德国议会安全漏洞:访客不少,民主不保?
德国资深议员告诉DW,需要采取更多措施来保护德国议会的安全。有人担心,清洁工等务工人员在未经严格背景审查的情况下就进入议会办公室。还有人认为,议会中的极右翼势力也构成威胁。
德国资深议员告诉DW,需要采取更多措施来保护德国议会的安全。有人担心,清洁工等务工人员在未经严格背景审查的情况下就进入议会办公室。还有人认为,议会中的极右翼势力也构成威胁。
(德国之声中文网)本周一(7月14日),欧盟各国贸易部长在布鲁塞尔召开会议,讨论如何回应美国总统特朗普宣布对欧盟商品征收30%关税的决定,以及是否应对华盛顿采取更强硬立场。尽管双方仍在就避免贸易升级进行谈判,特朗普依然决定推进这一关税措施。
特朗普近日已向多国领导人发出信函,通知他们自8月1日起拟对其商品加征新一轮高额关税。上周六,特朗普宣布美国主要贸易伙伴墨西哥和欧盟将从8月1日起面临30%的关税。
特朗普表示,若欧盟在8月1日前无法与美方达成协议,美国将对欧盟27国实施大范围关税,此举令数月来的艰苦谈判陷入混乱。与此同时,特朗普对其4月2日首次宣布的“对等关税”措施90天缓冲期进行了延长。
“与美贸易逆差构成国家安全威胁”
在上周六发布的一封信中,特朗普将对欧盟征收30%新关税的理由归结为“美欧贸易不平衡”。而这次提出的欧盟关税税率,明显比特朗普此前在4月宣布、随后又暂停的20%关税要高得多。
美联社报道,特朗普在致欧盟的信中表示,美国的贸易逆差构成了国家安全威胁。白宫国家经济委员会主任凯文·哈塞特(Kevin Hassett)周日在美国广播公司(ABC News)的节目中表示,特朗普对部分贸易协议草案并不满意。
“最关键的是,总统已经看过了一些由霍华德·卢特尼克(Howard Lutnick)和贸易团队其他成员谈判出来的协议草稿,他认为这些协议还不够好。为了明确底线,他向相关方发出了这些信函。我们拭目以待最终结果如何。”哈塞特说道。
寻求谈判 欧盟延长反制暂停期
欧盟委员会主席冯德莱恩(Ursula von der Leyen)周日(7月13日)表示,欧盟将继续暂缓对美国钢铝关税的反制措施,以争取时间与美方达成协议,从而避免更大范围的30%关税。
“美方已经致函我们,表示若无法通过谈判达成解决方案,这些措施将生效。因此,我们决定将暂停采取反制措施的决定延长至8月初。”冯德莱恩对记者表示。
“与此同时,我们将继续为反制措施做好准备,以确保万无一失。”她补充说。
冯德莱恩强调,欧盟一直明确主张“优先通过谈判解决问题”。“我们将利用现在到8月1日这段时间,继续争取达成协议。”
冯德莱恩此举也带来一线希望,即特朗普最新关税威胁——其中也包括对墨西哥的关税威胁——尚未彻底摧毁布鲁塞尔与华盛顿迄今为止取得的谈判成果。
“希望达成公平协议,但也做好反制准备”
欧盟贸易部长将决定是否延长暂停此前对美方加征关税采取反制措施的期限,以便为谈判争取时间,直至8月1日的最后期限。
“我们不希望看到任何形式的贸易战,这对任何人都没好处。” 主持本次会议的丹麦外交大臣拉斯穆森(Lars Løkke Rasmussen)表示。
在特朗普作出关税宣布之际,欧盟方面原本认为与美方达成协议已近在咫尺。
“我们希望达成一个公平的协议。当然,如果遭遇不公平关税,我们应该准备好采取反制措施。”拉斯穆森补充道。
欧盟此前为回应特朗普年初对钢铝进口商品加征关税,已准备好对价值约210亿欧元的美国产品征税。原定的反制措施暂停期限将于周一午夜到期。
但欧盟在4月曾宣布,为给达成更广泛的贸易协议留出空间,决定暂缓这些措施。
“从一开始,我们就做好了应对准备,如有必要,欧盟将采取反制措施。”冯德莱恩表示。
欧洲各国领导人表态:团结应对,捍卫欧洲利益
德国总理梅尔茨(Merz又译“默茨”)周日对德国电视一台ARD表示,若这些威胁关税生效,将“抵消我们为复苏经济所作的大量努力”,并“对我们的出口企业造成重创”。
他表示认同法国总统马克龙的立场。马克龙上周六表示,一旦8月1日前无法达成协议,欧盟必须“加紧制定可靠的应对措施,”并呼吁欧盟委员会“坚决捍卫欧洲利益”,强调欧盟必须做好准备。
意大利总理梅洛尼周日也在声明中表示:“西方内部的贸易战只会削弱我们应对全球性挑战的整体实力。” “欧洲拥有足够的经济与财政实力,可以维护自身立场,并达成一个公平、理性的协议。”她补充道。
欧盟拓展谈判对象
在美欧贸易关系持续紧张之际,欧盟也在积极拓展与其他贸易伙伴的合作。拉斯穆森提到,与南美国家达成的贸易协议以及与印尼的谈判都是近期的进展成果。欧盟贸易部长会议也将讨论欧中商贸关系的未来走向。
据美联社报道,在特朗普威胁加征关税的背景下,欧盟正考虑与中国建立更紧密的合作关系。
欧委会主席冯德莱恩在与印尼总统苏比安托(Prabowo Subianto)共同出席活动时表示,与美国之间的贸易紧张局势凸显了“多元化贸易关系”的重要性。在宣布欧盟与印尼将加强合作时,冯德莱恩强调,贸易伙伴关系应建立在“信任”基础上,保持“可预测性”。
印尼总统则表示:“我认为美国始终是世界上非常重要的领导者。”但他同时强调多边关系的必要性,并补充道:“我们希望看到一个非常强大的欧洲。”
特朗普关税战令全球市场承压
自今年1月重返白宫以来,特朗普针对盟友与竞争对手陆续实施或威胁实施新一轮关税,引发金融市场波动,加剧对全球经济放缓的担忧。
尽管特朗普政府承诺与多个贸易伙伴达成协议,但迄今为止,仅公布了对英国和越南完成的两项协议,以及暂时降低与中国的对等关税。
(德新社 美联社 法新社)
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© Malek Khattab/Associated Press
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© Mark Abramson for The New York Times
(德国之声中文网)《新苏黎世报》发表评论称,如果说特朗普第一个总统任内写给平壤当权者金正恩的信函含情脉脉,犹如一封“情书”的话,那么这位美国总统最近写给十个亚洲国家有关关税的信函,就很像是离婚律师的“分手信”了。这篇题为《特朗普自毁武功的亚洲政策》的评论写道:
事实上,相关国家中,有很多国家已经在此前做出过让步,但却依然无法逃脱厄运。今年四月特朗普发出关税威胁之后,日本就一直在同美方开展谈判,但到头来还是将面临被征收25%高额关税的威胁。印度尼西亚表示愿意购买数十亿美元的美国产品,换来的却是32%的关税。泰国一再承诺会削减贸易壁垒,得到的回报则是36%的关税。
日本和韩国受到的震动显然最大,毕竟他们是美国在亚洲地区最亲密的盟友。凭借自身特殊的战略地位,日韩两国原本以为他们会获得华盛顿的特殊礼遇。众所周知,在抗衡共产主义中国方面,日韩两国是美国不可或缺的盟友。也正因为如此,两国境内分别驻扎着八万多美军。日本和韩国都拥有强大的军事力量和雄厚的工业基础,是掣肘北京的重要堡垒。但是,显然对特朗普来说,贸易差额才是唯一应当受关注的议题。
无论是首尔,还是东京,都不会因此放弃同华盛顿的盟友关系,因为在安全政策领域,他们并没有备选方案。但随着对美贸易的门槛不断增高,他们在经济领域只能逐渐靠近中国。对于日韩两国来说,这是一个非常无奈的选择,因为他们深知,以经济手段施压,恰恰是中国的惯用伎俩。2010年,中国因领土争端叫停了对日本的稀土出口。六年之后,因首尔部署萨德导弹防御系统,中国又开始抵制韩国企业。
长期以来,美国的亚洲政策中一直存在一个短板:与中国相比,美国已经越来越缺乏经济吸引力。而特朗普的关税政策,正在进一步加剧美国的这一劣势。当年奥巴马总统意识到了问题所在,因此努力推动‘跨太平洋伙伴关系协定’(TPP),试图打造抗衡中国的经济阵营,但特朗普上任一年后即宣布退出了相关条约。”
《新苏黎世报》的评论指出,特朗普的“闭关锁国”政策将令泰国、马来西亚、越南等国的发展之路更加坎坷。而高关税一旦付诸实施,东南亚的经济增长更将面临放缓甚至中断的风险。
“千丝万缕的经济关系最终将会带来巨大的战略影响力,中国可谓深谙此道,并已同一系列东南亚国家签署了双边或东盟框架内的多边自由贸易协定。除此之外,今年三月开始,时隔五年之后,中国又重新开启了同日韩两国的三边贸易谈判。
现在,很多亚洲国家对中国在南海等问题上的所作所为已经噤若寒蝉,响应美国呼吁,共同抗衡中国的亚洲国家也变得越来越少。而在特朗普的关税大棒之下,华盛顿的亚洲利益将会蒙受更大的损失。”
裂缝渐深的金砖集团
《法兰克福汇报》发表评论称,中国党和国家领导人习近平12年来首次缺席金砖峰会,显示这一联盟的裂痕正在逐渐显现。
“此次里约峰会表明,以中国为首的南方强国们,在扩容问题上显然有些用力过猛了。峰会本身缺乏亮点,而长达126 条的闭会声明也只是各成员国此前各项要求的老调重弹。与此同时,却有越来越多的裂痕浮出水面:早在里约峰会召开前,埃及和埃塞俄比亚就阻止了金砖集团为南非争取联合国安理会席位的努力。
尽管有中国居中斡旋,沙特阿拉伯和伊朗就中东主导权的争夺仍愈演愈烈。除此之外,巴西、印度和南非等民主国家既不会放纵金砖成为反西方阵营,更不想激怒美国总统特朗普。毋庸置疑,没有了中国,金砖将寸步难行,毕竟中国的GDP 大致相当于其他所有成员国的总和。但对那些自信满满的成员国来说,盲从北京也绝不是一个选项。”
摘编自其他媒体的内容,不代表德国之声的立场或观点。
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At least 30 people have been killed in armed clashes between Sunni Bedouin tribal fighters and Druze militias in southern Syria, the country's interior ministry says.
The violence erupted in the predominantly Druze city in the province of Suweida on Sunday, two days after a Druze merchant was reportedly abducted on the highway to Damascus.
The interior ministry called the situation "a dangerous escalation" and said security forces were being deployed to try to restore calm.
It is the latest outbreak of deadly sectarian violence in the country since Islamist-led rebel forces overthrew President Bashar al-Assad in December.
Syria's many minority communities - including the Druze, whose religion is an offshoot of Shia Islam with its own unique identity and beliefs - have expressed concerns over the new authorities' pledges to protect them.
Sunday's clashes between Bedouin tribesmen and Druze militias began in the al-Maqwas neighbourhood of Suweida city.
The area, which is inhabited by Bedouin, was reportedly encircled and later seized by armed Druze fighters.
The fighting soon spread into other parts of Suweida province, with tribesmen reportedly launching attacks on Druze towns and villages on the city's western and northern outskirts.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group, said the towns of Sumay and Mazraah were shelled, and that residents of the village of Tayrah fled after armed men entered the outskirts and set fire to several homes.
It reported that 37 people were killed - 27 Druze, including two children, and 10 Bedouin.
The interior ministry said: "This dangerous escalation comes in light of the absence of relevant official institutions, leading to worsening chaos, a collapse of the security situation, and the local community's inability to contain the crisis despite repeated calls for calm."
It added that interior ministry forces, in co-ordination with the defence ministry, would "begin direct intervention in the area to end the conflict and impose order".
The governor of Suweida, Mustapha al-Bakur, called on his constituents to "exercise self-restraint and respond to national calls for reform".
Several Syrian Druze spiritual leaders also appealed for calm.
On Sunday night, local activist-run news outlet Suwayda 24 said that mediation between Bedouin and Druze leaders aimed at de-escalating tensions had resulted in the release of people kidnapped by both sides during the clashes.
However, on Monday morning it reported that fighting had erupted in the western countryside of Suweida after drones attacked villages at the same time as government forces deployed in nearby areas of eastern Deraa province.
At the start of May, more than 130 people were reportedly killed in clashes between Druze gunmen, security forces and allied Sunni Islamist fighters in two suburbs of the capital Damascus and Suweida province.
In the wake of that fighting, the government reached an agreement with Druze militias to hire local security forces in Suweida province from their ranks.
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who created history by becoming the first Indian ever to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS), is on his way back.
A live broadcast showed the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission undocking from the orbiting laboratory with its four-member crew on Monday. It is expected to splash down in just under 24 hours.
Led by former Nasa veteran Peggy Whitson and piloted by Group Captain Shukla, Ax-4 had arrived at ISS on 26 June. Its crew included Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
Group Captain Shukla is only the second Indian to have gone to space. His trip came 41 years after cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma flew aboard a Russian Soyuz in 1984.
Ax-4 - a commercial flight operated by Houston-based private firm Axiom Space - is a collaboration between Nasa, India's space agency Isro, European Space Agency (Esa) and SpaceX.
On Monday, ISS posted on X that the Ax-4 crew had taken their places in the spacecraft and its hatches had been closed. The undocking of the craft - when it separated from the ISS - was broadcast live.
Axiom Space said the craft would splash down in the ocean off the coast of California and a vessel would then pick it up.
Indian Science Minister Jitendra Singh has said the splash down is scheduled for 15 July at approximately 15:00 India time (09:30 GMT).
In his farewell address from aboard the ISS on Sunday, the Indian astronaut said India's journey in space exploration may be tough, but it has begun.
"It has been an incredible journey. Even though now it is coming to an end, for you and me there is a long way to go. The journey of our human space mission is very long and difficult. But if we are determined, even the stars are attainable."
He referred to India's first man in space cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma famously quoting from a 1924 Urdu song "Sare jahan se achcha" to say "India looked better than the rest of the world".
"Even today we want to know how it looks from space. I'll tell you. From space, today's India looks ambitious. It looks fearless. It looks confident. It looks proud. And so, I can once again say that today's India still looks better than the rest of the world," Group Captain Shukla said.
Ax-4, which was originally expected to spend two weeks on the ISS, ended up staying a few days longer. During their stay, Axiom Space said the crew conducted 60 scientific experiments, including seven designed by Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).
Isro, which had paid 5bn rupees ($59m; £43m) to secure a seat for Group Captain Shukla on Ax-4 and his training, has said the hands-on experience he gains during his trip to the ISS will help India in its human space flights.
Isro has announced plans to launch Gaganyaan - the country's first-ever human space flight in 2027 - and has ambitious plans to set up a space station by 2035 and send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040.
Group Captain Shukla is among four Indian air force officers shortlisted last year to travel on Gaganyaan.
Born on 10 October 1985 in the northern city of Lucknow, Group Captain Shukla joined the air force as a fighter pilot in 2006.
He has flown MiGs, Sukhois, Dorniers, Jaguars and Hawks and has more than 2,000 hours of flying experience.
Before flying into space, Group Captain Shukla described the past year as "nothing short of transformative".
"It has been an amazing journey so far, but the best is yet to come," he said. "As I go into space, I carry not just instruments and equipment, I carry hopes and dreams of a billion hearts. I request all Indians to pray for the success of our mission," he had said.
Argentine President Javier Milei and his vice-president, Victoria Villarruel, have engaged in a bitter public war of words over plans to increase pensions.
Milei shared posts on X in which his running mate had been called "stupid" and described as "a traitor", and in response Villarruel told the president to "grow up".
The president's anger was triggered by a heavy defeat in Congress on Thursday, when the Senate approved motions aimed at boosting pensions and increasing disability allowances - which Milei had vehemently opposed.
Milei said he would veto the pension hike, arguing that the extra expenditure threatened his fiscal surplus, and blamed Villarruel for allowing the vote to proceed.
In Argentina, the country's vice-president also acts as the president of the Senate.
It was in this role as Senate leader that Villarruel allowed the debate on the emergency pension hike to proceed, even though senators allied with the government boycotted the session.
With government-aligned senators absent, the motion passed with 52 votes in favour and four abstentions.
Its backers argue that higher payments are essential in order for pensioners to make ends meet.
But President Milei says it goes counter to his promise to eliminate Argentina's chronic fiscal deficit and bring down inflation.
In January, Milei scored a major economic victory when it emerged that 2024 was the first year in more than a decade that Argentina had registered a budget surplus.
Last month also saw the country's monthly inflation rate drop to 1.5%, the lowest it has been in more than five years.
But the austerity measures that helped the libertarian president lower the deficit and drive down inflation have also triggered protests, with pensioners holding weekly rallies outside Congress.
Following the approval of the motion on Thursday, President Milei was quick to announce that he would block the pension hike.
"I bet a hundred thousand to one that you all know what I'm going to do. You know what? We're going to veto it. And if, by some chance, which I don't believe will happen, but if the veto is overturned, we will take it to court," he said.
But he also turned on his vice-president, reposting a comment on X in which she was labelled a "traitor, a demagogue and stupid in economic terms".
Villarruel responded on Instagram arguing that pensioners and people with disabilities "could not wait" any longer for their payments to be raised and suggested the president should make savings by spending less on the intelligence services and on his travels.
Since becoming president in December 2023, Milei has travelled abroad extensively.
In one of the most publicised events, he wielded the chainsaw which has become emblematic of his government cuts before handing it to Elon Musk at the US Conservative Political Action Conference.
Villarruel also urged the president "to speak and act like an adult" in responses she gave her critics on Instagram.
After the thirtieth consecutive month without rain, the townsfolk of San Francisco de Conchos in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua gather to plead for divine intervention.
On the shores of Lake Toronto, the reservoir behind the state's most important dam – called La Boquilla, a priest leads local farmers on horseback and their families in prayer, the stony ground beneath their feet once part of the lakebed before the waters receded to today's critically low levels.
Among those with their heads bowed is Rafael Betance, who has voluntarily monitored La Boquilla for the state water authority for 35 years.
"This should all be underwater," he says, motioning towards the parched expanse of exposed white rocks.
"The last time the dam was full and caused a tiny overflow was 2017," Mr Betance recalls. "Since then, it's decreased year on year.
"We're currently at 26.52 metres below the high-water mark, less than 14% of its capacity."
Little wonder the local community is beseeching the heavens for rain. Still, few expect any let up from the crippling drought and sweltering 42C (107.6F) heat.
Now, a long-running dispute with Texas over the scarce resource is threatening to turn ugly.
Under the terms of a 1944 water-sharing agreement, Mexico must send 430 million cubic metres of water per year from the Rio Grande to the US.
The water is sent via a system of tributary channels into shared dams owned and operated by the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), which oversees and regulates water-sharing between the two neighbours.
In return, the US sends its own much larger allocation (nearly 1.85 billion cubic metres a year) from the Colorado River to supply the Mexican border cities of Tijuana and Mexicali.
Mexico is in arrears and has failed to keep up with its water deliveries for much of the 21st Century.
Following pressure from Republican lawmakers in Texas, the Trump administration warned Mexico that water could be withheld from the Colorado River unless it fulfils its obligations under the 81-year-old treaty.
In April, on his Truth Social account, US President Donald Trump accused Mexico of "stealing" the water and threatened to keep escalating to "TARIFFS, and maybe even SANCTIONS" until Mexico sends Texas what it owes. Still, he gave no firm deadline by when such retaliation might happen.
For her part, the Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum, acknowledged Mexico's shortfall but struck a more conciliatory tone.
Since then, Mexico has transferred an initial 75 million cubic metres of water to the US via their shared dam, Amistad, located along the border, but that is just a fraction of the roughly 1.5 billion cubic metres of Mexico's outstanding debt.
Feelings on cross-border water sharing can run dangerously high: in September 2020, two Mexican people were killed in clashes with the National Guard at La Boquilla's sluice gates as farmers tried to stop the water from being redirected.
Amid the acute drought, the prevailing view in Chihuahua is that "you can't take from what isn't there", says local expert Rafael Betance.
But that doesn't help Brian Jones to water his crops.
A fourth-generation farmer in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, for the past three years he has only been able to plant half of his farm because he doesn't have enough irrigation water.
"We've been battling Mexico as they've not been living up to their part of the deal," he says. "All we're asking for is what's rightfully ours under the treaty, nothing extra."
Mr Jones also disputes the extent of the problem in Chihuahua. He believes that in October 2022 the state received more than enough water to share, but released "exactly zero" to the US, accusing his neighbours of "hoarding water and using it to grow crops to compete with us".
Farmers on the Mexican side read the agreement differently. They say it only binds them to send water north when Mexico can satisfy its own needs, and argue that Chihuahua's ongoing drought means there's no excess available.
Beyond the water scarcity, there are also arguments over agricultural efficiency.
Walnut trees and alfalfa are two of the main crops in Chihuahua's Rio Conchos Valley, both of which require a lot of watering – walnut trees need on average 250 litres a day.
Traditionally, Mexican farmers have simply flooded their fields with water from the irrigation channel. Driving around the valley one quickly sees walnut trees sitting in shallow pools, the water flowing in from an open pipe.
The complaint from Texas is obvious: the practice is wasteful and easily avoided with more responsible and sustainable farming methods.
As Jaime Ramirez walks through his walnut groves, the former mayor of San Francisco de Conchos shows me how his modern sprinkler system ensures his walnut trees are properly watered all year round without wasting the precious resource.
"With the sprinklers, we use around 60% less than flooding the fields," he says. The system also means they can water the trees less frequently, which is particularly useful when the Rio Conchos is too low to allow local irrigation.
Mr Ramirez readily admits, though, that some of his neighbours aren't so conscientious. As a former local mayor, he urges understanding.
Some haven't adopted the sprinkler method because of the costs in setting it up, he says. He's tried to show other farmers that it works out cheaper in the long run, saving on energy and water costs.
But farmers in Texas must also understand that their counterparts in Chihuahua are facing an existential threat, Mr Ramirez insists.
"This is a desert region and the rains haven't come. If the rain doesn't come again this year, then next year there simply won't be any agriculture left. All the available water will have to be conserved as drinking water for human beings," he warns.
Many in northern Mexico believe the 1944 water-sharing treaty is no longer fit for purpose. Mr Ramirez thinks it may have been adequate for conditions eight decades ago, but it has failed to adapt with the times or properly account for population growth or the ravages of climate change.
Back across the border, Texan farmer Brian Jones says the agreement has stood the test of time and should still be honoured.
"This treaty was signed when my grandfather was farming. It's been through my grandfather, my father and now me," he says.
"Now we're seeing Mexico not comply. It's very angering to have a farm where I'm only able to plant half the ground because I don't have irrigation water."
Trump's tougher stance has given the local farmers "a pep in our step", he adds.
Meanwhile, the drought hasn't just harmed farming in Chihuahua.
With Lake Toronto's levels so low, Mr Betance says the remaining water in the reservoir is heating up with uncommon speed and creating a potential disaster for the marine life which sustains a once-thriving tourism industry.
The valley's outlook hasn't been this dire, Mr Betance says, in the entire time he's spent carefully recording the lake's ups and downs. "Praying for rain is all we have left," he reflects.
Additional reporting by Angélica Casas.
© Florian Wiegand/Getty Images
© Kevin Wurm/Reuters
© Pedro Pardo/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
(本文首发于南方人物周刊)
南方人物周刊记者 韩茹雪
责任编辑:李屾淼
2013年,汤拥华在浙江工商大学任教时,与“钱塘读书会”部分同学合影留念(受访者提供/图)
相关报道详见《一位大学中文系老师爱看短剧》
6月末,华东师范大学中文系老师汤拥华的一篇毕业致辞登上热搜,他在致辞中引用了短剧桥段,谈到所谓“文科无用”的困境。“我的痛苦,被听见了”,一些中文系毕业生纷纷留言。
文科困境的探讨,高校老师刷短剧的反差感,要出圈先出梗的传播方式……刷到这则消息时,我的脑海迅速闪过这几个点,立刻报题,准备采
校对:赵立宇
A hosepipe ban affecting 1.1 million people across several postcode areas has been announced by Thames Water.
The water firm said the measure would come into place across Swindon, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire on 22 July due to a lack of rain and increasing demand, which had stretched supplies.
It bans the use of a hosepipe for activities such as watering the garden, washing the car or filling a paddling pool.
It comes as the Environment Agency said it had declared a state of prolonged dry weather in large parts of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Surrey.
Thames Water said the temporary restriction would cover areas with postcodes beginning with OX, GL, SN, RG4, RG8 and RG9.
The ban does not affect businesses where hosepipe use is part of their purpose - for example, garden centres and car washes - but the company said everyone in the region should be "mindful" of water use.
Thames Water said prolonged hot weather meant there was less water available as well as a higher demand, with customers using up to 30% more water when temperatures were above 25C.
Nevil Muncaster, strategic water resources director at Thames Water, said he did not "anticipate the situation will improve any time soon".
"We have to take action now," he said.
"This has been a challenging spring and summer with big spikes in customer demand during hot dry days and very little rainfall to replenish local supplies in the Thames Valley."
He encouraged customers both within and outside the ban area to reduce water use, by doing things like turning taps off while brushing teeth, taking shorter showers and not watering their lawns.
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.
A backpacker who survived nearly two weeks lost in Western Australia's outback has said she is "simply beyond grateful to have survived".
Caroline Wilga, a 26-year-old German national, was rescued on Friday after spending 11 freezing nights alone and lost in the bushland.
She survived by drinking from puddles and sheltering in a cave, police said.
In her first public statement since being rescued, Ms Wilga said she had hit her head after losing control of her van, causing her to exit the vehicle in a state of confusion.
She was spotted by a driver and airlifted to a hospital in Perth, where she is recovering.
Ms Wilga thanked the medical staff, German consulate and all the people who had helped search for her, in a statement to Western Australia Police posted on Instagram.
"I want to express a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart – a thank you that truly comes from the depth of my soul," she said.
"Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there," Ms Wilga added.
She said she "lost control of the car and rolled down a slope", hitting her head "significantly" in the subsequent crash.
"As a result of the accident, I left my car in a state of confusion and got lost," she added.
"Previously, I didn't know where my place was in a culture on the other side of the world to my own, but now, I feel a part of it. I am deeply impressed by the courage, helpfulness, and warmth that has been shown to me here.
"Western Australia has taught me what it really means to be part of a true community. Here, humanity, solidarity, and care for one another are what truly matter – and in the end, that's what counts most."
She was found walking barefoot by motorist Tania Henley - whom Ms Wilga described as her "saviour and angel" - more than 30km away from where she had abandoned her van, on a scarcely used track north of Beacon.
Ms Henley told Australia's public broadcaster ABC that she saw Ms Wilga waving by the side of the road, and she appeared to be in a "fragile state", suffering from exhaustion, dehydration, insect bites and an injured foot.
"Everything in this bush is very prickly. I just can't believe that she survived. She had no shoes on, she'd wrapped her foot up," Ms Henley said.
Before her rescue, Ms Wilga was last seen at a general store in the town of Beacon, Western Australia, in her van on 29 June.
"I am certain that I survived only thanks to this incredible outpouring of support," she said.
"The thought of all the people who believed in me, searched for me, and kept hoping for me gave me the strength to carry on during my darkest moments," she said.
The rescue was down to "sheer luck", acting police inspector Jessica Securo said in a news conference.
A former Conservative MP has been given a community order and fine for harassing her ex-wife.
Jamie Wallis, who is now known as Katie Wallis and uses female pronouns, represented Bridgend from 2019 to 2024.
At an earlier hearing, the 41-year-old from Butetown in Cardiff denied harassing Rebecca Wallis, now known as Rebecca Lovell, between 14 February and 21 March.
Wallis was sentenced to a 12-month community order involving 12 days of rehabilitation activity and fined £500 plus £650 costs and a £114 surcharge.
A restraining order was also imposed for 12 months to prevent contact with Rebecca Lovell.
The former MP made unwanted phone calls, sent unwanted messages and a voice note.
Cardiff Magistrates Court heard that the messages contained abusive language while accusing Rebecca Lovell of being "mean" and seeking to find out details about her new relationship.
One message complained about access to Wallis's family, another demanded £350,000 within 15 minutes and wished to ensure that Wallis's former wife and others "never have a happy moment again".
Wallis, who was the first MP to openly begin the process of gender transitioning, previously told the court: "My name is Katie Wallis, but my legal name is Jamie Wallis".
District Judge Rhys Williams asked Wallis's barrister how he should address the defendant.
Defending, Narita Bahra KC told the court that Wallis identifies as she, "her dead name is Jamie. Her current name is Katie".
Wallis and the victim were in a relationship for more than 15 years and separated in 2020, with their divorce finalised in 2024.
In a personal impact statement, Rebecca Lovell said the messages left her "drowning in a chaos that was not of my own making" and concerned that Wallis would turn up at her house.
She said she was left wondering if threats of suicide were real.
"I torture myself wondering if I deserve the vile slurs," she said.
She added, "I can't remember a day I haven't cried. The woman I used to be has been destroyed."
Narita Bahra KC told the court that her client was "having profound and emotional difficulties in completing the passing stage" of transitioning to become a woman, but accepts that the behaviour was "wrong".
Ms Bahra said that Wallis was at a "crucial turning point" in the transitioning process and in "profound mental crisis" when the messages were sent and that there was acceptance of wrongdoing and apology in the final message.
Shortly after the final message was sent, Wallis was found by police and sectioned under the mental health act before being arrested and later charged.
Ms Bahra told the court it was "really disappointing that South Wales Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have shown no compassion" by pursuing a prosecution.
She added it was "disillusioning and disappointing that South Wales Police and the CPS demonstrated a lack of understanding" to what she said were the "unique stresses" of transitioning.
(德国之声中文网)特朗普将于9月对英国进行前所未有的第二次国事访问。
白金汉宫确认,查尔斯国王和卡米拉王后将于9月17日至19日接待这位美国总统。
白金汉宫在一份声明中表示:“国王陛下将于温莎城堡接待特朗普总统及夫人。”
特朗普曾表示,能下榻温莎城堡“真是了不起的事情”。
查尔斯国王曾致信邀请特朗普访问,信件由英国首相斯塔默在2月访问华盛顿时亲自转交。
当时,特朗普称这次邀请是“极大的荣誉”。
斯塔默努力维持与特朗普的关系
此前没有任何一位美国总统被邀请两次对英国进行国事访问。外界普遍认为,这是英国政府有意维持与特朗普关系的一项战略安排。
特朗普在2019年首次总统任期内曾对英国进行国事访问,受到伊丽莎白女王接待。
与最近访问英国并在议会发表演讲的法国总统马克龙不同,特朗普此次访问期间不会在议会发表讲话,因为正值议会休会期。
虽然特朗普的访问将包括完整的王室礼仪,但预计也将引发抗议活动,正如2019年那样。
加拿大总理卡尼批评英国发出的这项邀请,称此举削弱了加方在应对特朗普关于吞并加拿大言论时维持团结阵线的努力。
查尔斯国王同时也是加拿大国家元首。他曾于今年5月访问加拿大,并为该国议会开幕。
当时正值特朗普发起对加贸易战并威胁吞并该国之际,外界认为这是英国对加拿大的支持。
DW中文有Instagram!欢迎搜寻dw.chinese,看更多深入浅出的图文与影音报道。
© 2025年德国之声版权声明:本文所有内容受到著作权法保护,如无德国之声特别授权,不得擅自使用。任何不当行为都将导致追偿,并受到刑事追究。
© Eric Lee/The New York Times
就在昨天,2025年7月13日,大连工业大学学生部官网发布一则公告,称鉴于该校一名女生于2024年12月16日的不当行为,造成了恶劣的负面影响,故“根据《普通高等学校学生管理规定》第三十条第六款及《大连工业大学学生违纪处分规定》第十九条第六款,拟给予开除学籍处分”。
之后多家媒体刊发这则新闻,而且如大连工业大学一样,都赫然将该女生的真实姓名予以披露。此事的原委,也随之浮出水面:这名女生和一名外籍男士发生性关系后,亲密照片被该名外籍男士放在了社交媒体,于是引发学校作出上述处分,也引发互联网上又一次针对女性的荡妇羞辱和流量狂欢。
1
校规校纪就没有边界吗?
先撇开互联网上针对该女生的诸多恶毒评论不谈,仅大连工业大学的处理决定,就已经涉及严重的行政违法。
首先,大连工业大学学生部官网公告引述对该女生作出开除学籍处分的法律依据是《普通高等学校学生管理规定》第三十条第六款。但,第三十条所列举的却是有关退学的相关规定。根据该条,学生退学的原因基本都是学业成绩未达到学校要求,或者在学校规定的学习年限内未完成学业;休学、保留学籍期满,在学校规定期限内未提出复学申请,或者申请复学经复查不合格;患有疾病或者意外伤残不能继续在校学习的;等等。
第三十条 学生有下列情形之一,学校可予退学处理:
(一)学业成绩未达到学校要求或者在学校规定的学习年限内未完成学业的;
(二)休学、保留学籍期满,在学校规定期限内未提出复学申请或者申请复学经复查不合格的;
(三)根据学校指定医院诊断,患有疾病或者意外伤残不能继续在校学习的;
(四)未经批准连续两周未参加学校规定的教学活动的;
(五)超过学校规定期限未注册而又未履行暂缓注册手续的;
(六)学校规定的不能完成学业、应予退学的其他情形。
学生本人申请退学的,经学校审核同意后,办理退学手续。
《普通高等学校学生管理规定》第三十条
从法律而言,“退学”并非针对学生违法和不当行为的惩戒,它只是表明学生因包括健康情况等在内的自身原因而无法完成学业,故学校也因此终止其学业。就如公务员的辞退并非处分一样,高校学生的退学也应与学校针对学生作出的诸如警告、记过、留校察看、开除学籍等处分措施严格区分,退学本身既不包含道德评价,也不包含法律评价。
故而,即使从法律的同类解释规则出发,《普通高等学校学生管理规定》第三十条第六款所说的“学校规定的不能完成学业、应予退学的其他情形”,也绝无可能引申出该校公告所说的,因学生行为不当要开除学籍的情形。
其次,除《普通高等学校学生管理规定》外,大连工业大学还援引了该校违纪处分规定第19条作为处分依据。令人咋舌的是,该处分规定第19条第(六)项赫然规定,“与外国人不正当交往,有损国格、校誉的,视情节给予记过及以上处分”。除“和外国人不正当交往”外,该校的违纪处分规定还将“学习期间发生未婚性行为的”“收藏、观看淫秽书刊、杂志、视频”等行为都列入应予处分的情形。
第十九条 违反公民道德和大学生行为准则者,根据其性质和情节轻重,给予以下处分:
……
(二)学习期间发生未婚性行为者,给予记过及以上处分;
(三)收藏、观看淫秽书刊、杂志、视频者,给予严重警告以上处分;制作、复制、传播、贩卖、出租淫秽物品者,或利用计算机信息网络、电话以及其他通讯工具传播淫秽信息者,给予留校察看及以上处分;
(四)接受或提供色_hexie_情服务,以及从事其他被司法机关认定为色_hexie_情行为的活动者,给予留校察看及以上处分;
(六)与外国人不正当交往,有损国格、校誉的,视情节给予记过及以上处分;
……
《大连工业大学学生违纪处分规定》第十九条
这些规定一经爆出,就被网友评价为简直是石器时代的校规校纪。它不仅反映出学校在学生管理上的陈腐观念和家长制作风,甚至还严重违反包括《中华人民共和国教育法》《中华人民共和国高等教育法》(以下简称《教育法》《高等教育法》)在内的上位法,更粗暴干预在校学生的基本权利。
从法律层面而言,对于学生在校期间应该履行的校规校纪,即使高校具有一定的“自主决定权”,也不能以彻底牺牲或者贬损学生的基本权利为代价;而那种认为学校和学生之间是一种“命令与服从”的特别权力关系的理论,早在上世纪就已被彻底摒弃。
学校需维护和尊重的学生的基本权利,首先就是受教育权。此处的受教育权,既包括学生被公平录取的权利,也包括在校期间受到公正学术评价的权利,更包括不能擅自被学校予以惩戒和处分,甚至开除学籍、中断或终止学业的权利。而这种学生针对学校的权利,同样受到司法的严格保护。
《教育法》和《高等教育法》都明确规定,受教育者“对学校给予的处分不服可向有关部门提出申诉,对学校、教师侵犯其人身权、财产权等合法权益,提出申诉或者依法提起诉讼”。因为公立高校和学生之间属于公法关系,故学生针对学校可提起的就是行政诉讼。此前我国行政诉讼实践中,也早已出现“田永诉北京科技大学案”“刘燕文诉北京大学案”等著名案件。
这些案件的出现都证明,学生和学校之间属于受司法监督和保护的法律关系,而绝非单一的权力服从关系。当学校的处理影响到学生的权利义务时,学生也有权拿起法律武器为自己维权。
再回到本案中,涉案的女生不仅可以大连工业大学为被告,直接针对该校作出的开除学籍处分提起行政诉讼;而且,还可根据《中华人民共和国行政诉讼法》(以下简称《行政诉讼法》)的规定,要求法院对该开除学籍处分所依据的该校的违纪处分规定提起附带性审查。
因为该违纪处分规定中规定的,禁止学生与外国人不正当交往,禁止学生在学习期间发生未婚性行为,禁止学生收藏、观看淫秽书刊、杂志和视频,否则就要给予包括开除在内的处分的规定,不仅是对个人基本权利和行为自由的粗暴干预,也完全背离了包括《教育法》《高等教育法》以及《普通高等学校学生管理规定》等上位法的规定和精神,已经属于《行政诉讼法》及其司法解释所规定行政规范性文件“超越法定职权”“违法减损权利和科予义务”的情形,也根本无法为其开除决定提供正当性依据。
根据《普通高等学校学生管理规定》,唯有学生存在以下情形的,学校才可以给予开除学籍处分:
(一)违反宪法,反对四项基本原则、破坏安定团结、扰乱社会秩序的
(二)触犯国家法律,构成刑事犯罪的
(三)受到治安管理处罚,情节严重、性质恶劣的
(四)代替他人或者让他人代替自己参加考试、组织作弊、使用通讯设备或其他器材作弊、向他人出售考试试题或答案牟取利益,以及其他严重作弊或扰乱考试秩序行为的
(五)学位论文、公开发表的研究成果存在抄袭、篡改、伪造等学术不端行为,情节严重的,或者代写论文、买卖论文的
(六)违反本规定和学校规定,严重影响学校教育教学秩序、生活秩序以及公共场所管理秩序的
(七)侵害其他个人、组织合法权益,造成严重后果的
(八)屡次违反学校规定受到纪律处分,经教育不改的
《普通高等学校学生管理规定》第五十二条
上述规定已经为学校制定具体的校规校纪提供指引,即各个高校虽然拥有一定的自主管理权,但开除学籍本质上涉及学生“进入”和“退出”学校这些最根本的受教育权利,高校的自主管理权也必须在上述框架内具体展开,也要受到《普通高等学校学生管理规定》所明确列举的条件的具体约束,而绝不能在这一框架之外,随意减损学生权利或为其增设义务。尤其是不能通过将学生的基本行为自由和惩戒处分互相绑定,由此彻底突破上位法的边界,并使学生的受教育权最终沦为学校可随意宰制的事项。
2
公告送达背后的公开羞辱和隐私权侵犯
值得关注的是,在本案中该校不仅将严重干预学生基本权利的规定作为惩戒和处分依据,甚至在公告中称,“学校于2025年4月15日至2025年4月24日已通过直接送达、邮寄送达、留置送达等方式向你送达《大连工业大学学生违纪拟处分告知书》。为充分维护各方权利,现开展公告送达。如有异议,请在9月7日前,以书面形式或口头形式进行陈述或申辩,特此公告”。
这一操作,同样暴露出学校对学生个人隐私的极不尊重。既然学校已经将处分决定直接送达给该生,此处实难看出还有什么“为维护各方权利”的必要,而再次公告送达的必要,这无疑再度构成了对这名女生的极大精神羞辱。
因为即使在《行政处罚法》中,为避免受处罚人因为处罚决定公开而受到二次伤害,也明确要求,唯有“具有一定社会影响的行政处罚决定”才会公开。从这个意义上说,该校的上述公告方式同样违反了《中华人民共和国民法典》和《中华人民共和国个人信息保护法》中有关个人隐私权保护的规定,该名女生同样可就学校对其施加的精神损害寻求司法救济。
作为一名成年女性,该女生与他人发生性关系,完全属于其性自主权利,只要其具有作出成熟理性选择的能力,且并非受外力强迫,也不涉及卖淫嫖娼等违法犯罪,法律就无权介入,学校自然也无权介入。相反,在校规中赫然规定,只要与外国人发生不正当交往,就要受到记过以上的处分,反而是对个人自由和私人隐私的粗暴干预。
而“有损国格、校誉”的表述,更是对个人强加的道德压制,它不仅荒谬地将学生的私人情感与所谓国格、校誉这些抽象目标强行捆绑,本质上也是将性视为一种资源,所以才会得出只要与外国人交往就有损国格此类极端迂腐和扭曲的结论。
若仍旧允许此类校纪校规继续存在,不仅与《高等教育法》所规定的“高等学校学生的合法权益,受法律保护”的规范目的相悖,也无疑会排挤和贬低学生作为一个普通个人所拥有的人格尊严和基本权利。
如果说在这个案件中,有谁才是真正的有损国格,根本不是那个隐私权受害的女生,而是那些打着所谓的正义旗号对一个普通女性进行疯狂羞辱的网络看客,还有用陈腐的道德诫命无端剥夺学生受教育权的教育机构。
本文首发于凤凰网风声“法治理想国”专栏,主编萧轶。
一个社会的文明程度,第一要看他们怎样待小孩子;第二要看他们怎样待女人。 ——胡适
本来,昨天刚说了不写时事,但这两天全网都在讨论大连某大学以“有辱国格、校誉”的罪名开除某李姓女生的事情,这个事,还多少可以聊几句,那就多句嘴吧。
“有辱国格”这个罪名可太大了,让人想起汪精卫、石敬瑭之类的卖国汉奸,再不济,清末出使英国的郭嵩焘,因为按照西方礼节与洋人交往,竟然在听歌剧的时候学着洋人索要戏单,被他那浑身正能量的副使参了一本“有辱国格”,闹了个死不得归乡安葬的下场。
可是这个李姓女生显然也不是此类大人物,她到底犯了什么十恶不赦的大错呢?
原来她是个小网红兼游戏迷,去年12月,乌克兰有个网名宙斯的37岁男电竞选手到上海参赛,她坐飞机前去捧场,并且当天晚上就和对方睡了一觉。
One night in Shanghai,本来这种私密的男女一夜情,睡了也就睡了。没想到这个乌克兰男人着实渣男一个,睡过之后把两人的私密视频发到自己粉丝圈里,还大谈中国女孩都是“easy girl”,语带炫耀。
而这个女孩,据说其实是有男朋友的,飞上海的机票甚至都是其男友赞助出资的。这个行为着实就确实很不检点,尤其“中国女孩千里陪睡,外国男人睡完炫耀”,这种新闻实在是太戳国内很多民族主义感爆棚的男性们的点了。
于是网暴的滔天巨浪由此兴起——但枪口不是对准那个乌克兰“宙斯”的,而是对着这个女生,搞得女生在学校社死、不上学很久、舆论进一步发酵之后,她所在的学校也终于在日前,公开了她“有辱国格、校誉,开除学籍”的处分决定。
还好,学校给了个申辩机会,希望不是走形式。
我是怎么看待这件事的?
首先必须承认,作为一个有男朋友的女孩,这位女生的行为确实是失当的。若真如网传一般,她花着男友的钱坐飞机去上海追星陪睡,这位女生其实重重的对不起她的男友。
但这是私德,不是“国格”。杀人不过头点地,事发后男友和周围朋友圈对她的有限范围谴责是适当的,但这种谴责发展为网暴,甚至学校出来发一纸公文,以“有辱国格”的罪名开除她的学籍,这就太夸张了。
搞清楚一点好不好?无论这个女生私德如何,在这个事件涉及公权力管辖范围内的那部分而言,她是个受害者,她的隐私被曝光,信息被开盒。说什么跨国惩治那个渣男宙斯有点要求过高,但全网对着这么一个女孩子搞“网络斗破鞋,赛博浸猪笼”,就有点欺软怕硬了——就算是斗破鞋、浸猪笼,也要讲基本法啊,捉奸捉双,懂不懂?
而且,我们不妨换位思考一下:假如是一个男生,背着自己女朋友千里飞赴上海,一天之内就“拿下”了一个来华演出的外国妹子。这种一夜情曝光之后,全网会有如此汹汹的议论么?会压得学校溜肩膀,以迅雷不及掩耳盗铃儿响叮当之势开除学生,划清界限么?
绝对不会。弄不好,还有一帮看客欣闻此事之后跟着喊那男生“扬我国威”呢。
要不然,你以为抖音上为什么那么多秀自己外国媳妇的博主,却鲜少秀外国老公的女性呢?
所以这个事件发酵到热搜头条的过程中,起决定作用的是两种很脏的东西,一曰“性民族主义”,二曰“斗破鞋狂欢”。
我们先说“性民族主义”。
人类7000年的文明历程,大部分时间是被男权社会所笼罩的,诚如恩格斯的《家庭、私有制和国家起源》所言,男性根据自己需求界定了家庭、财产乃至国家:
“他”的所衣所食成为了他的私产,
“他”所耕种的土地成为了其领地,进而泛化为了国家。
那么很自然的,“他”宗族内部或迎娶的女人也就同样被他认为是自己的私产。
于是同一个婚姻中,男人出轨是“占便宜”,女人出轨是“肥水流了外人田”的思想就这么来了。
可是男权思维是一种从古代延续至中世纪的思维模式,近代民族主义勃兴的同时,同步产生的民权叙事,本来是内生性的反对这种把女性性资源看作财产的男权叙事的——因为民族主义首先承认每个公民在民族国家内部享有平等且不可侵犯的私权,民族国家在承认尊重所有国民私权的基础上许诺国家强大可以提升所有人私权的最大公约数,从而才能号召大家爱国、爱民族。
那么照此说来,把男权主义的“性占有”与民族主义结合,搞出一个女人和外国人睡觉就“是可忍熟不可忍”的“性民族主义”,其实就荒谬。因为民族主义首先要承认男人有男人的私产、女人有女人的私产,一个未婚女性,她和谁睡觉发生性关系这种事,这是她的私人自由么。如果连这个自由和权利你都不尊重她,你还要求她爱国、爱民族、要“尊重国格”,那这种爱对她这个个体又有什么益处呢?你连她和谁睡觉的自由都不尊重、不保护?
所以把一个国家的全体女人的“性资源”,看作一个国家所有男人的私产,被外国人睡了就要义愤填膺的“性民族主义”,其实是一个古代与近代思想杂交出来的,非常黄腔走板的怪胎。
但是我们会发现,因为人类文明的进步总是一步步来的,所以这种思维的怪胎其实遍布全球。像那个乌克兰渣男,睡了人家女孩转头就把信息贴到网上,一边炫耀一边嘲笑中国女生是“easy girl”(这个词儿最合适的汉语翻译,其实就是“贱”),他就是这样一个带有这种邪气的男人。
而这种思维的遗毒,在我们的土地上也是大行其道的。中国近代发展的一个特点是民族主义勃兴,但与之相配套的民权主义却没有跟上。很多人是带着中世纪的男权思想接受民族主义叙事的。于是,金庸一写武侠小说,华筝、赵敏这样的蒙古女子,可以去爱郭靖、张无忌这样的“大汉男儿”,爱的要死要活、无限倒贴。
但这样的故事绝对不能倒过来,金庸万万不敢写一个如花似玉的汉族女主人公,这般如痴如狂的去爱一个北方草原民族男子。
就算是杨康他妈包惜弱被金国王子掠走了,也要冰心不化的守贞十几年,不让完颜洪烈动她分毫。
金庸小说的异国恋原则就是:
同样是面对倒贴,郭靖、张无忌可以多情动摇,但包惜弱必须当绝情烈女。
这种完全不考虑现实可能性和两性公平性的“爽剧情”,纯粹就是金大侠为了迎合“性民族主义叙事”YY出来。请注意,我这里不是说金庸的思想水平或审美趣味就是如此,而是说他作为一个通俗小说作者,为了讨好他的受众,不得不这样写。因为他受众的审美趣味就在那个层级。
但其实你把华筝、赵敏千里去寻郭靖、张无忌的那些剧情换位思考一下,会发现这些行为和李姓女生为宙斯做的挺像的。可为什么华筝和赵敏就没人讨厌,很多人这一段还读的很爽呢?
因为“性民族主义”的思维使然。我们觉得本族男人睡了异族女子是“捡便宜”,反过来则是吃亏。于是本国女性给别国男人睡了,在某些男人眼里仿佛“倒卖国宝”的重罪一般——说穿了无非如此罢了。
而我必须说,这样的思维中,是既没有个体,也丝毫不尊重个体的自由的。民族主义在这种叙事中只剩下了一个集体叙事的空壳,它装着男权思维的旧灵魂,恨不得给所有本国女性锁一个贞操带。
让我们再聊聊另一个问题,就是“斗破鞋狂欢”。
我想起王小波先生还在世的时候,特别喜欢讲特殊年代的斗破鞋段子。
他说,那年头人民群众精神生活比较匮乏,农忙时大家又都很累,生产队队长就会说:今天晚上大家娱乐一下,斗个破鞋。
那年头“斗破鞋”的基本流程是这样的:大家放任某对孤男寡女在夜深人静时共入一室,然后开始掐表,算准时间差不多了,就踹门而入,高喊一声“好你们这些xxxx余孽,居然乱搞不正当男女关系!”
然后就是游街、批斗,把奸夫淫妇押到审判台上,让其详细交代的他们“搞破鞋”的过程,底下参与批斗的群众都伸着脖子听,在旁听过程中获得了那年头十分珍贵的性愉悦。
在小说《黄金时代》里,主人公王二是个知识青年,挨这种批斗时能写流畅的书面材料,详细交代自己与有夫之妇的那个过程,还把情节写的声情并茂。
于是一个“交代材料”递上去,居然让看材料的干部看上瘾了,要求王二必须保持“日更”,还不耻下问的对细节进行了探讨:谁是敦伦?什么叫敦敦?
等王二引经据典的把什么叫“敦伦”解释清楚之后,干部又让他少拽文:
”你再有文化,再掉书袋子,也改变不了你是个反动资产阶级的臭流氓这个事实,对不对?
所以还是要就事论事,一定朴实、直白的有什么问题就交代什么问题——一定要写的尽量详细!“
”尽量详尽“
我觉得王小波在这番嬉笑怒骂里,倒是讲了一个很朴素、直白的道理,那就是精神越压抑、文化生活越匮乏的时代,人们才会越对“斗破鞋”这种事兴趣满满。而越是畏葸胆怯的人们,才会越对奸夫淫妇表现得义愤填膺。
至于若有一天,人们连洋人奸夫都不抓了,只问本国淫妇,我实不知这要匮乏、压抑,畏葸、胆怯到何种程度。
尊崇王小波先生的教导,这篇文章写的太长,似乎也过于无趣了。但收尾前我还是想再写两点。
第一,是有人说学校开除那位女生,也是依从学校的规章制度。“与外国人不当交往,有辱国格、校誉”这是明文写在该校校规里的。所以也算依法办事。
可是我们找来该校的校规看看,你会发现,首先,该条款的处罚写了个“记过及以上处分”,该校的很多规章似乎都是这个画风——只规定最低处罚底线而不设定高线,这就导致了学生触犯这些校规,理论上都可以被处以定格的“开除学籍”的处分。
比如研究规章,我们会发现,其实李同学去睡的到底是不是外国人是无所谓的,因为根据第十九条第三款之规定,“学习期间发生性行为”者,同样“给予记过及以上处分”——这就是说,只要李同学出去跟人睡觉了,学校就有权利开除她。
甚至,推而广之的讲,该校可以依照这个条款,去查周边小旅馆的开房记录,只要查到学生开房,一律予以开除也“符合校规”。
真要这么干,我不知道这个学校由多少学生能顺利毕业。
而稍有法律常识的人都应该知道,这样制定校规本身就是不合理的。就像刑法处罚必须规定起刑和顶刑,学校和一切行政机关一样,行使公权应该遵从“比例原则”,不能小错大罚,或者将受管理者处于一种普遍违法的状态,由校方选择性执法,平时开房没事,出了事就搬出校规开除了之。这就太荒诞了,何以“为人师表”?
第二,我想讨论一下,到底什么样的行为才算“有辱国格”?
我们今天去看中东某些宗教教派和奉行它们的政教合一的国家,抓住奸夫淫妇的时候不仅开除学籍、而且“开除人籍”,把人(尤其是女方)半埋到土里,召集一帮愤怒群众朝她扔石头、把她砸死。这是一种比斗破鞋、浸猪笼更严酷、残忍的刑罚。
那么问题来了,那些扔石头的人,砸死奸夫淫妇的时候想的可能也是“维护国格、教格”之类的伟光正词汇。但我们这些千里之外的别国人,在看这种新闻的时候,我们会觉得给这些国家丢脸、“有辱国格”的人到底是谁呢?
是那些出门没戴头巾、跟未婚爱人有“不当交往”的可怜女子么?还是那些扔石头的男人?
真的,到底谁在“有辱国格”?
提到扔石头,我又想起另一个段子。其实“石刑”这种野蛮的刑法,基督教所脱胎的犹太教那里也有。但基督教禁绝了这种刑法,因为《新约》里耶稣有一次被法利赛人所为难——他们把一个“淫妇”带到耶稣面前,说你不是义人么?这妇人犯了淫罪,你说该拿她怎么办?
《耶稣和有罪的妇人》瓦西里·波列诺夫
其实,法利赛人在这里搞了个两头堵——
如果耶稣这里说,按照犹太律法应该把她用石刑砸死,那么按照罗马法律,他这属于动用私刑,法利赛人可以转头举报他。
如果耶稣说,放了她吧,那么按照犹太律法,他违反了教规,法利赛人同样可以处死他。
结果耶稣对这个问题的回答很聪明:“你们中间谁是无罪的,就让他先用石头砸她吧。”
犹太教认为人是有原罪的,所以法利赛人不得不放下石头,悻悻而去。
然后耶稣对这个女人说的话也很有趣。
他说:“我也不定你的罪,走你的路吧,从今以后不要再犯罪了。”
我总觉得,这是一段很可爱、人性的描述,它记在《约翰福音》里,我们怎样对待他人的私德有亏,怎样面对无聊的“斗破鞋”群众,耶稣基督,无论他是否真的存在过,给了我们一个很好的范例。
但我却又想,这个故事成立的前提,是法利赛人好歹还要点脸,否则耶稣一句“你们中间谁是无罪的,就先用石头砸她吧。”的话反而会成为一种号召,大家为了和这淫妇“划清界限”会争先恐后的拿石头砸她,而耶稣,没准也会作为“为有辱国格的淫妇张目的臭公知”,提前被绑上十字架弄死,那样就没彼拉多或犹大什么事了。
胡适先生说过:一个社会的文明程度,第一要看他们怎样待小孩子;第二要看他们怎样待女人。
如果我们竟然淡忘了那些被毒害的孩子,而去津津乐道、严厉惩处于一个哪怕的确私德有亏的女人……
那我实在不知道,究竟是谁,在有辱国格?
当然,我得承认,写这些话也是为了叠甲——这是一篇为“有辱国格”的女生说好话的文章,我觉得她也许私德有亏,但某些受众对她的过度惩处,相比她的行为本身,在文明社会看来,才是真正的有辱国格。
我话讲完,你们若谁觉得我这样说也是“有辱国格”,就请丢石头吧。
全文完
看一个特别典型的论调:
这位没说出潜台词。
潜台词就是,只要用恐怖手段让大连工业大学的女生李同学社会性死亡,甚至肉体消灭,其他的女生就不敢再做有伤国格的事情,见到外国人就不再笑脸相迎,而是坚持斗争,那外国舆论就不会再对中国女孩有负面评价了。
所以,为了那个虚妄的“中国女性的国际评价”“中国女性的整体道德水平”,弄死一两个本身道德水平不高的小妞,也没啥,就算是杀鸡儆猴,为大菊付出的代价。
所以发现了没有,这样想的人,他不是在乎中国女性,而是在乎国际评价,他不是在乎道德水平,而是在乎大菊。
他希望牺牲一个两个女的,就是为了他在外国男的面前挺起腰杆,其实他也没去过国外,别说巴西了,他连护照都没有。
美国人他倒还认识几个,但认识唯一的欧洲人就是张维为。
我不愿意管这群人叫incel,因为太伤人,incel一般被委婉的称作“非自愿单身者”,其实就是因为经济条件或者长相,找不到对象的男的。
我们就管这群人叫苦情哥吧。
因为没有魅力、也找不到对象,苦情哥是一点就着的那种状态,在文章下面留言爱用惊叹号,喜欢喊打喊杀。张嘴闭嘴都是小仙女,看见有女性倒霉的新闻,他一蹦三尺高。
我始终觉得苦情哥不是天然的恶棍,而是迷失在城乡接合部(注意哦这个词这么写)的可怜人。他们有些人是上过大学,甚至读过研究生的。
所有关于性的话题都会激怒苦情哥,彩礼的话题尤其如此。
上周三晚上我自己直播,没主题,就是跟大家连麦唠唠嗑。有个江西姑娘跟我连线,在读研究生,说着说着就哭了。
“熊师傅,我不想在北方上学了,好多男生一听我是江西人,就跟我说,听说你们那里彩礼特别贵啊!你们家也是这样吗?彩礼会拿给弟弟是吗?”
这姑娘觉得关于彩礼的话题特别困扰,她觉得这些北方男人都在地域歧视。
我想了想,跟她说:
“你的男同学,也都是受过教育的人,你可以问问他。”
“你觉得江西彩礼这么高,到底是为什么呢?咱们做一个学术思考。”
“你说不出来吗?那我告诉你。江西是一个多山的地区,发展条件不太好,身边的是湖南、湖北、浙江、福建、广东、安徽,六个邻省。”
“这六个省份都远比江西本省发展水平高,这就对江西造成了人才和人力资源的虹吸。”
“出来找到工作的江西女孩,一般不喜欢回本省结婚。这就使得有些在本地婚配的男性,被迫要支付买断性质的彩礼,补偿女方的家庭。”
“你说的彩礼给弟弟,其实就是买断性质的彩礼,这不仅江西有,河南、河北、安徽江苏的北部、山西、山东、西北各省都是有的。”
“如果江西女性出来求学,在外地结婚,比如北京,那我们自然也要按照北京的规矩,也就是男方支付资助性质的彩礼,女性家庭也会支付资助性质的嫁妆。也就是——钱是给小家庭买房的。北京、上海、江浙、深圳、首尔,都有这样的资助性质彩礼,大家的负担也很重。”
“所以,在问一个女生你们那彩礼贵不贵的同时,男生也应该问问自己,自家的积蓄多不多、收入高不高,能不能支持五环内两居室的首付,这是他们首先要面临的现实问题。”
这姑娘听了恍然大悟,也就没有那么难过了,当时还有很多同学在听,也都觉得这个办法不错。
男人和女人的问题啊,其实是社会问题、是经济问题,不是情绪和仇恨的问题。
80年代末,我们有个一起玩的小朋友的妈妈,是个大学英语老师。
这位阿姨去了美国,跟丈夫离了婚,三十多岁找了一个五十多岁的美国农民,为了拿绿卡。后来绿卡拿到,就把孩子也接出去了。
这个美国农民,可能就是一个美国incel,没有什么魅力,可能有点钱,但没到能吸引力到一个本地老婆的地步,但是他能找一个中国的大学女老师。
为什么?
美国经济实力强,国家有吸引力,很多穷白鬼跑到中国来,当上两个学期的外教,就能带上一个中国姑娘走。
这就是吃到了他们国家强盛期的红利。
有人说为什么现在还有人对外国人没祛魅,还觉得白人高人一等。
你说呢?
如果社会上仍然把外国人看作是一种超国民生物,还帮着丢了自行车的外国人找自行车,还给留学生楼单安空调,还把“跟外国人发生不正当关系”当做一条单独的校规来制裁本国学生,那外国人,就是处于超国民状态啊。
还有,是不是应该想想,为什么成了世界第二强国了,普通人也没有受到应有的尊敬?为什么没有东欧的大学女老师跑到咱们中国来,跟中国农民结婚?
因为咱们没有分享到发展红利。
80年代的美国农民能娶中国老师,是因为他是一个farmer,他是有产者,他的货币坚挺,购买力强,可支配收入高,发展中国家的货物对他来说特别便宜,自己国家的工业品对他来说也消费得起。
现在的苦情哥不能娶东欧女老师,是因为苦情叔和苦情婶儿的新农合……苦情哥2021年买的房,买在了山顶上……苦情哥的行业说没就没……苦情哥的公司被大机构欠款……苦情哥的老板被罚……
算了,不说了。
总之,苦情哥的收入按说应该很高。
但是有人拿走了,能留在苦情哥手里的资源,没法再多养一个人了。
大河有水小河满,小河无水大河干。
在几乎没有降雨的旱季,苦情哥看了看蓄满的水库,“水库也不容易啊。”
苦情哥只好对着比自己更弱势的人,或者倒了霉犯了错的人,大放厥词。
“巴西牛排”会伤害国格吗?
我觉得不会。
但是“天水发糕”真的会。
这么久了,还连一个导致中毒成分的化学分子式都给不出来。
如果给苦情哥买张机票,让他自信满满跑到欧洲去撩妹子。
他会怎么说呢?
“去我家吧,我家父母有退休金,村村通,县里有高铁,3小时能到上海虹桥。”
欧洲妹子翻翻白眼:“算了吧,听说孩子们的食物都才不安全,分分钟中毒呢。”
谁伤你更厉害?
不是李同学,而是天水市市政府们吧。
A report into BBC show MasterChef has found 45 allegations against Gregg Wallace were upheld including one of unwelcome physical contact and another three of being in a state of undress.
In total, the report says 83 allegations were made against the TV presenter, with the majority of the substantiated claims relating to inappropriate sexual language and humour, but also culturally insensitive and racist comments.
The inquiry, conducted by an independent law firm, was ordered by MasterChef's production company Banijay in the wake of a BBC News investigation which first revealed claims of inappropriate sexual comments against Wallace.
Ahead of the report's release, Wallace insisted it had cleared him of "the most serious and sensational allegations".
Last week, it emerged that he had been sacked as presenter of the cooking show, as dozens more people came forward to BBC News with fresh claims against him.
The 50 people who came forward to BBC News said they encountered Wallace across a range of shows and settings.
Around 20 were on Banijay productions, but others related to areas like night clubs, awards ceremonies and other TV shows. Some of the individuals we heard from also contributed to the Banijay inquiry.
A decision has not yet been made about unseen series of MasterChef which was filmed last year.
The report also says that ten standalone allegations were made against other people, two of which were substantiated.
Both of those substantiated allegations , which did not involve Wallace, relate to inappropriate language, one of swearing and one of racist language.
The investigation team also found evidence that between 2005 and 2024, six complaints were raised with the production company and six with the BBC.
Patrick Holland, chief executive of Banijay UK, said in earlier years, "it is clear that escalation procedures were not as robust as they should have been".
"We are extremely sorry to anyone who has been impacted by this behaviour and felt unable to speak up at the time or that their complaint was not adequately addressed," he added.
A BBC statement said: "Although the full extent of these issues were not known at the relevant time, opportunities were missed to address this behaviour – both by the production companies running MasterChef and the BBC.
"We accept more could and should have been done sooner."
The BBC said it apologised to "everyone who has been impacted by Mr Wallace's behaviour", and confirmed it has no plans to work with the presenter in future.
Gregg Wallace has been contacted for comment.
A hosepipe ban affecting 1.1 million people across several postcode areas has been announced by Thames Water.
The water firm said the measure would come into place across Swindon, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire on 22 July due to a lack of rain and increasing demand, which had stretched supplies.
It bans the use of a hosepipe for activities such as watering the garden, washing the car or filling a paddling pool.
It comes as the Environment Agency said it had declared a state of prolonged dry weather in large parts of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Surrey.
Thames Water said the temporary restriction would cover areas with postcodes beginning with OX, GL, SN, RG4, RG8 and RG9.
The ban does not affect businesses where hosepipe use is part of their purpose - for example, garden centres and car washes - but the company said everyone in the region should be "mindful" of water use.
Thames Water said prolonged hot weather meant there was less water available as well as a higher demand, with customers using up to 30% more water when temperatures were above 25C.
Nevil Muncaster, strategic water resources director at Thames Water, said he did not "anticipate the situation will improve any time soon".
"We have to take action now," he said.
"This has been a challenging spring and summer with big spikes in customer demand during hot dry days and very little rainfall to replenish local supplies in the Thames Valley."
He encouraged customers both within and outside the ban area to reduce water use, by doing things like turning taps off while brushing teeth, taking shorter showers and not watering their lawns.
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"She's probably done me out of quite a bit of money - I feel angry and conned."
Julie Gallagher believes her home was sold at a lower price than it could have gone for. There was a buyer who might have offered more for it, an undercover investigation by BBC Panorama can reveal.
Her Connells estate agent appeared to sideline this potential buyer in favour of someone else who had agreed to take out an in-house mortgage.
That mortgage was said to be worth about £2,000 to Connells, while the company potentially stood to make £10,000 in total by arranging add-on services and selling the buyer's property too.
"She sat on this sofa… and said she was actually working for me and she obviously is not, she's working for the company's ends," says Julie. "How dare Connells do that? Just appalling."
Panorama decided to investigate the company after speaking to more than 20 independent financial advisers (IFAs) and mortgage advisers from across England and Wales who had concerns about how the company operated.
One of the biggest estate agencies in the UK, Connells runs 80 chains with more than 1,200 branches. Our undercover reporter, Lucy Vallance, got a job in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in an own-brand office.
During her six weeks there in February, she found evidence that the senior branch manager favoured prospective buyers, if they were planning to take out Connells in-house services, like conveyancing or mortgages, because it made more money for the company.
Connells told us it is "committed to treating all customers and prospective buyers fairly."
Panorama also investigated the online estate agency Purplebricks, after we heard concerns it had been trying to attract sellers by overvaluing properties.
Once a customer was signed up, staff then tried to convince them to cut the asking price, earning commission if successful - a former sales negotiator told us. The whistleblower, who worked for the company between June and October 2024, also filmed online meetings for Panorama.
Purplebricks told us price reductions were once a target for rewarding staff, but that is no longer the case, and it does not overvalue properties to win instructions.
In Abingdon, the undercover reporter found that trying to arrange mortgages could be as important as selling houses - and that Connells' staff felt under pressure to get people signed up.
Connells, like many other estate agencies, has an in-house mortgage-brokering team.
The independent financial advisers we have spoken to - who compete for customers with estate agents' in-house services - say this pressure can lead to some agents in the industry playing fast and loose with the rules.
One practice known as "conditional selling" is forbidden by the Code of Practice for Residential Estate Agents, of which many companies across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland - including Connells - are signatories.
This is when an estate agent suggests, implies or tells you that you must arrange things like mortgages or conveyancing services through their in-house teams - or there will be negative consequences for a deal.
It means estate agents signed up to the code know they should not discriminate against prospective buyers who don't use their in-house services.
Connells' senior branch manager told our reporter, at one point, that she understood conditional selling was not allowed.
But that wasn't the full picture.
Estate agents are supposed to work in the best interests of their clients, but we saw how pressure for profit shaped decisions at Connells in Abingdon.
One Saturday, our reporter was asked to host an open-house viewing for Julie's four-bedroom house, which was on the market for offers over £300,000. It attracted great interest. Fifteen people attended and others also wanted to book separate viewings.
But the following Monday, the senior branch manager seemed interested in two possible buyers - those speaking to Connells' in-house brokers. The next day, via WhatsApp, she told her staff not to arrange any more viewings on Julie's house.
One signed up to a Connells-brokered mortgage and became known by the senior branch manager as a "hot buyer".
A board in the office titled "Hot Buyers" had the names of all house hunters at the branch who had agreed to take out a mortgage or a conveyancing package through Connells.
The hot buyer for Julie's house made an initial offer, which she rejected, but eventually upped it to successfully secure the property.
There was another potential buyer interested in the house who appeared to have deeper pockets - a cash buyer. She wasn't taking out a mortgage through the company.
Connells told us they spoke to the cash buyer the Monday after the open house and that she was undecided about putting in an offer. A call from the cash buyer later the same day was missed, said the company, and not followed up.
When the undercover reporter told the office administrator that the cash buyer might have offered more, she was told that "just a sale" was "not good enough" for Connells.
"They will probably more likely aim to get somebody who's signed up with us and wants to use our conveyancing, as opposed to someone who is a cash buyer," said the administrator. "That's just how Connells are. That's why they ride you if you don't have enough mortgage appointments."
Lisa Webb, consumer law expert with Which? Magazine, reviewed Panorama's evidence of how this sale was managed.
"This is absolutely something that should be against the law - and something that I think that these estate agents really ought to be investigated by the authorities for, because this should not be happening," she told us.
The undercover reporter secretly filmed her boss - the senior branch manager - saying why she was so keen on the hot buyer. Not only would it mean collecting fees from the seller, the manager explained, but also commission from the in-house mortgage with conveyancing fees on top.
In addition, Connells would try to sell the hot buyer's old house - and earn more fees.
The senior branch manager said the combined deal could, in total, be worth £10,000 to the company.
"That, in itself, is just appalling behaviour," said Lisa Webb from Which? when we showed her the footage.
According to the 1979 Estate Agents Act it is classed as an "undesirable practice" for estate agents to discriminate against prospective buyers if they don't take out a mortgage through in-house brokers.
If they do this, they can be investigated by Trading Standards. But it looks like the rules may not cover the sidelining of potential buyers as seen by Panorama's undercover reporter.
Those rules need to be updated, according to financial journalist Iona Bain.
"There's clearly a grey area here, whereby estate agents are able to accept one buyer that will use the in-house broker and turn everybody else away," she told us.
Homeowner Julie, who has now packed up and left her house ahead of the sale going through, was horrified when we told her what had happened.
"I'm quite appalled really that... she [senior branch manager] has kind of taken options out of my hands and probably done me out of quite a bit of money, really."
Connells said it rejects "any accusation of conditional selling" and that "no harm has been caused" to the customer. There were other offers on Julie's property, it told us, but the accepted offer was the highest.
"It is not the case that customers who use our mortgage services are more likely to successfully purchase a property than those who do not," it added. It said that in the six-week period Panorama was undercover, only two properties out of 14 went to customers using the in-house mortgage service.
It also said it invests "significant time and resources in training our teams to ensure they understand the laws, regulations and guidelines within which they must operate".
"Any employee found to be in breach of these standards faces strict disciplinary action, including dismissal," Connells said.
The senior branch manager told Panorama she was content for Connells to respond on her behalf.
At Purplebricks, a whistleblower began secretly filming meetings because she says she became frustrated with how the company was being run.
Firstly on her phone, then with a camera provided by Panorama.
The biggest shock for the whistleblower was learning that staff were being incentivised to get price reductions on properties - many of which, she was told by one of the company's local property agents, appeared to have been put on the market for more than they were worth.
"We are overvaluing properties massively just to gain instructions," said the agent to the whistleblower in a private message.
Estate agents often use property valuations to attract customers - and subsequently dropping the asking price is not unusual. The estate agents' code tells companies they "must never deliberately misrepresent the market value of a property".
The whistleblower was also told in the same message from the agent that staff could earn commission if they persuaded sellers to drop their asking prices.
The same agent suggested to her that 18 price drops per month could earn staff £900 in commission.
In an online meeting, the whistleblower's team leader told staff how to approach conversations with sellers about price drops.
He said, when properties go live, sellers can be told that if there aren't many viewings or offers within the first four weeks then they should "have a conversation about [price] reduction".
"So they won't necessarily push the reduction there and then, but they will plant the seed," he added.
Purplebricks told us it doesn't overvalue properties and that while price reductions were once a target for rewarding staff, that was no longer the case. It said it doesn't claim to be perfect and apologises wherever it has fallen short.
Purplebricks staff were also under pressure to sell financial products like mortgages and conveyancing, the whistleblower told us.
During the time she worked there, she said the company encouraged customers to get their conveyancing done through companies it had deals with, rather than look elsewhere.
"We don't want them to get a quote for comparison because we are by far and away very expensive," said her team leader during an online meeting.
When Ryan Evans and Olivia Phelps bought a two-bedroom house in Sutton-in-Ashfield through Purplebricks they ended up buying conveyancing services through the company.
They paid £2,820 last summer. Using price comparison websites, Panorama found that was nearly three times more than the current cheapest quote for the same property.
"We were none the wiser having never done all this before. I certainly felt like maybe they [Purplebricks] had taken advantage of us a bit because we were first-time buyers," Ryan told us.
Like Connells, Purplebricks is also signed up to the Code of Practice for Residential Estate Agents which says: "You should provide a service to both buyers and sellers consistent with fairness, integrity and best practice."
Our whistleblower also recorded her team leader firing-up staff to sell add-on products in addition to conveyancing.
"So let's try and really squeeze every lead for as much as it's got - and I want us to be a bit more relentless," he told staff at one meeting. "The urgency is massive… there is still a heinous amount of money to be made."
Anyone working in sales is encouraged to sell more, says Lisa Webb of Which?, but it is "a real issue" if an estate agent is "incentivising someone to make a very quick decision" or pressuring them "into making decisions too quickly… before they've had the option to shop around".
Purplebricks said it entirely rejects any portrayal of its service as pressure-selling, adding that it does not promote hard-selling and that it focuses on the benefits, not price, when recommending services.
In a statement, it also said that since new owners took over in 2023, it has "worked hard to improve service and build a team and culture that puts customers first".
The whistleblower's team leader did not want to comment and told us he had left Purplebricks.
An aircraft has crashed at London Southend Airport, police have confirmed.
Essex Police said it was alerted to a 12-metre plane on fire at the site in Southend-on-Sea shortly before 16:00 BST on Sunday.
The East of England Ambulance Service said four crews were at the scene including a rapid response vehicle, a hazardous area response vehicle and a senior paramedic.
The Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, David Burton-Sampson, said on X: "My thoughts are with everyone involved."
Police said, as a precaution, officers have evacuated the Rochford Hundred Golf Club and Westcliff Rugby Club due to its proximity to the incident.
A spokesperson for Essex Police said: "We are working with all emergency services at the scene now and that work will be ongoing for several hours.
"We would please ask the public to avoid this area where possible while this work continues."
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to the incident at 15:58.
The service has asked people to avoid the area if possible.
A spokesperson said: "Crews from Southend (two), Rayleigh Weir and Basildon (two), along with off-road vehicles from Billericay and Chelmsford attended.
"We are continuing to work at the scene with our emergency services and aviation partners."
A man has been jailed for life for the brutal murder of his girlfriend at their home in South Lanarkshire.
Ewan Methven admitted the violent attack on 21-year-old Phoenix Spencer-Horn at a flat in Glen Lee, East Kilbride, in November 2024.
He had attempted to defeat the ends of justice by covering up the crime and pretending to her family that she was still alive.
Methven was sentenced to a minimum of 23 years in prison at the High Court in Glasgow.
WARNING: This article contains distressing details.
Sentencing Methven, judge Lord Matthews told him he had "rarely heard such outpourings of grief as in the victim impact statements".
He said: "The sadness and deep sense of loss (the family) all feel and continue to feel because of what you did.
"You were a trusted member of her family and you betrayed that trust and robbed her of a life in the cruelest way.
"Not content with what you did to her, you robbed her of all dignity in death by decapitating her and tried to dismember her in an attempt to defeat the ends of justice.
"The way you treated her after her death meant that her family didn't have the comfort of saying goodbye to her."
In a letter to the judge, Methven wrote: "I know how loved Phoenix was and how she made her family complete. I cannot believe I have taken her from them."
Prosecutors had told the court that Methven choked Ms Spencer-Horn before severing her head and trying to remove her limbs and torso from her body.
Earlier that day, Methven, who worked as a postman, had complained to his girlfriend that her waitress shifts made him "lonely".
She had exchanged messages with her mother, Alison Spencer, at 21:37 saying they were eating dinner.
The couple had been together for two years and met at a family party, the court was told.
Around midnight, a downstairs neighbour heard "a loud noise and hurried footsteps" which coincided with increased activity recorded on a phone app measuring Methven's steps.
He had attacked Ms Spencer-Horn with three knives, stabbing her 20 times. The fatal stab wound was to the chest. There were others in that area as well as to the face and buttocks.
Methven tried to cover up the killing for two days.
He spent the weekend driving Ms Spencer-Horn's red Corsa, scrolling through her phone and searching 170 times for internet pornography, as well as making several attempts to buy cocaine, according to prosecutors.He also repeatedly pretended in texts to his victim's mother that her daughter was "alive and well".
During an earlier hearing, prosecutor Christopher McKenna said: "The accused murdered his girlfriend, Phoenix Spencer-Horn, in the top-floor flat they shared.
"Late on Saturday 16 November, he strangled her and stabbed her. He dialled 999 but not until 18 November.
"Her mutilated and decapitated body was discovered only on 18 November."
The court heard that Ms Spencer-Horn had seen her mother the day before she was killed and had been in good spirits at work the day she was murdered.
In a 999 call, Methven claimed that the murder happened during a psychotic episode induced by cocaine, alcohol and steroids - which he claimed he thought had been spiked.
He told the operator he had been "trying to muster up the courage to phone" and that he had "totally blacked out through the thing".
The court heard a delivery driver reported Methven "did not appear to be drunk or under the influence" at 20:00 on the night of the murder.
Police arrived at the flat and found Ms Spencer-Horn's body covered up in the hallway next to two blood-stained knives. Another bloodied knife was found in the bathroom.
Methven was described as "calm".
Upon his arrest, he told officers: "I could not stay here with her like that. I tried to dismember her. I moved her from the bath and put her there."
After he was put in a police cell, he said: "I guess this is what my next 25 years look like."
His KC Tony Graham said Phoenix's family and friends were likely to regard Methven as the "personification of evil".
Following Ms Spencer-Horn's death, a fundraising page amassed thousands of pounds to help with funeral costs.
Her family went on to donate much of it to the Women's Aid charity.
Its Glasgow branch thanked the family, saying the cash would be used to protect others and continue her legacy.
"Her name, Phoenix, now stands for more than loss. It stands for action. For change. For refusing to let her story end in silence," the charity posted on social media.
"This is what it means to rise from the ashes. To take this devastating crime and use it to protect others.
"Phoenix should still be here. But her legacy is one that's lifting others up, and that matters. Turning pain into action. Refusing to let her name be forgotten."