Trinidad and Tobago Sides With U.S. in Battle Against Venezuela, Military Tool Suggests

© Andrea De Silva/Reuters

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© Josh Koch/U.S. Geological Survey
Former first lady Michelle Obama on Monday appeared to push back on President Donald Trump’s controversial remarks about the death of Hollywood couple Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
In an appearance on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Obama shared that she and her husband, former President Barack Obama, were supposed to see the Reiners on Sunday — the same day their bodies were discovered stabbed to death in their California home.
While her husband early Monday shared that the two were “heartbroken” to learn of the Reiners’ deaths, Michelle Obama appeared to single out Trump’s statement, which attributed the couple's deaths to “Trump derangement syndrome” and the director's lack of support for the president.
“Let me just say this, unlike some people: Rob and Michele Reiner are some of the most decent, courageous people you ever want to know,” she told Kimmel. “They’re not deranged or crazed. What they have always been are passionate people. In a time when there’s not a lot of courage going on, they were the kind of people who were ready to put their actions behind what they cared about. And they cared about their family. And they cared about this country.”
Police are currently investigating the Reiners’ deaths as an “apparent homicide,” and authorities announced Monday that Reiner’s son, Nick Reiner, is in custody as a suspect. He has been booked on murder charges and is being held on $4 million bail.
The son of legendary comedian Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner was a strong supporter of progressive causes, including LGTBQ+ rights and early childhood education, and often held fundraisers and campaigned for Democratic issues. He was also a frequent critic of Trump’s.
In a Monday morning post to Truth Social, Trump said Reiner was “a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS.”
Despite sharp backlash from Democrats and Republicans alike, Trump doubled down on his comments during a medal presentation Monday afternoon, telling reporters in the Oval Office that he wasn’t a fan of Reiner’s “at all.”
“He was a deranged person as far as Trump is concerned,” Trump said.
The White House declined to comment.


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Elio Della Ferrera, Arch. PaleoStelvioThousands of dinosaur footprints dating back 210 million years have been found in a national park in northern Italy.
The footprints - some of which are up to 40cm (15in) in diameter - are aligned in parallel rows, and many show clear traces of toes and claws.
It is thought the dinosaurs were prosauropods - herbivores with long necks, small heads and sharp claws.
"I never would have imagined I'd come across such a spectacular discovery in the region where I live," said Milan-based paleontologist Cristiano Dal Sasso.

Illustrazione di Fabio Manucci, Arch. PaleoStelvioLast September a photographer spotted the footprints stretching hundreds of metres on a vertical mountain wall in the Stelvio national park, north-east of Milan.
In the Triassic period - between about 250 and 201 million years ago - the wall was a tidal flat, which later became part of the Alpine chain.
"This place was full of dinosaurs; it's an immense scientific treasure," Mr Dal Sasso said.
The herds moved in harmony, he added, "and there are also traces of more complex behaviours, like groups of animals gathering in a circle, perhaps for the purposes of defence."
The prosauropods, which could be up to 10m (33ft) long, walked on two legs but in some cases handprints were found in front of footprints, indicating that they probably stopped and rested their forelimbs on the ground.

Elio Della Ferrera, Arch. PaleoStelvioElio Della Ferrera, the photographer who discovered the site, said he hoped the discovery would "spark reflection in all of us, highlighting how little we know about the places we live in: our home, our planet."
According to a press release from the Italian culture ministry, the area is remote and not accessible by paths, so drones and remote sensing technology will be employed instead.
The Stelvio national park is located in the Fraele valley by Italy's border with Switzerland, near where the Winter Olympics will take place next year.
"It's as if history itself wanted to pay homage to the greatest global sporting event, combining past and present in a symbolic passing of the baton between nature and sport," said the Italian Ministry of Culture.

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澳大利亚悉尼邦迪海滩周日(12月14日)严重恐袭案件的调查取得新进展,警方与情报机构的调查显示,两名袭击父子可能与极端组织“伊斯兰国”存在关联。
据法国电视France24驻悉尼的特约记者格雷戈里·普莱斯报道的报道,警方最初通报称,在袭击者所使用的车辆中发现了两面临时制作的“伊斯兰国”旗帜。随着调查深入,当局披露了更多关于袭击者背景的细节,尤其是有关24岁的儿子纳维德·阿克拉姆的情况,他目前仍处于昏迷状态,还无法接受警方讯问。
调查发现,这名年轻袭击者长期与一名宣扬伊斯兰圣战的人保持联系,同时还曾与一名负责在澳大利亚为“伊斯兰国”招募青年的男子有往来。这名招募者目前已被关押在监狱。
更为重要的信息是,这对父子几乎在整个11月期间曾前往菲律宾活动。据菲律宾当局表示,两人持印度护照抵达首都马尼拉,随后前往菲律宾南部的棉兰老岛。该地区长期被认为是多个极端组织的活动据点,同时存在伊斯兰主义武装的训练营。
一名反恐消息人士向澳大利亚广播公司(ABC)透露,这名年轻人很可能在棉兰老岛接受过某种形式的军事化训练。调查人员指出,两人在完成这次行程后,于11月28日返回澳大利亚,而在返澳仅几天后便实施了这起造成严重死伤的袭击事件。
澳大利亚总理阿尔巴尼斯周二则首次表示,涉嫌犯下悉尼邦迪海滩恐袭的父子,似乎是在以“伊斯兰国”组织意识形态的驱使下干案,两人在展开大规模谋杀前已经激进化。
阿尔巴尼斯透露,24岁的纳维德早在2019年就受到澳洲情报机构的关注,但他当时并未被认为构成即可的威胁。阿尔巴尼斯补充说,与纳维德有往来的人当中,有两人后来被起诉并入狱,但当时纳维德并未被视为是须重点关注的人物。
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CPSA man who used his car as a "weapon" to plough into more than 130 people at Liverpool FC's victory parade has been jailed for 21 years and six months.
Paul Doyle, 54, drove at crowds "in a rage" after his "anger had completely taken hold of him" shortly before 18:00 BST on 26 May, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
Judge Andrew Menary KC said the ex-Royal Marine, who stared straight ahead with no expression as he was sentenced, had generated "fear and panic" and his "disregard for human life defied ordinary understanding".
He admitted 31 charges including causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and dangerous driving and affray, with victims ranging from a six-month-old baby to a 77-year-old woman.
The married father of three was travelling into the city centre to collect friends from the parade when he "lost his temper" and drove his Ford Galaxy directly into supporters making their way home from the Premier League title celebrations.
Dashcam footage from Doyle's vehicle, played in court, showed the moments when fans were thrown onto the bonnet of his car or fell underneath as he accelerated down Water Street, which had been closed to traffic.
In the footage, Doyle can be heard shouting "move" and swearing at the crowd, including after he hit a 10-year-old girl.
Judge Menary told Doyle as he sentenced him: "It is difficult, if not impossible, to convey in words alone the scene of devastation you caused.
"It shows you, quite deliberately, accelerating into groups of fans time and time again.
"You struck people head-on, knocked others onto the bonnet, drove over limbs, crushed prams and forced those nearby to scatter in terror."
Judge Menary continued: "You ploughed on at speed and over a considerable distance, violently knocking people aside or simply driving over them - person, after person, after person.
"You accelerated forwards and backwards repeatedly, several victims became trapped beneath the vehicle as you continued to move it.
"Others were thrown into the air or propelled across the ground."
He added Doyle acted in an "inexplicable and undiluted fury" when he ploughed into the crowds.
Doyle, from Croxteth, Liverpool, spent large portions of the two-day sentencing hearing in tears - with dashcam and CCTV footage of his attack played multiple times to the public gallery.
He gave no reaction as he was taken down from the dock by prison officers.
Victims of the rampage on Water Street in the city centre spoke of their terror and injuries during the two-day hearing.
Sheree Aldridge, 37, said she thought her baby son Teddy Eveson had died after his pram was thrown into the air after being hit by Doyle's car, adding that she thought she would "be next".
"I thought my children would grow up without a mother," she said.
A 12-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: "I found myself on the floor having been hit by a car I did not see coming, I have never felt so scared before in my life."
The boy's mother said her heart sank when she saw her child motionless on the floor.
She said: "The sight of my son lying motionless on the road, not moving for those few seconds, and the sound of the car hitting people will live with me forever."
When interviewed by police, Doyle said he had seen someone with a knife and had driven in panic for fear he would be attacked.
But police found no evidence from CCTV footage or witnesses that anyone in the area had a knife.
No defects were found with the car and Doyle was not under the influence of drink or drugs.
He changed his plea to guilty on the second day of his trial last month, with the judge telling him his sentence reflected the fact he could have admitted the offences "much earlier than you did".

PA MediaFollowing sentencing, Judge Menary said he wished to formally commend Daniel Barr, who climbed into the back seat of Doyle's car and held the automatic gear stick in park mode to bring the vehicle to a stop.
"His actions on that day were outstandingly brave," the judge said.
"At a moment when many understandably feared for their own safety, he ran towards the danger, entered a moving vehicle and brought it to a halt, thereby preventing further injury and quite possibly saving lives."
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BBCThe man whose instinctive act stopped the car that injured 134 fans at the Liverpool FC victory parade has insisted he was "not a hero".
Dan Barr, 41, managed to get inside the automatic Ford Galaxy and forced its gear selector into 'park' mode as driver Paul Doyle tried to accelerate further into the dense crowd of pedestrians on Liverpool's Water Street.
Mr Barr, a former solider, described the "horrendous" sight of seeing victims pleading in vain for Doyle, 54, to stop, and told the BBC: "I'm not the same since that day."
Despite being hailed for his bravery by police and prosecutors, Mr Barr said being called a hero makes him "cringe" and added: "Every man that I seen was trying to do the same."
Earlier Doyle, from Croxteth in Liverpool, was jailed for 21 years and six months at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting 31 offences including causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent.
The court head Doyle, an IT networking engineer and former Royal Marine, was motivated by nothing other than "blind rage" as he grew frustrated about being unable to get through the crowds while on his way to pick up a friend.
His victims ranged in age from six-month-old Teddy Eveson, whose pram was knocked to the ground, to 77-year-old Susan Passey who was trapped under the wheels of the car.
Liverpool fan Mr Barr, from Birkenhead in Wirral, had watched the parade on the city's waterfront and found himself in the throngs of people heading back to the city centre along Water Street, shortly before 18:00 BST.
The former Royal Engineer said he noticed an ambulance trying to get through the dense crowd and moved to the right of where it was heading.
Mr Barr said his memory of what happened next is "blurry", but he described seeing the roof of a dark coloured car "snaking through" the crowd, knocking people into the air as it got closer to where he was standing.
"I just remember for some reason, I don't know why, but his vehicle stopped for a bit," he said.
Mr Barr said realised he had a clear path to the rear left hand side door and instinctively ran towards the car.
"There was already other men at different positions around the car trying to get in, desperately trying to punch their way in," he said.
"Just the sheer desperation of the situation, you knew it wasn't over."

CPSMr Barr said he assumed the car doors would be locked and braced himself to try and punch the window through.
However at the last moment he tried the door handle, and was able to open it and climb inside.
However as Mr Barr climbed into the back seat Doyle accelerated forwards and the door slammed shut.
"We've gone from total chaos - panic, screaming - to relative silence as he's accelerated off," he said.
"Then you can just hear the people being hit and run over, like ten-pin bowling, pretty horrendous. I could see everything from where I was.
"I could see people's faces, I could see the looks of just, like they were trying to plead but wasting their time.
"That's all that they could do, there was nowhere to go, nowhere to get out of the way for them."


Mr Barr said at that stage he desperately searched for a way to stop the car, and noticed the gearstick in drive mode.
He reached between the front seats and jammed it forwards to park mode.
"Things are fuzzy but I kept my hand on there," he said.
"Nothing would have moved my arm, no way."
With the car not able to accelerate and with injured victims trapped under the wheels, Doyle's rampage was over.
As the vehicle came to a stop other people shattered the windows and tried to drag Doyle out, which they succeeded in doing after Mr Barr reached forward and released the driver's seatbelt.
Detectives viewing dashcam footage from within Doyle's vehicle have said they believe Doyle may not have been aware of Mr Barr's presence in the car.
The labourer said he is unsure.
"I find it a very interesting question," he said.
"He was repeating the same thing over and over, 'why won't they move out my way?'
"Was he asking me? Was that a statement? I don't know."
Although he escaped with a minor cut to his head, Mr Barr said the psychological impact of 26 May is ongoing.
"I don't think I have processed it, to be honest with you," he said.
"It doesn't mean that I don't think I ever will be, but I'm not the same since that day.
"Big things don't bother me, it's little things. Little things are starting to agitate me every day.
"I'm different in work, I struggle to take on instruction, I struggle to watch telly, take things on board. I'll have to keep rewinding it. It's mad.
"I don't really know what I'm saying, I'm just not myself, I'm very forgetful."

PA MediaMr Barr said despite having been in the army for eight years, including tours in Iraq where his role was searching for improvised explosive devices (IEDs), he rarely talked about his service.
However he said the impact of what happened on Water Street and concern from his family and friends has led him to seek professional help.
When asked about people describing him as "brave" or "heroic", he said: "It makes my toes curl to be honest with you...
"If they could have, who wouldn't have done what I did?"
The man charged with leading the investigation into the Water Street attack, Det Ch Insp John Fitzgerald, however, had a different view.
"There is no doubt in my mind that Doyle would have continued to drive and cause further injuries had Daniel not acted with such bravery." he said.
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.

BBCThe government has ordered an independent review into foreign financial interference in UK politics.
It comes after the former leader of Reform UK in Wales, Nathan Gill, was jailed for 10-and-a-half years after admitting to taking bribes for pro-Russian interviews and speeches.
Announcing the review, Communities Secretary Steve Reed said the government must "learn the lessons" from the case so "this can never happen again".
The review will be led by former senior civil Philip Rycroft and will report back in March.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Reed said: "The facts are clear. A British politician took bribes to further the interests of the Russian regime, a regime which forcefully deported vulnerable Ukrainian children and killed a British citizen on British soil using a deadly nerve agent.
"This conduct is a stain on our democracy. The independent review will work to remove that stain."
The government says the review will conduct an "in-depth assessment of the current financial rules and safeguards and offer recommendations to further mitigate risks from foreign political interference".
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.

BBCA teenage boy has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a nine-year-old girl.
Police were called to Lime Close in the Mead Vale area of Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, at 18:09 GMT on Monday, where the girl was pronounced dead at the scene.
The boy was arrested in nearby Worle at 18:19 and is currently in police custody.
House-to-house inquiries are being carried out, with a police cordon in place.
Supt Jen Appleford, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: "We know the whole of Weston-super-Mare will be distraught and shocked to learn of this utterly dreadful news."
She said the girl's family had been informed on Monday evening, adding: "It is impossible for us to adequately put into words the pain and anguish they are feeling right now."


A criminal investigation is underway, with a post-mortem examination to be carried out.
"Out of respect for the family we'd please ask people not to speculate on the circumstances, or the identities of those involved, because that will only add to their enormous distress," Supt Appleford added.
The community has been asked to remain patient as inquiries are carried out at the house and in the surrounding area.
There will be an increased police presence around the residential close in the coming days, though the force said it was not aware of any increased risk to public safety.
Mike Bell, the leader of North Somerset Council, said he was "shocked and saddened" to hear of the incident.
In a post on social media, he said: "My thoughts are with all those affected, particularly the family and friends of the girl who has lost her life.
"The community will, I am sure, pull together to support each other at this difficult time."
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National LotteryOne lucky couple has beaten extraordinary odds to win £1million on the National Lottery - for the second time.
Richard Davies, 49, and Faye Stevenson-Davies, 43, first scooped a seven-figure jackpot playing the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker in June 2018.
And now they have done it again by matching five main numbers and the Bonus Ball in the Lotto draw on 26 November - the chances of which are more than 24-trillion-to-one, say experts.
"We knew the odds of it happening again were outrageous, but we're proof that if you believe anything is possible," said Faye, from mid Wales.
But, as Richard explained, their second win was not a case of simply picking the right numbers.
"It came to us through a series of four consecutive Lotto draws," he said.
"When you match two numbers in the Lotto draw, you automatically win a Lucky Dip for the next game and that's what's happened to us.
"We matched two numbers and won a free Lucky Dip from one draw which put us into the next draw and so on, until the winning draw on 26 November."
However, this latest windfall is unlikely to change the couple's community-minded attitude.
Former hairdresser Richard uses his skills at a shelter for the homeless in Cardiff, a project which received vital National Lottery funding, while also helping out friends by working as a delivery driver.

National LotteryMeanwhile, ex-nurse Faye is a volunteer cook at Cegin Hedyn community kitchen in Carmarthen, while also providing mental health counselling services to local organisations such as Brecon & District Mind charity.
"The first time we won we gifted people cars, donated a minibus to the local rugby team and did our best to help friends and family," said Faye, who will even be working on Christmas Day.
"It was all new and it was amazing to be able to make a difference.
"This time around, who knows? We're just going to take our time and enjoy the moment."
Andy Carter, senior winners' adviser at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, said: "I can still remember the day I met Richard and Faye for the first time, and it's just as special to be with them as they celebrate their second £1m win.
"I saw the positive impact of that first win and know this second one will be just as meaningful."

BBCThe government has formally begun the process which will decide the future of the BBC.
It has published a consultation document - or green paper - laying out plans to future-proof the BBC, put it on a sustainable financial footing and bolster trust.
This begins the renewal of the BBC charter - the corporation's rulebook and licence to exist - which expires in 2027.
The culture secretary Lisa Nandy said: "The BBC is fundamental to the health of our nation and we want to make sure that we put it on a firm footing for decades to come.
"We're asking everybody to get involved and play their part in helping to shape its future."
Outgoing BBC director general Tim Davie said in a statement: "We welcome the publication of the government's green paper and the start of the public consultation on the future of the BBC. We urge everyone who cares about the success of the UK's world-leading creative industries to have their say.
"At the BBC, we want change, so we can continue to deliver for the UK for generations to come. We want to secure a public service BBC that is independent, sustainably funded for the long term, and meets our audience's needs."
Former BBC controller of editorial policy, Richard Ayre, described the consultation as "the most encouraging start of a charter process in decades, with the government apparently committed to giving the BBC a sustained and financially sustainable future".
The licence fee brought in £3.8 billion last year. Other funding streams - advertising, subscription and fee reform, including charging wealthier people more - are on the table for now, although many media commentators expect the licence fee to remain, with some changes.
Nandy said: "We're keeping all options open. The only option for funding the BBC that we've ruled out is general taxation and that is because it is essential that the BBC can hold governments of any persuasion to account, including ours, without fear or favour and without being heavily reliant on direct funding from government."
She described the BBC as "an institution that matters deeply to the democratic process in this country and to the health of our nation" and said it "has to have sustainable funding in order to thrive".
But she also acknowledged recent issues at the corporation: "There have been serious concerns about developments at the BBC, including editorial standards and about political interference.
"These aren't new challenges for the BBC. Throughout its history it's had to navigate them, but we believe that through this charter we can strengthen the amount of accountability within the BBC."
Former BBC director general Tony Hall suggested there should be careful consideration of a household tax charged in line with council tax bands.
The government rejects that model. It does, however, accept that public funding of the BBC will remain in some form and Lord Hall suggests an independent body, like a pay review body, to "take the politics out of the licence fee debate".
"Give them the task every three years of reviewing whether the money the BBC has got matches our ambitions for the BBC," he said.
He agrees the licence fee needs to be reformed and made "fairer".
The Reform party wants to scrap the licence fee altogether, while Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, threatened to withdraw support for it earlier this year.
The Liberal Democrats are supportive of the licence fee up until 2027. The Green Party did not specifically mention the BBC in its 2024 manifesto.

PA MediaThere will be a 12-week public consultation and the government is seeking views on how to ensure the BBC commands the public's trust, is accountable to audiences and fully represents communities.
This includes potentially giving the corporation new responsibilities to counter misinformation and disinformation, updating the BBC's mission to put accuracy on the same footing as impartiality and strengthening the BBC's independence, including examining political appointments to the BBC's board.
Labour MPs raised concerns around this issue in Parliament after the recent BBC controversy over the misleading edit of a Donald Trump speech on a Panorama prompted the resignations of the BBC director general and the CEO of News.
Trump is now suing the BBC for defamation over the edit.
Lord Hall told BBC News: "I think trying to take the politics as much as possible out of the organisation would be good. That means really looking carefully at appointments. I don't think there should be any political appointments to the board."
Others argue these appointments (there are five government-appointees on the BBC board including the chairman) ensure accountability and help challenge groupthink.
The BBC has faced a series of controversies in recent months for which it has had to apologise.
These include a documentary about children in Gaza that had to be taken down from BBC iPlayer after it emerged the child narrator was the son of a Hamas official and the failure immediately to remove the punk duo Bob Vylan's set from a Glastonbury live stream after offensive comments were made on stage.
Nandy termed the Labour government "unashamedly supporters of the BBC as an institution, even as we've had serious frustrations with some of the decisions and failings that have taken place at the BBC in recent months".
She said the review of the charter was the chance "to make sure that it can not just survive, but thrive. It's an institution that belongs to us all. If it didn't exist, we would have to invent it".
The consultation will also look at how to devolve more commissioning to the regions and whether there should be a new obligation on the BBC to drive economic growth, build skills and support the UK economy.
The BBC is the only organisation operating under a royal charter with an expiry date. In a speech in November 2024, the BBC chairman Samir Shah said "there are more than 1,000 charter bodies, and I am not aware of any other that needs to be renewed like the BBC".
He asked: "Should we consider the BBC also having a permanent charter like the others?"
The government appears to be consulting on this, with some suggesting the threat of a future Reform government is focusing minds on the uncertainty renewal every decade creates and whether it allows too much political interference.
Ayre said: "It's interesting that the government chooses the word 'future-proof' for the BBC. Can that really mean that they're considering not a 10-year charter, which is the norm, but a sort of self-sustaining charter which will see the BBC continuing in its key position as the national broadcaster for what the government calls decades to come?
"Of course future governments can always try to undo that, but actually a royal charter, it's quite difficult to undo because technically it is the will of the monarch rather than of the government of the day".
Hall said "the great thing about the charter review this time is that I believe the government wants to secure the BBC's future for the long term. It could be a great legacy."
Next year, following the consultation, the government will publish its own vision for the BBC.

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根据路透社独家获取的Meta(原Facebook)内部文件,这家社交媒体巨头长期容忍中国广告商在其平台(Facebook、Instagram、WhatsApp)上大规模发布欺诈、非法赌博、色情等违规广告,仅2024年,Meta在中国的广告收入高达180亿美元,其中约30亿美元(19%)来自违规广告。为保住这笔巨额收入,Meta不仅解散了专门打击中国欺诈广告的团队,还放宽了对中国广告代理商的审核标准,导致欺诈广告死灰复燃。
中国:Meta最大的“欺诈广告输出国”
根据Meta内部文件,中国已成为其平台上欺诈和违规广告的最大来源地,约占全球此类广告的四分之一。2024年,Meta在中国的广告收入高达180亿美元,其中约30亿美元(19%)来自欺诈、非法赌博、色情等违规广告。这些广告的受害者遍布全球:台湾消费者购买假冒保健品,美国和加拿大的投资者被骗取毕生积蓄,甚至有欺诈团伙利用WhatsApp群组诱骗用户投资虚假股票,单起案件涉案金额高达2.14亿美元。
Meta内部员工在2024年4月的一份报告中警告:“我们需要大幅投资以减少不断增长的危害。” 然而,高层最终选择“维持现状”,容忍中国广告商的高违规率。这一决定背后,是Meta对中国市场巨额收入的依赖——中国市场占其全球总收入的11%,是其最重要的海外广告收入来源之一。
反欺诈团队的短暂胜利与突然解散
2024年上半年,Meta组建了一支专门团队,通过技术手段和加强审核,成功将中国违规广告的比例从19%降至9%。然而,这一进展在Meta CEO扎克伯格的介入后戛然而止。内部文件显示,扎克伯格在2024年底要求团队“暂停工作”,随后这支反欺诈团队被解散,Meta还解除了对中国广告代理商的新增审核限制。不到半年,违规广告比例便反弹至16%。
Meta发言人安迪·斯通(Andy Stone)在回应路透社的采访时表示,反欺诈团队本就为“临时”,扎克伯格要求“加倍努力打击全球欺诈”,但未解释为何放弃针对中国市场的专项行动。内部文件却显示,Meta明确选择“永久容忍”中国广告商的高违规率,仅追求“维持全球危害比例”,而非与其他市场“同标准”。
中国广告代理商的“灰色产业链”
Meta在中国的广告业务主要依赖11家“顶级代理商”招募广告主,这些代理商再将账户转租给二级、三级代理,形成复杂的“中间商网络”。这种模式为欺诈广告提供了庇护:广告优化专家专门研究Meta的审核漏洞,帮助欺诈广告“避开封禁”;部分代理商公开宣称能提供“80%更低的封禁风险”;而Meta的“白名单”机制则允许顶级代理商的广告即使被系统标记为违规,也会进入“二次人工审核”,期间广告仍可继续投放,为欺诈者赢得时间。
路透社记者通过实测发现,仅需30美元(以加密货币支付)即可通过二级代理商开设广告账户,并成功投放“高回报投资骗局”广告,最终吸引数十名用户点击。这些代理商中,不少是Meta官方认证的“Badged Partners”,即“值得信赖的专家”,但实际却公然为违规广告提供便利。
Meta的“选择性执法”与利益权衡
内部文件坦言,Meta“永久容忍”中国广告商的高违规率,仅追求“维持全球危害比例”,而非与其他市场“同标准”。2025年5月,Meta抽样调查发现,800个中国广告账户在一个月内投放了2800万美元违规广告,其中75%来自“受保护”的顶级代理商账户。面对员工质疑“为何不惩罚大客户”,回应是:“收入影响太大。”Meta最终仅关停了部分严重违规的小账户,但文件预测:“收入很快会卷土重来。”
Meta前产品管理高级总监Rob Leathern在接受采访时表示,如此高的违规广告比例“难以辩护”,“不知道怎么会有人觉得这可以接受”。伦敦咨询公司Propellerfish在报告中更直言不讳:Meta的政策和行为“助长了中国广告市场的系统性腐败”。
Meta与中国的“复杂关系”
2009年中国封禁Facebook后,Meta多年试图重返中国市场,甚至秘密开发过“让中国政府直接审核内容”的系统,但最终未能如愿。目前,Meta在中国的广告收入主要来自Shein、Temu等跨境电商巨头,但欺诈广告多来自中小企业。由于欺诈广告针对的是海外用户,中国监管部门“通常不干预”,这使得中国广告商在Meta平台上几乎“零风险”地开展欺诈活动。
受害者与监管压力
2025年3月,美国伊利诺伊州检方起诉7名台湾和马来西亚人,涉嫌利用Facebook和Instagram广告诱骗美国投资者购买虚假股票,造成巨额损失。此案再次将Meta推上风口浪尖。美国参议员已呼吁证券交易委员会(SEC)和联邦贸易委员会(FTC)介入调查Meta的广告欺诈问题。
Meta内部文件和实测均证明,其明知中国广告欺诈猖獗,却为保住数十亿美元收入,选择性放弃严格执法。这种“默许”不仅损害全球用户利益,更为欺诈产业链提供了庇护。在监管压力和道德质疑面前,Meta的选择暴露了科技巨头在利益与责任之间的艰难平衡。
路透社评论指出,当一家公司的商业模式依赖于“容忍欺诈”,其平台安全承诺的可信度将面临严峻考验。
确实,随着国际社会对Meta的质疑声不断升级,这家社交媒体巨头将如何平衡商业利益与用户安全,值得持续关注。

YURIY DYACHYSHYN/AFPUkraine's biggest energy provider is living in permanent crisis mode because of Russian attacks on the grid, its chief executive has told the BBC.
Most of Ukraine is suffering from lengthy power cuts as temperatures drop and Maxim Timchenko, whose company DTEK provides power for 5.6 million Ukrainians, says the intensity of strikes has been so frequent "we just don't have time to recover".
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Russia knew the winter cold could become one of its most dangerous weapons.
"Every night Ukrainian parents hold their children in basements and shelters hoping our air defence will hold," he told the Dutch parliament.
As the fourth anniversary of Russia's full scale invasion approaches, Maxim Timchenko says Russia has repeatedly targeted DTEK's energy grid with "waves of drones, cruise and ballistic missiles" and his company has found it difficult to cope.
Tens of thousands of people in the southern city of Odesa have been without electricity for three days this week, following a co-ordinated Russian attack.

Reuters"Life has been difficult, but people are very supportive of each other," says Yana, who is among those lucky enough still to have power. She has invited friends to her home to charge their phones.
Power outages also cut off heat and water supplies and Yana says those still connected to the grid have offered strangers the chance to wash or take a shower.
Across Ukraine electricity is being rationed – with supplies turned on for a few hours each day.
Many Ukrainians rely on power banks and generators as a back-up, and the sound of generators in the capital is now more constant than the air raid warnings.
Kyiv resident Tetiana says the first thing she does in the morning is to check her phone to find out the daily schedule for when her power will be switched on. Like many she has invested in power banks to make life more bearable:
"You need to remember when you leave home to leave the powerbanks on so that you have them charged when you get back home."

ShutterstockAbout 50% of Ukraine's energy is currently supplied by three large nuclear power plants in central and western Ukraine. But the network that transfers that power has been severely damaged.
DTEK runs about 10 power stations, most of them fuelled by coal.
One was recently targeted by five 5 ballistic missiles and Mr Timchenko said some of their power plants and sub stations had been attacked "every three or four days".
"I don't remember a single day when I had no reports about some damage to our grid."

Matthew Goddard/BBCFinding spare parts to repair damaged equipment has become a significant challenge.
The energy provider used to be able to source equipment from within Ukraine, but now it has to scour the ret of Europe for replacement parts.
This year DTEK has had to spend $166m (£123m) on repairing its damaged thermal power plants and coal facilities.
"We will not give up," Maxim Timchenko insists: "We have a responsibility to millions of mothers to have power and heat".
DTEK's origins are in the Donbas in Eastern Ukraine where the fighting is fiercest and where power supplies have been disrupted the most.
Eight of its engineers have been killed doing their job.
"Every day they risk their lives to keep power in this area," Mr Timchenko said.
Additional reporting by Anastasia Levchenko and Kyla Herrmannsen.

GettyOne of the two men suspected of carrying out a mass shooting at Bondi Beach was originally from southern India but had "limited contact" with his family there, police sources have said.
Sajid Akram, who died at the scene in Sydney on Sunday, was originally from the city of Hyderabad, a police official from the Indian state of Telangana said.
He had travelled to India just six times since moving to Australia in 1998 and his family "expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities," the official added.
Sajid, 50, and his 24-year-old son Naveed are suspected of killing 15 people and injuring dozens more at an event celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday.
Hyderabad, where Sajid Akram's family is based, is the capital of Telangana state in southern India.
The Telangana police official told BBC Telugu Sajid had "visited India on six occasions after migrating to Australia, primarily for family-related reasons such as property matters and visits to his elderly parents".
"It is understood that he did not travel to India even at the time of his father's demise," the official said.
"The factors that led to the radicalisation of Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana."
The official also said Sajid Akram had no criminal record in India, he had completed a degree and had moved to Australia in search of employment before marrying a woman "of European origin".
Sajid Akram was an Indian passport holder, but his children were born in Australia and are Australian citizens, the official added.
Police are currently investigating why the father and son travelled to the Philippines in the weeks leading up to the attack. They arrived on 1 November and left on 28 November, the country's immigration bureau confirmed to the BBC.
Sajid travelled using an Indian passport, while his son used Australian identification, the authorities said.
Citing security sources, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said that the pair travelled to the island nation to receive "military-style training", but officials have not been able to confirm those reports.
Philippines foreign affairs minister Maria Theresa Lazaro and her Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, have agreed to "keep each other closely informed" of any developments related to the investigation into the Bondi Beach shooting, according to a text message Lazaro sent to the media.
It is understood that Naveed Akram was previously investigated over ties to a Sydney-based IS terrorism cell, ABC reported.
IS is an extremist Islamist militant group that has claimed responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks across Europe and America, including the 2015 Paris attacks.
The Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Naveed Akram first came to the attention of the authorities in 2019 "on the basis of being associated with others".
However, at the time, an "assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence".

ReutersPop star Lizzo is celebrating a legal victory after a judge dismissed allegations of fat-shaming from a 2023 lawsuit filed by three of her former dancers.
The singer, whose hits include body positive anthems such as Good As Hell and Juice, marked the development with a video statement posted to her Instagram and TikTok feeds.
"There was no evidence that I fired them because they gained weight," Lizzo said. "They were fired for taking a private recording of me without my consent and sending it off to ex-employees."
While those specific allegations have been dropped, the case against Lizzo and her production company will continue, over claims that three dancers were subject to sexual harassment.
Lizzo's team has called the lawsuit a "fabricated sob story," but a Los Angeles judge ruled that the case could move forward last year.
Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez say they were pressured into attending sex shows and interacting with nude performers between 2021 and 2023.
The claims against Lizzo - whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson - include that she "pressured Ms Davis to touch the breasts" of a dancer in a nightclub in Amsterdam.
Although she initially resisted, Ms Davis eventually acquiesced, "fearing it may harm her future on the team" if she didn't do so, according to court documents.
Other incidents cited in the case include the claim that dancers were asked to eat fruit from the naked bodies of sex club workers.
Over the summer, Lizzo's lawyers appealed the decision to let those claims got to trial, arguing that group outings were part of the singer's creative process and thus should be shielded by First Amendment free speech protections.
In response, a lawyer for the dancers rejected that claim, saying it was not enough to say the sex shows had inspired Lizzo's own performances.
"Under that standard," wrote Ari Stiller, "Johnny Cash could shoot 'a man in Reno just to watch him die' and claim protection if he hoped it would inspire his performance".
Stiller urged the court to allow the claims to proceed to trial.

Getty ImagesLizzo's attorney, Melissa Glass, claimed that Stiller's brief "regurgitates the false accusations from their [original] complaint".
"As was true two years ago, the dancers cannot find a single person to corroborate their meritless claims," she Glass said in a statement to Billboard magazine.
"In contrast, 18 witnesses who worked with Lizzo on the Special tour submitted sworn statements refuting the claims made by Davis, Williams and Rodriguez. We look forward to the Court of Appeals ruling on this matter."
Lizzo has adamantly denied the allegations against her.
"I am very open with my sexuality and expressing myself but I cannot accept or allow people to use that openness to make me out to be something I am not," she said when the claims first emerged in 2023.
In her latest statement, the singer added that the fat-shaming allegations had "haunted" her for the last two years, adding that it had been "devastating to suffer through this in silence".
She also stressed that she has "only encouraged and supported people with bigger bodies and shared my platform with them."
Thanking her lawyers, Lizzo said she intended to keep fighting the lawsuit.
"I am not settling," she said. "I will be fighting every single claim until the truth is out.

ReutersSudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been trying to cover up mass killings in the city of el-Fasher by burying and burning bodies, a research team from Yale University says.
The RSF had drawn international condemnation amid reports of executions and crimes against humanity when its fighters captured the city in October.
Now, analysis of satellite images by Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) shows the RSF likely disposed of tens of thousands of bodies after seizing el-Fasher.
The RSF has not responded to the report, but its leader previously admitted his fighters had committed some violations in the city.
The HRL's report said the RSF "engaged in a systematic multi-week campaign to destroy evidence of its widespread mass killings" and "this pattern of body disposal and destruction is ongoing".
The paramilitary group has been fighting Sudan's regular army since April 2023, when a power struggle between the two parties erupted into a brutal civil war.
The United Nations (UN) has described the conflict as the world's worst humanitarian disaster.
After 18 months of besieging el-Fasher, the RSF captured the city - a major victory pushing the army out of its last foothold in the vast Darfur region.
The UN was among the many global voices accusing the RSF of massacring civilians as el-Fasher fell.
The HRL has been monitoring the situation in the city for months, and its latest report is part of efforts to understand the extent of the violence suffered by the city's residents.
Fresh analysis of satellite imagery found clusters in multiple locations changing in size in the weeks after el-Fasher fell, the HRL says, adding that this demonstrates continued efforts by the RSF to clean up evidence of massacres.
The images also show more than 80 clusters located outside of the city, which, the HRL says, shows that the RSF was killing people as they tried to flee.

ReutersSatellite evidence from November suggests limited civilian activity in the city since it was seized, the researchers say.
Following an international backlash, RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo declared an investigation into what he called violations committed by his soldiers during the capture of el-Fasher.
However, the group continued to deny widespread allegations that killings in the city are ethnically motivated and follow a pattern of the Arab paramilitaries targeting non-Arab populations.
The latest HRL report follows warnings from aid agencies about the low number of civilians who managed to succesfully flee el-Fasher after the RSF seizure.
The UN estimates roughly 250,000 people were still trapped in the city, with less than half of that number thought to have arrived in external camps for displaced people.
The RSF has used the seizure of el-Fasher to consolidate its power in western Sudan, and has established a parallel government in Darfur's city of Nyala.
Sudan's army still controls most of the country, with fighting between the two groups rumbling on.
More than 13m people are believed to have been displaced since the war began in April 2023.

Getty Images/BBCGo to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
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英国国会情报暨安全事务委员会(Intelligence and Security Committee, 简称 ISC)在最新年度报告中对英国政府处理对华关系的方式提出尖锐批评,直指政府长期以来在与中国的互动中,未能积极将国家安全置于优先地位。
综合中央社等报道,根据 ISC 于 12 月 15 日发布的《2023 至 2025 年委员会年度报告》,委员会指出,尽管在国家安全和经济利益之间取得平衡必然需要艰难的权衡取舍,但英国政府在涉及中国的议题上,却屡次展现出不愿将安全利益放在首位的记录。
ISC 明确表示,他们要求政府未来在制定相关决策时,必须“完整说明”决策过程,包括衡量了哪些因素。委员会强调,提出这样的要求是为了确保“安全考量未受经济因素影响而被忽视”。
外国影响力登记制度对中国“拖延不决”
报告对英国 2023 年《国家安全法》实施的外国影响力登记计划(Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, FIRS)的运作情况和具体成效表达了深切关切。
FIRS 已于今年 7 月上路,目前仅将伊朗和俄罗斯列入“加强管控”(Enhanced Tier)级别。面对国会多次质询为何不将中国纳入,政府官员一再重申正在持续检讨。
ISC 对此表示忧心,认为鉴于中国对英国国家安全的威胁程度,特别是中国日益增长的干预和影响力活动,英国政府在是否将中国纳入 FIRS 加强管控级别这一问题上存在“拖延不决”的情况。
委员会敦促政府迅速就此作出决定,并在未来两年内向国会提交 FIRS 运作成效的报告。
中国与俄伊并列,警示网络和代理人活动
在最新年度报告的涉中部分,ISC 在“安全威胁图像”一节将中国与俄罗斯和伊朗并列,指出与这三个国家有关的敌意活动对英国构成“多面向”且复杂的威胁。
报告示警,外国间谍活动日益关注经济相关资讯,包括智慧财产及研发计划,而不仅仅是以政府机关和国防领域为目标。此外,国家级行为者正日益频繁地运用不具官方身分的“代理人”,委托他们执行对其他国家、外国政府及境外异议人士的敌意活动。
在网络领域,报告形容中国持续是“极老练且能力出色”的攻击行为者,攻击目标横跨全球。
报告还示警,许多国家级行为者和网络罪犯已开始运用人工智能(AI),以提升网络攻击活动的总量、规模和冲击力。预计在未来五年内,商业性质的“网络入侵”活动将明显扩张,威胁来源将更难预测。
与国会安全报告几乎同步发声,英国新任国防参谋长理查德·奈顿(Richard Knighton)于周一在皇家联合军种研究所(RUSI)的讲话中发出警告,指出由于当前世界局势日益危险,需要更多英国人做好保卫国家的准备。这进一步突显了英国对全球安全挑战,特别是地缘政治竞争加剧的深切忧虑。
针对 ISC 的最新年度报告,英国首相斯塔默向国会发布书面声明,欢迎并肯定 ISC 行使重要的独立监督职能。
英国政府一名发言人则回应称,国家安全是政府的首要责任;政府正在采取讲求连贯一致、放眼长远、具战略意义的策略管控对华关系,并重申英国对中国的立场是:在可行之处合作,并在必要之处提出挑战。