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空瓶子|20年后,甘肃“铅中毒”再现,“血铅检测”造假才是提级调查的重点

CDT 档案卡
标题:20年后,甘肃“铅中毒”再现,“血铅检测”造假才是提级调查的重点
作者:朱文强
发表日期:2025.7.13
来源:微信公众号“空瓶子”
主题归类:甘肃天水幼儿园铅中毒事件
CDS收藏:公民馆
版权说明:该作品版权归原作者所有。中国数字时代仅对原作进行存档,以对抗中国的网络审查。详细版权说明

时隔20年,甘肃省天水市麦积区的孩子们又又又铅中毒了。

褐石培心幼儿园251名幼儿,血铅异常233人。这次老师也未能幸免。

官方通报显示,该园一份为早餐留样的三色红枣发糕,一份为晚餐留样的玉米卷肠包,两份留样铅含量分别为1052毫克/千克、1340毫克/千克,均超出食品安全国家标准中食品污染物限量0.5毫克/千克的标准。

超标2000多倍,可谓触目惊心。

毒源锁定为“彩绘颜料”,更是离了大谱。

按照官方的结论,幼儿园园长朱某琳、投资人李某芳同意该园后厨人员通过网络平台购买彩绘颜料,稀释后用于部分食品制作。

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不管你们信不信,我是不得不信。

这个结论诡异到无法用正常逻辑去考量。

彩绘颜料比食品添加剂更便宜?还是彩绘颜料的上色效果更好?

天水方面的通报不但没有解决公众的疑虑,反而加剧了公众的质疑。

毕竟,往食品里添加一些原料让食品看起来更好看以目前的选择实在太多,使用彩绘颜料这个选项简直是蠢出了天际。

当然,公众之所以对天水通报表达了极度不信任,除了结论诡异到无法用常理去理解外,更重要的是,当地再次对“血铅”化验结果的大面积“造假”。

天水当地医院的检查结果与西安相差十几倍,这绝对不是技术、设备误差的合理范围。

而当地医院拒绝对投资人李某芳名下4家幼儿园以外的幼儿实施检测,更加剧了公众不信任危机。

一个不能不忽视的事实是,20年前,同样在甘肃天水市,2005年天水市麦积区甘泉镇吴家河村发生小孩铅中毒事件。

2006年,甘肃徽县,水阳乡新寺村、单坝村、刘沟村共查出368人血铅超标。

同样的事,同样的剧情,当地官方采取了隐瞒,造假的应对措施。

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天水市麦积区甘泉镇铅中毒事件后,村民先后进行了三次铅检测。

第一次是兰州医学微量研究所麦积区分所为53个孩子进行了检测,结果无一例外铅超标。但麦积区政府有关部门认为,这个检测结果不具有权威性,政府不予认可。

第二次,当地官方邀请天水市疾病预防控制中心重新检测,吴家河村3到16岁的50名儿童参加了尿铅检测,结果与兰研所的结论截然不同,除1名儿童达到临界值外,其余49名儿童尿铅检测正常。

第三次检测来自西安市中心医院职业病科。检测了200余人,共有211人铅含量严重超标,其中68人被初步确定为铅中毒。

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据《瞭望东方周刊》报道,事件发生后,有当地村民带着孩子到徽县人民医院就医,化验结果是一切正常。而西安西京医院的检测结果是血铅含量高达440ug/L,为中度铅中毒。

最终的调查结果显示,此次铅中毒事件与当地一家有色金属冶炼公司有关。

时任国家环保总局环境监察局副局长熊跃辉表示:“我们的监管部门确实存在严重的监管不到位的问题”。

遗憾的是,两次“铅中毒”事件并未改变当地对此问题的足够重视,20年后,悲剧再现。

同样没有改变的是,当地依然在检测数据上不那么“诚实”。

来自天水当地的消息,距离麦积区褐石培心幼儿园最近的医院是天水市第二人民医院,很多幼儿园附近小学的家长带着孩子去检测,均被医院拒绝。

这就导致很多当地孩子的家长不得不考虑利用暑假期间带孩子到西安去检测。

这几天,当地派出所给部分学生家长致电,询问问孩子在哪个幼儿园上学。警察说上级有令,要把天水籍的人的孩子上学情况摸底清楚。

目前,我很难判断这个行为是出于什么目的,是要给所有孩子做作检测?还是要维稳?

7月12日,甘肃省成立省委省政府调查组,提级调查天水市麦积区褐石培心幼儿园幼儿血铅异常问题,并请生态环境部、国家卫生健康委等部委专家参与。国务院食安办派出工作组指导督办。

提级调查自然是为了搞清事实真相,回应公众质疑。

不但要解释清楚褐石培心幼儿园购买彩绘颜料的时间、渠道、购买量、使用范围等基本情况,还应该明确该幼儿园反常规使用这些颜料的目的。

如果最终的事实确如通报所述,233名孩子铅中毒的罪魁祸首,这些必要的解释无疑是不可获取的。

当然,我认为,此次提级调查的重点还应该放在当地官员的渎职行为上。

谁导致了天水当地的检测结果失常?如果有人为故意,必须严肃追究其责任。

官方应当采取一次针对当地公众全面的“血铅”检测,对当地环境也应当进行一次全面的排查。

20年了,同样的事情再现,如果还是重重拿起,轻轻放下,那么未来,当地孩子的生命健康依然无法获得保障。

这不是小事。

永远的大汉|官方数据的泄露,杭州“粪水”水一个月前已经爆发了

打开水龙头准备做饭,说时迟那时快一股黄水汹涌喷出,与此同时浓浓的屎味扑鼻而来。这是怎么回事?这不是隔壁拉稀,这是昨天杭州市民遇到的事。

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虽然我有朋友拍到了更恶心的画面,但本文以官方报道为根。总而言之,这水看起来像粪水,闻起来更像粪水。

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遗憾的是,当地通报了两次都始终未公布出现“粪水”的原因,并且一直强调“其他指标”均正常。

丞相特意查了当地公开数据,是月份水源水质报告,请注意是水源水水质。章是当地国企的,表明了权威性。不像某地至今不敢出具盖有公章的血铅报告。顺带说一句,感谢李先生,这些以前都是不公开的。

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这里有个指标叫粪大肠菌群,不是我故意恶心人,因为大肠菌群就是用来检测粪便污染的,国际通用。具体见下表,3月的数据还是很好的,除了四岭水库其他4个均未检出。

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4月的数据也不错,5个水源有2个未检出,其它3个也都不超过500。

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5月的数据只剩千岛湖一个未检出,苕溪永胜取水口和四岭水库的数值都飙到了6000以上。直接干到了三类水源。

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而到了6月,3个水源在15000以上,更有2个在20000以上。请注意这已经是四类水了,按国家规定不能作为饮用水水源。

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我特意对比了去年同期数据,相对来说都很正常。偶尔出现一次高值也会在治理后恢复正常。

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也就是说,今年肯定出现了某些事情,在5月时已经不正常了。这期间有关部门应该是有介入治理,但6月还是彻底爆了。遗憾的是有关部门一直没提前警示市民,于是不知不觉中又过了一个月,也就是7月的昨天喜提“粪水”。

文章是昨天夜里写的,刚刚当地发了最新通报,说是藻类厌氧降解所致。这个解释能说的过去,毕竟屁味就这玩意,这里更新一下。下面回到上文。

当然了,我想说的不是“粪水”,而是“粪水”两天前杭州某学校多名小学生流鼻血,当地回应:未发现排污超标。

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无论有没有超标,一个学校300多名学生,200多名都出现了流鼻血等症状,这是铁一般的事实。

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学生和家长都反应经常能闻到刺鼻气味,这也是铁一般的事实。

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而从去年开始,就陆续有孩子出现异常。那只有两个解释:要么新校区偷工减料有问题,要么环境有问题。

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CDT 档案卡
标题:官方数据的泄露,杭州“粪水”水一个月前已经爆发了
作者:曹侯
发表日期:2025.7.19
来源:微信公众号“永远的大汉”
主题归类:杭州自来水臭味事件
CDS收藏:公民馆
版权说明:该作品版权归原作者所有。中国数字时代仅对原作进行存档,以对抗中国的网络审查。详细版权说明

朋友们看看跟天水是不是一模一样?一开始假装什么都没发生,直到彻底爆发了,一个学校三分之二的学生异常了,然后应急。

重要的是,重要的是,这是杭州。国内牛逼声最大的城市,但你看在某些根本问题的处理上,一模一样,一模一样。

你哪怕提前知会一声市民,也不会“粪水”闹得人心惶惶。你哪怕去年就稍微介入,也不会搞到一个学校三分之二的孩子出现异常。不赔偿不负责高高在上。如此生活三十年,直到大厦崩塌。

本人言论与工作单位无关,一切责任自负。

以下评论由CDT辑自微信公众号:

战斗兔:请问你在哪里查到的这些数据?

永远的大汉:后台回复“数据”获取,相信当地不会删。

刘志辉:暖风熏得游人醉,直把杭州作便州。

1234:这可是杭州啊。很多都领先其他省,都这样。可想其他地方多少事情都被和谐了

敬:也体验了一把恒河水。

浪不够永胜:过分了!恒河水可没那么浓郁

mr long:那这些水,咱能拿去检测一下吗?

永远的大汉:你命硬吗?

秋寒儿:哈哈哈笑着笑着就哭了

常永恒:能捂则捂,捂不住就崩了[捂脸]

South Carolina's early state status is far from secure. But 2028 Dems are going anyway.

PAWLEYS ISLAND, South Carolina — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear drew a standing ovation from Georgetown County Democrats Thursday night, after he shook hands and grinned for photos. California Gov. Gavin Newsom packed standing-room-only crowds into a two-day rural county tour of the state last week. California Rep. Ro Khanna kicked off his multi-day swing Friday to promote his populist message to Black voters.

The 2028 Democratic primary calendar isn’t set yet, but presidential hopefuls are already making bets that South Carolina will hold a powerful role in the nomination process — even if it doesn't keep its number-one spot. While Iowa and New Hampshire are drawing some big names, no other state has seen as much action as this small Southern state.

And while these top Democrats credited their appearances to local invitations — and in the case of Beshear, his son’s baseball tournament in Charleston — the 2028 implications are clear. Democratic hopefuls road-tested stump speeches and previewed their lines of attack against Republicans and President Donald Trump, all with an eye toward introducing themselves to a set of influential voters.

“I'm out there trying to be a common ground, common sense, get-things-done type of messenger for this Democratic Party,” Beshear told elected officials and party officials in Charleston Thursday morning. “Because I believe that with what we're seeing coming out of Washington, D.C., the cruelty and the incompetence, that the path forward is right there in front of us.”

Christy Waddil, a 67-year-old Democratic voter who waited to shake Beshear’s hand Thursday night, said she was “excited” to meet all these potential contenders. But it’s a lot of responsibility to be the first state in the presidential primary calendar, she said: “We have our work cut out for us now.”

In June, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly spoke at an anti-gun event in Charleston to mark the grim anniversary of the Emanuel AME shooting. In May, Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland and Tim Walz of Minnesota headlined a pair of state party events to rub elbows with Rep. Jim Clyburn, the longtime South Carolina kingmaker whose nod helped anoint Joe Biden as the party’s nominee in 2020.

“It’s not a surprise,” said Clyburn when asked about the state’s revolving door of 2028 hopefuls nearly three years before the actual presidential primary. “Why argue with success? If it ain't broke, why fix it?”

South Carolina Democrats know their grip on the top spot is tenuous, with traditional early states like Iowa and New Hampshire eager to reclaim their lead-off position, and others —like North Carolina and Georgia — seeking to emerge as new states to consider. And it comes as there's been a major reshuffling on a powerful panel at the Democratic National Committee that has huge sway over the presidential nominating process.

“None of what those supposed candidates are doing right now is going to have any bearing on what the Rules and Bylaws Committee ultimately does for the calendar,” said Maria Cardona, a longtime member of the powerful panel. “That may or may not include all of the states that are in the early calendar now.”

Democrats haven't won the state in a general election since 1976, and President Donald Trump won it by 18 points last year.

Gov. Gavin Newsom gives remarks to a crowd at St. Paul First Baptist Church on July 9, 2025, in Laurens, South Carolina.

It's led more competitive neighbors to wonder whether they should get top billing instead.

“[National Democrats] have a lot of mobility to get power back at the federal level by investing early in North Carolina. And I think a lot of people will hear that message loud and clear, especially after we just got our asses kicked,”said state party chair Anderson Clayton, who is interested in usurping its neighbor to the south and angling for one of the open at-large slots on the RBC. “The future of the state of the Democratic Party also runs right through North Carolina too.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker will deliver the keynote address at North Carolina's state party unity dinner on July 26, and state party leaders are in talks with Sens. Kelly of Arizona and Cory Booker of New Jersey about visits to the state later this year.

But moving the order of primary states is easier said than done. North Carolina is hamstrung by state law from moving its date, and Democrats would need the GOP-controlled legislature to agree to any changes. DNC members have also emphasized smaller states to allow lesser-known candidates to build followings.

“The most powerful force in the universe is inertia, so South Carolina is probably the favorite to stay just because of that,” said an incoming member of the committee granted anonymity to discuss internal dynamics. “Every state has a chance to be first, but I do think we have to come into this with a degree of realism.”

The DNC is attempting to remain neutral.

“The DNC is committed to running a fair, transparent, and rigorous process for the 2028 primary calendar. All states will have an opportunity to participate,” Deputy Communications Director Abhi Rahman said in a statement.

Iowa Democrats are also gearing up on a bid to restore their caucuses to their traditional spot as the nation's first presidential contest. Michigan replaced Iowa as the Midwestern early state in 2024.

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said she planned to have "tough and direct conversations" with the party in a statement, even as the DNC removed Iowa's only representative, Scott Brennan, from the Rules and Bylaws Committee this year.

Already, potential 2028 candidates have traveled there, including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who held a town hall in Cedar Rapids in May. Walz stopped by the Hawkeye State in March, and former Japan Ambassador Rahm Emanuel and freshman Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego are both slated to visit the state in the coming months.

New Hampshire Democrats also openly clashed with top DNC officials last cycle — and plan to stick with their state law making it first primary in the nation. Pritzker went to an influential state party dinner there in April.

“The potential candidates on the Democratic side and, to some extent, the Republican side are coming through New Hampshire,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said in a brief interview.

Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.) speaks to voters in South Carolina.

The positioning at the national party over early states is already underway.

Party insiders are voting for the remaining open seats on the panel after DNC Chair Ken Martin named members to the governing body in recent weeks. Cardona said the goal of the committee is to ensure the strongest and most electable candidate emerges from what is expected to be a crowded field. Talks will begin on the next presidential primary calendar later this year, but will ramp up after the midterms.

South Carolina’s ascension was aimed at recognizing South Carolina’s significant Black electorate, long considered the backbone of the Democratic Party.

That’s partly why Khanna is there, he said in an interview on why he is focusing on reaching out to Black voters.

“I believe that’s critical for all the people who want to lead the Democratic Party, in whatever form, and to me it’s encouraging that people are going down to South Carolina” to reach them.

Beshear, too, expressed support for South Carolina’s representation, telling reporters that Democrats “need to make sure that the South is represented in the primary calendar” because “for too long, the investments haven't been made in places like Kentucky and in places like South Carolina.”

In defense of remaining in the early window, South Carolina Democrats are playing up the state’s diverse electorate and inexpensive media markets that could allow for the best presidential candidates — not just the best fundraisers — to emerge in a wide open presidential cycle in 2028.

“The Democratic primary for president is not based on the state's competitiveness in a general election,” said Parmley. “This is the same bullshit that loses us presidential elections, and we only play in eight competitive states.”

Lisa Kashinsky and Kelly Garrity contributed to this report.

© Timothy D. Easley, FileAP

At least 34 dead after tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam

BBC 'Breaking' graphicBBC

Twenty-eight people have died after a tourist boat capsized in Vietnam in bad weather, according to local reports.

At least 14 people are said to be missing following the incident in Halong Bay, a popular tourist destination in the north of the country, the reports say.

Most of the passengers were reportedly Vietnamese visiting from Hanoi.

Heavy rain has been hindering the search for survivors, rescuers say.

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.

Multiple arrests at Palestine Action ban protests

BBC Police arrest a woman in Parliament Square, LondonBBC
Police made more than 50 arrests in Parliament Square in central London

Dozens of people have been arrested at protests across the UK against the decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terror group.

Arrests have been reported in London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol and Truro, all places where demonstrations in support of the pro-Palestine action group took place on Saturday.

The Met Police said 55 people were arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences in Westminster for displaying placards in support of Palestine Action. Eight were arrested in Truro in Cornwall.

The government proscribed the group earlier this month under the Terrorism Act of 2000, making membership of or support for the group a criminal offence, following a break-in at an RAF base.

Across the country, protesters held placards with the words: "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action."

In London, arrests were made near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square, where as many as 20 police vans attended.

Officers moved in swiftly to arrest those holding the placards, many of whom appeared to be over the age of 60.

One woman claimed to be in her 80s and was walking with a stick. Some were led away while others had to be carried.

Devon and Cornwall Police said two men and six women were arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences after protesters gathered near Truro Cathedral.

The force said around 30 people were involved in the peaceful demonstration, organised by campaign group Defend Our Juries.

Earlier, the campaign group said that one of those arrested near the cathedral was an 81-year-old former magistrate.

It also said 16 people were arrested in Manchester.

Police forces in the other locations where protests took place have not yet confirmed the number of arrests they made.

EPA Police officers carry a person in handcuffs away from Parliament SquareEPA
Some demonstrators in London were led away while others had to be carried by officers

Saturday's protests came ahead of a High Court hearing on Monday at which the co-founder of Palestine Action, Huda Ammori, will ask for permission to challenge the decision to ban the group.

Last Saturday, 71 arrests were made across the UK at similar protests against the decision.

Palestine Action has engaged in activities that have predominantly targeted arms companies since the start of the current war in Gaza.

MPs voted to proscribe the group after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in June, spraying two Voyager aircraft with red paint and causing £7m worth of damage. Palestine Action took responsibility for the incident at the time.

Four people have since been remanded in custody, charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK.

The incident also prompted a security review across all UK military bases.

Car ploughs into crowd outside LA nightclub, injuring 30

BBC Breaking NewsBBC

At least 20 people have been injured after a vehicle drove into a crowd on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).

Up to five people have been critically injured and up to 10 are in a serious condition, the emergency services said.

The incident happened at 02:00 local time (09:00 GMT) in East Hollywood.

Pictures from the scene show a grey car on a pavement with debris strewn on the ground, and a large police presence.

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.

Buildings burn as another wave of Russian attacks hits Ukraine

Getty Images Ukrainian emergency service workers extinguish a fire in a residential building, after Russian shelling, in KostiantynivkaGetty Images
Apartments were among the buildings went up in flames across Ukraine following the Russian air strike

At least three people have died following another widespread air bombardment by Russia.

Two people were killed in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, the regional governor, Sergiy Lysak, said, while a woman died of her injuries after being rescued from a burning apartment in Odesa, according to emergency services.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said 10 regions of Ukraine, including a number of cities, were hit in the overnight assault. Ukraine's military said more than 340 explosive and dummy drones and 35 cruise and ballistic missiles were used.

Although it said 90% of these were shot down, suppressed electronically or lost, more than 30 got through.

One of the strikes hit a residential block in the southern city of Odesa, causing a fire on its upper floors.

Rescuers said five people were rescued from burning apartments - including the woman who later died. At least another six people were wounded.

The eastern city of Pavlohrad was subjected to what Serhiy Lysak called a "hellish night and morning".

He said there had been "explosion after explosion" caused by drone and missile strikes, adding it had been the biggest-scale attack on the city to date.

Targets reportedly included industrial sites, a fire department, a clinic, a school, and a cultural institution.

Zelensky wrote of "important infrastructure" being damaged there. A missile plant is based in Pavlohrad, and the city has been struck in the past by Russia.

Russia's defence ministry said it struck military-industrial enterprises that produce components for missiles and drones overnight, but did not specify where.

The north-eastern city of Sumy was also attacked. Zelensky said critical infrastructure had been damaged, cutting power to several thousand families.

There have also been strikes - including with guided bombs - on another town in the region, Shostka, which lies less than 50km (30 miles) from the Russian border. Officials said a "targeted hit" there had caused a fire. They did not say what had been struck.

Unverified video footage posted online purportedly of the incident shows a fierce fire and billowing clouds of grey smoke.

Zelensky once again stressed the importance of bolstering air defences, both in terms of supplies from allies, but also producing them in Ukraine, including more interceptor drones.

The Trump administration recently moved to free up weapons supplies, even if some of these - including much-needed Patriot air defences - will be paid for by other Nato allies.

EPA/Shutterstock People move a man on a stretcher near a damaged residential building after it was hit in a drone strike in Odesa, UkraineEPA/Shutterstock
At least six people were wounded as a result of the Russian attack on Odesa

Russia said it shot down more than 70 Ukrainian drones overnight into Saturday, most of them over the regions of Rostov, Moscow and Bryansk.

The acting governor of Rostov, Yuri Slyusar, said the attack had been massive, affecting areas close to the border with occupied parts of Ukraine. Houses, he said, were damaged by what he said had been falling debris, and several settlements suffered temporary power cuts.

Slyusar said one railway worker had been injured, and rail traffic disrupted. Several supply routes into Ukraine run through the area.

Meanwhile, on the front lines, Russian forces continue to attack one of their key objectives - the town of Pokrovsk in the eastern region of Donetsk.

Late on Friday, Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, acknowledged it faced increasing pressure, but insisted its defence was "steadfast". He said Russia had been trying to get to the city with small groups of soldiers attacking for sabotage and reconnaissance purposes, claiming one such group had been destroyed. Russia has been trying to encircle Pokrovsk for months.

Who Gets to Wear a Mask?

The tension over masked federal immigration agents expanded on Long Island, where police officers are now permitted to mask up — but no one else is.

© Adam Gray for The New York Times

Masked federal agents have become a routine sight at immigration courts in Manhattan.

Dozens killed by Israeli gunfire near aid sites in south Gaza, Hamas-run ministry says

Getty Images A group of women comfort another woman in the middle of their group in Khan Yunis. Getty Images

At least 32 Palestinians seeking food have been killed by Israeli gunfire near two aid distribution points close to Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Dozens were also injured near the two sites run by the controversial US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), it said.

The GHF said there were no incidents "at or near" their sites, but that there had been "Israel Defense Forces (IDF) activity" hours before their sites were due to open.

One eyewitness told the Reuters news agency that the Israeli gunfire seemed "targeted to kill".

The Palestinian ministry of health said a number of bodies were taken to nearby Nasser hospital on Saturday morning.

There are almost daily reports of Palestinians being killed while seeking aid since the GHF began operations in late May. Witnesses say most have been shot by Israeli forces.

The IDF told the BBC that in the latest incident, troops fired warning shots to prevent "suspects" approaching them, saying the incident happened before the aid sites opened.

Mohammed Al-Khalidi, speaking to Reuters, pointed the finger at the Israeli army for the attack.

He said he was part of a group of Palestinians who had been told the GHF aid distribution centre was open, but when they arrived tanks began moving towards them and opened fire.

"It wasn't shots that were to scare us or to organize us, it was shots that were targeted to kill us, if they wanted to organize us they would have, but they meant to kill us."

The GHF uses private security contractors to distribute aid from sites in Israeli military zones. Israel and the US say the system is necessary to stop Hamas from stealing aid. The UN refuses to co-operate with it, describing it as unethical and saying no evidence has been offered of Hamas systematically diverting aid.

On 15 July, the UN human rights office said it had so far recorded 674 killings in the vicinity of the GHF's four sites in southern and central Gaza over the past six weeks.

Another 201 killings had been recorded along routes of UN and other aid convoys, it added.

The GHF denies that there have been any deadly incidents in close proximity to its sites and accused the UN of using "false and misleading" figures from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. The ministry's figures are widely seen as a reliable count of bodies seen by Gazan hospitals.

Israel does not allow international news organisations, including the BBC, to send journalists into the territory.

A map showing Gaza.  Circles reading : North Gaza 93,00 : Gaza City 185,00 : Deir al-Balah 60,00 : Kahn Younis 124,000 and : Rafa 7,500 - show the number of people in each area facing the risk of starvation.

The UN also said this week that the number of acutely malnourished children has doubled since Israel began restricting food entering the territory in March. Despite the creation of the GHF significant amounts of aid, including baby formula, is still being blocked at the border.

On Friday, the director of one field hospital said in a statement that they had an unprecedented influx of patients suffering from severe exhaustion, emaciation and acute malnutrition.

So far, 69 children have died from malnutrition during the increasing humanitarian crisis, according to the Hamas government media office.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump once again suggested a ceasefire deal was very near – but a Palestinian official told the BBC that talks remain blocked, with a latest troop withdrawal map proposed by Israel still unacceptable to Hamas.

Dozens dead after tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam

BBC 'Breaking' graphicBBC

Twenty-eight people have died after a tourist boat capsized in Vietnam in bad weather, according to local reports.

At least 14 people are said to be missing following the incident in Halong Bay, a popular tourist destination in the north of the country, the reports say.

Most of the passengers were reportedly Vietnamese visiting from Hanoi.

Heavy rain has been hindering the search for survivors, rescuers say.

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.

Buildings burn as another wave of Russian attacks hits Ukraine

Getty Images Ukrainian emergency service workers extinguish a fire in a residential building, after Russian shelling, in KostiantynivkaGetty Images
Apartments were among the buildings went up in flames across Ukraine following the Russian air strike

At least three people have died following another widespread air bombardment by Russia.

Two people were killed in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, the regional governor, Sergiy Lysak, said, while a woman died of her injuries after being rescued from a burning apartment in Odesa, according to emergency services.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said 10 regions of Ukraine, including a number of cities, were hit in the overnight assault. Ukraine's military said more than 340 explosive and dummy drones and 35 cruise and ballistic missiles were used.

Although it said 90% of these were shot down, suppressed electronically or lost, more than 30 got through.

One of the strikes hit a residential block in the southern city of Odesa, causing a fire on its upper floors.

Rescuers said five people were rescued from burning apartments - including the woman who later died. At least another six people were wounded.

The eastern city of Pavlohrad was subjected to what Serhiy Lysak called a "hellish night and morning".

He said there had been "explosion after explosion" caused by drone and missile strikes, adding it had been the biggest-scale attack on the city to date.

Targets reportedly included industrial sites, a fire department, a clinic, a school, and a cultural institution.

Zelensky wrote of "important infrastructure" being damaged there. A missile plant is based in Pavlohrad, and the city has been struck in the past by Russia.

Russia's defence ministry said it struck military-industrial enterprises that produce components for missiles and drones overnight, but did not specify where.

The north-eastern city of Sumy was also attacked. Zelensky said critical infrastructure had been damaged, cutting power to several thousand families.

There have also been strikes - including with guided bombs - on another town in the region, Shostka, which lies less than 50km (30 miles) from the Russian border. Officials said a "targeted hit" there had caused a fire. They did not say what had been struck.

Unverified video footage posted online purportedly of the incident shows a fierce fire and billowing clouds of grey smoke.

Zelensky once again stressed the importance of bolstering air defences, both in terms of supplies from allies, but also producing them in Ukraine, including more interceptor drones.

The Trump administration recently moved to free up weapons supplies, even if some of these - including much-needed Patriot air defences - will be paid for by other Nato allies.

EPA/Shutterstock People move a man on a stretcher near a damaged residential building after it was hit in a drone strike in Odesa, UkraineEPA/Shutterstock
At least six people were wounded as a result of the Russian attack on Odesa

Russia said it shot down more than 70 Ukrainian drones overnight into Saturday, most of them over the regions of Rostov, Moscow and Bryansk.

The acting governor of Rostov, Yuri Slyusar, said the attack had been massive, affecting areas close to the border with occupied parts of Ukraine. Houses, he said, were damaged by what he said had been falling debris, and several settlements suffered temporary power cuts.

Slyusar said one railway worker had been injured, and rail traffic disrupted. Several supply routes into Ukraine run through the area.

Meanwhile, on the front lines, Russian forces continue to attack one of their key objectives - the town of Pokrovsk in the eastern region of Donetsk.

Late on Friday, Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, acknowledged it faced increasing pressure, but insisted its defence was "steadfast". He said Russia had been trying to get to the city with small groups of soldiers attacking for sabotage and reconnaissance purposes, claiming one such group had been destroyed. Russia has been trying to encircle Pokrovsk for months.

Hope for peace as DR Congo and M23 rebels sign deal in Qatar

AFP via Getty Images Peace mediator Sumbu Sita Mambu, a high representative of the head of state in the Democratic Republic of Congo (L), and Rwanda-backed armed group M23 executive secretary Benjamin Mbonimpa (R)AFP via Getty Images
Sumbu Sita Mambu, representative of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Benjamin Mbonimpa (R) secretary exectutive of the M23 group sign a deal in Qatar

The Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels have signed ceasefire deal in Qatar to end fighting between the warring sides.

Dubbed the Declaration of Principles, Saturday's agreement seen by the BBC, says both sides must refrain from attacks, "hate propaganda" and "any attempt to seize by force new positions on the ground".

The declaration is intended as a roadmap towards a permanent settlement.

The two sides agreed to implement the deal's terms by July 29. A final peace deal is due by 18 August and must align with last month's US-brokered deal between DR Congo and Rwanda, which denies accusations it backs M23.

Decades of conflict escalated earlier this year when M23 rebels seized control of large parts of the mineral-rich eastern DR Congo including the regional capital, Goma, the city of Bukavu and two airports.

The UN says thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands of civilians forced from their homes following since. The M23 disputes the figures, saying fewer than 1,000 people have died.

DR Congo spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said the deal took the government's "red line" into account - including the "non-negotiable withdrawal" of the M23 from occupied areas.

But in a video posted on X, M23 negotiator Benjamin Mbonimpa said the deal did not mention such a pull-out.

It is the first direct accord between the two sides since the rebels launched their offensive at the turn of the year.

Qatar said negotiations were set to continue.

The African Union Commission called the declaration a "milestone" in lasting peace efforts and security in the region.

The declaration also outlines a commitment to reinstating state authority in eastern DR Congo.

This is the latest in a long line of failed peace deals in the region.

One of the main players in today's conflict - the M23 rebels - emerged from a failed peace deal 16 years ago that never delivered on demobilisation.

In March, DR Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame met in Qatar and both called for an immediate ceasefire.

The following month, DR Congo and M23 group agreed to a ceasefire facilitated by Qatar, but fighting continued on the ground.

The Washington deal, which came about in June, has been met with widespread criticism as a key incentive for the US' intervention is access to the DR Congo's vast mineral wealth. President Trump boasted of this feat.

There has been talk of Tshisekedi and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame going to Washington to meet Trump together, though no date has been fixed.

Additional reporting by Emery Makumeno

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South Africa building collapse that killed 34 was 'entirely preventable', minister says

AFP via Getty Images Rescue workers are seen at the scene of a collapsed building in George on May 7, 2024.AFP via Getty Images
Workers had reported feeling vibrations in the partially built structure, and being told to cover up holes with sand

A building collapse that killed 34 construction workers and injured dozens more in the Western Cape, town of George last May was "entirely preventable", South Africa's government says.

A newly released report into the 2024 tragedy revealed that serious safety concerns had been raised well before the partially-built five-storey apartment block came crashing down.

Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson said the collapse was the result of multiple failures including the use of substandard materials, structural cracks, and visible gaps.

"There were a number of red flags that were continually raised about this project," said a visibly angry Macpherson.

Some of the defects in the building were detected a year before the building collapsed. The health and safety officer even resigned in protest but work continued the report found.

"The work should have stopped" Macpherson said.

Macpherson added that these signs were a chance to turn back but instead, problems with the building were "covered up".

Workers reported feeling vibrations in the partially built structure, and being told to cover up holes with sand and substandard concrete, the report revealed.

Following what the minister described as an "emotional and painful" private meeting with survivors and families of victims, he called for criminal accountability for those found to have been negligent.

A police investigation is still ongoing but no arrests have been made.

Many survivors are still facing trauma, medical bills and struggling to put food on the table, Macpherson said.

One survivor of the disaster, Elelwani, tearfully told local media, that her life had changed dramatically in the last year.

She lost many of her teeth, struggles to eat and has been the subject of bullying. She appealed for money from well wishers.

Macpherson pledged to introduce regulations to improve oversight in construction and reform outdated legislation.

The probe was conducted by the Council for the Built Environment and a parallel investigation by the Engineering Council of South Africa.

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飞蛾逐日|中国记协在安全的时候最勇敢

CDT 档案卡
标题:中国记协在安全的时候最勇敢
作者:李宇琛
发表日期:2025.7.18
来源:微信公众号“飞蛾逐日”
主题归类:新闻自由
CDS收藏:公民馆
版权说明:该作品版权归原作者所有。中国数字时代仅对原作进行存档,以对抗中国的网络审查。详细版权说明

中国记者协会终于发声了。

他们义正辞严,措辞恳切,为湖南那台在履职时被当场砸成一地碎片的摄像机鸣不平。

声明稿里的每一个字,都透露出对新闻采访权受到粗暴侵犯的痛心,以及对施暴者必须被严惩的坚定立场。

这份声明,让许多奔波在一线的记者感到了一丝久违的暖意和体面:

组织还在,还在看着我们。

但这股暖意,又让人觉得五味杂陈,甚至有点寒意倒灌。

img

因为就在一个多月前,2025年6月10日,《北京青年报》深度调查部的记者李东,因为一篇根本就没能发表出来的稿子,被河北石家庄警方跨越数百公里:

从老家带走,一度失联。

那时候,整个行业风平浪静,除了在几个私下的媒体人群里激起过一阵恐慌的涟漪,再无声响。没见到记协发出任何声音,仿佛那个消失的记者,只是数字世界里一个闪烁后熄灭的像素点。

一边是“哐当”一声的粉身碎骨,天下皆知;一边是无声无息的人间蒸发,噤若寒蝉。为何前者能获得官方认证的“心疼”,而后者只能在同行们私下的祈祷中度过危机?

这个问题的答案,或许就藏在那一“响”与一“默”的巨大差异里。

让我们先回到那个有声响的现场。那个声音足够响亮,响亮到足以穿透一切隔阂,直接抵达所有人的耳膜。

2025年7月15日上午,湖南风芒新闻的那台摄像机,正在忠实地履行它的职责。它的CMOS传感器和镜头组,构成了一只冰冷而客观的眼睛,正一动不动地盯着湖南丰旭线缆公司的老板,谢远陪先生。

彼时彼刻,谢老板正襟危坐,在镜头前侃侃而谈,有条不紊地阐述着自己朴素的法治观念。

他对记者们说,你们这些消费者,还有你们这些记者,怀疑我的电缆有问题,没关系:

有异议,可以通过法律途径解决。

这句话说得滴水不漏,充满了对法律程序的尊重。为了进一步让大家放心,他还对着镜头,反复强调了一个他认为的核心事实:

我们所有的产品,都是合格的。

“合格”这两个字,吐字清晰,铿锵有力。它成了这台摄像机生命中录下的最后一句话。

话音刚落,谢老板似乎对刚刚自己提议的“法律途径”瞬间失去了全部的耐心。

他找到了一个他认为更直接、更高效的解决方案。

他突然从办公室里冲了出来:

一把从记者手中夺过了这台摄像机。

整个动作快如闪电,快到操作它的记者根本来不及做出任何反应。

然后,他将这台价值五万块的专业设备高高举过头顶,像举起一柄审判的战斧:

猛地砸在地上。

“哐当”!一声巨响,它的生命和它的外壳一起在水泥地上摔得粉碎。

塑料、金属、镜片和电路板,混杂着一家“高新技术企业”的尊严,铺了一地。

它“死”得非常惨烈。

它的“殉职”,并非偶然。事件的引信,由一位普通的长沙市民刘先生点燃。他觉得从丰旭公司买来的电缆,尺寸总感觉不对劲。他没有选择去跟商家大吵大闹,而是选择了一种更文明的方式——

他把电缆样品,悄悄寄到了西安的国家电线电缆质量监督检验中心:

做了个检测。

检测报告的结果,像一记响亮的耳光,打在了丰旭公司官网那些金光闪闪的认证标志上。报告显示,这批电缆,别说达到国家标准:

就连丰旭自己向外公布的企业标准,都远远没有达到。

于是,刘先生喊上了潇湘晨报和几家电视台的记者,想去丰旭公司讨个说法。这才有了这台摄像机在采访现场的“殉职”。

干掉这台摄像机之后,谢老板的怒火并没熄灭。他又冲向它的同事们,以雷霆之势,掰掉了另一台机器的遮光罩:

砸碎了一个收音麦克风的液晶屏幕。

一名试图阻拦的摄像小哥,在冲突中眼镜被打碎,身上的T恤被撕烂:

牙龈出了血。

警察赶到时,它已经成了一堆无法辨认的零件,静静地躺在地上,等待作为“物证”被收走。

杀死它的谢老板,身份很不一般。

他的湖南丰旭线缆有限公司,官网上写着是“集研发、生产、销售于一体的综合性高科技企业”,年产值过亿,还光荣地通过了CCC、ISO9001、CE、ROHS等一长串令人眼花缭乱的国际国内认证。

头衔也很多:

“高新技术企业”。

在工商系统里,谢老板名下还有一家公司,叫“湖南川普光电线缆制造股份有限公司”。

它的“死亡”,让这位头衔众多的谢老板,陷入了一道法律的多选题。芙蓉律所的陈平凡律师,热心地帮他划了几个重点:

A选项:民事赔偿。它的身价五万块,照价赔。受伤记者的眼镜、衣服、医药费、误工费,一分钱不能少。

B选项:行政处罚。《治安管理处罚法》伺候,拘留罚款套餐正在路上。

C选项:《刑法》第275条,故意毁坏财物罪。相关的司法解释清清楚楚地写着,毁坏公私财物五万元以上,就属于“数额巨大”。

它的“尸检报告”价值正好五万。这意味着,谢老板的刑事责任,几乎是板上钉钉:

最高可以判三年。

事情发酵得很快,因为证据确凿,画面惊心。当天下午,潇湘晨报的电话就响了。

一个自称是“川普光电”法务的人打来电话,没提一句赔偿,没说一句道歉,而是理直气壮地:

要求报社删掉关于摄像机“死亡”的新闻。

理由非常正当:

侵犯了我们公司的名誉权和形象权。

他们似乎认为,只要新闻消失了,这台死去的摄像机就能从水泥地上奇迹般地自己爬起来,自动拼装好,然后假装什么都没发生过。

但它终究是死了。

它用自己的粉身碎骨,完成了一次史无前例的深度报道。它让所有人看到,当一家“高新技术企业”宣称自己的产品“全部合格”时,心里可能并没有那么足的底气。

你看,当暴力足够赤裸和公开时,当施暴者是一个有明确身份、有固定资产的企业主时,当他的行为被高清镜头完整记录下来时,一切都变得简单明了。

摄像机的“哐当”一声,像一声发令枪,启动了一套高效的社会反应和执法程序。有视频,有碎片,有伤者,有清晰的法律条文,有愤怒的公众舆论。这是一个完美的、可以被精准打击的靶子:

所以,中国记协的声明来得及时。

谴责这种行为,是安全的,是站在法治和文明的一边,是在维护整个行业的体面。这是一道送分题。

现在,让我们把时间拨回一个月前,去探寻那场无声的风波。

那里的故事,没有“哐当”的巨响,没有飞溅的碎片,只有一部突然关机的手机,和随之而来的、令人窒息的沉默。

《北京青年报》的记者李东,是一个眼里有光、心里有火的年轻人。他此前揭露冤案的报道,曾直接促成当事人的昭雪。他相信记者这个职业的价值。

他关注的是河北石家庄的一桩旧案。

五年前,2019年10月,一个叫刘东林的40岁男子,在被警方采取“指定居所监视居住”措施期间:

离奇死亡。

监视居住的地点,不是在他家里,而是在石家庄市第一看守所旁边的银河宾馆。对于他的死因,警方仅用了五个字来定性:

“肺栓塞病亡”。

没有尸检,没有深入调查,遗体就被迅速火化。

然而,刘东林的多名工友后来控诉,他们在同一个宾馆被关押期间,遭受了惨无人道的刑讯逼供,包括但不限于殴打、用擀面杖碾压小腿,以及手摇发电机电击等酷刑。

其中一位工友回忆,2019年10月8日清晨,他听见刘东林被带出房间时发出一声凄厉的惨叫,随后便归于寂静。不久,他们就被告知:

刘东林死了。

事后,在一位身兼河北省政法委特聘专家公安局法律顾问双重身份的李某峰律师的“协调”下,刘东林的家属被迫接受了一份“私了”协议:

公安方面支付45万元“救济款”。

家属则承诺对死亡原因及执法过程不再提出任何异议。

刘东林的父亲刘安忠,一个朴实的河北老人,虽然无奈签下了协议,但丧子之痛和内心的怀疑,让他在此后数年间,持续向石家庄和河北省的有关部门举报控告,要求查明真相。但他的申诉,几乎全部石沉大海。

直到2024年5月,济南时报旗下的媒体“新黄河”,由记者刘成伟刊发了一篇深度报道《命案“私了”:“指居”死亡之谜》,首次将此案的诸多疑点暴露于公众视野。

这篇报道,让刘家看到了希望。2024年5月下旬,最高人民检察院甚至派员约见了刘家的代理律师,并表示最高检检察长应勇对此案:

非常关注。

刘家的核心诉求,是将案件移送管辖至河北省外办理,以避免地方保护。

然而,好景不长。几天后,最高检的态度突然冷却。工作人员开始用“不清楚案情”、“依法依规办理”等套话来搪塞。刘安忠老人感叹,这是压案平息舆情的套路。

石家庄当局对真相的追问,表现出了异乎寻常的紧张。他们成立了所谓的:

5·11专案组”。

但其工作重点,并非调查五年前的命案真相,而是绘制了一张:

针对所有追问真相的人的“嫌疑人”名单。

2025年6月10日,这张名单上的人,开始被逐个“点名”。

当天一早,记者李东被当地警方带走,理由是接受石家庄公安机关的:

异地传唤。

李东来不及做任何准备,只匆匆给同事发出一条信息报平安,随后电话关机:

与外界彻底失联。

你看,这事的吊诡之处就来了。

砸摄像机的谢老板,是因为一句“产品合格”心虚,当场诉诸原始暴力。他的行为模式,是“我说不赢你,就砸了你的工具”。

而石家庄的“专案组”呢?他们面对的,是一篇根本不存在于公众视野的报道。他们的行动,不是因为李东“说了什么”,而是因为他“想说什么”,或者说:

“曾经想过要说什么”。

谢老板砸的是一台有形的摄像机。而“专案组”,想砸碎的是一种无形的监督,一种刨根问底的精神。

李东的失联,在记者圈和朋友圈里掀起了短暂的、剧烈的恐慌。因为刘东林本人就死于“指定居所监视居住”期间,人们有理由担心李东也被置于类似的秘密关押环境,处境极其危险。

刘东林的父亲刘安忠,在当天发布的公开求救信中,发出了悲愤的呐喊:一篇没能发出来的报道,最终把记者自己送进了本该被报道揭露的地方。

这被舆论形容为2025年中国新闻界最黑色的幽默。

幸运的是,在被带走数小时后,李东并未遭到长期关押。当晚,他已经安全返回北京。

但他不是空手而归的。他成了一个不情愿的信使,带回了一句来自“专案组”的口信威胁,要他转达给刘东林案的代理律师刘佳佳,以及刊发报道的新黄河记者刘成伟:

下一个,就是你;再下一个是新黄河调查记者刘成伟。

现在,我们可以把这两件事放在一起,重新审视中国记协的那份声明了。

砸摄像机的谢老板,被刑事拘留了。而让记者失联、并捎回赤裸裸威胁的“专案组”,却毫发无伤,继续运作。他们的“围猎式”行动,还在继续。

这张由“5·11专案组”织就的大网,正以令人不寒而栗的效率悄然收紧,目标明确地罩向每一个敢于触碰刘东林案的人。

这绝非孤立的点对点打击,而是一场精心策划的围猎。首当其冲的,是为刘家提供法律支撑的支点——代理律师刘佳佳:

一顶“妨害作证”的帽子不由分说地扣了上来。

在原案尚未正式立案的情况下,这个罪名显得尤为刺眼,而那只无形的、监听的耳朵,也从此贴近了她的生活。

紧接着,舆论的传声筒也被列入打击范围,一份内部的嫌疑人名单上,赫然写着包括李东和刘成伟在内的四名记者的名字,他们手中的笔,随时可能被定义为“犯罪集团”的凶器。

这场围猎甚至下沉到了最草根的层面,那对曾热心帮助刘家搜集证据的石家庄本地父子,也未能幸免,他们先后被以“寻衅滋事”和“妨害作证”这两个熟悉的口袋罪名秘密关押。

整个行动的脉络清晰得令人发指——就是要将律师、记者、民间声援者全部打成一个“犯罪团伙”。

通过这种打包构陷的方式,让追问真相的人:

自己先变成需要被解决的“问题”。

你看,这就是区别。

砸摄像机的谢老板,是一个可以被法律精准打击的个体。他的行为,是对新闻采访权的外部物理攻击。他的动机,是为了掩盖自己企业产品不合格的商业问题。整个事件的性质,清晰明了,黑白分明。

而李东的遭遇,是来自一个强大的、可以跨省执法的内部系统的精准打击。这不是攻击,这是“传唤”,是“调查”,是“依法办案”。它的动机,是为了:

掩盖一桩可能涉及公职人员刑讯逼供致人死亡的命案。

中国记协可以义正辞严地谴责谢老板,因为这是站在法治的高地上,谴责一个违反了明文法规的公民:

这是在履行职责,而且没有任何风险。

当施暴者是一个满身贴满认证的假冒“高科技”老板时,他是脆弱的。

当施暴者是一个手握执法权、以“专案”为名的机构时,它是坚硬的,甚至是不可言说的。

一台摄像机被摔碎,损失的是五万块钱和一个新闻现场。它的声音很响,但它的问题很好解决:

它的死亡,反而成就了它的使命。

一个记者被失联,损失的是什么?是一个家庭几个小时的煎熬,是一个行业信心的动摇:

是一个社会本应拥有的、知道真相的权利被悄然剥夺。

它的声音很轻,轻到你若不仔细去听,就仿佛从未发生过。

这种沉默,远比一万台摄像机被砸碎的声音,更让人心惊。

它告诉我们,真正的恐惧,往往不是来自那些声嘶力竭的叫嚣,而是来自那些面无表情的、程序化的、让你无处申诉的压制。

李宇琛

写于2025年7月18日

Several critically injured in LA after vehicle driven into crowd

BBC Breaking NewsBBC

At least 20 people have been injured after a vehicle drove into a crowd on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).

Up to five people have been critically injured and up to 10 are in a serious condition, the emergency services said.

The incident happened at 02:00 local time (09:00 GMT) in East Hollywood.

Pictures from the scene show a grey car on a pavement with debris strewn on the ground, and a large police presence.

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.

More rain and thunderstorm alerts bring flash flood threat

Getty Images Woman walking in heavy rain holding a jacket over her head.Getty Images

Parts of the UK are braced for potentially dangerous flash flooding as thunderstorms and torrential rain are set arrive over the weekend.

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for south-east England as more than a month's worth of rain is forecast to fall in a matter of hours on Saturday morning.

It says fast-flowing and deep floodwaters are likely, leading to road and transport disruption, as well as power cuts.

The torrential downpours come days after a third UK heatwave of the year that parched swathes of the UK and led to several hosepipe bans being declared.

This will make flooding more likely and severe as the dry ground will not be able to absorb as much water.

The amber warning covers a stretch of the south coast, London and Cambridge, and is in force from 04:00 BST to 11:00 on Saturday.

Between 20 and 40mm of rain could fall within an hour in this area, the Met Office has warned, which could accumulate to 70-100mm in just a few hours.

It said homes and businesses are likely to be flooded, which will happen "quickly", while this amount of surface water will make driving difficult and may lead to road closures.

Lightning strikes, hail and strong winds may also cause train and bus cancellations.

Yellow weather warnings will cover the rest of eastern, central and northern England and a portion of eastern Scotland. A yellow warning is already in force for parts of eastern England.

Amber warnings indicated there is an increased chance severe weather could affect people's day-to-day lives, including a potential danger to life. Yellow warnings are less severe.

The last amber warning over London was in January 2024, when Storm Henk hit parts of central England and Wales, according to the Met Office.

After arriving on Friday night, the storm is forecast to move inland, pushing northwards across England on Saturday morning before arriving in Scotland by midday.

Yellow warnings for rain cover parts of England and Scotland on Sunday and Monday as residual parts of the storm linger.

Last weeks heatwave brought travel disruption, a number of water-related deaths and hosepipe bans being declared for millions living in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex.

One might think a heavy dose of rainfall would help reduce these drought conditions - but because the rain will be very heavy in localised areas, it will run off the dry, baked earth rapidly, perhaps overwhelming local sewers and waterways.

A substantial recovery in reservoir and groundwater aquifer levels would require a more sustained spell of wet weather.

Yorkshire's hosepipe ban is expected to last until winter.

Thunderstorms following a heatwave in the summer of 2022 brought flash flooding to London and the surrounding areas, flooding roads and Tube stations.

The rainfall also caused cancellations and delays at Gatwick Airport.

Dozens killed by Israeli gunfire near aid sites in south Gaza, Hamas-run ministry says

Getty Images A group of women comfort another woman in the middle of their group in Khan Yunis. Getty Images

At least 32 Palestinians seeking food have been killed by Israeli gunfire near two aid distribution points close to Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Dozens were also injured near the two sites run by the controversial US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), it said.

The GHF said there were no incidents "at or near" their sites, but that there had been "Israel Defense Forces (IDF) activity" hours before their sites were due to open.

One eyewitness told the Reuters news agency that the Israeli gunfire seemed "targeted to kill".

The Palestinian ministry of health said a number of bodies were taken to nearby Nasser hospital on Saturday morning.

There are almost daily reports of Palestinians being killed while seeking aid since the GHF began operations in late May. Witnesses say most have been shot by Israeli forces.

The IDF told the BBC that in the latest incident, troops fired warning shots to prevent "suspects" approaching them, saying the incident happened before the aid sites opened.

Mohammed Al-Khalidi, speaking to Reuters, pointed the finger at the Israeli army for the attack.

He said he was part of a group of Palestinians who had been told the GHF aid distribution centre was open, but when they arrived tanks began moving towards them and opened fire.

"It wasn't shots that were to scare us or to organize us, it was shots that were targeted to kill us, if they wanted to organize us they would have, but they meant to kill us."

The GHF uses private security contractors to distribute aid from sites in Israeli military zones. Israel and the US say the system is necessary to stop Hamas from stealing aid. The UN refuses to co-operate with it, describing it as unethical and saying no evidence has been offered of Hamas systematically diverting aid.

On 15 July, the UN human rights office said it had so far recorded 674 killings in the vicinity of the GHF's four sites in southern and central Gaza over the past six weeks.

Another 201 killings had been recorded along routes of UN and other aid convoys, it added.

The GHF denies that there have been any deadly incidents in close proximity to its sites and accused the UN of using "false and misleading" figures from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. The ministry's figures are widely seen as a reliable count of bodies seen by Gazan hospitals.

Israel does not allow international news organisations, including the BBC, to send journalists into the territory.

A map showing Gaza.  Circles reading : North Gaza 93,00 : Gaza City 185,00 : Deir al-Balah 60,00 : Kahn Younis 124,000 and : Rafa 7,500 - show the number of people in each area facing the risk of starvation.

The UN also said this week that the number of acutely malnourished children has doubled since Israel began restricting food entering the territory in March. Despite the creation of the GHF significant amounts of aid, including baby formula, is still being blocked at the border.

On Friday, the director of one field hospital said in a statement that they had an unprecedented influx of patients suffering from severe exhaustion, emaciation and acute malnutrition.

So far, 69 children have died from malnutrition during the increasing humanitarian crisis, according to the Hamas government media office.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump once again suggested a ceasefire deal was very near – but a Palestinian official told the BBC that talks remain blocked, with a latest troop withdrawal map proposed by Israel still unacceptable to Hamas.

More yellow rain and thunderstorm alerts bring threat of flash floods

Getty Images Woman walking in heavy rain holding a jacket over her head.Getty Images

Parts of the UK are braced for potentially dangerous flash flooding as thunderstorms and torrential rain are set arrive over the weekend.

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for south-east England as more than a month's worth of rain is forecast to fall in a matter of hours on Saturday morning.

It says fast-flowing and deep floodwaters are likely, leading to road and transport disruption, as well as power cuts.

The torrential downpours come days after a third UK heatwave of the year that parched swathes of the UK and led to several hosepipe bans being declared.

This will make flooding more likely and severe as the dry ground will not be able to absorb as much water.

The amber warning covers a stretch of the south coast, London and Cambridge, and is in force from 04:00 BST to 11:00 on Saturday.

Between 20 and 40mm of rain could fall within an hour in this area, the Met Office has warned, which could accumulate to 70-100mm in just a few hours.

It said homes and businesses are likely to be flooded, which will happen "quickly", while this amount of surface water will make driving difficult and may lead to road closures.

Lightning strikes, hail and strong winds may also cause train and bus cancellations.

Yellow weather warnings will cover the rest of eastern, central and northern England and a portion of eastern Scotland. A yellow warning is already in force for parts of eastern England.

Amber warnings indicated there is an increased chance severe weather could affect people's day-to-day lives, including a potential danger to life. Yellow warnings are less severe.

The last amber warning over London was in January 2024, when Storm Henk hit parts of central England and Wales, according to the Met Office.

After arriving on Friday night, the storm is forecast to move inland, pushing northwards across England on Saturday morning before arriving in Scotland by midday.

Yellow warnings for rain cover parts of England and Scotland on Sunday and Monday as residual parts of the storm linger.

Last weeks heatwave brought travel disruption, a number of water-related deaths and hosepipe bans being declared for millions living in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex.

One might think a heavy dose of rainfall would help reduce these drought conditions - but because the rain will be very heavy in localised areas, it will run off the dry, baked earth rapidly, perhaps overwhelming local sewers and waterways.

A substantial recovery in reservoir and groundwater aquifer levels would require a more sustained spell of wet weather.

Yorkshire's hosepipe ban is expected to last until winter.

Thunderstorms following a heatwave in the summer of 2022 brought flash flooding to London and the surrounding areas, flooding roads and Tube stations.

The rainfall also caused cancellations and delays at Gatwick Airport.

Several critically injured in LA after vehicle driven into crowd

BBC Breaking NewsBBC

At least 20 people have been injured after a vehicle drove into a crowd on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).

Up to five people have been critically injured and up to 10 are in a serious condition, the emergency services said.

The incident happened at 02:00 local time (09:00 GMT) in East Hollywood.

Pictures from the scene show a grey car on a pavement with debris strewn on the ground, and a large police presence.

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.

Who is in charge? The prime minister's authority is in question again

BBC Sir Keir StarmerBBC

Who is in charge? You might think the answer should be obvious.

"This government should be walking on water, there should be nothing it can't do," a Whitehall insider suggests, given the rows and rows and rows - and yes, rows - of Labour MPs who line up behind the prime minister every Wednesday.

But, by booting out a small band of backbenchers this week, Sir Keir Starmer's put the question of his authority back on the table.

Answering the question of who is in charge isn't so simple after all.

This government has a "backbench they - and we - are surprised to discover they can't control," says one senior official.

The financial markets are breathing down its neck, with the country's debts sky high, and for good measure, what a No 10 source describes as a "deep current of instability" around the world.

Sir Keir's next one-to-one meeting with President Donald Trump is a case in point – who knows what he will or won't say alongside the prime minister on Scottish soil next week?

No-one in government can be sure how that is going to shake down, although I was very definitively told we will not be seeing Sir Keir swinging a club with his transatlantic pal.

It is, of course, impossible for any administration to be the master of all it surveys. But convincingly displaying authority, inhabiting its power, is a different task.

And neither all of Sir Keir's MPs, nor all of the people inside the government are sure it's being met.

Backbench bust-ups

Leon Neal/PA Wire Sir Keir StarmerLeon Neal/PA Wire

Let's start with the prime minister kicking out four MPs this week after they had objected to various Labour plans and proposals.

But if Sir Keir really felt in control of his party, why did he need to bother about a group of MPs that wouldn't even fill a family saloon? And why did he do it, just days before accepting some of the logic of one of those he kicked out, Chris Hinchcliff, over tweaks to proposed planning laws?

Bemused? You wouldn't be the only one.

Sir Keir's allies say he always believed there would have to be repercussions for MPs who plot against the government repeatedly, in part because others are asked to defend decisions that might be unpopular or difficult.

So after the welfare fiasco, the whips were asked to make a list of those who had been actively trying to organise resistance to government plans, rather than just expressing objections.

After gathering evidence about MPs' behaviour, those four were then shown the door, at least for now, to exert discipline over the backbenches.

A senior government figure said: "You can have as big a majority as you want, but if you have no discipline whatsoever it can get chaotic. You can't get chaotic at a time when the country desperately needs its government to get on with things."

It was a separate decision to suspend Diane Abbott - again, a choice made by Labour HQ who felt it had no choice but to act, interpreting her comments as repeating a claim that Jewish people don't experience racism in the same way as black people.

So, "behave - or else", is the message to the rest of the backbenches, just when they are about to leave Westminster.

But have the moves this week made a difference? One senior MP said: "A lot of people keep wondering, 'Is Keir beholden to his back benches?' I don't think people are like, 'Oh we're going to rebel if we're unhappy all the time'. But there has to be more respect for MPs who are actually out talking to their constituents."

Another senior Labour figure told me, "No 10 was completely spooked by what happened over welfare – I don't think backbenchers are running it, but they do have a taste for power."

Are ministers the masters?

Who then, is really in charge, I ask a member of the government. They laugh, and say, "I don't have an answer".

The same question posed to another Whitehall figure: "There is no way of knowing," they respond, suggesting sometimes government, even 12 months in, feels chaotic, with contradictory instructions to officials being given, even on the same day.

It's no secret, and it's not surprising, that working out how to run a country when you haven't done it before is hard.

There are plenty of ministers and staffers who will of course say loyally that No 10 is now firmly in control after understandable teething troubles, who are also somewhat fed up with the noises off.

As one government source reckons, "a bit of loyalty wouldn't go amiss". Another insider believes Whitehall is working much better than before. "In the first six months they were disappointed in us, and we were disappointed with them".

The Spending Review process occupied huge amounts of time and effort across government. Now that is over, it's not just the government's purse strings that have been set, but the political priorities alongside. In theory, as that source suggests, "they are now starting to get on with the doing".

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Sir Keir Starmer (centre front) stands with Labour Party MPsDan Kitwood/Getty Images

But that optimism is not springing from every source.

One experienced senior official told me: "A government is in charge if it has a plan, but if it doesn't, it cedes that. They still don't really have a governing plan, so it feels like the PM is in charge, but it is hard for his writ to be made to work."

In other words, it's clearer now, particularly after the big review of spending, what the government wants to do, but not how they plan to do it.

Another senior figure said: "They're busy and exhausted going to meetings with each other, and producing documents that no-one ever reads, and conversations that don't lead to anything and telling each other how difficult it is – they don't inhabit their power."

And there's obvious frustration among the government's own members too, one warning of a passive attitude among some colleagues, who could get to the next election and think only, "Well, I enjoyed driving around in my ministerial car and having my red box". There is a feeling, like, "Oh, we are here just to manage, not to lead and drive, and that's not good enough".

Not surprisingly, one cabinet minister defended the operation, "It's only been a year, people focus on the problems, if you look at it in the round we have been very, very effective," they told me.

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Grey presentational line

Governments are, of course, never short on helpful advice. As well as No 10's own learning on the job, and plans to improve its operations, like a review of communications across government that is under way, there will be other more formal suggestions in the coming months.

Later in the summer a set of proposals will be published by a think-tank with close links to No 10 and Labour, the Future Governance Forum, that's chaired by the former senior civil servant, Helen MacNamara.

The review will recommend a new government department, called "Downing Street", to give this and future prime ministers a more powerful centre of government so that No 10 can make decisions more quickly, and execute its plans more effectively.

Government insiders may not have appetite for any big bang changes, although they have pledged themselves on many occasions to "rewire" the government.

The respected Institute for Government already warned this week that big changes were needed if "ministers were serious" about their promise to rewire the state, concluding in its own research that Sir Keir's notion of "mission driven government" looks "shaky", and that government departments had reverted to old habits.

Moving desks and chairs around Whitehall, whether creating new departments or axing the old, wouldn't exactly make the pulse of the public quicken, but perhaps it ought to be on the agenda for a government that has struggled sometimes to exert its will.

The mighty markets

If ministers' grip isn't as tight as it might be, and backbenchers aren't calling the shots, there is no doubt there's another huge controlling factor.

A senior Labour source tells me, "People like to boil this down to palace politics," the jockeying for power between politicians, or the competing beliefs inside the party.

Surely not, Westminster enjoying a soap opera about the battle for the party's soul?

But instead they argue, "The markets are fundamentally a really major part of it – the government isn't making challenging decisions because it enjoys annoying people, or making life hard".

It's true the fights inside and outside the government are so often driven by cash sloshing around or falling down the back of the sofa.

Spoiler, overall spending is enormous but Rachel Reeves keeps a very tight grip on her wallet.

By instinct, Labour politicians normally want public spending to be generous.

Since returning to power they have hiked taxes in order to increase the amount of money going into the NHS particularly a lot.

But the country's debts are historically massive, and keeping up with the interest payments alone costs more than a hundred billion every year, around double what the UK spends on defence.

Yui Mok/PA Wire View of the London skyline looking southYui Mok/PA Wire

The government needs the financial markets to have faith in the UK so that businesses see the UK as a good place to spend cash, but crucially so they don't increase the costs of borrowing even more.

"The market is the biggest influence on them," a senior Labour figure tells me. "It is uncomfortable for a Labour government, but none of them want to end up in the Truss situation," where the City freaked out after promises of huge tax cuts without a plan to pay for them, borrowing costs went through the roof, and she had to say goodbye to her job in less than two months.

At the top of the Labour Party it's common to find frustration that the rank and file don't all appreciate what they see as the cold facts.

A senior government source summed up: "The markets are more in charge the more we borrow, so people who want more parliamentary sovereignty shouldn't be advocating for things that require more borrowing – markets aren't in charge, but people who lend you money expect it to be paid back."

No government, at any time, has been able to do exactly what it pleases.

For as long as governments borrow, the entities that lend to them will retain influence.

But having to be careful with cash to keep the markets on side is an acute pressure for Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves.

Jacob King/PA Wire Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage with his party's candidates onstageJacob King/PA Wire

As one senior official says "it is the binding constraint".

And unless and until the economy improves convincingly, or indeed the chancellor or the prime minister have a personality transplant, the markets will exert a mighty force over what they do.

With the markets, ministers and MPs, all jostling, who then really is in charge?

A senior government figure has the ultimate answer – "the voters of course".

It was the public's response to the winter fuel allowance decision that led No 10 in the end to drop it.

And when opposition parties zone in on public attitudes to some issues they can in turn force ministers to act.

The public's current interest in Reform UK occupies and terrifies Labour as well as the Conservatives.

Opposition politicians might not have the power to make decisions, but the issues they campaign on along with their fellow travellers and supporters can shape what happens at the top.

As this political season draws to a close, Nigel Farage will join us live in the studio tomorrow.

But in the end, of course, it is always you that has the say, you who can determine whether Labour prospers, whether in a few years time you give them another chance.

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Fantastic Four and Pokémon Presents: What's coming up this week?

BBC/Disney/Marvel/Getty A stylised image of the Fantastic Four (on the left) and Pikachu (on the right)BBC/Disney/Marvel/Getty

This week, another new Marvel movie arrives in the form of Fantastic Four: First Steps.

But that's not all the next seven days have in store.

Pokémon Presents appears to place Pikachu in the DJ booth, while Ray of Light-era Madonna gets the remix treatment, and Happy Gilmore returns to the greens after almost 30 years.

Read on for what's coming up this week...

'It's clobberin' time!'

The 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - the first of phase six - lands in UK cinemas from Thursday, so we hope you've been keeping up.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps stars Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing - complete with his catchphrase: "It's clobberin' time!"

Set in the 1960s, the films sees the heroes forced to defend Earth from a hungry space god named Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson, and the Silver Surfer, played by Julia Garner.

But don't worry if you haven't seen all or any of the previous 36 MCU films, as director Matt Shakman says his latest attempt to bring comic book heroes to the big screen exists in its "own universe".

"There's really no [other] superheroes," he told Empire. "There's no Easter eggs. There's no running into Iron Man or whatever. They're it, in this universe. I love the interconnected Marvel Universe, but we get to do something so new and so different. Eventually, this world will meet up with other worlds - but for now this is our own little corner."

John Malkovich was due to appear in the film as Red Ghost, however Shakman told Variety it was "heart-breaking" to ultimately have to leave his scenes on the cutting room floor.

Gilmore happy to be back

BBC/Getty Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore playing golfBBC/Getty

Adam Sandler's much-loved goofball golfer Happy Gilmore is back on the greens for the first time in nearly three decades, so watch your heads.

The original 1996 movie saw the aspiring hockey player switch sports to comedic effect, and now Sandler, 58, will reprise his role on Netflix from Friday.

Happy Gilmore 2 will see the main character dusting off his clubs in order to raise money to put his daughter Vienna, played by the actor's real life daughter Sunny Sandler, through ballet school.

Other stars of the original including Julie Bowen, Dennis Dugan, Christopher McDonald and Ben Stiller all return.

New faces also join such as Lavell Crawford - who plays the son of Gilmore's late, great caddy Chubbs Peterson (Carl Weathers) - and Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, aka Bad Bunny, as well as Kym Whitley.

Gotta mix 'em all

By Andrew Rogers, Newsbeat reporter

Here's a question for you. What do you get when you cross Pikachu with a set of DJ decks? We have no idea either but we're set to find out on Tuesday during the Pokémon Company's latest announcement round-up for the months ahead.

Known as Pokémon Presents, these livestreams reveal everything coming up for the fictional creatures: from their trading card game to collaborations with big fashion houses.

This time, it's been teased with a picture of its main mascot Pikachu with DJ equipment, leading some to speculate there could be a new rhythm game on the way.

More certain is that we'll hear more about the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A game, as well as updates on Pokémon's growing number of mobile games.

If that wasn't enough Pokémon, we may also see more from the next series of Netflix spin-off show Pokémon Concierge launching in September too.

Madonna in the mix

BBC/Getty Madonna in the 1998 music video for Ray of LightBBC/Getty

Perhaps like DJ Pikachu, the Queen of Pop, Madonna, is set to drop her long rumoured and superbly named Veronica Electronica project on Friday.

The album features rare and unreleased remixes from her dancefloor-filling, Grammy-winning electronic 1998 album Ray of Light, which, at the time, put her back at the very top of the pop game once again in her 40th year.

It's being released digitally and on vinyl - for all you crate diggers - as part of her Silver Collection of ongoing career-spanning special releases.

Last month, the US singer, now 66, released Peter & Victor's Collaboration Remix Edit of her song Skin as the first offering, followed by a previously-unreleased original demo from the classic album sessions entitled Gone Gone Gone.

Other highlights this week

  • A love story from the Second World War era, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, begins on BBC One and iPlayer from Sunday at 21:15 BST
  • Super Mario Party Jamboree Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV - to give the update to the popular family game its full name - is available from Thursday, with new features, modes and minigames
  • The Modfather Paul Weller returns on Friday with a new album of unexpected covers and golden oldies, called Find El Dorado
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