surging in line with demand.

Getty Images A crowd of people dancing in front of a stage at Glastonbury FestivalGetty Images
Glastonbury Festival 2025 will take place from 25-29 June

In a bid to prevent touting, Glastonbury customers have to register in advance to buy tickets for the event, which will take place at Worthy Farm in Somerset from June 25 to 29.

Tickets for Glastonbury 2025 cost £373.50 plus a £5 booking fee, which is a £18.40 rise from the 2024 price of £355 plus a £5 booking fee.

Last year, coach tickets sold out within 25 minutes while standard tickets were all bought within an hour.

Festival organiser Emily Eavis has previously said 2026 will be a fallow year for Glastonbury, to allow the land to rest and recover, but she is already in talks with acts to headline in 2025.

The 2024 festival was the first year the event has featured two female headliners on the Pyramid Stage, Dua Lipa on Friday and SZA on Sunday.

On the Saturday, Coldplay made history as the first act to headline the festival five times.

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With Gaetz, Gabbard and Hegseth, Trump Takes on Pillars of the ‘Deep State’

The Justice Department, Pentagon and intelligence agencies were the three areas of government that proved to be the most stubborn obstacles to Mr. Trump in his first term.

© Kenny Holston/The New York Times

By nominating allies like former Representative Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald J. Trump is showing the most important qualification to lead key agencies is loyalty.

薄熙来之子薄瓜瓜将成台湾女婿 情定宜兰医界家族女 台湾国安警戒

台湾的《联合报》报道,前中共政治局委员、重庆市委书记薄熙来之子薄瓜瓜,已于本周三(13日)低调抵台,将与一位宜兰的医院家族之后结婚。

《联合报》指出,薄瓜瓜的未婚妻传闻是宜兰罗东博爱医院第三代,创办人许文政之孙女。据了解,薄瓜瓜周五到宜兰面见女方家长,并安排在罗东博爱医院做健康检查,短暂停留数小时后离开。周五上午罗东博爱医院门口有警方人员现身注意周围状况。

《联合报》报道,许家千金也曾在国外留学念书工作,她与1987年出生的薄瓜瓜年纪接近,两人多年前就认识,因互有好感而交往,双方对此婚事十分低调。

台湾《自由时报》报道,2019年逝世的许文政,除是罗东博爱医院创办人,更是地方政坛大老,1973年当选宜兰县议长,之后担任监察委员、总统府国策顾问、总统资政。许文政家族从政历程,更与国民党关系密切,昔日党政要员,常在罗东博爱医院旁边办公室开会,商讨选举提名等重大决策。

台湾《ETtoday》报道,由于薄瓜瓜的身分敏感,此行惊动国安系统进行监控。而薄瓜瓜的婚宴地点可能会在新竹县举办。

薄熙来2013年因受贿、贪污及滥用职权罪,被判处无期徒刑。薄熙来是中共元老薄一波之子,他在重庆执政期间推行“唱红打黑”令众多无辜者入狱。薄瓜瓜的母亲谷开来因涉及英国公民尼尔·海伍德死亡一案,2012年8月被以故意杀人罪,判处死刑,缓期二年执行。2014年9月其刑期减为无期徒刑。

责编:许书婷

💾

© 路透资料照

薄熙来的儿子薄瓜瓜即将成为台湾女婿。图为2012年薄瓜瓜从哈佛大学毕业。

Elon Musk Adds Microsoft to Suit Against OpenAI

In a new legal filing, the Tesla chief executive accuses the A.I. start-up of undermining antitrust law.

© Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times

Elon Musk has broadened claims he first made this year that OpenAI and two of its founders breached the company’s founding contract by putting commercial interests ahead of the public good.

Why North Korea Is Building Drones

Analysts say the low-cost weapons are attractive to Mr. Kim, who is intent on modernizing North Korea’s military.

© Korean Central News Agency, via Associated Press

Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader, in a photo released by state media, which said it showed him supervising drone tests on Thursday.

特朗普将如何输掉与中国的贸易战

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特朗普将如何输掉与中国的贸易战

保罗·克鲁格曼
Damir Sagolj/Reuters
好消息:我认为特朗普不会引发全球贸易战。
坏消息:我之所以这么说,是因为我相信,即使特朗普输掉了大选,贸易战也会爆发,这主要是因为中国不愿意像一个负责任的经济超级大国那样行事。不幸的是,要引导美国政策度过可能即将到来的动荡,特朗普可能是最糟糕的人选。
他不会是我们打贸易战的原因,但很可能是我们输掉贸易战的原因。
中国是历史上最了不起的经济成功故事。它曾经非常贫困,至今仍有很多人记得1959~1961年的大饥荒。但在1978年开始改革之后,中国经济飞速发展。即使现在,它依旧是一个中等收入国家,人均GDP远低于我们或西欧的水平。但中国拥有庞大的人口,因此以某些标准来衡量,它目前是世界上最大的经济体
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然而,所有迹象都表明,中国经济高速增长的时代已经过去。几十年来,中国的增长动力主要来自两个方面:适龄劳动人口的不断增长,以及引进技术推动的生产率快速增长。但适龄劳动人口在大约十年前达到顶峰,目前正在下降。尽管取得了一些相当厉害的成就,但中国的整体技术进步速度(经济学家通过“全要素生产率”来衡量)似乎已经放缓到了爬行的速度。
但增长放缓未必就是一场灾难。日本在上世纪90年代经历了类似的人口和科技的衰退,总体上处理得相当得当,避免了大规模失业和社会动荡。
然而,中国建立了一个为高增长时代设计的经济体系——一个抑制消费者支出、鼓励高投资率的体系。
只要经济的高速增长创造了对更多工厂、办公楼等的需求,那么这个系统就是可行的,这样高投资就可以找到生产性的用途。但是,虽然一个年增长率为9%的经济体可以将GDP的40%用于有效投资,但一个增长率3%的经济体就没法做到这一点。
答案似乎很明显:将收入重新分配给家庭,并将经济从投资转向消费。但不知出于何种原因,中国政府似乎不愿意朝着这个方向迈进。一次又一次,刺激政策的目的更多地是为了扩大产能,而不是让消费者能够利用这些产能。
那么,如果你拥有大量产能,但消费者无法或不愿购买你所生产的商品,你该怎么办?你试图将问题向外输出,通过维持巨额贸易顺差来维持经济运转。
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我的意思是,巨大的贸易顺差。值得注意的是,中国似乎对贸易数据做了手脚,试图使它的顺差看起来比实际规模要小。然而,中国的出口额似乎比进口额多出近1万亿美元,而且还处于上升趋势。
因此,贸易战即将到来。世界其他国家不会被动地接受中国如此规模的贸易顺差。本世纪前十年的“中国冲击”告诉我们,无论自由贸易有什么(真实的)好处,进口激增都会对受影响的工人和社区造成不可接受的损害。此外,中国是一个不认同民主价值观的专制国家。任由它支配战略上至关重要的产业会带来无法承受的风险。
这就是为什么拜登政府一直悄然对中国采取强硬立场,保留了特朗普的关税,并试图限制其在先进技术方面的进步。这就是为什么欧盟对中国制造的电动汽车征收高额关税,这可能只是贸易冲突扩大的开始。
因此,贸易战即将来临;在某种程度上,它已经开始。那么,特朗普会带来些什么?
无知、缺乏重点,以及任人唯亲的可能性。哦,还有容易上当受骗。
无知:特朗普坚称关税不会损害消费者——尽管美国各地的企业都计划在他提议的关税生效时提高价格——这强烈表明,无论是他还是给予他建议的人,都不了解全球贸易是如何运作的。在发生贸易冲突的时候,这可不是一件好事。
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缺乏重点:特朗普提议全面征收关税,而不仅仅是针对中国,这将提高许多美国企业的成本,并疏远本应参与合作应对的盟友。
任人唯亲:总统在授予特定公司关税豁免方面有着很大的自由裁量权。在特朗普的第一个任期内,这种豁免不成比例地流向了与共和党存在政治联系的公司。如果认为这种情况不太可能再次发生,规模不再可能那么大,就太天真了。
最后一点,容易上当受骗:在他的第一个任期内,特朗普在最后签署了其所谓的“历史性贸易协议”后停止了提高关税,根据该协议,中国同意购买2000亿美元的美国商品。中国实际购买了多少?一分没有。
正如我所说的,随着中国试图向外输出其政策失败,严重的贸易冲突即将到来。但美国刚刚选出了可能是最糟糕的领导人来处理这场冲突。

保罗·克鲁格曼(Paul Krugman)自2000年以来一直是时报的专栏作家。他也是纽约市立大学研究生中心的杰出教授。克鲁格曼因在国际贸易和经济地理方面的成就获得2008年诺贝尔经济学奖。欢迎在Twitter上关注他: @PaulKrugman

翻译:杜然

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Eva Longoria says her family no longer lives in 'dystopian' US

Getty Images Eva Longoria, who has long brown hair and is wearing hoop earrings, a white trench coat and a plain white T-shirt, points with her right index finger to an 'I Voted' sticker over her left lapelGetty Images
The Desperate Housewives star is considered a power broker in Democratic politics

Hollywood actress Eva Longoria has revealed that her family no longer lives in the United States, and is splitting time between Mexico and Spain.

In an interview with French magazine Marie Claire for its November cover story, Longoria attributed the decision to the country's "changing vibe" after the Covid-19 pandemic, homelessness and high taxation in California, and the re-election of Donald Trump.

She also acknowledged she was "privileged" enough to move, saying: “Most Americans aren’t so lucky. They’re going to be stuck in this dystopian country."

The Desperate Housewives star is viewed as a power broker for women and Latinos in Democratic Party politics.

With a keen interest in immigration policy, she has been visibly involved with Democratic candidates at the national and local level since at least 2012.

She spoke at the Democratic National Convention and hit the campaign trail on behalf of Kamala Harris this year, with a tagline for the 2024 presidential candidate that adopted the Spanish translation of Barack Obama's famed "Yes, we can" slogan ("Si se puede") into the phrase "She se puede".

In her Marie Claire interview, published on Thursday, Longoria described being dispirited at Trump's victory over Harris last week

“If he keeps his promises, it’s going to be a scary place," she said.

She added that Trump's win in 2016 had crushed her belief that "the best person wins" in politics.

“I had my whole adult life here,” Longoria said of Los Angeles, adding that “it just feels like this chapter in my life is done now”.

She said work now has her often spending time in Europe or South America.

Longoria is a ninth-generation Texan who moved to California in her twenties. In 2006, she earned a Golden Globe nomination in her starring role as Gabrielle Solis in Desperate Housewives.

More recently, she has hosted the CNN mini-series Searching for Mexico and Searching for Spain.

She is married to José "Pepe" Bastón, her third husband and the president of Mexican broadcaster Televisa.

The couple share a six-year-old boy, Santiago, while Bastón also has three children from a previous marriage.

「從錢凱到上海」 習近平參與秘魯開港儀式


2024-11-15T05:25:53.941Z
11月14日,中國國家主席習近平與秘魯總統博魯阿爾特參加錢凱港的線上開港儀式。

(德國之聲中文網)中國國家主席習近平週四(11月14日)抵達拉丁美洲,展開為期一週的外交之旅。他首先赴秘魯首都利馬,除了進行國事訪問,也將參加亞太經合組織(APEC)領袖峰會

習近平這次拉美之行,帶了100多位中國企業界人士同行,包含投資秘魯錢凱港(Chancay)的中遠海運高層,以及控制秘魯特羅莫克銅礦(Toromocho)礦山的中國鋁業集團代表。

秘魯2013年與北京建立了「全面戰略夥伴關係」,是最早加入「一帶一路」的拉丁美洲國家之一,習近平更把秘魯形容為「太平洋對岸的鄰居」。中國連續十年蟬聯秘魯最大貿易夥伴和最大出口市場;據中國政府說法,中資企業在秘魯的投資存量約有300億美元。

14日,習近平與秘魯總統博魯阿爾特(Dina Boluarte)舉行雙邊會談,會後的聯合聲明強調要深化全面戰略夥伴關係,要在基礎建設、能源和礦業等領域加強合作。

習近平與博魯阿爾特也以視訊方式,共同參加了錢凱港開港儀式,這是中國「一帶一路」倡議在中南美洲最具指標性的基礎建設投資。據路透社報導,博魯阿爾特14日在APEC的論壇上提到錢凱港,形容它將「替貿易帶來革命性的變化」,並替該國經濟「注入活力」。

祕魯總統博魯阿爾特今年6月曾訪北京與習近平見面。

「從錢凱到上海」

錢凱坐落於太平洋沿岸,位於利馬北邊約70多公里處的沙漠邊緣地帶,在這裡,三分之一的居民沒有自來水。然而,隨著中國對拉丁美洲豐富資源的興趣增加,來自中國的大規模投資正逐步把這座漁村改造成大型深水港。

中國外交部14日發布習近平在《秘魯人報》(El Peruano)的署名文章,內文稱要使「從錢凱到上海」成為促進雙方共同發展的「繁榮之路」。

該文寫道:「錢凱港的建成有助於秘魯構建從沿海到內陸、從秘魯到拉美和加勒比其他國家的立體、多元、高效互聯互通格局,打造以錢凱港為起點的『新時代的印加古道』。」

中方稱,錢凱港是南美洲第一座智慧港口,未來能創造至少8000個工作機會,並把秘魯到中國的海運時間縮短為23天、物流成本降低20%。

中國企業中遠海運(Cosco Shipping Ports)在錢凱港第一期項目投資了13億美元,目前擁有約60%的股份,掌控了該港口獨家營運權。整個項目預計總成本超過30億美元,未來預計打造出15個碼頭和一座大型產業園區。

秘魯錢凱港60%的股份掌握在中國企業中遠海運手中。

秘魯政府希望錢凱港能發展為重要經濟樞紐,直接連結秘魯與中國,乃至於拉丁美洲和亞洲,把秘魯藍莓、巴西大豆和智利銅礦快速運往全球。官方稱,錢凱港未來有潛力創造出數百億美元的收益,並把沿岸城鎮設定為特別經濟區,盼以稅務優惠吸引投資。

秘魯錢凱商會主席奧卡蘭(Mario Ocharan)向路透社表示,該港預計11月18日那週開始有船隻啟航,預計運送秘魯的水果到中國。他稱錢凱港真正的目標是與鄰國巴西連通,未來還會有一條新的鐵路連接錢凱港與巴西,「韓國人和中國人都說有興趣興建這條鐵路」。

中遠海運負責錢凱項目的企業事務經理卡薩斯(Mario de las Casas)說,錢凱港現階段會以每年100萬個貨櫃的運輸量為起始,未來逐步增加到150萬個,並於大約4年後展開第二期項目。

卡薩斯補充道,連接錢凱港與巴西的鐵路建設案「非常重要」:出口至中國的大豆主要都來自巴西,因此對錢凱港而言,有必要考慮如何有效率地從巴西運來大量的大豆。

中國與秘魯政府希望把錢凱港打造為連接亞洲和拉丁美洲的重要樞紐。

美國憂心錢凱港為解放軍所用

過去拉丁美洲曾是美國的「後院」,經濟發展主要仰賴美國,但秘魯錢凱港開港象徵中國在拉美的影響力進一步擴增。

美國陸軍戰爭學院的拉美專家埃利斯(Robert Evan Ellis)說:「在全球航運聯盟的大戰之中,這使中遠海運有了一席之地……錢凱顯示了中國如何獲取資源和市場,他們致力於能壟斷全球附加價值,而且越來越成功。」

這也讓美國有了危機感。美國南方司令部前指揮官李察森(Laura Richardson)今年11月退休前曾接受《金融時報》訪問,稱錢凱可能為中國海軍所用,甚至被拿來蒐集情資。

埃利斯認為,由於中遠海運對錢凱港有控制權,因此錢凱港確實可能被用在戰爭軍事用途。「中遠海運跟解放軍在葉門、利比亞的非戰鬥撤離任務都有合作……他們毫無疑問跟解放軍海軍存在既有的、可預期的合作。」

《華盛頓郵報》引述了華府智庫國際戰略研究中心(CSIS)美洲專家伯格( Ryan Berg)的觀點:「中方未必想在那裡展開大動作駐紮軍艦,但會希望保留這個選項。」

中國官媒《環球時報》週一(11日)的社論反擊這類質疑,稱所謂「軍事用途論」是「抹黑」。「門羅主義執念令一些華盛頓政客對錢凱港抱有偏見……(錢凱港)是中拉務實合作的橋梁紐帶,絕非地緣政治競爭的工具。」

錢凱漁民批評港口工程破壞了海床,讓他們生計受到影響。

錢凱民眾怎麼說?

對當地居民來說,發展錢凱港未必是好事。秘魯外交部長斯基亞勒(Elmer Schialer)向美聯社表示:「我們秘魯人關心的主要是秘魯人的福祉。」但這番話並未說服錢凱民眾,特別是靠捕魚維生的村民。

漁民指出,港口疏浚工程已經摧毀了魚類繁殖地。一位78歲的漁民凱薩(Julius Caesar)告訴美聯社:「我們的漁場已經不存在了,被他們破壞掉了……我不怪中國人想盡辦法挖開這個地方,我怪我們的政府沒有保護我們。」

28歲的漁夫亞維拉(Rafael Ávila)說,自己在海上待了一整天,越跑越遠,但還是空手而回;原本靠著自家小艇就能捕到魚,現在卻需要更大、更昂貴的船,才能抵達有魚的地方。亞維拉表示,為了多賺一點,他有時會替觀光客提供兜風服務,帶他們去看中國大船。

如今,錢凱的市區奄奄一息,海鮮餐廳大部分空無一人。在港口正式運作之前,漁業和旅遊業已經凋零。港口防波堤也改變了水流,破壞了良好的衝浪條件;在俯瞰水岸的一面牆上,被噴漆寫上了「不要大港」。

40歲的錢凱居民科昂提斯(Rosa Collantes)說:「這座港口像是怪獸,來這裡搞亂我們的生活……很多人來這邊,覺得『哇,好壯觀!』但他們沒有看到現實是什麼。」

(綜合報導)

© 2024年德國之聲版權聲明:本文所有內容受到著作權法保護,如無德國之聲特別授權,不得擅自使用。任何不當行為都將導致追償,並受到刑事追究。



“2025计划”是什么?特朗普是幕后推手吗?

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“2025计划”是什么?特朗普是幕后推手吗?

NEIL VIGDOR, SIMON J. LEVIEN
尽管民主党人花了几个月的时间试图将特朗普与这份900页的联邦政府改革计划联系起来,但他在竞选活动中一再否认这一点。
尽管民主党人花了几个月的时间试图将特朗普与这份900页的联邦政府改革计划联系起来,但他在竞选活动中一再否认这一点。 Tierney L. Cross for The New York Times
上周三凌晨,当特朗普即将获得270张选举人票,从而锁定惊人的政治胜利时,最早向他致敬的团体之一包括传统基金会,这是“2025计划”背后的保守智库,特朗普在竞选期间对这一政策手册假装毫不知情。
“他准备保护我们洞开的边界安全,恢复法治,让父母重新掌控子女的教育,让美国恢复制造业领导者的应有地位,将家庭和儿童放在首位,并瓦解深层政府,此时整个保守派运动都团结在他身后,”该基金会主席凯文·罗伯茨在声明中说。
民主党人花费数月试图将特朗普与这份长达900页的联邦政府改革计划联系在一起,他们表示,这份计划毫不掩饰地预告了特朗普第二任期的议程,旨在赋予他不受限制的权力来实施报复,同时削弱堕胎权利和气候变化改革。
尽管该计划的多名作者曾在特朗普的第一任期内任职于白宫,但他多次在竞选活动中否认对该计划知情,包括在与副总统贺锦丽的辩论中。他谎称自己对此一无所知,也不认识参与该计划的人。
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在各战场州,选民们被铺天盖地的电视广告和广告牌淹没,它们试图将特朗普塑造成“2025计划”的推动者。
以下是关于“2025计划”及其幕后推手的介绍。
什么是“2025计划”?
在特朗普正式参加2024年竞选之前,“2025计划”由传统基金会和其他志同道合的保守团体牵头发起。传统基金会是一个智库,自里根总统执政以来一直影响着共和党政府的人事和政策。
该基金会于2022年开始制定该项目,旨在为特朗普政府或其他任何共和党总统提供一系列备选方案。
传统基金会主席凯文·罗伯茨今年1月表示,他认为传统基金会的角色是“将特朗普主义制度化”。
传统基金会主席凯文·罗伯茨今年1月表示,他认为传统基金会的角色是“将特朗普主义制度化”。 Benjamin Norman for The New York Times
2025计划”提出了什么建议?
这份计划近900页,其中大部分内容涉及对行政部门的极端改革。在众多建议中,2025计划提出了将色情制品入罪、解散商务部和教育部,反对将堕胎作为医疗保健的一部分,并粉碎气候保护的计划。
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它声称,包括国家气象局在内的国家海洋和大气管理局是“气候变化警报行业的主要推动者之一”。它还支持沿美墨边境部署军队“协助逮捕行动”。
除了政策建议,文件中反复出现特朗普和特朗普政府,被提及了数以百计次。
一位特朗普政府前官员、气候变化否认者出现在一段泄露出来的2025项目培训视频中,他强调,下一任共和党总统必须专注于扭转联邦政府当前的环境政策。
“如果美国人民选出一位保守派总统,他的政府要必须从所有地方消除气候变化的说法,”美国国际开发署前副幕僚长贝瑟尼·科兹玛表示。
特朗普与“2025计划”有何关联?
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该计划的部分内容是由特朗普第一个任期内的高级顾问推动的,这些人很可能在他的第二任期担任重要职务。
特朗普的前预算主任拉塞尔·沃特领导了“2025计划”中涉及行政命令的部分。沃特曾是共和党全国代表大会的政策主管,而共和党则由特朗普的盟友掌控。该党采纳了新的政策纲领,反映了特朗普竞选网站上列出的优先事项。“2025计划”的另一个参与者约翰·麦肯蒂为前白宫人事主管,于2020年启动了特朗普的一项行动,系统性地清除被视为不忠诚的官员。
2019年,前总统特朗普和拉塞尔·沃特。沃特领导了“2025计划”中一个与行政命令有关的部分。
2019年,前总统特朗普和拉塞尔·沃特。沃特领导了“2025计划”中一个与行政命令有关的部分。 Evan Vucci/Associated Press
今年7月,特朗普发布在个人社交媒体网站Truth Social上的帖子中写道,他不知道谁是“2025计划”的幕后作者。“他们说的有些东西绝对是荒谬的、糟糕的,”他写道。他没有具体说明他指的是哪些东西。
经历数周的批评后,“2025计划”负责人保罗·丹斯于同月辞职。特朗普竞选团队表示,该计划的结束“将大受欢迎”。
丹斯曾与特朗普竞选团队官员会面并造访过马阿拉歌庄园,他坚持该计划的政策,并声称它与前总统的工作无关。
特朗普第二任期的计划是什么?
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对于废除公务员保护制度,实施美国历史上最大规模的驱逐出境行动,征收全面关税,以及利用总统权力打击敌人等计划,特朗普丝毫没有作出掩饰。他的盟友已经制定了一套法律依据,以消除司法部相对总统的独立性,而他的几位最亲密的顾问已经考察了一些律师,这些律师被认为更有可能接受关于总统权力范围的激进法律理论
其中一些内容(尽管并非全部)可以在特朗普竞选团队自己的政策纲领“议程47”中找到。
特朗普竞选团队的计划与“2025计划”有何异同?
两者在以下几个方面有所不同。
一个是关于堕胎。“2025计划”采取激进措施限制堕胎权,声称联邦卫生与公共服务部“应该恢复其原名生命部”(这个名字从未被使用过),下一任保守派总统“有道德责任领导国家重新恢复美国的生命文化”。然而,议程47只字未提堕胎。
特朗普多年来在堕胎问题上摇摆不定,但他经常将推翻罗伊诉韦德案归功于他在总统任期内任命了三名反堕胎法官进入最高法院。9月,他在与贺锦丽辩论时表示,堕胎权应由各州自行决定。
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尽管“2025计划”与特朗普在第二任期中提出的愿景存在差异,但二者仍有许多相似之处。
其中一个共同点是削弱司法部的独立性。特朗普经常批评司法部对试图推翻2020年大选的调查缺乏合法性,并表示将对该部进行“彻底改革”。“2025计划”认为,司法部存在官僚主义膨胀的问题,必须加以控制,因为该部充斥着致力于“激进自由主义议程”的员工。
在移民问题上,特朗普毫不掩饰自己计划进行历史上最大规模的驱逐出境行动。同样,“2025计划”建议驱逐所有“违反移民法的人”。
“2025计划”试图废除联邦教育部。在9月7日的集会上,特朗普承诺最终解散教育部,让各州对公共教育拥有最终决定权。
总统的竞选活动和“2025计划”同样要求终止多样性、公平性和包容性项目,以及“2025计划”所称的“跨性别的有害正常化”。在许多集会上,特朗普声称他将“禁止男子参加女子运动”。
在国际政策方面,特朗普和“2025计划”都强调保护主义,特朗普的竞选活动通常将其称为“美国优先”政策。“2025计划”和议程47中的部分内容都建议对竞争对手征收更高的关税,并加强与中国的竞争。
8月在芝加哥举行的民主党全国代表大会上,一个写着“停止2025计划”的标语。
8月在芝加哥举行的民主党全国代表大会上,一个写着“停止2025计划”的标语。 Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times
民主党人对“2025计划”有何看法?
在总统辩论开始不到10分钟,贺锦丽就把该计划与特朗普的第二任期计划联系起来,以此构建讨论框架。
“你们今晚将听到的是前总统打算实施的一个详细而危险的计划,名为‘2025计划’,”贺锦丽说。
特朗普立即驳斥了她的说法。但贺锦丽竞选团队及其支持者将“2025计划”与特朗普紧密联系在一起,并反复警告,表示这是他的影子纲领,是他第二任期极端议程的证据。在几个月的时间里,他们在许多广告、社交媒体帖子和电视节目中称“2025计划”是威权主义的蓝图。

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10月大城市新建房价格同比跌幅创9年最大

中国在9月末开始推出一系列救市政策后,除零售数据外,多项经济指标表现仍低于市场预期。

中国国家统计局周五(1115)公布的数据显示,10月规模以上工业增加值同比增长5.3%,比市场预期的5.6%为低,也比9月的5.4%回落0.1个百分点。

今年首10个月的固定资产投资为42.32万亿元,同比增长3.4%,增速与前9个月持平,但比市场预期增长3.5%为低。最受关注的房地产开发投资同比跌10.3%,首10个月房屋施工面积同比下降12.4%。新建商品房销售额和销售面积同比分别下跌20.9%15.8%,其中住宅销售额和面积分别下跌22%17.7%1070个大中城市的新建房地产价格环比下跌0.5%,跌幅比9月时收窄0.2个百分点,但同比跌5.9%,是2015年以来最大跌幅。

另外,国家统计局表示,10月社会消费品零售总额按年增长4.8%,比市场预期的3.8%为高,创8个月高位。10月末的调查失业率为5.0%,比9月的5.1%回落,是6月之后的新低,但并没有公布1624岁的青年失业率。

责编:许书婷

💾

© 路透资料照

10月70个大中城市的房地产价格同比跌5.9%,是2015年以来最大跌幅。

US hacker sentenced over Bitcoin heist worth billions

BBC A photo of Ilya Lichtenstein in purpleish light.BBC
Ilya Lichtenstein pleaded guilty last year to hacking into one of the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange

A hacker has been sentenced to five years in a US prison for laundering the proceeds of one of the biggest ever cryptocurrency thefts.

Ilya Lichtenstein pleaded guilty last year to hacking into the Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange in 2016 and stealing almost 20,000 bitcoin.

He laundered the stolen cryptocurrency with the help of his wife Heather Morgan, who used the alias Razzklekhan to promote her hip hop music.

At the time of the theft, the bitcoin was worth around $70m (£55.3m), but had risen in value to more than $4.5bn by the time of they were arrested.

The $3.6bn worth of assets recovered in the case was the biggest financial seizure in the DOJ's history, deputy attorney General Lisa Monaco said at the time.

“It’s important to send a message that you can’t commit these crimes with impunity, that there are consequences to them,” district judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said.

Lichtenstein, who has been in prison since his arrest in February 2022, expressed remorse for his actions.

He also said that he hopes to apply his skills to fight cybercrime after serving his sentence.

Morgan also pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. She is due to be sentenced on 18 November.

According court documents, Lichtenstein used advanced hacking tools and techniques to hack into Bitfinex.

Following the hack, he enlisted Morgan's help to launder the stolen funds.

They "employed numerous sophisticated laundering techniques", the US Department of Justice (DoJ) said in a statement.

The methods included using fictitious identities, switching the funds into different cryptocurrencies and buying gold coins.

Lichtenstein, who was born in Russia but grew up in the US, would then meet couriers while on family trips and move the laundered money back home, prosecutors said.

Heather Morgan, aka Razzlekhan posing.
Heather Morgan posted hip hop videos under the alias Razzlekhan

Morgan's Razzlekhan persona went viral on social media when the case emerged.

Even as the couple attempted to cover up the hack, she published dozens of expletive-filled music videos and rap songs filmed in locations around New York.

In her lyrics she called herself a "bad-ass money maker" and "the crocodile of Wall Street".

In articles published in Forbes magazine, Morgan also claimed to be a successful technology businesswoman, calling herself an "economist, serial entrepreneur, software investor and rapper".

Sri Lankan leader's coalition headed for victory

Getty Images Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake shows his inked finger as he leaves a polling station after casting his ballot to vote in Sri Lanka's parliamentary election in Colombo on November 14, 2024.Getty Images
A parliamentary majority will be a boost for Dissanayake, who was elected on a promise to combat corruption and restore stability

The alliance of Sri Lanka's new leader is headed for victory in the country's snap parliamentary elections, according to partial official results.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's National People's Power (NPP) coalition has so far won 97 seats and more than 60% of the vote. It needs 113 seats in the 225-member house to secure a majority.

Dissanayake, who was elected in September, needs a clear majority to deliver his promise to combat corruption and restore stability after the island's worst-ever economic crisis.

The high cost of living was one of the key issues for many voters.

Analysts expect the NPP to do well in the elections but what remains to be determined is the margin of victory, and whether it gets the two-thirds majority it wants to be able to pass its ambitious reforms.

In the outgoing assembly, Dissanayake's Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party, which now leads the NPP, had just three seats. More results are expected later on Friday.

"We believe that this is a crucial election that will mark a turning point in Sri Lanka," the 55-year-old Dissanayake told reporters on Thursday after voting in the capital Colombo.

Nearly two-thirds of former MPs chose not to run for re-election, including prominent members of the former ruling Rajapaksa dynasty.

Sajith Premadasa, the man Dissanayake defeated in the presidential elections, led the opposition alliance.

Dissanayake called for snap elections shortly after he became president to seek a fresh mandate to pursue his policies. There was "no point continuing with a parliament that is not in line with what the people want", he had said.

Out of 225 seats in the parliament, 196 MPs will be directly elected. The rest will be nominated by parties based on the percentage of votes they get in what is known as proportional representation.

High inflation, food and fuel shortages precipitated a political crisis in 2022 which led to the ousting of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. His successor Ranil Wickremesinghe managed to negotiate a bailout package worth $3bn with the International Monetary Fund - but many Sri Lankans continue to feel economic hardship.

"We are still stuck with the problems we faced before. We still don't have financial help even to fulfil our daily needs," 26-year-old garment factory worker Manjula Devi, who works in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone near Colombo, told the BBC.

The number of people living below the poverty line in Sri Lanka has risen to 25.9% in the past four years. The World Bank expects the economy to grow by only 2.2% in 2024.

Disenchantment with established political players greatly helped the left-leaning Dissanayake during September's election. His party has traditionally backed strong state intervention and lower taxes, and campaigned for leftist economic policies.

Dissanayake made history as Sri Lanka's first president to be elected with less than 50% of the vote. Many observers think his alliance will do better this time.

How his alliance fares will be partly due to a fragmented opposition – with many leaders and parties breaking away into either smaller groups, or contesting as independent candidates.

Observers say the JVP-led alliance ran a more vibrant campaign than the opposition, which is likely to have a significant impact on the outcome of the election.

What is clear is that whoever comes into power will be under massive pressure to perform and live up to their campaign promises.

Sri Lanka's economic situation remains precarious – and the main focus is still on providing essential goods and services. How the country progresses from this point will be a real challenge for the new government.

Additional reporting by Kelly Ng

Eva Longoria says her family no longer lives in 'dystopian' US

Getty Images Eva Longoria, who has long brown hair and is wearing hoop earrings, a white trench coat and a plain white T-shirt, points with her right index finger to an 'I Voted' sticker over her left lapelGetty Images
The Desperate Housewives star is considered a power broker in Democratic politics

Hollywood actress Eva Longoria has revealed that her family no longer lives in the United States, and is splitting time between Mexico and Spain.

In an interview with French magazine Marie Claire for its November cover story, Longoria attributed the decision to the country's "changing vibe" after the Covid-19 pandemic, homelessness and high taxation in California, and the re-election of Donald Trump.

She also acknowledged she was "privileged" enough to move, saying: “Most Americans aren’t so lucky. They’re going to be stuck in this dystopian country."

The Desperate Housewives star is viewed as a power broker for women and Latinos in Democratic Party politics.

With a keen interest in immigration policy, she has been visibly involved with Democratic candidates at the national and local level since at least 2012.

She spoke at the Democratic National Convention and hit the campaign trail on behalf of Kamala Harris this year, with a tagline for the 2024 presidential candidate that adopted the Spanish translation of Barack Obama's famed "Yes, we can" slogan ("Si se puede") into the phrase "She se puede".

In her Marie Claire interview, published on Thursday, Longoria described being dispirited at Trump's victory over Harris last week

“If he keeps his promises, it’s going to be a scary place," she said.

She added that Trump's win in 2016 had crushed her belief that "the best person wins" in politics.

“I had my whole adult life here,” Longoria said of Los Angeles, adding that “it just feels like this chapter in my life is done now”.

She said work now has her often spending time in Europe or South America.

Longoria is a ninth-generation Texan who moved to California in her twenties. In 2006, she earned a Golden Globe nomination in her starring role as Gabrielle Solis in Desperate Housewives.

More recently, she has hosted the CNN mini-series Searching for Mexico and Searching for Spain.

She is married to José "Pepe" Bastón, her third husband and the president of Mexican broadcaster Televisa.

The couple share a six-year-old boy, Santiago, while Bastón also has three children from a previous marriage.

Europe's flying taxi dreams falter as cash runs short

Volocopter Resembling a large drone, the two-seater VoloCity aircraft takes off at the Palace of VersailleVolocopter
The VoloCity made demonstration flights in Paris over the summer

One of the innovations at this year's Paris Olympics was supposed to be an electric flying taxi service.

Germany's Volocopter promised its electric-powered, two-seater aircraft, the VoloCity, would be ferrying passengers around the city.

It never happened. Instead the company ran demonstration flights.

While missing that deadline was embarrassing, behind the scenes a more serious issue was playing out - Volocopter was urgently trying to raise fresh investment to keep the firm going.

Talks to borrow €100m (£83m; $106m) from the government failed in April.

Now hopes are pinned on China's Geely, which is in talks to take an 85% stake in Volocopter in return for $95m of funding, according to a Bloomberg report. The deal could mean that any future manufacturing would be moved to China.

Volocopter is one of dozens of companies around the world developing an electric vertical take-off and landing (EVTOL) aircraft.

Their machines promise the flexibility of a helicopter, but without the cost, noise and emissions.

However, faced with the massive cost of getting such novel aircraft approved by regulators and then building up manufacturing capabilities, some investors are bailing out.

Lilium Lilium's aircraft makes a vertical take-off using its rotating jetsLilium
Lilium's radical design involves jets which can be angled for vertical take-off

One of the most high-profile casualties is Lilium.

The German company had developed a radical take on the EVTOL theme.

Lilium's aircraft uses 30 electric jets that can be tilted in unison to swing between vertical lift and forward flight.

The concept proved attractive, with the company claiming to have orders and memoranda of understanding for 780 jets from around the world.

It was able to demonstrate the technology using a remote controlled scale model. Construction had begun on the first full-sized jets, and testing had been due to begin in early 2025.

As recently as the Farnborough Airshow in July, Lilium’s COO Sebastian Borel was sounding confident.

“We are definitely burning through cash," he told the BBC. “But this is a good sign, because it means we are producing the aircraft. We’re going to have three aircraft in production by the end of the year, and we have also raised €1.5bn”.

But then the money ran out.

Lilium had been attempting to arrange a loan worth €100m from the German development bank, KfW. However, that required guarantees from national and state governments, which never materialised.

In early November, the company put its main operating businesses into insolvency proceedings, and its shares were removed from the Nasdaq stock exchange.

For the moment, work on the new aircraft is continuing, as the company works with restructuring experts to sell the business or bring in new investment. However, getting the new e-jet into production is looking more challenging than ever.

Vertical Aerospace The VX4 prototype aircraft from Vertical Aerospace takes off. It has four propellers which can rotate. Vertical Aerospace
The VX4 recently completed successful take-off and landing tests

The high-profile British player in the eVTOL market is Vertical Aerospace. The Bristol-based company was founded in 2016 by businessman Stephen Fitzpatrick, who also set up OVO Energy.

Its striking VX4 design uses eight large propellers mounted on slim, aircraft style wings to generate lift. Mr Fitzpatrick has made ambitious claims about the aircraft, suggesting it would be “100 times” safer and quieter than a helicopter, for 20% of the cost.

The company has made progress. After completing a programme of remote-controlled testing, it began carrying out piloted tests earlier this year. Initially, these were carried out with the aircraft tethered to the ground. In early November, it carried out its first untethered take-off and landing.

But there have also been serious setbacks. In August last year, a remotely-piloted prototype was badly damaged when it crashed during testing at Cotswold Airport, after a propeller blade fell off.

In May one of its key partners, the engineering giant Rolls Royce pulled out of a deal to supply electric motors for the aircraft.

Ambitions remain sky high. Vertical Aerospace says it will deliver 150 aircraft to its customers by the end of the decade. By then, it also expects to be capable of producing 200 units a year, and to be breaking even in cash terms.

Yet financial strains have been intensifying. Mr Fitzpatrick invested an extra $25m into the company in March. But a further $25m, due in August if alternative investment could not be found, has not been paid. As of September, Vertical had $57.4m on hand – but it expects to burn through nearly double that over the coming year.

Hopes for the future appear to be pinned on doing a deal with the American financier Jason Mudrick, who is already a major creditor through his firm Mudrick Capital Management.

He has offered to invest $75m into the business – and has warned the board of Vertical that rejecting his plan would inevitably lead to insolvency proceedings. But the move has been resisted by Mr Fitzpatrick, who would lose control of the company he founded.

Sources close to the talks insist an agreement is now very close. The company believes if a deal can be done, it will unlock further fundraising opportunities.

Airbus The CityAirbus sits outside an Airbus hangerAirbus
CityAirbus has an 80km range and can fly at 120kmh

Amid the turbulence, one European project is quietly on track, says Bjorn Fehrm who has a background in aeronautical engineering and piloted combat jets for the Swedish Air Force. He now works for aerospace consultancy Leeham.

He says that the EVTOL project underway at Airbus is likely to survive.

Called the CityAirbus NextGen, the four-seater aircraft has eight propellers and a range of 80km.

"This is a technology project for their engineers, and they've got the money, and they've got the know how," says Mr Fehrm.

Elsewhere in the world, other well funded start-ups stand a good change of getting their aircraft into production. That would include Joby and Archer in the US.

Once the aircraft are being produced, the next challenge will be to see if there's a profitable market for them.

The first routes are likely to be between airports and city centres. But will they make money?

"The biggest problem area when it comes to the cost of operation is the pilot and the batteries. You need to change the batteries a couple of times per year," points out Mr Fehrm.

Given all the uncertainty and expense, you might wonder why investors put money into new electric aircraft in the first place.

"No one wanted to miss out on the next Tesla," laughs Mr Fehrm.

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Trump Picks RFK Jr. to Be Head of Health and Human Services Dept.

Whether the Senate would confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic who has unorthodox views about medicine, is an open question.

© Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has spread false information about vaccines and publicly contradicted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that communities fluoridate their water.

Five takeaways from Trump’s first week as president-elect

Getty Images Image shows a side profile of Donald Trump in front of a black backgroundGetty Images

Donald Trump has moved speedily since winning the US presidential election to set the foundations of his second term in the White House.

He has made his early priorities clear - and stunned some in Washington and around the world while doing so.

Here’s what we’ve learned from his rollercoaster first week as president-elect.

1) He’s building a loyal team to shake up government

Trump started building his top team almost immediately, nominating cabinet picks for Senate approval and appointing White House advisers and other senior aides.

But that doesn’t tell the full story.

His selections make clear that he plans a radical shake up of government, eschewing more conventional and experienced picks for those who are loyal to him and share his vision for a second term that will upend the status quo in Washington.

His choice for defence secretary, for example, has called for a purge of military chiefs enacting “woke” policies. His nominee for health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, has said he wants to “clear out corruption” at America’s health agencies and cut “entire departments” at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

And that’s not to mention a promised new department helmed by advisers Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, which Trump says will focus on slashing regulations and historic cost-cutting.

The bigger picture is that Trump’s proposed team is almost universally loyal, and favour overhauling their respective government departments.

You can take a deeper look at who’s in the frame for his top team here.

2) He’ll have a friendly Congress on his side

Republicans have won control of the House as well as the Senate, giving the party a crucial (albeit narrow) majority in both chambers for at least the next two years, when there will be the usual midterm elections.

This is a major boost to Trump’s agenda. It means he will be more easily able to pass legislation and gives his policy priorities a friendly path to becoming law.

What a Republican trifecta means for Trump's second term

The Democratic Party will, naturally, be less able to block and resist his agenda too. And Trump should for now be able to avoid the kind of congressional investigations he faced in the second half of his first term.

Ultimately, Republican control of Congress could prove key in pushing through his big pledges such as mass deportations, sweeping tariffs on foreign imports and the rolling back of environmental protections.

It won’t always be smooth sailing for Trump in Congress, however, as our correspondent Gary O’Donoghue explains here.

3) But Senate Republicans won’t always roll over

Trump’s influence was put to the test earlier this week when Republicans in the Senate picked their new leader.

While he did not weigh-in on the race directly, there had been a concerted effort from the president-elect’s most vocal allies as well as favourable ‘Maga’ media outlets to get hard-line Trump loyalist Rick Scott elected.

But he was defeated in the first round and Republicans opted for a more orthodox pick in John Thune, who has had a more rocky relationship with Trump.

It’s worth noting that this was a secret ballot, so it was far from a public repudiation of Trumpworld.

There will be sterner tests of Trump’s power on Capitol Hill to come, notably when confirmation hearings are held for his more divisive cabinet picks.

Some Senate Republicans, for example, have already signalled their opposition to Trump's shock choice of Matt Gaetz to lead the justice department.

Key moments from loyal Trump supporter Matt Gaetz

4) Trump's criminal conviction could soon be wiped

While much of the focus was on the president-elect’s nominations and appointments, we also had a reminder that his legal troubles have been upended by his victory.

In New York specifically, his criminal fraud conviction in the hush-money case lives on for at least a few more days.

But it could soon be consigned to history. Earlier this week a judge delayed his decision as to whether Trump’s conviction should be thrown out because of a Supreme Court ruling in the summer that expanded presidential immunity.

That decision is now expected to come next week. And while it’s not clear whether the conviction will be tossed out, Trump’s scheduled sentencing on 26 November is likely to be delayed regardless.

Here’s a reminder of how Trump’s election win impacts his cases.

5) He has China firmly in his sights

It’s no secret that Trump views the world differently to Biden, and could drastically shift US foreign policy over the next few years.

One clear theme that's emerged in recent days is the prominence of China hawks in his proposed team - those who believe Beijing poses a serious threat to US economic and military dominance and want to challenge this more forcefully.

And they are present from the top down.

His nomination for secretary of state - America’s most senior diplomat - Marco Rubio, has described China as the “most advanced adversary America has ever faced”.

Mike Waltz, his national security adviser, has said the US is in a “cold war” with China. Other nominees such as his proposed ambassador to the UN, Elise Stefanik, have directly accused China of election interference.

During Trump’s first administration, relations with Beijing were tense, and they barely warmed under Biden. With tariffs, export controls and pointed rhetoric, the president-elect appears ready to take an even tougher stance this time around.

Royal Mile 'lawless' with smash-and-grab thieves

Watch: Edinburgh shop raids show one thief stuffing gloves into his trousers

Shopkeepers say Edinburgh's Royal Mile has become "lawless" with smash-and-grab thieves stealing thousands of pounds' worth of goods in recent months.

BBC News has obtained CCTV showing people walking out of shops with expensive cashmere scarves, jumpers and jackets in broad daylight.

One man can be seen kicking in a plate-glass window at night to steal armfuls of Harris Tweed bags, costing up to £150 each.

Staff say the area has become dangerous and intimidating, and that despite reporting thefts to police on an almost daily basis, nothing has been done.

Sabine is standing on the left of a boarded up window. She is dressed in black and is looking at the camera and has her hair tied up. Maria is on the right and is also dressed in black and has long light brown hair.
Staff at shops in Edinburgh's historic and prestigious Royal Mile say they feel scared to work

Police Scotland says a dedicated team is working with businesses in the area and is investigating every report.

Galab Singh Gold, who owns dozens of shops on and around the Royal Mile, told BBC News he had lost £15,000 worth of stock to theft in the last three months.

He also faces the cost of replacing smashed windows - with a bill for one incident costing £3,000.

He said he had hours of CCTV footage showing how "brazen" thieves had become, "kicking in windows" in front of passers-by.

The 47-year-old said it was the worst he had ever seen in the 35 years his family had been running shops on the famous mile.

He believes gangs are involved as he has noticed the same people stealing high-end items on various occasions.

"Someone is either ordering these bags or they know people that are buying them so they know it will be easy to get rid of the bags," he said.

"The police say they don't have the resources to tackle something like this but it's not just petty crime any more - this is organised theft."

Smashed window with goods including a pink jumper and tweed hat inside the shop.
A window smashed at Royal Cashmere on the Royal Mile before it was boarded up earlier this week

Mr Singh Gold said on some occasions thieves had gone into shops during the day and looked at staff "dead in the eye" while picking up piles of cashmere and other expensive items.

One staff member has been punched in the face while others have been knocked to the floor.

Some say they receive intimidation and abuse if they try to apprehend thieves.

Mr Singh Gold added: "We have lost several good members of staff because they feel threatened and unsafe at work now.

"We have had staff threatened at work saying 'I know which bus you catch on the way home and I'm going to be waiting for you'.

"We are sick of calling the police and making reports and downloading CCTV and then nothing happens."

Calling the problem a "theftdemic" Mr Singh Gold said he was going to have to employ security guards during the day at £8,000 a month.

He said the thieves watched his stores for opportunities to lift whole baskets of products before slipping down nearby closes.

"It's shocking that it's allowed to take place on the most prestigious street in the country," he said.

"The city centre has become lawless and this is where they are getting the brazenness because they know that the systems we have in place with the policing and the control of crime has failed."

'We cannot touch them'

Maria standing outside a boarded up shop.
Maria Sanchez was punched while at work on the Royal Mile earlier this year

Maria Sanchez, manager of Marchbrae on the Royal Mile, told BBC Scotland she was punched in the face by a woman holding a vape.

The 46-year-old, who has been working for Mr Singh Gold's shop for seven years, said the thieves were "very aggressive".

"They know their rights, they know we cannot touch them and most of the staff are scared of them," she said.

"When we call the police they say if it's not dangerous then they will just take a statement over the phone, and pop out a few days later for you to sign it."

She said the day after she was punched some thieves were waiting for her outside the shop and she had to call colleagues for back-up.

"It's very dark when I leave work and it makes me feel scared," she said. "It is a very dangerous street now as it's full of criminals."

Sabine inside a shop where Harris tweed hand bags are displayed in the window.
Staff at Woollen Mill have to remove Harris Tweed handbags from the shop windows before closing

Sabine Fischlin, manager of the Woollen Mill on the Royal Mile, said the situation had been getting "significantly worse" since August.

Now staff remove all the Harris Tweed handbags from the shop windows before closing.

She said: "We feel unsafe, stressed and staff members are feeling constantly on edge.

"We are expecting it to happen at any moment and it's affecting some staff member's sleep at this point.

"We are in contact with police on almost a daily basis at this point."

Heritage of Edinburgh around the corner on South Bridge
Heritage of Edinburgh around the corner on South Bridge is currently boarded up after a smash and grab incident

Police confirmed that a 43-year-old man had recently been charged over thefts from two shops on the Royal Mile in October.

Ch Insp Mark Hamilton, of Police Scotland, said the force was "fully aware" of ongoing issues with thefts in the area.

He said there was a dedicated team working with businesses and that police carried out regular patrols.

He said: "I can assure everyone that we are investigating all incidents reported to us.

"We work closely with the retail and business sectors to deter, prevent and investigate retail crime.

"Where we identify businesses which are being targeted by shoplifters, we have trained officers who can attend and carry out security surveys and offer advice around prevention."

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