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欧盟峰会预计就俄资产援乌作艰难决定 比利时:要跳伞大家一起跳 - RFI - 法国国际广播电台

18/12/2025 - 14:20

欧洲领导人周四在布鲁塞尔举行高风险峰会,寻求为乌克兰的战争、军队和预算提供资金,但峰会结果仍不明朗。比利时继续拒绝“独自”承担这项欧洲前所未有行动的风险。但据报该决议合法多数通过即可,无需比利时投票。

欧盟外交事务负责人卡雅·卡拉斯抵达时表示:“普京正押注于我们的失败,我们绝不能让他得逞!”

欧盟委员会主席冯德莱恩也表示,27个成员国“不会在未就对乌克兰未来两年的资助达成协议的情况下离开会场”。

但能否达成协议尚无定论。以德国为首的大多数成员国希望动用俄罗斯央行在欧洲冻结的资产,为乌克兰提供900亿欧元的“赔偿贷款”。

“要跳伞大家一起跳”

但这些冻结资产的大部分(约2100亿欧元)位于比利时,而比利时首相巴特·德韦弗(Bart De Wever)仍不愿批准该计划。

他周四在比利时议会说,“明说吧,我从未见过能打动我,并获得比利时同意的文本”,“也许今天能看到,但我至今未见”。

比利时继续拒绝“独自”承担这项在欧洲前所未有行动的风险。

比利时首相巴特·德韦弗今天在该国议会强调:“在跳伞之前,我们需要一个降落伞。如果要求我们跳伞,那就大家一起跳”。

这位保守派首相担心比利时遭受俄罗斯的报复,甚至“永远”遭受报复,因此他要求对本国利益提供强有力的保护,包括保护其在俄罗斯境内的利益。

一位欧洲谈判代表解释说,合作伙伴认为他这一要求过高,他们愿意为乌克兰提供贷款担保,但不会签署“空白支票”。

法新社说,在特朗普决定关闭美国援助闸门后,欧洲各国承诺在未来两年内为基辅提供大部分财政和军事支持。

德国总理弗里德里希·默茨周四抵达布鲁塞尔时表示,“我认为没有比动用俄罗斯资产更好的选择”。

他本周早些时候曾警告说:“如果我们不这样做,欧盟的行动能力将在未来数年甚至更长时间内受到严重损害。”

比利时可以不投票!

动用被冻结的俄罗斯资产的决定可以由欧盟成员国的合格多数票通过,理论上比利时可以不参与,匈牙利也肯定不参,后者与克里姆林宫关系密切,完全反对这一选项。

在布鲁塞尔,今天,欧盟各国元首和政府首脑还可以考虑另一个选项。

那就是:欧盟可以借贷,但这样的决定需全体成员国一致同意。现在包括德国在内的几个国家对此非常犹豫,至少匈牙利完全反对。

如果无法达成协议,乌克兰最早可能在2026年第一季度就面临资金短缺的风险。

泽连斯基总统在前往布鲁塞尔参加峰会前对记者表示:“如果没有这项决定,乌克兰将面临大问题”。

就在他抵达布鲁塞尔前,他宣布将于周五和周六在美国举行新的美乌会谈。

据一位白宫官员透露,俄美两国特使也计划于本周末在佛罗里达州迈阿密举行会晤。

在莫斯科发动大规模进攻近四年后,泽连斯基仍然不相信克里姆林宫有实现和平的意愿,并表示,尽管和平谈判正在进行,他仍在为新的“战争之年”做准备。



Youtube获得奥斯卡颁奖典礼全球直播权

德闻
2025-12-18T13:13:45.927Z
2028年第100届奥斯卡颁奖典礼过后,YouTube将从2029年起拥有奥斯卡颁奖典礼的实况转播全球转播权,为期五年

(德国之声中文网)美国电影艺术与科学学院在洛杉矶宣布与YouTube已达成一项为期5年的协议,YouTube将从2029年的第101届奥斯卡颁奖典礼开始,拥有奥斯卡颁奖典礼的实况转播全球转播权,截至2033年。

除了奥斯卡颁奖典礼之外,其他活动,比如理事会奖(Honorary Oscars at the Governors Awards)和学生奥斯卡奖(Student Academy Awards)的荣誉奖颁奖典礼,也将在YouTube上播出。这项交易涉及的资金尚未披露。

美国电影艺术与科学学院希望此举吸引全球更广泛的观众。该学院执行主任克莱默(Bill Kramer)和院长泰勒(Lynette Howell Taylor)在一份声明中表示,他们是一个国际性机构,希望有尽可能多的全球观众参与。

在美国,奥斯卡颁奖典礼的收视率近年来不断下降:2016年,美国有近3500万观众观看了颁奖典礼,而今年却只有大约2000万观众。

YouTube在全球拥有超过20亿用户,是目前最大的视频平台。有评论认为,这一庞大的用户群体很可能在谈判转播权的过程中,发挥了决定性作用。此外,年轻人观看传统电视的时间越来越少,这也是原因之一。

自20世纪70年代以来,奥斯卡金像奖颁奖典礼一直由美国广播公司ABC播出。该电视台拥有独家转播权,2028年第100届奥斯卡颁奖典礼过后,这一历史也将终结。

明年,奥斯卡提名名单将于1月22日公布。第98届奥斯卡金像奖颁奖典礼定于2026年3月15日举行。

相关图集:别光看赵婷 这些华裔也曾闪耀奥斯卡

奥斯卡的第一位华裔:很多人以为,李安为华语电影敲开了奥斯卡的大门。其实不然,早在1956年,美籍华人黄宗霑就凭借电影《玫瑰纹身》(也译《玫瑰梦》),拿下了奥斯卡最佳摄影奖。不到十年后的1964年,他又凭借影片《赫德》拿了同一个奖项的小金人。这位大清时代就移民美国的华裔曾获得过10次奥斯卡提名,纪录至今无人能打破。
“新中国”的第一位:到了1988年,随着中国大陆改革开放,奥斯卡也越来越多的将目光转向中国。整个华语电影也迎来了在国际上四面开花,越来越被人们熟悉的黄金年代。生于天津,毕业于中央音乐学院,随后又留学德国,在慕尼黑高等音乐学院深造的苏聪,凭借为影片《末代皇帝》的配乐,成为了历史上第一个来自1949年成立后的新中国,并捧走小金人的中国人。
李安时代:又过了十几年,奥斯卡迎来了李安时代。电影《卧虎藏龙》在2001年的奥斯卡上一举捧走了最佳外语片、最佳原创音乐、最佳摄影、最佳艺术指导四个奖项。从数目上来说比如今赵婷的《无依之地》还多了一个。
“中国风”征服奥斯卡:与苏聪同样毕业于中央音乐学院的谭盾,是同样用电影原创音乐捧走小金人的华人。不仅是奥斯卡,《卧虎藏龙》的电影原创音乐还赋予了他一个格莱美奖。从那时开始,谭盾的名字彻底响彻华人音乐界。2008年为北京奥运会创作徽标Logo音乐和颁奖音乐,并为上海世博会创作中英文主题曲。自幼深受中华楚文化的影响的谭盾,擅长借鉴中国传统音乐风格,并运用非常规乐器进行实验音乐的探索。
对爱的探索:用导演李安的话说,这是美好事物的延续。与《卧虎藏龙》时隔5年,这位已经彻底融入好莱坞的华裔导演又以同性题材《断背山》,拿到了2006年奥斯卡的最佳导演奖。李安在感谢词中表示,这不电影不仅仅是关于男人和男人,女人和女人,同性之间被社会否认的爱,还包括爱本身的伟大。
功夫巨星的终生成就:成龙……成龙?!没错,这位爱国功夫男星手里不仅有小熊猫,还有一个小金人。奥斯卡组委会2016将厚重的终身成就奖颁发给了这位靠真功夫,真血汗打拼出来的华裔。有人说,这是奥斯卡组委会给的安慰奖。还有人说,就凭卓别林和迪斯尼都拿过这个奖,也能看出它的重要性。事实是,动作片明星在奥斯卡很难获奖。
墙外开花墙外红:2021年的奥斯卡,肯定是属于华裔导演赵婷的。她的描写美国底层人民游牧生活的《无依之地》,在之前就狂扫了一遍包括金球奖、金狮奖、英国电影学院奖、美国国家影评人奖等在地表上几乎所有重要的电影奖项。如今又一举拿下了奥斯卡最佳影片,最佳导演和最佳女主角。颁奖感言中,赵婷向大家讲述她有关“人之初 性本善”的信念。但由于之前她在采访中曾发表令中国当局不悦的言论,获奖的消息及视频在中国遭遇全面封杀。
真正的明星:从黄宗霑1956年第一次问鼎奥斯卡到现在,全球华裔华人总共在奥斯卡上发表了21次获奖感言。 除了上述人物之外,还包括1993年首位获得奥斯卡的台湾人江道格(最佳视觉效果),首位香港人鲍德熹(2001年最佳摄影)以及凭借《星球大战IV:新希望》拿到最佳剪辑奖的美籍华人赵汝钜。他们都为后人的成功和被奥斯卡接受奠定了基础。是华光琦影背后真正的明星。

(德新社)

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© 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。

文史角|于文明被查:“抗疫神药”背后的权力寻租

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2025年12月16日,国家监委正式通报,国家中医药管理局原局长于文明因严重职务违法并涉嫌受贿犯罪,被依法没收全部违法所得,涉案问题及财物移送检察机关审查起诉。

这则通报,揭开了于文明这位深耕中医药领域35年的行业“掌舵人”的权力寻租的黑幕。

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纵观于文明案的核查轨迹,疫情期间“抗疫神药”连花清瘟的非常规上位是关键线索,一步步串联起其违纪违法的完整轨迹,成为撬动该案查办的核心突破口。

CDT 档案卡
标题:神药 于文明被查的线索
作者:鹰哥备用号
发表日期:2025.12.18
来源:微信公众号-文史角
主题归类:中医
CDS收藏:公民馆
版权说明:该作品版权归原作者所有。中国数字时代仅对原作进行存档,以对抗中国的网络审查。详细版权说明

从笔杆子到行业掌舵人

于文明的职场生涯,始终与中医药行业深度绑定,从基层记者到全国行业管理者的跨越,既积累了扎实的行业认知,也逐步掌握了足以左右行业走向的核心权力。

1963年出生的于文明,怀揣医学硕士学位踏入职场,1988年入职中国中医药报社,从一线记者、编辑做起,凭借对行业动态的敏锐把握,逐步晋升至中药与通联部副主任,十年的媒体从业经历,让他摸清了中医药行业的宣传逻辑与资源分布,也搭建起初步的行业人脉网络。

1997年,他跳出媒体行业,调任中医药科技开发交流中心主任,深耕十年间,全面参与中医药技术推广、资源对接、项目落地等核心工作,熟悉行业资源调配的关键环节,为后续执掌行业监管权奠定了基础。

2004年,于文明迎来仕途关键跃升,出任国家中医药管理局副局长,自此开启长达19年的行业监管生涯;2018年6月,正式出任国家中医药管理局局长,登顶行业管理核心岗位,手握药品注册审批、诊疗方案制定、科研资金分配、行业政策出台等关键职权,涵盖中医药研发、生产、流通、推广全链条,直至2023年7月卸任。

任职初期,他还能坚守公职人员廉洁底线,聚焦行业发展履职尽责,但随着权力越来越大、话语权越来越重,面对中医药领域巨额的市场利益诱惑,他逐渐迷失了方向,理想信念悄然滑坡,将公权力视为个人谋利的工具。

官方通报显示,其违纪违法行为覆盖2004年任副局长、2018年任局长至2023年卸任的全周期,且在党的十八大后反腐高压态势下仍不收敛、不收手,顶风违纪违法,从最初的接受宴请、收受礼品,逐步演变为主动干预审批、定向输送利益,廉洁防线一步步崩塌,最终深陷腐败泥潭。

更值得关注的是,于文明曾兼任农工党北京市委会主委、农工党中央专职副主席,作为民主党派人士,其跨界任职,体现了多党合作的治理格局,也让他获得了更广阔的权力空间。作为民主党派任职的中管干部,于文明本应恪守公职人员职业操守,却无视党纪国法约束,其腐败行为不仅葬送了个人前程,也损害了民主党派人士参与国家治理的良好形象,性质严重、影响恶劣。

“神药” 的反常操作 暗藏线索

2020年初,新冠疫情突如其来,医疗资源紧张、特效药匮乏,中医药作为抗疫重要力量逐步走进公众视野,连花清瘟系列中药快速崛起。这背后,看似是中医药抗疫的成功实践,实则暗藏诸多不合常理的操作,这些反常之处,成为日后核查于文明违纪违法问题的核心线索。

正常情况下,一款中药新品从配方调整、临床验证到获批生产,需经过严格的安全性、有效性检测,完整流程至少需要1-2年的时间,即便在疫情应急防控期间,应急审批也需要完成核心的临床验证、专家评审等环节,确保药品安全有效;而连花清瘟仅用15天,便完成了从配方优化到规模化生产的全流程,其推进速度远超同期所有应急医疗物资与药品。

行业罕见的“速成奇迹”背后,离不开于文明的直接主导与推动。

更反常的是,连花清瘟的政策背书与审批放行完全“无缝衔接”,且全程绕开常规审核流程。

2020年1月,《新冠病毒肺炎诊疗方案(试行第四版)》首次将连花清瘟纳入医学观察期推荐用药;而此时,该药品尚未完成针对新冠治疗的核心临床验证。此后,连续六版诊疗方案均未剔除该药品,2022年发布的第九版诊疗方案更将其升级为确诊病例轻、普通型推荐用药,政策支持力度持续加码。2020年4月,在缺乏完整大样本双盲实验数据的情况下,火速批准连花清瘟增加“新冠肺炎轻、普通型治疗”新适应症。而双盲随机对照试验,是国际公认的药物有效性金标准,是药品获批新增治疗适应症的核心依据,该环节的缺失,让连花清瘟的疗效始终备受争议。

事实上,这一系列非常规操作,并非行业专家集体决策的结果,而是于文明个人权力干预的产物。

据了解,连花清瘟纳入诊疗方案、获批新增适应症等关键环节,均未按正常程序广泛征求全国多学科医疗专家意见,也未开展全面的疗效论证,而是由于文明直接拍板定调,通过行政指令推动相关部门快速落实,形成了“行政干预替代科学评审”的特殊通道。

期间,于文明还多次亲自为连花清瘟“站台”,在行业研讨会、产品推广会上公开称赞其抗疫效果,称其“为疫情防控作出重要贡献”,刻意放大该药品的临床价值;而同期其他同样具备应急抗疫潜力的中药品种,均未得到同等力度的政策支持;这种明显的差异化对待,让权力寻租的痕迹愈发清晰。

对此,首都医科大学校长饶毅曾公开发声,抨击“疫情期间不容假药趁火打劫,不宜强行派送未经科学验证的中药”,丁香医生等权威医疗平台也明确发文指出“连花清瘟无法实现预防新冠病毒的效果”,但这些专业质疑均未能撼动连花清瘟的官方推荐地位,背后正是于文明的权力庇护,也让外界对二者之间的利益关联产生了强烈怀疑,成为纪检监察机关介入核查的重要契机。

“神药”背后的权力寻租

连花清瘟的非常规上位,直接催生了以岭药业的百亿暴利神话。而这一神话的背后,是于文明利用公权力搭建的“政策背书→市场垄断→资本获利”完整利益链条,也是其涉嫌受贿犯罪的核心事实依据。

数据显示,2019年,连花清瘟的年销售额仅约17亿元,在中药市场中并不起眼;2020年被纳入新冠诊疗方案后,销售额飙升至42.56亿元,同比暴涨近150%;2021年前三季度销售额再创新高,突破30亿元;2022年上海、北京等多地疫情反弹期间,该药品需求激增,单月销售额屡创新高,巅峰时期直接带动以岭药业市值突破千亿,创始人家族财富实现爆发式增长。

销售额的暴涨,完全依赖于于文明主导的政策红利。

纳入国家新冠诊疗方案后,连花清瘟不仅顺利进入医保报销目录,成为各级医疗机构的强制推荐用药,还被纳入多地政府采购清单,成为社区防控、集中隔离点的“标配物资”。2022年上海疫情期间,日均调配400万盒连花清瘟发往上海,大量资源、医保资金向该药品倾斜;而以岭药业则借助这一契机,不断扩大生产规模、提升产品价格,赚取巨额利润。

于文明还利用自身职权,推动连花清瘟在全国范围内的推广销售,要求各地中医药管理部门加大宣传力度,引导医疗机构、药店优先采购、销售该药品,进一步巩固了其市场垄断地位,为以岭药业源源不断输送利益。

随着案件核查的深入,于文明与以岭药业之间的隐秘利益逐步浮出水面,印证了“政策换利益”的核心线索。

于文明任内与以岭药业创始人吴以岭交往密切,多次共同出席行业会议、产品推广活动,私下也存在频繁接触,远超正常的工作往来范畴。同时,于文明的亲属经营活动与中医药行业存在深度关联,其亲属名下企业曾涉及中药产品销售、行业资源对接等业务,而这些业务与以岭药业存在间接的合作关系,疑似通过亲属代持、关联交易等方式,收受以岭药业输送的好处费。

此外,检察机关还重点追踪了以岭药业的销售返利、关联企业资金流向,以及于文明及其亲属的银行账户、房产、理财等资产变动情况,发现多笔资金流向存在异常,与连花清瘟的推广节奏、政策支持节点高度契合,这些线索相互印证,形成了完整的证据链条,成为认定于文明涉嫌受贿犯罪的关键依据。

除了连花清瘟相关的利益输送,以该线索为突破口,纪检监察机关还顺藤摸瓜,查清了于文明在其他领域的违纪违法事实。

在药品注册审批领域,他还为多家中药企业在新品审批、产品注册证书延期等环节提供便利,降低审核门槛、加快审批进度,非法收受企业财物;在科研资金分配领域,他将年规模超百亿的国家级中药创新科研资金,定向倾斜给关联企业,部分资金被违规挪用,最终流向个人及亲属口袋;在廉洁纪律方面,他长期接受管理服务对象安排的高档宴请、异地旅游,收受大量名贵礼品、礼金,纵容亲属利用自身职权谋取私利,形成“家族式腐败”格局;在组织纪律方面,他未按规定如实报告个人有关事项,刻意隐瞒与企业的利益关联,试图规避组织监督,全面触碰纪律红线。

(原文有删节)

下午察:“中国首父”徐波在美代孕造“徐氏王朝”?

在普通家庭为高昂养育成本倍感焦虑的现实背景下,少数中国富豪则将生育变成一项可“外包”的工程。图为民众抱着婴儿站在广西钦州一家超市外,摄于2021年4月12日。 (路透社)

在生育率持续走低的当下,中国知名游戏公司多益网络董事长徐波被曝在美国通过代孕育有大量子女,引发舆论震动,也再次掀起中国舆论对代孕合法性和伦理问题的讨论。

事缘徐波前女友汤敬11月15日在微博爆料,徐波通过代孕方式育有300个孩子;这些孩子没有户口,也未接受系统性的教育,而是被集中安置在封闭空间中生活。

针对网民质疑“300个”是否夸大、“是不是多写了一个零”,汤敬回应称:“没有,只会少写不会多写。”

台湾大量采购海马斯火箭 学者:加速淘汰旧式火炮

美国启动逾111亿美元(143亿新元)对台军售案,其中包括82套海马斯多管火箭,台湾学者称,有助于台湾加速淘汰旧式火炮。

据联合新闻网报道,淡江战略所副教授林颖佑星期四(12月18日)分析,美方此次宣布出售达82套海马斯火箭系统,“暴增的数量令战略与安全研究圈都相当惊讶”。

林颖佑研判,台美双方都认为海马斯多管火箭的作战模式,是台海防卫作战所需要的。美方可能也发展出了新的战术战法,牵动台方增购大量海马斯火箭。

他指出,如此一来,台湾陆军现有的老式牵引火炮可能将全数淘汰,尤其在无人机充斥的新战场环境下,牵引式火炮在台湾本岛几乎将无生存空间。

林颖佑指出,未来台军新装备与既有装备如何结合使用,军队的作战准则、教范是否随之检讨调整,是军方必须认真思考的问题。

台湾国防部在官网发布新闻稿时说,美国政府于美东时间星期三(12月17日)下午5时30分,就台湾战术网络(TTN)暨部队觉知应用套件(TAK)、陆军AH-1W型直升机零附件、M109A7自走炮、海马斯远程精准打击系统续购、拖式导弹续购、反装甲型无人机导弹系统、海军标枪反甲导弹续购、鱼叉导弹可修件检修等,总额111亿540万美元对台军售八案,进行知会国会程序,可望于一个月后正式生效。

Zelensky gives stark warning as EU leaders start crunch talks on Russia's frozen cash

Ukrinform/NurPhoto Two men - one in a three-piece suit in grey, the other in black stand in front of colourful flagsUkrinform/NurPhoto
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever is yet to be convinced that the money held in Belgium should be loaned to Ukraine (file pic)

European Union leaders begin two days of talks in Brussels with a momentous decision to be taken on whether to loan tens of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine to fund its military and economic needs.

Most of Russia's €210bn (£185bn; $245bn) worth of assets in the EU are held by Belgium-based organisation Euroclear, and so far Belgium and some other members of the bloc have said they are opposed to using the cash.

Without a boost in funding, Ukraine's finances are set to run dry in a matter of months.

One European government official described being "cautiously optimistic, not overly optimistic" that a deal would be agreed. Russia has warned the EU against using its money.

It has filed a lawsuit against Euroclear in a Moscow court in a bid to get its money back.

The Brussels summit comes at a pivotal moment.

US President Donald Trump has said a deal to end the war - which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 - is "closer now than we have been ever".

Although Russia has not responded to the latest peace proposals, the Kremlin has stressed that plans for a European-led multinational force for Ukraine supported by the US would not be acceptable.

President Vladimir Putin made his feelings towards Europe clear on Wednesday, when he said the continent was in a state of "total degradation" and "European piglets" - a derogatory description of Ukraine's European allies - were hoping to profit from Russia's collapse.

Alexander KAZAKOV/POOL/AFP A man with a glass stands on the right of two men in uniformAlexander KAZAKOV/POOL/AFP
Those in favour of loaning Ukraine the money believe it will help deter Putin from continuing the war

The European Commission - the EU's executive arm - has proposed loaning Kyiv about €90bn (£79bn) over the next two years - out of the €210bn of Russian assets sitting in Europe.

That is about two-thirds of the €137bn that Kyiv is thought to need to get through 2026 and 2027.

Until now the EU has handed Ukraine the interest generated by the cash but not the cash itself.

"This is a crunch time for Ukraine to keep fighting for the next year," a Finnish government official told the BBC. "There are of course peace negotiations but this gives Ukraine leverage to say 'we're not desperate and we have the funds to continue fighting'."

Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says it will also ramp up the cost of war for Russia.

Russia's frozen assets are not the only option on the table for EU leaders. Another idea, backed by Belgium, is based on the EU borrowing the money on the international markets.

However, that would require a unanimous vote and Hungary's Viktor Orban has made it clear he will not allow any more EU money to help Ukraine.

For Ukraine, the hours ahead are significant and President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the EU summit.

Ahead of the Brussels meeting, EU leaders were keen to stress the momentous nature of the decision.

"We know the urgency. It is acute. We all feel it. We all see it," von der Leyen told the European Parliament.

EPA European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a debate on 'Preparation of the European Council meeting of 18-19 DecemberEPA
Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament that two choices were on the table for EU leaders

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has played a leading role in pushing for the Russian assets to be used, telling the Bundestag on the eve of the summit it was about sending a "clear signal" to Moscow that continuing the war was pointless.

EU officials are confident they have a sound legal basis to use the frozen Russian assets, but so far Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever remains unconvinced.

His Defence Minister Theo Francken warned ahead of the talks that it would be a big mistake to loan the Euroclear cash.

Hungary is seen as the biggest opponent of the move and, ahead of the summit, Prime Minister Orban and his entourage even suggested that the frozen assets plan had been removed from the summit agenda. A European Commission official stressed that was not the case and it would be a matter for the 27 member states at the summit.

Slovakia's Robert Fico has also opposed using the Russian assets, if it means the money being used to procure weapons rather than for reconstruction needs.

When the pivotal vote does finally take place, it will require a majority of about two-thirds of member states to go through. Whatever happens, European Council President António Costa has promised not to go over the heads of the Belgians.

"We're not going to vote against Belgium," he told Belgian public broadcaster RTBF. "We'll continue to work very intensively with the Belgian government because we don't want to approve something that might not be acceptable for Belgium."

Belgium will also be aware that ratings agency Fitch has placed Euroclear on a negative watch, partly because of "low" legal risks to its balance sheet from the European Commission's plans to use the Russian assets. Euroclear's chief executive has also warned against the plan.

"There are many hiccups and obstacles of course still on the way. We have to find a way to respond to Belgium's worries," the Finnish official added. "We are on the same side as Belgium. We will find a solution together to make sure all the risks are checked as much as they can be checked."

However, Belgium is not the only country to have doubts, and a majority is not guaranteed.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has told Italian MPs she will endorse the deal "if the legal basis is solid".

"If the legal basis for this initiative were not solid, we would be handing Russia its first real victory since the beginning of this conflict."

Malta, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic are also said to be unconvinced by the controversial proposals.

If the deal is passed and the Russian assets are given to Ukraine, the worst-case scenario for Belgium would be one in which a court would order it to hand the money back to Russia.

Some countries have said they would be prepared to provide billions of euros in financial guarantees, but Belgium will want to see the numbers add up.

At any rate, Commission officials are confident that the only way for Russia to get it back would be by paying reparations to Ukraine - at which point Ukraine would hand its "reparations loan" back to the EU.

Duke of Marlborough accused of strangling estranged wife

PA Media The Duke of Marlborough faces the camera, not smiling, in an outdoor location. He wears a dark grey suit, light blue shirt and dark blue tie, and has fair, slightly untidy, hair.PA Media
The Duke of Marlborough was due to appear in court on Thursday morning

A court hearing for the Duke of Marlborough on charges of intentional strangulation has been adjourned.

Charles James Spencer-Churchill, 70, formerly known as Jamie Blandford, is accused of attacking the same person in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, three times over an 18-month period.

He was due to appear at Oxford Magistrates' Court on Thursday morning charged with three counts of non-fatal intentional strangulation.

Thames Valley Police said a new court date had yet to be confirmed.

The attacks are alleged to have taken place between November 2022 and May 2024, police said.

The twice-married aristocrat, formerly known as the Marquess of Blandford, was arrested on 13 May 2024.

He inherited his dukedom in 2014, following the death of his father, the 11th Duke of Marlborough.

He is a first cousin, three times removed, of Sir Winston Churchill and a distant relative of the late Princess Diana through the Spencer family.

His ancestral family home is Blenheim Palace in Woodstock – Sir Winston's birthplace - which is owned and managed by Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation.

The foundation said it was "unable to comment on the charges, which relate to the duke's personal conduct and private life, and which are subject to live, criminal proceedings".

Blenheim Palace An aerial view of golden sunlight on part of Blenheim Palace, showing tall pillars beneath a carved pediment.Blenheim Palace
Former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill was born at Blenheim Palace

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How is flu wave affecting hospitals in your area? Use our tool to check

PA Media A general view of staff on a NHS hospital ward.PA Media

Hospitals across the UK are seeing high levels of flu cases this winter.

The NHS in England has said it is on "on high alert" after seeing the highest ever number of flu cases in hospital for this time of year, in the week ending 14 December.

You can use our tool below to find out how many flu patients there are in hospitals near you.

About the data

Figures relating to flu cases in hospitals are collected in different ways in each UK nation.

In England it is the weekly number of beds occupied by patients with a laboratory confirmed flu case.

This data is provided at NHS Trust level. Trusts are organisations which include hospitals, community services and providers of other forms of patient care. You can find which trust your local hospital belongs to on the NHS England website.

In Scotland the figures relate to the number of patients admitted to hospital with a laboratory confirmed flu case taken between 14 days before the admission date and 48 hours after the admission date.

In Wales it is the weekly number of patients in hospital with a laboratory confirmed flu case taken from 28 days before the admission date if tested outside of hospital, or within two days after admission.

Figures for Scotland and Wales are provided at NHS Health Board level. Health boards are responsible for all frontline healthcare services. You can find which Health Board your local services belong to on the NHS Scotland or NHS Wales websites.

In Northern Ireland the figures show the number of new flu cases admitted to hospital that were acquired outside of hospital.

This data is provided at Health and Social Care Trust level. Trusts are responsible for providing local and regional health services. You can find which trust your local hospital belongs to on the NI direct website.

How the court backlog became a huge problem - and why it's so hard to fix

Getty Images BBC Verify-branded image showing five barristers, both male and female, facing away from the camera wearing wigs and black robes.Getty Images

More than 79,600 criminal cases are now caught in the courts backlog in England and Wales, new figures show.

The Crown Court backlog has been at a record high since early 2023 and is projected to hit 100,000 by 2028, according to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The delays mean that for some serious crimes charged today the victims and suspects could be left waiting years for justice as they are unlikely to see the case come to trial before 2030.

This crisis has prompted the government to announce radical reforms to the criminal courts, including removing juries - a fundamental part of our criminal justice system - from a number of trials in England and Wales in an attempt to speed up justice and slash the backlog.

The latest MoJ figures show there has been a huge growth in cases taking two years or more to conclude, something that was a rarity before 2010 budget cuts began to bite, and which was later exacerbated by the pandemic and other factors.

About a quarter of violence and drug offences, many of which do not require the defendant to be detained pre-trial, have been in the backlog for at least a year. More than 30% of sexual offences have been in the system for at least that long. For context, in 2019 there were around 200 sexual offences that had been open for more than a year. Now there are more than 4,000.

It means the situation has become significantly worse for victims, defendants, witnesses and everyone else who works in the system, and shows the scale of the problem the government is now grappling with.

Violent and sexual offences make up almost half the crown court backlog
Cases outstanding in England and Wales September 2025
Violence: 24,703
Sexual offences: 14,180
Drug offences: 10,683
Miscellaneous crimes: 8,123
Theft offences: 5,567
Possession of weapons: 3,380
Public order: 3,311
Robbery: 2,688
Fraud offences: 1,914
Other: 5,070
Source: Ministry of Justice

So how did we get here? At the heart of this story is funding - and the lack of it - which started in 2010.

Back then the coalition government pledged to slash spending to balance the books - and the MoJ took a huge cut to its £9bn budget. It means its total spending today is £13bn, which is £4.5bn lower in real terms than it would have been had it kept pace with the average government department, according to the Institute of Fiscal Studies.

Why did that cut happen?

When the coalition government began making austerity cuts, the MoJ took a bigger hit than some other departments such as health and defence. It delivered some of its cuts by shutting court rooms, and by 2022, eight crown court centres and more than 160 magistrates courts were gone, according to ministerial answers to parliamentary questions.

Ministers also introduced a cap on the number of days judges are paid to sit in court and hear cases, to help reduce spending.

In 2016-17 there were 107,863 of these "sitting days" recorded, but that had fallen to 81,899 by the eve of the pandemic. If there's no judge, there's no hearing, which meant individual courtrooms were left idle even if the rest of a court complex was still hearing cases.

Then the Covid pandemic happened, which left all Crown Courts closed for two months during the first lockdown other than for urgent and essential work. When they reopened, many individual courtrooms could not be used for trials because they were too small to comply with social distancing requirements. Everything slowed to a snail's pace and the backlog exploded.

This is when the unintended consequences of earlier closures began to bite harder. Take for example Blackfriars Crown Court in London. Its nine court rooms were once an important centre for serious organised crime cases, but ministers decided to close it in 2019 and hoped to sell the land.

Many of its cases were shifted to Snaresbrook in east London, but since the pandemic it has been overwhelmed. At the end of September 2019 it had 1,500 cases on its books, official figures show, but as of September this year it was juggling more than 4,200.

Before the pandemic, only 5% of outstanding cases for violence across England and Wales had been in the system for more than a year - now a quarter of cases have taken that long. There have been similar increases in the length of time taken for criminal damage, possession of weapons and drug offence cases.

Increase in cases in crown court backlog for at least a year
Outstanding cases, taking one year or more to conclude, England and Wales
Fraud offences: 2019: 16%, 2025: 39%
Sexual offences: 2019: 7%, 2025: 31%
Miscellaneous crimes: 2019: 9%, 2025: 29%
Possession of weapons: 2019: 5%, 2025: 27%
Drug offences: 2019: 7%, 2025: 25%
Criminal damage/arson: 2019:5 %, 2025: 25%
Violence: 2019: 5%, 2025: 25%
Public order: 2019: 5%, 2025: 24%
Theft offences: 2019: 4%, 2025: 20%
Robbery: 2019: 4%, 2025: 19%
Summary non-motoring: 2019: 7%, 2025: 17%
Summary motoring: 2019: 2%, 2025: 11%
Source: Ministry of Justice

During the Covid pandemic, temporary "Nightingale courts" were introduced to help alleviate pressure on the court system by keeping some cases moving, sitting for 10,000 days between July 2020 and 2024.

But they could not deal with serious crime involving custody because they were often in conference centres or hotels with no cells or appropriate security. Today there are still five Nightingale courts operating, all of which are due to close by March 2026.

Sometimes the MoJ re-opened a court it had closed. Chichester's Crown Court was shut down, despite local opposition, in 2018. It was temporarily re-opened to help deal with the overflow of cases from Guildford 40 miles away - and its future remains uncertain, despite the backlogs.

Getty Images David Lammy standing in front of a black van and smiling. He is holding a royal blue folder. Getty Images
David Lammy has announced radical reforms to the courts system

But there is another element that has made everything much harder to fix.

The national legal aid system pays for barristers and solicitors to act for a defendant who cannot afford to pay for their own lawyer. It both helps ensure a fair trial and keeps cases moving through the courts, but the funding for this system has been repeatedly cut or frozen over the past 25 years, which in turn has led to a fall in barristers taking criminal cases.

The National Audit Office found there has been a real term reduction in legal aid spending by the MoJ of £728m between 2012-13 and 2022-23.

And there has also been a 12% fall in the number of barristers doing criminal work between 2018-19 and 2024-25, according to the Criminal Bar Association.

In 2021, the government was advised to inject £135m extra funding into legal aid but it did not go far enough for many in the profession and triggered months-long strike action from defence barristers the following year. This created a second wave of chaos in the courts because, just like in the pandemic, cases could not progress through the system.

The shortages in judges and lawyers contrast sharply with what happened to policing. In 2019 former prime minister Boris Johnson promised to hire 20,000 extra police officers across England and Wales, reversing the fall that began during austerity cuts. That meant more suspects charged and sent to trial - but critics said there was no corresponding planning for how this would impact the courts.

Prosecutions can also take longer because of changes to how evidence is gathered by police, particularly involving our digital lives. Many cases today, especially those involving serious sexual offences, involve a huge amount of evidence taken from digital sources such as mobile phone chats, which can take months to comb through ahead of a trial and more time going through it with a jury.

More than 4,000 sexual offences in court system for at least a year
Cases outstanding at crown courts, England and Wales, 2016 to 2025 as of 30 September
A bar chart shows 5,783 outstanding under one year in 2016 with 569 at 1-2 years and 80 over two years.
This decreases until 2019 when there were 2,900 under one year, 163 1-2 years and 52 two years or more.
It then climbs year on year to 9,460 under one year in 2025, 3,151 1-2-years and 1,191 two years or more.

The backlog also has a knock-on effect on prisons. There are nearly 17,700 people on remand in England and Wales, almost double the number in 2019 . This includes people who have been convicted of a crime but have not yet been sentenced, and nearly 12,000 people who are waiting for a trial.

People held on remand accounts for around 20% of the prison population. The number of prisoners in England and Wales is already projected to top 100,000 by 2030 according to the MoJ.

Line chart showing prision population projected to rise to more than 100,000 by 2030. 
The chart has historical data from 2024 and 2025 sitting between 85-90,000 and a projection showing numbers rising steadily to 103,000

That crisis led Sir Keir Starmer's governent to introduce an early release scheme for some offenders last year and pledge wider justice reforms.

If people on remand don't have their cases completed then they can't be released or sent to serve a sentence, which means prisons will quickly fill up again. But while the courts try to prioritise remand cases at the expense of everyone else entering the system, the growing queue of cases has become ever longer.

Briton who fought in Ukraine jailed for 13 years by Russia

Anadolu via Getty Images Ukrainian military forces in the Donetsk area in 2024 (file image) Anadolu via Getty Images
Ukraine forces pictured in combat in the Donbas region - Hayden Davies was reportedly captured in the area in 2024 or early 2025 (file image)

A Briton who fought in Ukraine has been sentenced to 13 years in a maximum-security prison, the Russian Prosecutor-General's office has said.

Hayden Davies, a former British soldier who Russia has called a mercenary, was reportedly captured in Ukraine's Donbas region in late 2024 or early 2025 while serving with the country's foreign legion.

He was tried in a Russian-controlled court in the city of Donetsk, which is currently occupied by Moscow.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has been contacted for comment. It had previously described charges against Mr Davies and another Briton captured in Ukraine as "false" and said the pair were prisoners of war.

The FCDO condemned the detention of both Mr Davies and James Anderson.

"They are not mercenaries," it said earlier this year. "They are prisoners of war.

"Ukraine has confirmed that both are members of Ukrainian Armed Forces. They must be provided all the rights and protections afforded to prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions," it added.

In a statement, Russian prosecutors said Mr Davies joined the Ukrainian army in August 2024 and "took part in military operations against the Russian armed forces on the territory of [Donetsk Region]".

In court footage released by prosecutors, a man with a British accent speaks via a translator from inside a barred cage, which is standard practice for many Russian hearings.

The man said he was a member of the Ukrainian Army's foreign legion and travelled to Ukraine by bus via Poland.

He said he was paid $400 (£300) or $500 a month as a salary. When asked if he pleaded guilty to the charge, the man said "yeah" and nodded his head.

It is not clear whether he was speaking under duress.

Mr Anderson was jailed for 19 years in March after being charged with terrorism and mercenary activity.

The 22-year-old was the first British national to be convicted by Russia during the war.

The 'fed up' Scottish town that voted for Reform UK

Watch: The 'fed up' Scottish town that voted for Reform UK

Reform UK threw a Christmas party last weekend, and they had more to celebrate than just the festive season.

A few days earlier the party pulled off a surprise victory in a council by-election in the ward of Whitburn and Blackburn in West Lothian. This was their first win in Scotland.

We're only a few months away from a Scottish election, and we would expect to see in this part of the country a tussle involving SNP and Labour.

The outcome of one local by-election does not represent a complete shift in Scottish politics - of the 33 West Lothian Council seats the SNP and Labour dominate, sharing 26 between them. However, this is a moment nonetheless.

The exterior of Andy's Coffee House - a typical High street frontage with large windows and a blue and white sign, Cars are parked on the road outside and lights on in the shop make it look inviting.
Andy's Coffee House was a popular stop for campaigning candidates

So what has led a former mining town between Glasgow and Edinburgh to turn to the party of Nigel Farage?

In the words of multiple people we spoke to, it's all quite simple - they're "fed up".

Farage's previous political projects - Ukip and the Brexit Party - never got much of a foothold in Scotland. But Reform UK seems to be bucking that trend.

Numerous Scottish opinion polls have suggested that they're in second place behind the SNP, hovering around the same levels of support as Labour. At this point, it seems likely they'll return a decent number of MSPs at the Holyrood election next May.

Small businesses

Our morning began in Andy's Coffee House on Whitburn's main street.

GB News – the favoured channel of Nigel Farage – was on the TV as the owner Andy Valentini made the coffees.

Andy told us that he allowed Labour, the SNP and Reform to leave leaflets out in his café during the by-election campaign.

He wasn't hugely surprised by the result. After all, he explains "the bulk of the customers were actually taking Reform leaflets".

And he's glad to see this new-ish party start to have some electoral success in Scotland, insisting that the country needs "a huge, big change".

Andy accuses Labour of "destroying the country" when it comes to their approach to small businesses.

Interior view of Andy's Coffee House shows two women sitting at one table and a young man at another. The walls are light yellow and there are tinsel decorations pinned around them. We see menus on the wooden tables and a counter at the back of the room.
Owner Andy said his customers picked up Reform UK leaflets more than other parties' literature

He says his electricity bills have gone from £300 a month to £900 in the past few years.

And increases in the minimum wage and employer national insurance have resulted in him "taking a big hit".

Longer term, current costs mean that he doesn't think his business is sustainable.

Migration is also an area that the café owner thinks needs addressed.

He insists he backs legal migration, pointing out his grandfather moved from Italy to Scotland, but says "I'd like to see [Reform] stopping illegal migration full stop".

"Nigel Farage is the man to do it", he adds.

'Everyone's skint'

A portrait shot of Darren Ainslie, a light blonde-haired man wearing a black zipper top.Outside, smiles for the camera while behind him a white pick-up truck sits outside an optician.
Darren Ainslie is concerned about small boats and thinks Reform UK are a party of change

Andy isn't alone. There are others we spoke to in Whitburn who like the approach that the Reform UK leader is taking.

Darren Ainslie, who popped in for a roll on his way to pick up waste in his van, complains that "everyone's skint".

He's also concerned about people arriving in the UK via small boats, saying "you don't know who you're getting".

Darren says he'll be voting Reform UK at the next Holyrood election.

"Our governments now are not listening. And if this is what it takes to make them listen then Reform's got to be the way to go."

But Reform are by no means universally popular in this town.

Susan Snow – a retired nursey operator – told us she wasn't pleased when the party won last week's by-election.

She said she doesn't like Nigel Farage and questioned how genuine he is.

Another woman we spoke to said that Reform wanted to "bring things back to the old days, the 1930s" and questioned how inclusive the party was.

Susan Snow, a retired lady with short blonde hair and glasses smiles at the camera in the local main street, wearing a blue winter jacket and a blue and white neck scarf. There is a pub behind her but the name sign is blurred.
Susan Snow is not impressed by Nigel Farage and questioned if he was genuine

Regardless of their view on Reform, no one we spoke to seemed particularly politically satisfied at the moment.

We spent around 90 minutes on the main street talking to passers-by. Some were happy to give their views on camera, others didn't want to be recorded.

But the phrase that came up time and time again was "fed up".

People were "fed up" with the main parties, "fed up" with what they regarded as poor-quality public services, and "fed up" with what they perceived as a lack of change.

And there were specifics. A number of people brought up migration and questioned why asylum seekers were being housed in hotels.

The UK government said it aimed to end this practice by the time of the next general election.

There were also complaints about the NHS, potholes, homelessness and the benefits bill.

We found no shortage of residents who were at least sympathetic to Reform UK's approach.

And they weren't all former Labour or Conservative voters.

A street with shops on either side and cars going in both directions
The people of Whitburn seem "fed up" with what politics is bringing them

One woman told us that she had been a "massive SNP supporter" until a few years ago, but was now "a wee bit homeless" and understood why local people were opting for Reform.

Though she questioned how much she personally trusted the new right-wing party.

In the aftermath of last week's by-election, the SNP said they had run a campaign focused on "the real challenges faced by our communities".

Scottish Labour acknowledged that voters were frustrated, with Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie saying that "politics must aspire to being more than Reform and the SNP talking up division for their own political gain."

The polls do seem to suggest that Reform UK are now serious players in Scotland, on the verge of delivering a significant number of MSPs next May.

And the mounting evidence that some Scots seem willing to give them a shot injects a massive dose of unpredictability into the looming election campaign.

Don't feel awkward - How to handle festive fallouts with neighbours

Getty Images Semi detached house pictured at night with various christmas light decorations including a full santas sleigh and reindeer on the front grass surrounded by light up presents and a huge 'merry christmas' sign lit up above the door.Getty Images

It might be a neighbour's car blocking your driveway, music vibrating through the walls, or a flashing inflatable Santa lighting up your bedroom at 3am.

Whatever the issue, you're unlikely to be alone. Neighbourly tensions often rise during the festive season and, while raising concerns can feel awkward, there are practical and legal ways to deal with disputes.

Here's how to deal with festive fallouts and keep the peace this Christmas.

Use a light timer

There's no law that specifies when Christmas lights must be turned off. However, artificial light can be classed as a statutory nuisance if it "interferes with the use or enjoyment of a home" or is likely to "injure health".

"Speaking to neighbours in advance or using a timer to switch lights off at unsociable hours can help avoid problems," lawyer Denise Nurse told the BBC's Morning Live.

Some lights are more disruptive than others. Sleep specialist Dr Nerina Ramlakhan says bright, flashing or blue-toned lights are particularly problematic.

"These wavelengths trigger photoreceptors in the eyes that suppress melatonin and shift our sleep-wake cycles," she says.

If you're affected, she recommends starting with a polite conversation. "They may not realise their lights are causing disruption and would be happy to make adjustments once they know," she says.

If that fails, you can complain to your local council, who are obliged to investigate. If the council agrees the lights amount to a statutory nuisance, it can issue an abatement notice which if ignored could result in a fine.

Warn them there will be noise

Even if you're only planning a one-off celebration, Nurse advises letting neighbours know in advance that they can expect some extra noise.

Jon from east London, who enjoys hosting parties with his wife Sharon, says he always does this.

"It's polite to let them know and apologise in advance if it disturbs them. We'll normally turn the music down by 11 or midnight - or sometimes just invite them to join us."

If you're affected by noise, Nurse recommends asking them to turn it down in the first instance. If that doesn't work you can contact your local council under the Environmental Protection Act to report excessive noise.

Parking can also be a point of contention over the festive period.

Doug, who lives in Windsor says neighbours and their visitors often block his driveway or access path. "It really winds me up," he says, explaining how his family have to walk across the garden or struggle to get out.

"I don't approach my neighbours because I always hope they'll realise how inconsiderate it is," he adds. "But it keeps happening."

"Public roads are public roads, but parking on your driveway is trespassing," Nurse says, suggesting putting up signs to help deter the behaviour.

If the problem continues, she suggsts contacting your local council.

Dumping your Christmas tree is fly-tipping

Getty Images Used christmas tree lying on a concrete pavement after celebration having been dumped on the floor.Getty Images

Lobbing a Christmas tree into a park or over a fence might feel tempting once the festivities are over, but it counts as fly-tipping which is illegal and can result in fines, says Nurse.

Not all councils offer a scheme for recycling your Christmas tree but most in the UK do through drop off points or collections.

You can find your local scheme using websites like Recycle now, by entering your post code and finding your local drop-off or collection point or by checking your local council's website.

Alternatively, some charities offer collection for a donation or local garden centres may chip up your old trees for mulch.

It's not just trees that cause problems. Nurse says that households generate around a third more waste during the festive period which can often means bins spill over.

"Talk to your neighbours, and ask them to move anything that's causing an issue," she advises.

If you still can't resolve it

If you've tried talking and things still aren't improving or last beyond the festive period, Nurse recommends seeking help from Citizens Advice.

Each nation has a service that connects neighbours with trained, neutral mediators who help both sides reach a resolution.

Your local council may also be able to help you find a mediator, even if you're not a council tenant.

Citizens Advice advises keeping a detailed record of incidents, noting what happened, how long it lasted and how it affected you. When you report it let them know what steps you've taken to try and resolve it. Ask when you can expect a response and what to do if the problem gets worse.

'I've realised I can make a difference' - Sir Chris Hoy on terminal cancer diagnosis

Sport Insight

I've realised I can make a difference - Hoy

  • Published
Sir Chris Hoy holding up two Olympic gold medals Image source, Getty Images

Sir Chris Hoy is in his kitchen, chatting about early-morning coffee and fry-ups.

And mindsets.

An Olympic champion's mindset to be exact.

An exacting, leave-no-stone-unturned, meticulous mindset that defined a career in which he won six gold medals and one silver across four Olympic Games.

This is the same mindset he is relying on more than ever to reframe his entire existence and purpose following a terminal cancer diagnosis.

"We normally have a fry-up for breakfast but, when you guys are here, we need to make an effort," he jokes.

The "you" in this instance are the BBC cameras that have been following Hoy and his family and friends for the past 12 months for the documentary Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage and Me.

The programme will be broadcast for the first time at 21:00 GMT on Thursday, 18 December on BBC One and available from 22:00 GMT on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

It shows a hopeful, yet raw, portrayal of the realities of living with stage four cancer, while it also brings to life Hoy's realisation that he can use his platform as a force for raising awareness, and money, for other people living with the illness.

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Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage & Me

As he weighs his coffee – perhaps the number one area where Hoy's obsessive eye for detail manifests itself – the Scot is in an upbeat mood, laughing and joking with wife Sarra about their imagined usual morning scenario of a full English breakfast compared to the omelette and green homemade smoothie they are actually tucking into.

It has not been anywhere near this rosy for much of the past two years, however, as Hoy explains a few minutes later when the cameras are rolling properly.

"It's about five miles from the hospital back home," he says, describing his return journey from seeing doctors after learning of his cancer diagnosis in September 2023. "I just walked back in a daze. I don't remember the walk. I was just thinking, how am I going to tell Sarra? What am I going to say?

"As soon as I said the words, I broke down."

What Hoy had to articulate was a terminal cancer diagnosis. Incurable secondary bone cancer. Between two and four years to live.

"In my sporting career it used to be about process, not outcome," he says. "Focus on what you have control over. But if you win or lose, it's not life and death.

"[After the diagnosis] the stakes have changed dramatically. The principle is the same – but now it is life and death."

Hoy has shrewdly taken on support for this difficult time in his life.

Steve Peters is a man that Hoy knew could make a difference.

The list of sportspeople that Peters has worked with - the public list he is happy to talk about on the record - is a high-profile 'who's who' ranging from Steven Gerrard to Ronnie O'Sullivan.

The donkeys in the front paddock of the psychiatrist's countryside home bely that glitzy, glamourous list.

But their tranquil nature make complete sense when you spend a few hours in the company of Peters and Hoy.

Peters was Hoy's first port of call throughout his career when it came to training and calming his mind to be at its peak in and around Olympic competition.

He was also one of the first people Hoy called when he got his terminal diagnosis last year.

At first Peters was part of the firefighting phase of what Hoy's wife Sarra describes as a "deep grief" in the first few days post-diagnosis.

But in time, with Peters' help, Hoy set about finding a new purpose.

Firstly, it is to raise awareness of the limitations of the current provision for prostate cancer in the UK. Both Hoy's father and grandfather have had prostate cancer.

Understandably, given an earlier diagnosis could have shifted his diagnosis from terminal to manageable, the 49-year-old Scot argues eloquently that a national screening programme should be made a priority for men from their 45th birthday onwards.

But, crucially, his approach is also to show other people living with cancer that sport and exercise can still be a positive part of their lives, even through their treatment.

Peters explains: "What Chris did when he was presented with this illness is he said: 'Right, what's the plan?' After we worked through the initial stages of the shock and grief of it, then he came out the other side and he picked up on the purpose.

"And that was to reach other people. It became a mission for him."

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Sir Chris Hoy and his wife Lady Sarra recall the night they met

Peters knows all too well how unstoppable Hoy can be when a mission takes him over.

The pair have now worked together for more than 20 years, with perhaps their crowning moment coming at the Athens 2004 Games.

It was in the Greek capital that Peters' "pink elephant" technique helped Hoy win his first Olympic gold. In the run-up to Athens, Peters had encouraged Hoy to pre-empt a scenario in which his rivals broke the world record in the men's kilometre time trial before the Scot had his chance to ride. The scenario became reality on three occasions, but rather than falter, Hoy, the last to ride, responded with a world record of his own to take gold.

The mindset of that moment is one he is tapping into again with his approach to cancer. Control the controllables, but don't waste time worrying about the end result.

Just like in Athens.

"As I went to the start line, a personal best would have got me third," Hoy remembers.

"Recognising what you have control over is such an important part of life. Focus on what you have control over - but the outcome itself, you don't have control over.

"Steve helped me to access the best of myself, and get the best out of myself."

The BBC Breakfast and BBC Sport cameras witnessed Hoy, with the help of Lady Sarra - who herself is dealing with her own diagnosis of multiple sclerosis - making the best of his cancer diagnosis in the last 12 months.

They have followed Hoy and his family to doctor and physio appointments and out on mountain bike rides in Wales with a GB Olympic cycling A-list group of riders and friends.

That same cast list turned out in Glasgow in September as Hoy and a host of his supporters took his cycling fundraising event the Tour de Four from concept to delivery inside a few months.

'Overwhelming' response to Hoy mission

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Murray and Kennys on discovering 'superhero' Hoy’s cancer diagnosis

It is just after 9am in a back room of the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow – a few minutes before Hoy's charity mass participation cycling event, the Tour de Four, is due to get under way.

The ride was set up, and given its title, in an effort to change perceptions around stage four cancer.

Every time the door opens, a member of British Olympic and Paralympic royalty walks through it.

Sir Mark Cavendish, Sir Jason Kenny, Becky James, Dani King, Sir Ben Ainslie, Sir Steve Redgrave, Dame Sarah Storey...

In and among the clip-clop of cycling cleats comes another sporting knight.

This one is wearing tennis shoes.

Hoy goes over to check in with Sir Andy Murray about his readiness and is met with a typical sardonic quip from his fellow Scot.

Hoy asks: "Are you feeling ready mate?"

"Well, I've got the kit," Murray responds.

As it turns out, the two-time Wimbledon champion was woefully ill-prepared – completing the ride in tennis shoes and boxer shorts. Not typical road cycling gear, but typical of the response of Hoy's friends to his diagnosis.

"The response of friends has been quite overwhelming at times," Hoy says.

The friend response has been mirrored by that of the public.

September's Tour de Four raised more than £3m for cancer charities across the UK.

However, the highs of that success were followed in November by the UK National Screening Committee's recommendation that a prostate screening cancer programme for all men in the UK was not justified.

For Hoy, the fight to raise money and raise awareness is his new Olympic-sized mission and his response therefore was dignified, yet resolutely determined.

"I was quite astonished," he said. "I can't believe that the answer to this situation is to sit on your hands and do nothing. There are 10,000 men a year in the UK who find out they have prostate cancer too late – it's incurable.

"We're failing these men if we don't do something proactive. Regardless, I'm going to keep pushing."

Again, we meet his Olympic-honed mindset, targeted on a bigger mission.

"The Olympics was something that was my life for so many years and drove me on," Hoy says.

"I'm still incredibly proud of it now and I look back with great fondness, but this is something on an entirely different level.

"It's more important than riding bikes in anti-clockwise circles, put it that way."

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Sir Chris Hoy on his BBC documentary and 'speaking to the world'

  • You can watch Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage & Me on Thursday, 18 December at 21:00 GMT on BBC One, and from 22:00 GMT on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

中国官媒呼吁对渲染矛盾煽动对立“毒广告”加大惩处力度

中国官媒新华每日电讯星期四(12月18日)发文指出,一些企业为博眼球、赚流量,刻意选择最具煽动性的话题切口,通过简单粗暴的标签化叙事,制造矛盾冲突以获取传播热度。文章呼吁监管部门应加强广告的社会影响评估,对渲染矛盾、煽动对立、传播不良价值观的内容加大惩处力度。

文章说,有短视频宣扬男子将同居女友视作 “免费保姆”,有的渲染“父母无退休金等于子女负债”的养老焦虑,有的演绎子女漠视父母健康的尖锐冲突,而正当观众为视频中的情节怒火中烧时,视频的画风骤变,生硬切入广告,让人猝不及防。

文章指出,这类视频看似情节引人入胜,实则是靠渲染矛盾、煽动对立来博流量的 “毒广告”。刻意选取夫妻关系、婆媳矛盾、兄弟背刺等话题,将个别故事引申到某一群体的共同问题,用夸张的剧情放大焦虑,将商业利益凌驾于社会责任之上。

更值得警惕的是,有些视频将社会转型期的敏感议题,用肤浅、极端的方式呈现,将多元诉求简化为二元对立,把结构性矛盾包装为群体冲突。这不仅无助于问题解决,反而会固化偏见、激化矛盾,破坏社会共识。

文章说,广告本质上是一种沟通艺术,其社会影响力不容小觑。然而,一些企业为博眼球、赚流量,刻意选择最具煽动性的话题切口,通过简单粗暴的标签化叙事,制造矛盾冲突以获取传播热度。这种 “黑红也是红”的扭曲逻辑,反映了此类广告价值观的严重偏离——将社会撕裂视为营销代价,将公众情绪当作可操纵资源。

文章说,治理这类 “毒广告”,需要监管、平台、商家、网民的协同努力。监管部门应加强广告的社会影响评估,对渲染矛盾、煽动对立、传播不良价值观的内容加大惩处力度。行业组织需制定更具约束力的伦理准则。平台必须承担起内容审核责任,拒绝为煽动对立内容提供传播渠道。消费者也应提升媒介素养,学会识别广告的操纵手法,用理性批判代替情绪反应。

文章最后说,广告作为社会文化的一部分,应当成为促进理解的“桥梁”,而非制造分裂的“沟壑”。只有各方协同发力,才能让广告的天空少一些硝烟,多一些彩虹。

王毅:泰柬当务之急尽快停火 警惕有人抹黑中国同两国友好关系

中国外交部长王毅星期四(12月18日)分别同柬埔寨副首相兼外交大臣布拉索昆、泰国外长西哈萨通电话说,中方最不希望看到两国兵戎相见,当务之急是做出决断、尽快停火。他希望两国采取有效措施保障中方项目和人员安全,并警惕不实之词抹黑中国同两国的友好关系。

根据新华社报道,王毅在通话时说,作为柬泰两国的朋友和近邻,中方最不希望看到两国兵戎相见,对冲突造成双方平民伤亡深感痛心。此轮冲突烈度远超以往,持续下去对双方都无益,也有损亚细安(中国称东盟)的团结。当务之急是做出决断、尽快停火、及时止损、重建互信。

王毅说,中方在柬泰边境争端问题上坚持劝和促谈、公平公允,支持亚细安的调停努力。中国外交部亚洲事务特使已启程赴柬、泰穿梭沟通,中方将继续牵线搭桥,为推动柬泰重建和平发挥建设性作用。希望两国采取有效措施保障中方项目和人员安全,警惕有人散布不实之词抹黑中国同两国的友好关系。

根据中国方面新闻稿,柬泰双方都向王毅通报柬泰边境冲突最新进展,表达了降温停火的意愿。布拉索昆、西哈萨欢迎中方特使穿梭调停,期待中方为推动局势降温及重建和平发挥更重要作用。

泰国军队在与柬埔寨的冲突中,在柬军阵地上缴获了中国制造的反坦克导弹等装备,引发柬埔寨有外援的猜测。

中国外交部星期三(17日)对此回应称,中国与泰国、柬埔寨以往都开展了正常的防务合作,不针对任何第三方,更与柬泰边境的冲突无关。

李家超:有信心推动香港成为亚洲飞机工程回收零件贸易中心

香港国际航空学院宣布,将与一家法国的航空服务公司合作开办飞机部件处理的课程,并成立航空工程培训中心。香港特首李家超说,他有信心培训中心可推动香港成为亚洲飞机工程回收零件贸易中心。

综合星岛日报和香港电台报道,香港国际航空学院星期四(12月18日)与法国航空服务公司 Elior Group Derichebourg Aeronautics Services合作,启动航空工程培训中心。

李家超出席启动仪式时说,此次合作,标志着香港在成为亚洲首个飞机部件处理及交易中心的道路上迈出重要一步。航空工程培训中心首期课程将于明年首季推出,后续也会开设更多课程。

李家超说,相关公司在飞机工程、拆解等领域拥有国际专业知识;而香港国际航空学院是世界领先的民航培训机构,已培训接近40万名学员。他说,将香港打造成飞机部件处理及交易中心,有望创造更多高价值、高技能及更好待遇的就业机会,带动贸易保险、金融等相关产业发展。

Elior Group主席兼行政总裁Daniel Derichebourg 表示,公司选择香港作为进军亚洲的起点,主要基于三大原因,包括香港的战略地理位置、优越的营商环境,以及与中国大陆的紧密联系。

Derichebourg说,这些优势使香港成为航空业发展的理想基地。他强调,培训中心将能培育具备必要技能的专业人才,为航空业的持续发展奠定坚实基础,“香港不仅是亚洲的国际枢纽,更拥有世界级的法律制度和营商环境。透过培训中心,我们能够培养新一代航空工程专才,支撑整个航空产业链的长远发展。”

台总统府:肯定海基会董事长理念主张 两岸政策立场方向不变

台湾海峡交流基金会董事长吴丰山星期四(12月18日)宣布请辞让贤。台湾总统府发言人郭雅慧说,总统赖清德肯定并支持吴丰山一贯主张追求两岸和平、巩固“中华民国”主权的理念。政府两岸政策立场与方向不变,将持续秉持对等尊严原则,维护台海和平稳定。

根据台湾总统府发布的声明,郭雅慧说,总统诚挚感谢吴董事长任内承担任务、推动会务及服务台湾人的付出,并肯定其完成阶段性任务与贡献。吴董事长长年投入公共事务,对两岸交流及台湾治理具有深厚经验与专业,也带领海基会同仁稳健推动既有业务、强化为民服务。总统未来仍将持续借重其所长,敦聘担任总统府资政,协助提供政策建言,厚植台湾整体策略视野。

郭雅慧强调,总统肯定并支持吴丰山一贯主张追求两岸和平、巩固“中华民国”主权的理念。政府两岸政策立场与方向不变,将持续秉持对等尊严原则,维护台海和平稳定,并支持海基会依法依规持续办理交流服务及协助民众相关事务。

吴丰山星期四在董监事会会议上宣布请辞让贤,将于本月底结束13个月任期。

Don't let Matilda's death fuel anger, say family of Bondi victim, 10, at funeral

EPA A man holds a balloon reading 'Matilda' during the funeral for 10-year-old Matilda a Bondi Beach shooting victim, at Chevra Kadisha Memorial Hall in SydneyEPA
Lina Chernykh tells the BBC her niece Matilda was a joyous child who spread love everywhere she went

The family of the Bondi shooting's youngest victim Matilda urged the community to not let her death fuel anger, as they said a final goodbye to the 10-year-old on Thursday.

Matilda was among 15 people who were shot dead when two gunmen opened fire on an event marking the start of Hannukah at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Sunday.

Speaking to the BBC at Matilda's funeral, her aunt Lina Chernykh said the Jewish community is right to want more action to stamp out antisemitism – she does too.

But she said Matilda was a joyous child who spread love everywhere she went, and urged the community to do the same in her honour.

"Take your anger and… just spread happiness and love and memory for my lovely niece," Ms Chernykh said.

"I hope maybe she's an angel now. Maybe she [will] send some good vibes to the world."

Jewish community leaders have in recent days suggested the tragedy was an inevitable result of Australia struggling to address rising antisemitism.

The attack on Sunday, which targeted the Jewish community at an event celebrating the first night of Hanukkah, was the country's deadliest incident since 1996, when a gunman killed 35 people during the Port Arthur massacre.

Ahead of Matilda's funeral on Thursday, Ms Chernykh said the family was devastated.

"I look at their faces [and] I don't know if they will be ever happy again," she said of Matilda's parents.

Matilda's younger sister, from whom she was "inseparable", is shattered and confused, she said.

"She doesn't have enough tears to cry."

At a flower memorial on Tuesday, Matilda's mother Valentyna told mourners that the family came to Australia from Ukraine more than a decade ago, thinking it would be a safe place for them.

"I couldn't imagine I'd lose my daughter here... It's just a nightmare," she said.

Ms Chernykh told the BBC she too has struggled to make sense of what is happening.

She was gardening at her home on the Gold Coast when Matilda's mother called on Sunday.

"Truly, I was thinking something happened to my father because he's 84 years old... and she says Matilda was shot," she recalled.

"How [could] someone in Australia understand, if someone tells you your kid was shot… I couldn't understand it. I was thinking I have bad reception. I asked a few times what I'm [hearing]."

Police have designated the attack a terrorist incident, with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying it appears to have been "motivated by Islamic State" group ideology.

Police allege that the two gunmen were a father and son. Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead at the scene, while his son Naveed, 24, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act.

Australia on Thursday announced it would strengthen laws to crack down on hate - including by introducing powers to cancel or refuse visas on grounds of antisemitism.

Zelensky appeals to EU leaders facing crunch decision on Russia's frozen cash

Ukrinform/NurPhoto Two men - one in a three-piece suit in grey, the other in black stand in front of colourful flagsUkrinform/NurPhoto
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever is yet to be convinced that the money held in Belgium should be loaned to Ukraine (file pic)

European Union leaders begin two days of talks in Brussels with a momentous decision to be taken on whether to loan tens of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine to fund its military and economic needs.

Most of Russia's €210bn (£185bn; $245bn) worth of assets in the EU are held by Belgium-based organisation Euroclear, and so far Belgium and some other members of the bloc have said they are opposed to using the cash.

Without a boost in funding, Ukraine's finances are set to run dry in a matter of months.

One European government official described being "cautiously optimistic, not overly optimistic" that a deal would be agreed. Russia has warned the EU against using its money.

It has filed a lawsuit against Euroclear in a Moscow court in a bid to get its money back.

The Brussels summit comes at a pivotal moment.

US President Donald Trump has said a deal to end the war - which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 - is "closer now than we have been ever".

Although Russia has not responded to the latest peace proposals, the Kremlin has stressed that plans for a European-led multinational force for Ukraine supported by the US would not be acceptable.

President Vladimir Putin made his feelings towards Europe clear on Wednesday, when he said the continent was in a state of "total degradation" and "European piglets" - a derogatory description of Ukraine's European allies - were hoping to profit from Russia's collapse.

Alexander KAZAKOV/POOL/AFP A man with a glass stands on the right of two men in uniformAlexander KAZAKOV/POOL/AFP
Those in favour of loaning Ukraine the money believe it will help deter Putin from continuing the war

The European Commission - the EU's executive arm - has proposed loaning Kyiv about €90bn (£79bn) over the next two years - out of the €210bn of Russian assets sitting in Europe.

That is about two-thirds of the €137bn that Kyiv is thought to need to get through 2026 and 2027.

Until now the EU has handed Ukraine the interest generated by the cash but not the cash itself.

"This is a crunch time for Ukraine to keep fighting for the next year," a Finnish government official told the BBC. "There are of course peace negotiations but this gives Ukraine leverage to say 'we're not desperate and we have the funds to continue fighting'."

Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says it will also ramp up the cost of war for Russia.

Russia's frozen assets are not the only option on the table for EU leaders. Another idea, backed by Belgium, is based on the EU borrowing the money on the international markets.

However, that would require a unanimous vote and Hungary's Viktor Orban has made it clear he will not allow any more EU money to help Ukraine.

For Ukraine, the hours ahead are significant and President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the EU summit.

Ahead of the Brussels meeting, EU leaders were keen to stress the momentous nature of the decision.

"We know the urgency. It is acute. We all feel it. We all see it," von der Leyen told the European Parliament.

EPA European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a debate on 'Preparation of the European Council meeting of 18-19 DecemberEPA
Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament that two choices were on the table for EU leaders

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has played a leading role in pushing for the Russian assets to be used, telling the Bundestag on the eve of the summit it was about sending a "clear signal" to Moscow that continuing the war was pointless.

EU officials are confident they have a sound legal basis to use the frozen Russian assets, but so far Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever remains unconvinced.

His Defence Minister Theo Francken warned ahead of the talks that it would be a big mistake to loan the Euroclear cash.

Hungary is seen as the biggest opponent of the move and, ahead of the summit, Prime Minister Orban and his entourage even suggested that the frozen assets plan had been removed from the summit agenda. A European Commission official stressed that was not the case and it would be a matter for the 27 member states at the summit.

Slovakia's Robert Fico has also opposed using the Russian assets, if it means the money being used to procure weapons rather than for reconstruction needs.

When the pivotal vote does finally take place, it will require a majority of about two-thirds of member states to go through. Whatever happens, European Council President António Costa has promised not to go over the heads of the Belgians.

"We're not going to vote against Belgium," he told Belgian public broadcaster RTBF. "We'll continue to work very intensively with the Belgian government because we don't want to approve something that might not be acceptable for Belgium."

Belgium will also be aware that ratings agency Fitch has placed Euroclear on a negative watch, partly because of "low" legal risks to its balance sheet from the European Commission's plans to use the Russian assets. Euroclear's chief executive has also warned against the plan.

"There are many hiccups and obstacles of course still on the way. We have to find a way to respond to Belgium's worries," the Finnish official added. "We are on the same side as Belgium. We will find a solution together to make sure all the risks are checked as much as they can be checked."

However, Belgium is not the only country to have doubts, and a majority is not guaranteed.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has told Italian MPs she will endorse the deal "if the legal basis is solid".

"If the legal basis for this initiative were not solid, we would be handing Russia its first real victory since the beginning of this conflict."

Malta, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic are also said to be unconvinced by the controversial proposals.

If the deal is passed and the Russian assets are given to Ukraine, the worst-case scenario for Belgium would be one in which a court would order it to hand the money back to Russia.

Some countries have said they would be prepared to provide billions of euros in financial guarantees, but Belgium will want to see the numbers add up.

At any rate, Commission officials are confident that the only way for Russia to get it back would be by paying reparations to Ukraine - at which point Ukraine would hand its "reparations loan" back to the EU.

6 Takeaways From Trump’s Address to the Nation

In an 18-minute address, President Trump said the economy was booming despite the public’s consistent concerns about prices. Here are six takeaways from the speech.

© Doug Mills/The New York Times

President Trump in an address from the White House on Wednesday argued that U.S. economy under his leadership is in better shape than many voters think.

美国宣布超100亿美元对台军售计划 北京表达强烈不满

德正
2025-12-18T11:16:20.898Z
美国基于《台湾关系法》与“六项保证”,持续协助台湾维持足够的自我防卫能力

(德国之声中文网)本周三(17日),美国国防部表示,美国国务院已批准M109A7自走炮、海马斯远程精准打击系统、战术导弹等8项总额超过111亿美元的对台军售案。

美联社报道指出,在特朗普的第二个任期内,美中关系时而紧张时而缓和,主要源于贸易和关税问题,但也与中国对台湾日益强硬的态度有关。

周三宣布的军售协议涵盖82套高机动性火箭炮系统(HIMARS)和420套陆军战术导弹系统(ATACMS),总价值超过40亿美元。此外还包括价值超过40亿美元的60套自行榴弹炮系统及相关设备,以及价值超过10亿美元的无人机。

该军售计划还包括价值超过10亿美元的军事软件、价值超过7亿美元的“标枪”和“陶”式导弹、价值9600万美元的直升机零部件以及价值9100万美元的“鱼叉”导弹翻新套件。

今年5月,台湾测试海马斯远程精准打击系统

美国国务院发表的声明表示,这些军售“符合美国的国家、经济和安全利益,支持受援国持续推进军队现代化建设,并维持可靠的防御能力,同时有助于维护该地区的政治稳定、军事平衡和经济发展”。

更多阅读:美国挺台升级?特朗普2.0拟加码对台军售

北京方面对美国做出的这一军售决定表示强烈不满。中国外交部发言人郭嘉昆周四在例行记者会上称,“台独”势力“大肆挥霍老百姓血汗钱购买武器,不惜把台湾变成火药桶,挽救不了台独必然灭亡的命运,只会加速把台海推向兵凶战危的境地”。他还说:“美方以武助‘独’,只会引火烧身,以台制华绝对不会得逞。台湾问题是中国核心利益中的核心,是中美关系第一条不可逾越的红线。”

台湾国防部则对美国的对台军售决定“表达诚挚感谢”。台湾国防部表示,美国基于《台湾关系法》与“六项保证”,持续协助台湾维持足够的自我防卫能力,并快速建立强韧吓阻战力,发挥不对称作战优势,是维持区域和平稳定的基础。

台湾政府承诺明年将国防开支提高至占台湾GDP的3.3%,并在2030年达到5%。此前,特朗普和五角大楼要求台湾将国防开支提高至占GDP的10%,这一比例远高于美国及其任何主要盟友的国防开支水平。这一要求遭到了台湾在野党国民党和部分民众的反对。

台湾总统赖清德上个月宣布了一项400亿美元的特别军事预算,用于从美国购买更多灵活、机动的武器。这项预算将在2026年至2033年的八年内分期拨付。

更多内容:台湾国防部:解放军尚不具备全面攻台能力

不过今年8月,台湾三立新闻曾报道称,美国乔治梅森大学沙尔政策与政府学院(George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government)根据台湾国防部6月送交立法院的“美对台军售案执行情形”报告研究发现,美国积欠台湾的军火价值高达215.4亿美元,其中仅2成已开始交付,但尚未执行完成。包括56枚AGM-154C滑翔炸弹,原定2023年就要交付,却被美方以产能不足为由拖延3年,预计2026才可能交运。意味着该军售案从2017年送出立法院后,耗时8年都没能完成。

报道称,美国2023年同意出售台湾100枚AIM-9X响尾蛇飞弹,采分批交运,预计2030年底前才会全数交付。而美方2020年卖给台湾专供F-16V战机使用的先进侦照荚舱MS-110,则于今年起分批执行装备交运,但并未公告交付截止日期。

相关图集:2020年美国对台军售总额创历史最高

年末再添一笔军售:路透社报道,美国本周宣布了对台2.8亿美元的“野战资讯通信系统”军售,帮助台湾军事现代化,加强防御能力。这是是美国今年第六度对台军售,中国外交部发言人华春莹在周二的例行发布会上敦促美国停止售台武器和美台任何军事联系,她表示,美国对台出售武器装备严重违反一中原则和中美三个联合公报规定,严重损害中美关系。(图为幻影战机资料图片)
2020年美国对外军售的最大买家:11月28日,美国在台协会台北办事处处长郦英杰(William Brent Christensen)在台湾出席一场研讨会时声称,台湾已是全世界公认的美国武器最大采购方,今年美国对台计划中的军售额总计高达118亿美元,是台湾史上单年最高的年度防务采购。他强调,美国对台军售获得美国两党的支持,这些军售对台湾提升“不对称作战能力”具有相当关键的力量。他还透露,放眼2021年,美国政府已通知国会对台军售52亿美元。
台北谨慎回应:11月29日,台湾国防部就骊英杰的表态做出了回应。声明指出,美国对台出售防卫性武器,有助强化整体防卫战力,确保台海及印太区域的和平与稳定,国防部对此表示感谢。但同时声明也强调,明年并无规划新增对美提出52亿美元的重大军购项目。(图为台湾空军资料照片)
特朗普任内军售频繁:10月26日,华盛顿方面公布2020年内第四波对台军售案,表示美国国务院已核准将100枚鱼叉反舰飞弹出售给台湾。据台湾中央社报道,这笔军售交易总额高达23.7亿美元。鱼叉海岸防御系统(HCDS)射程在200到300公里之间,可对沿岸、港湾以及陆上目标实施打击,符合台湾近年机动、不对称战力的诉求。这是也是美国总统特朗普上任以来的第九个对台军售案。
40余年,上百次对台军售案:美国向台湾出售武器,源于1979年美国与台北断交,转而与北京建交之后,制定的《台湾关系法》。在撤离驻台美军之后,美国开始依照该法律为台湾提供防御性军武。根据1982年时任总统罗纳德·里根建立的备忘录,美国对台提供武器之性能与数量“视中共所构成之威胁而定”。
具有标志性意义的F16战机:在数十年的历次对台军售案当中,最为引人注目的先进武器之一莫过于美国的F16战斗机。这是由洛克希德·马丁公司研制的轻型战斗机,在战机世代上归类于第四代战斗机,同时也是第四代战机中产量最高的机种。台北方面从70年代就开始要求向美国采购这种先进战机,但是直到90年代才得以达成交易。1997年,台湾采购的首批F16战机进行交付。之后该系列战机又经历了多次升级和换装,美方提供的飞行训练和技术支援也都包括在军售交易之内。
基隆级驱逐舰:纪德级驱逐舰(Kidd class)是美国海军已除役的飞弹驱逐舰,2005年到2006年期间,美国海军陆续将该系列一共四艘驱逐舰交接给台湾海军,并改称为基隆级驱逐舰。图为台湾总统蔡英文2018年视察该舰。
爱国者导弹:爱国者导弹(Patriot)是美国雷神公司制造的中程地对空导弹系统,该系统曾在海湾战争中成功拦截了伊拉克军队发射的飞毛腿导弹,从而声名大噪。这款具有代表性的美军武器在之后经多次升级,从90年代起台湾多次向美国采购爱国者导弹。2020年7月达成的美国对台军售案中还包括爱国者三型导弹的零组件相关更换、维修、测试与后勤支援等内容。
将台湾打造成一个“堡垒”:近年来,随着中国军事装备力量的不断壮大,以及美中关系的日益紧张,美国出售给台湾的武器种类也发生了变化。美国兰德公司的研究员葛莱斯曼 (Derek Grossman)10月中旬在接受德国之声采访时表示:“美国过去卖给台湾许多不同类型的武器,有时是能提升台湾不对称防御战力的武器,有时是像F-16战机这种标志性的武器。不过现在美国的对台军援政策似乎做了一个明显的调整。”他认为,为了要阻止中国透过两栖登陆的方式入侵台湾,美国要协助台湾成为一个“坚不可摧的堡垒”。
北京如何应对?:历来的美国对台军售案都会引起北京方面的反对,但大多数情况下都仅限于口头抗议。10月26日,中国外交部发言人赵立坚在例行记者会上表示,中国将对参与上周对台军售案的洛克希德·马丁丶波音防务丶雷神等美国企业与个人实施制裁。其实洛克希德·马丁公司鲜少与中国做生意,多年来一直向台湾提供武器和国防设备。然而,如果中国对波音(Boeing)实施制裁,这可能对其造成沉重打击,因为该公司也向中国出售民航飞机。

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特朗普全国讲话:自诩成就斐然 猛烈抨击拜登

德正
2025-12-18T11:17:39.141Z
美国总统特朗普于当地时间周三晚间向全国发表了电视讲话

(德国之声中文网) 美国总统特朗普于当地时间周三晚间向全国发表了电视讲话。在不到20分钟的时间里,这位共和党领导人极力强调其上任第一年的“政绩”,并对前任拜登政府展开猛烈抨击。

特朗普在讲话中对美国经济现状表现出高度乐观。他称一年前的美国处于“死亡”状态,而现在则是全世界“最时尚、最红火”的国家。他声称,在自己就职前,美国到处是“数百万犯罪的外国人”、受觉醒文化(wokeness)影响的社会以及失控的通胀;而现在,美国正处于“世界从未见过的经济大繁荣”前夕。

然而,官方统计数据与总统的乐观言辞存在偏差。尽管特朗普宣称已为美国争取到18万亿美元的投资,但实际数字远低于此。他提到的药品价格下跌600%也被指在数学逻辑上根本无法成立。

民调下滑:经济焦虑笼罩选民

尽管总统描绘了一幅繁荣图景,但民调却显示出另一番景象。受持续通胀和高昂生活成本影响,民众的满意度正在下滑。

路透社/益普索(Reuters/Ipsos)周二公布的民调显示,特朗普的支持率已从41%降至39%。仅有三分之一(33%)的美国人认可其处理经济的方式。此外,哥伦比亚广播公司(CBS)11月的调查发现,65%的受访者认为特朗普的政策正在推高食品价格。这种不满情绪让共和党人对明年即将到来的中期选举感到担忧。

此前调查显示,约61%的退伍军人或预备役人员支持特朗普。

避谈外交:对乌克兰与委内瑞拉保持沉默

值得注意的是,特朗普在讲话中对外交政策几乎只字未提。

虽然日前柏林刚举行了有美方参与的乌克兰停火磋商,且周四布鲁塞尔将举行欧盟峰会进一步讨论乌克兰局势,但特朗普对乌克兰问题保持沉默。同时,他也未提及近期美方在加勒比海对委内瑞拉运毒船只的拦截行动。就在本周二,特朗普刚刚宣布对委内瑞拉实施海上封锁,禁止受制裁的油轮出入。

圣诞礼包:“战士红利”发放

为了巩固军事人员的支持,特朗普宣布向全美约150万名现役军人发放名为“战士红利”(warrior dividend)的圣诞奖金。

每位军人将收到一张金额为1776美元的支票,这一数字特意致敬了美国签署《独立宣言》的年份——1776年。特朗普表示,这笔总额约26亿美元的支出将由其今年以来对多国加征的关税收入支付。此前调查显示,约61%的退伍军人或预备役人员支持特朗普。

争议数据:非法移民与能源价格

在移民问题上,特朗普再次使用了极具争议的数据。他声称拜登任内让“2500万人的军队入侵了美国”,但事实核查显示,拜登任内非法越境人数估计约为740万至1000万人左右。

关于能源价格,特朗普声称全美平均油价已降至每加仑2.50美元,但能源信息署(EIA)12月15日的监测数据为2.90美元。他还声称美国家庭能源成本已下降3000美元,但未提供任何证据支持这一说法。

在讲话发表的同时,特朗普任命的联邦调查局(FBI)副局长丹·邦吉诺(Dan Bongino)宣布将于明年1月辞职。这位曾是右翼播客主持人的官员上任仅不到10个月,其缺乏专业经验的背景曾引发广泛争议。

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特朗普2.0第二笔对台军售 规模为24年来最高 北京谴责促美立即停止武装台湾危险行径 - RFI - 法国国际广播电台

18/12/2025 - 12:38

台湾周四(12月18日)宣布,美国国务院已批准特朗普第二任期以来第二笔对台军售,总额111亿美元,是自2001年以来规模最大的一次对台武器销售。台北表示,军售再次展现美台伙伴关系紧密及美国对台湾安全的坚定承诺,北京则谴责华盛顿此举严重违反一个中国原则,要求“立即停止武装台湾的危险行径”。

据台湾外交表示,此次军售共涉及八项合同,内容包括“台湾战术网络及部队觉知应用套件(TAK)”、陆军“AH-1W型直升机零附件”、“M109A7自走炮”、““海马斯”远程精准打击系统续购”、“拖式导弹续购”、“反装甲型无人机导弹系统”、海军“标枪反甲导弹续购”、“鱼叉导弹可修件检修”。

台湾总统府发言人郭雅慧周四表示,台湾对此诚挚感谢,认为此举再次展现美国政府持续依照“台湾关系法”及“六项保证”,落实对台湾的安全承诺。她表示,这是特朗普政府此次任内第二度对台军售,再次彰显台美合作伙伴关系紧密,也充分显示华盛顿对台湾国防需求的高度重视。

据台湾国防部称,这笔军售已获得美国国务院批准,目前仍需国会同意,预计将在约一个月后正式生效。同时,台湾立法院也需对相关合同进行审议。目前立法院由在野的国民党及其盟友民众党掌控。

台湾政府计划未来数年追加约400亿美元的防务支出,提出在2026年将防务开支提高至国内生产总值的3%以上,2030年达到5%,以回应美方长期以来提出的要求。

尽管台湾拥有其本土国防工业,但面对大陆日益增强的军事压力,仍高度依赖美国提供的武器。11月,美国批准特朗普就任后首笔对台军售,价值3.3亿美元,涉及F-16、C-130运输机及台湾自制防卫战机IDF的零部件、更换与维修支持等。

法新社报道,美国虽未在外交上承认台湾为主权国家,但始终是台湾最重要的安全伙伴和武器供应方。与此同时,北京始终坚持台湾是中国领土不可分割的一部分,并不排除武力实现统一的可能,近年来持续加大对台军事、经济和外交压力,中国军机战舰几乎每天都出现在台湾周边。 周四台湾国防部表示,截至到周四上午,在台湾周边海域24小时共侦测40架次中国军机及8艘军舰,此外侦测中国第三艘航母福建号周二穿越台湾海峡。

对美国最新宣布对台军售,中国外交部周四回应称,此举“严重违反”一个中国原则,破坏了台海和平稳定。外交部发言人郭嘉昆在例行记者会表示,美国武装台湾只会适得其反,中国敦促美方“立即停止武装台湾的危险行径”。

【异闻观止】长安街知事|北京市住建委、市委网信办、市公安局,联合约谈主要互联网平台

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据北京市住建委微信公众号“安居北京”17日消息,为切实加强网络生态治理,坚决遏制房地产领域网络乱象,12月5日,北京市住房城乡建设委会同市委网信办、市公安局等部门,对抖音、小红书、贝壳、58同城、闲鱼、链家、我爱我家、麦田等互联网平台进行联合约谈。

会议指出,部分自媒体账号存在在网络上发布和传播唱衰北京楼市、制造市场恐慌、散布不实信息、虚假房源引流等违规信息问题,严重扰乱市场秩序。会议要求各平台立即开展全面自查,及时下架违规信息、处置违规账号,并加快建立完善常态化行业内容内审机制。

截至12月12日,在相关部门督导下,58同城、抖音、小红书、闲鱼、贝壳等网站平台已累计自查清理各类违法违规和不良信息1.7万余条;处置放大市场波动、贩卖焦虑、臆测政策、传播虚假内容博取流量、误导预期促成交的违规房产类账号、直播间2300余个;删除处理违规笔记100余篇。链家、我爱我家、麦田共筛查平台网络房源130余万条,下架整改不合规房源信息480余条。

下一步,相关部门将继续强化协同配合,始终坚持以正面声音引导舆论、以主流价值凝聚共识、以时代新风净化网络,对各类扰乱房地产市场秩序的网络乱象保持“零容忍”高压态势。对整改推进不力、继续侵犯群众利益的互联网平台,将依法从严查处,全力营造清朗网络空间。

CDT 档案卡
标题:北京市住建委、市委网信办、市公安局,联合约谈主要互联网平台
作者:长安街知事
发表日期:2025.12.18
来源:微信公众号-长安街知事
主题归类:房地产
CDS收藏:公民馆
版权说明:该作品版权归原作者所有。中国数字时代仅对原作进行存档,以对抗中国的网络审查。详细版权说明

以下为中国数字时代编辑摘自网友评论:

人微言轻一俗人:基于事实也是客观存在的嘛,怎么就不能讨论了呢。涨跌都不能讨论?

洪怀懋:只许曾经政策严厉打压,不许现在百姓说点实话?

大战前的战士和冲锋陷阵的英雄:特别是贝壳中介,唱衰的是全国楼市。

应对高温的小博:鸡鸣带不来日出,鸦叫带不来死亡。

岁月常有痕:当年猛涨是因为唱涨造成的吗?

专治假大空:就是不解决根本问题,只知道掩耳盗铃。

开聊吧Talkshow:要是能一唱就真衰了,是不是本身……

BG1GIZ:把嘴捂住房价就能涨。

SleepO13579:公鸡杀了天就不亮了?

刺金1314:别整治了,越整治跌的越狠。

新新新默存|王五四:我们终将成为一种历史奇观。

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如果对冰箱不满意,你就去制冷

文/王五四

刚学习了某某的《警惕“1644史观”带乱了节奏》,的确要警惕,我觉得最应该警惕的是,历史不是人人都可以参与讨论的,既然大部分人接触到的都不是历史而是历史教育,那么就别参与讨论了,否则后人研究历史的,一旦考古发现了这些留言,会以先人为耻的,会对我们所处的时代产生一些不良看法的。看了那篇文章下面的留言,我有一个深深的感受,一些认知低的鸡,总以为太阳是自己打鸣打出来的,更可怕的是,这些打鸣的,还找到了共鸣,它们不仅否认了西方的太阳学说,也不认可东方的天文观测,它们甚至还准备出版一本学术专著《论关闭肯德基、临沂炒鸡和太阳照常升起的重要性》。

CDT 档案卡
标题:王五四 l 我们终将成为一种历史奇观。
作者:王五四
发表日期:2025.12.18
来源:微信公众号-新新新默存
主题归类:历史虚无主义
CDS收藏:公民馆
版权说明:该作品版权归原作者所有。中国数字时代仅对原作进行存档,以对抗中国的网络审查。详细版权说明

这种文章当然很难写,既要又要还要的,很多观点不得不说,但又不能说透,很多事不能不提,但又不能直说,拧巴得很,扭曲得很。以我有限的历史知识,我感觉很多你们在批评的,都是当初国父们提倡的,很多你们诟病的,都是你们的历史教育里有头有脸的人物发明创造大力推广的。不要再说什么“如果你对政府不满意,就去考公务员建设它”,革命先辈们可不是去考公来改变中国的,况且,现在考公多难啊。

你们文章里写到的“将近代中国积贫积弱、遭受列强欺凌的根源归咎于清朝的统治。”难道不是清朝的统治问题吗?难道是因为大清子民素质太差?你们文中还写道,“这是一种心理防御机制——通过批判甚至辱骂早已不存在的王朝,通过对历史的单向度否定,获得短暂的情绪释放。”不应该这样吗?难道你的意思是要批判现存的王朝?也没有什么现存的王朝吧,只有人民当家作主的人民政府。

我倒不是想批评什么,不是历史专业的,真是历史专业的,也不敢说什么,因为以史为鉴,得出的最重要结论就是,闭嘴。有很多人建议什么理性看待历史,不要情绪化看待,看着很有道理,但我也觉得挺拧巴的,我们现在面对的主要问题,根本不是用什么角度看待历史的问题,而是我们不断变换角度和姿势,看的东西到底是什么?是历史吗?我觉得大部分人看到的都不是历史,而是历史教育的产品,这就跟面对一桌腐烂变质的饭菜,你跟我说饮食健康要荤素搭配,要注重餐桌礼仪,要细嚼慢咽,你们没事吧?

我觉得什么崖山史观、1644史观,都不可怕,也带乱不了节奏,在很多人的生活里,是没有“历史”这两个字的,只有历史教育,既然没有历史,啥史观也带乱不了节奏,能带乱节奏的,是历史教育,要出问题,也是历史教育出的问题,历史可不背锅,人民也不背锅。即便历史的脚步节奏乱了,学术批判和自由的学术环境,可以调整好它的节奏,而不应用别的强制手段替代,比如那啥那啥。

这些年,屈辱的历史观,总是伴随着我们的生活,勿忘历史,勿忘国耻,这都没问题,但你好歹给我们点历史,好歹让人民讨论清楚什么叫国耻,前任政府的昏庸无能,带来的灾难后果,叫国耻,那么最应该勿忘国耻的是政府,人民最应该勿忘的历史是监督政府勿忘国耻。这才是在真实性的历史前提下,做建设性的历史讲述,才能培养更为理性的历史观和民族精神。领导人曾这样指出铭记和传承历史的意义:“铭记历史,不是为了延续仇恨,而是要共同引以为戒。传承历史,不是为了纠结过去,而是要开创未来,让和平的薪火代代相传。”

理性面对历史,是为了“知所从来,方明所往”。我们面临的问题从来不是理性还是感性看待历史的问题,感性需要理性做基础,理性也需要感性加持,不是某某历史观带乱了节奏,而是丧失了真实性的历史,让我们乱了性,没有真实性的理性是奴性,没有真实性的感性是任性。

历史上应该从来没有过我们这些人这样的存在,既沉溺于各种添加剂的预制历史,又沉迷于遥不可及毫无支点的未来,就是不敢正视当下的社会和眼前的生活,我们终将成为历史,终将成为一种历史奇观。

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