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马克龙警告不排除对华采取更多保护主义措施

法国总统马克龙星期二(12月16日)表示,倾向于与中国合作重新平衡经济关系,但不排除采取更多保护主义措施。图为马克龙星期二在法国马赛与当地报章《普罗旺斯日报》(La Provence)部分读者会面时发表讲话。 (路透社)

中国今年对欧盟贸易顺差逼近300亿美元(387.8亿新元)历史新高,中欧贸易失衡已被欧洲领导人视为攸关欧洲工业存亡的问题。法国总统马克龙星期二(12月16日)表示,倾向于与中国合作重新平衡经济关系,但不排除采取更多保护主义措施。

马克龙星期二在英国《金融时报》发表评论文章,表示对来自中国的进口商品征收关税和设定配额,是解决中国与欧盟贸易失衡问题的一种“缺乏合作性的回应”。

他写道,“迫切”需要进行中欧贸易再平衡,并呼吁双方采取措施。他表示,欧盟必须解决竞争力问题并促进创新,而中国则应采取更有利的财政政策,促进国内消费并加大对欧洲的投资。

马克龙在星期二发表的专栏文章中也表示,欧洲需要“让企业更容易扩大规模,与全球同行竞争”。

他补充说:“要么我们以合作的方式重新平衡经济关系——让中国、美国和欧盟建立真正的伙伴关系——要么欧洲将别无选择,只能采取更多保护主义措施。我更倾向于合作,但如有必要,我也会主张采取后者。”

在此之前,马克龙12月3日至5日对中国进行三天国事访问后,在12月7日发表的法国《回声报》(Les Echos)采访中警告称,如果北京未能解决与欧盟日益严峻的贸易失衡问题,欧盟可能被迫对中国采取“强力措施”,包括可能加征关税。

马克龙在《回声报》采访中表示:“我正试图向中国人解释,他们的贸易顺差不可持续,因为他们正在杀死自己的客户,尤其是他们几乎不再从我们这里进口任何东西。”

马克龙说:“如果他们不做出反应,未来几个月,我们欧洲人将不得不采取强有力的措施并脱钩,就像美国那样,例如对中国产品征收关税,”他补充称,他已与欧盟委员会主席冯德莱恩讨论过此事。

根据法国财政部的数据,法国去年对华贸易逆差约为470亿欧元(712.1亿新元)。去年,在巴黎支持欧盟对华电动汽车加征关税后,中法两国的紧张局势升级。北京随即对法国干邑白兰地实施最低价格要求作为反制,引发猪肉和乳制品生产商担忧自己可能成为下一个目标。

与此同时,根据中国官方今年早些时候发布的数据,中国对欧盟的商品贸易顺差在2025年上半年增加至近1430亿美元,创下任何半年期的最高纪录。

由于中国将面临美国关税的商品转向欧盟,中国对欧出口规模目前是欧盟对华出口的逾两倍。彭博社报道指出,中国出口的荣景,正使它与欧洲走上冲突之路。

马克龙在《回声报》采访中表示,美国对华政策“不恰当”,将中国商品转向欧盟市场的做法加剧了欧洲的困境。

他说:“如今,我们被困在两者之间,这对欧洲工业来说是一个生死攸关的问题。”

Heating Costs Expected to Rise 9.2% This Winter

Colder weather and rising electricity and fuel costs will lead to a big jump in costs for individuals, according to estimates from a group representing state energy officials.

© Tristan Spinski for The New York Times

Higher electricity and natural gas prices coupled with unusually cold temperatures are expected to fuel more bill increases as the winter months settle in across the country.

One Way the Brown Attack Was Unusual: The Gunman Escaped

It is rare for a gunman in a high-profile shooting to get away, and many are apprehended within days. The authorities shared grainy video and begged for tips as the search stretched into its fourth day.

© Providence Police, via Reuters

The Providence Police Department released enhanced security camera footage of a person they are looking for in the Brown University shooting.

Republicans push mail-in voting for the midterms in defiance of Trump

Republicans are making mail-in voting a core part of their midterm battle plans — a sharp contrast with President Donald Trump’s efforts to abolish the practice as they scramble to turn out his base.

In Wisconsin, the state party is preparing a full-court press of mailers, emails, phone banks, door knocks and digital ads to get voters to sign up for mail ballots.

In Michigan, the Monroe County GOP ran a social media campaign ahead of the fall election urging voters to utilize permanent absentee ballots and is planning an even bigger push next year.

In Pennsylvania, where Republicans poured $16 million into boosting the number of GOP voters using mail ballots in 2024, the state party chair called it “a priority” for 2026. The nonprofit Citizens Alliance, which aided efforts to get Republicans to return their mail ballots in Pennsylvania last year, is planning to knock 750,000 doors ahead of the midterms to encourage infrequent voters to embrace the practice.

And the Republican National Committee intends to build on the aggressive early mail and in-person voting campaign it ran successfully in 2024, after shying away from the practice in 2020, while also supporting election security efforts including stopping ballots from being counted after Election Day, according to a person granted anonymity to describe the committee’s plans.

“Democrats have built a pretty massive structural advantage in early voting for a long, long time. And we just can’t keep going into election night 100,000 votes down and expect to make it up in 12 hours,” Wisconsin GOP Chair Brian Schimming said in an interview. “Treating early voting as optional, or something Democrats do, is a losing gamble.”

Trump has long falsely decried mail voting as rife with fraud. Over the summer, he vowed that Republicans “are going to do everything possible [to] get rid of mail-in ballots.” In November, and again this week, he called on Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster and pass a law to ban mail-in voting.

But, as has been the case for several years, he and his party are out of sync.

Rattled by electoral losses across the country this year and fearing a turnout slump in 2026 when control of Congress is on the line, Republican party chairs and operatives in battleground states Trump flipped by razor-thin margins in 2024 are turning to mail-in voting to keep lower-propensity voters engaged when he’s not on the ballot. They’re redoubling the 2024 efforts they ran successfully despite Trump alternating between promoting and railing against the practice — a turnabout after his vilification of mail ballots contributed to GOP losses in 2020.

Now, back in office, Trump is escalating his war against mail ballots. He signed an executive order in March that attempted to bar states from counting ballots that arrive after Election Day, along with other election-system overhauls. Judges have blocked most of the order, and the Supreme Court is set to decide whether federal law prohibits states from counting late-arriving ballots postmarked by Election Day.

Despite pledging to “lead a movement” to eliminate “corrupt” voting by mail ahead of the midterms, Trump has yet to issue another executive order on it. State courts have upheld vote-by-mail programs expanded during the pandemic. And presidents have little authority over state-run elections, whose rules are guided by federal and state law rather than presidential decree.

State and local Republicans, seeing few paths to overturning mail voting programs, are forging ahead — swallowing their own misgivings about ballot security in an effort to cut into a Democratic advantage as early voting options turn Election Day into election season.

Pressed about their mission appearing antithetical to Trump’s rhetoric, Republican operatives uniformly insisted they’re simply trying to play by the rules they’ve been given and that they support the president trying to change them — even if they’re unsure he’ll succeed.

“In Michigan, that’s the law of the land unless we can find a U.S. constitutional override, which I doubt that’s going to happen,” said Jim Runestad, a state senator who chairs the Michigan Republican Party. So, he said, “we’ll be fully engaged in early and absentee voting — we have to be.”

Still, the renewed dispute between Trump and his party over mail-in voting is the latest evidence of cracks forming in the ordinarily unified Republican Party. GOP lawmakers throughout the country, from New Hampshire to Indiana, have been rebuffing the president’s push for an aggressive redistricting effort to shore up his party’s chances of keeping its slim House advantage next year. Democrats need to net just three seats in order to seize control over the lower chamber. And several members of Trump’s base, namely departing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, bucked him on the yet-to-be-released Jeffrey Epstein files.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Republicans have already shown some success in convincing their voters to embrace mail voting. In Pennsylvania — where now-Sen. Dave McCormick’s campaign, party committees and outside groups spent millions promoting the practice — GOP voters cast 32.4 percent of mail ballots in 2024, up from 23.7 percent four years earlier, helping Trump narrowly flip the state. Roughly one in five Republican voters who cast ballots in the state that year had not participated in any elections since 2020, suggesting the method worked for some low-propensity voters who the party has to work harder to turn out.

Nationally, roughly three in 10 ballots in the 2024 general election were cast by mail, according to a U.S. Election Assistance Commission report from June. That was down from 43 percent in 2020, at the pandemic’s peak, but higher than pre-Covid, according to the report.

“We have to encourage people to embrace mail-in voting and early voting,” Pennsylvania GOP Chair Greg Rothman said in an interview. “That has to be a priority for us in 2026.”

Rothman won’t be alone in that fight. Citizens Alliance, the nonprofit founded by Pennsylvania-based conservative activist Cliff Maloney that hired over 100 people to chase ballots across roughly 500,000 doors in 2024, is gearing up to knock 750,000 in 2026. The Republican State Leadership Committee, which helped fund mail-ballot programs in Pennsylvania last year, put more than $2 million behind turnout efforts in New Jersey and Virginia this year and said it’s “doubling down” on the program in 2026.

“Without Trump on the ballot, the low-propensity problem is an epidemic” and “Republicans have to adapt or die,” Maloney said. “The blessing here is that there’s a solution — and the solution is to actually put dollars, cents, time and energy into the same tactics that the left uses to target low-propensity voters.”

State and county parties in Wisconsin and Michigan are planning similarly aggressive efforts, though they, like other Republican officials interviewed for this story, declined to share details or put price tags on strategies still taking shape. In Michigan, where voters can sign up for a permanent mail ballot list, Monroe County GOP Chair Todd Gillman sees it as a way to get more people engaged in more under-the-radar local elections.

But even as they try to make inroads with mail voting, Republicans in other states are attempting to follow Trump in restricting the practice. Ohio’s GOP-controlled Legislature last month passed a bill that would invalidate nearly all ballots received after Election Day that were postmarked prior to the deadline. The state’s Republican governor, Mike DeWine, is now weighing whether to sign it. Utah GOP Gov. Spencer Cox signed a similar bill earlier this year. Republican-led Kansas Legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of another bill eliminating the grace period, which is being challenged in court.

And Republicans pushing mail-in voting remain somewhat hamstrung by their standard bearer’s scaremongering, which has sown a deep distrust among GOP voters that party officials and activists say they’re still working to reverse.

Trump made baseless claims of mail-voting fraud the basis for his constellation of stolen-election conspiracy theories in 2020. He piled on in 2024, suggesting scores of Pennsylvania ballots were fraudulent and accusing postal workers of “purposefully” losing some mail ballots — even as his campaign, the RNC and GOP-aligned groups prioritized early voting initiatives. Last month, as Californians voted to approve mid-decade redistricting in response to a GOP-led redraw in Texas, Trump threatened legal action that never materialized over ballots cast by mail in a state that sends one to every voter.

GOP operatives have a script for that, insisting to wary Republicans that they’ve made voting by mail more secure and informing them of the various options they have to ensure their ballots reach election offices, including hand delivery.

“We don’t necessarily like early voting or absentee ballots,” Gillman said. “But those are the rules we have to play by.”

Jessica Piper contributed to this report.

© AP

台湾新竹市长高虹安计划明天重回市府办公

台湾新竹市长高虹安涉助理费案,二审撤销贪污罪,她计划星期四(12月18日)回市府办公。

据中时新闻网报道,二审后,高虹安依法可申请复职,新竹市政府星期二(12月16日)已向台湾内政部申请。

高虹安星期三(12月17日)下午说,内政部已回函,她预计星期四上午将重新回到岗位。

她说,自己将会把过去对市民承诺的施政政见,依序落实兑现。

综合台媒此前报道,停职中的高虹安被控在立委任内涉嫌诈领助理费,一审被判刑七年四个月,她和检察单位均提出上诉。台湾高等法院星期二撤销原判决,改依共同犯使公务员登载不实罪,判高虹安六个月徒刑,得以易科罚金,即以钱代刑。

香港最大持牌加密货币交易所HashKey上市

香港最大持牌加密货币交易所HashKey星期三(12月17日)在港交所挂牌交易,彰显北京尽管对加密货币严格限制,香港仍致力打造全球区块链与数字资产中心。

综合法新社和证券时报网等报道,HashKey此次首次公开上市(IPO)融资约16亿港元(2.6亿新元),上市首日股价报6.55港元,较发行价下跌1.95%;收市报6.67港元,较上市价微跌0.15%。

HashKey董事长兼首席执行官肖风在上市仪式上说:“登陆港交所,是新的起点。一直以来,我们扎根香港,坚持走合规的道路。未来,我们将持续提升基础设施能力,强化安全、托管、链上执行、链上合规等关键能力,继续打造全球领先的数字资产基础设施服务平台。”

香港被视为加密货币主流投资工具的“试验田”,今年已推出稳定币许可制度,而中国大陆自2021年起全面禁止虚拟货币,但同时试点央行数字货币“数字人民币”。

数字资产公司Crypto HK负责人Merton Lam说,中国对加密货币仍保持谨慎,可能将香港视作技术试验场。“加密货币是全球性的,香港用户可使用国际交易所如币安,但本地平台如HashKey对希望将现金转换为加密货币的用户更为便捷。”

金融科技律师博加迪(Etelka Bogardi)则认为,HashKey上市时机良好,一方面受益于活跃的IPO市场,另一方面得益于香港近年友好区块链政策与监管明确化措施,为数字资产发展提供便利环境。

Boy, 15, charged with murder of girl, 9

BBC Breaking NewsBBC

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe.

Aria was found dead at a house in Lime Close, Weston-super-Mare, shortly after 18:00 GMT on Monday.

A post-mortem examination found the preliminary cause of her death was a single stab wound, Avon and Somerset Police said.

The teenage suspect, who cannot be named due to his age, remains in custody and is due to appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court later.

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.

Lower clothing and food prices help inflation fall by more than expected

Getty Images Shoppers dressed in woollen coats and puffer jackets walk with their bright yellow Selfridges shopping bags down Oxford St in LondonGetty Images
Lower prices for clothing, food and alcohol helped the UK inflation rate ease last month

Falls in food, alcohol, and clothing prices last month helped drive inflation to its lowest level in eight months in November.

The inflation rate fell to 3.2% from 3.6%, a larger fall than analysts expected.

Lower food prices were the main driver of the fall, "with decreases seen particularly for cakes, biscuits, and breakfast cereals", according to Office for National Statistics chief economist Grant Fitzner.

It comes ahead of the Bank of England's decision on interest rates on Thursday, with a cut widely expected.

The fall in inflation will foster hope that inflation has peaked, with this possibly paving the way for further interest rate cuts next year.

Other items which also pushed down inflation were the cost of tobacco, restaurant meals and hotel stays, furniture, and transport.

Prices are still rising on average across the economy, but there were decreases in some items between October and November.

Food prices, which were the biggest driver of the lower inflation figure, fell month on month - bucking a trend for normally rising at this time of the year.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she knew that families across Britain "will welcome this fall in inflation".

"Getting bills down is my top priority. That is why I froze rail fares and prescription fees and cut £150 off average energy bills at the Budget this year," she said.

A line chart titled 'UK inflation falls to 3.2% in November', showing the UK Consumer Prices Index annual inflation rate, from January 2020 to November 2025. In the year to January 2020, inflation was 1.8%. It then fell close to 0% in late-2020 before rising sharply, hitting a high of 11.1% in October 2022. It then fell to a low of 1.7% in September 2024 before rising again. In the year to November 2025, prices rose 3.2%, down from 3.6% the previous month.

Reacting to the inflation figure, chief UK economist with Capital Economics Paul Dales said it was "particularly good news" that the rate of price rises had been "dragged down by the fun things that we all want to indulge in around this time of year".

He added that clothing and footwear prices could also rebound after Black Friday discounts drop away, but that the overall picture "shows that disinflation is happening faster than expected".

Doctors start five-day strike as NHS bosses warn flu wave will cause extra disruption

PA Media Doctors dressed in outdoor winter clothes hold strike posters - one says, "Pay restoration for doctors"PA Media

Patients are being told to expect disruption as doctors start their five-day strike in England, with NHS bosses saying they are struggling to keep as many services going as they have done in recent walkouts.

NHS England said with a wave of flu placing pressure on hospitals, non-urgent services would be affected by the strike which begins at 07:00 Wednesday.

This is the 14th walkout by resident doctors, the new name for junior doctors, in the long-running pay dispute.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the strike had been timed to inflict most damage on the NHS and put patients at risk, but the British Medical Association said it would work with NHS bosses to ensure patient safety.

The strike is being held after the two sides held last-minute talks on Tuesday afternoon.

The talks were described as "constructive" by the government, but not enough progress had been made to call off the strike.

Resident doctors represent nearly half of the doctors working in the NHS. They will walk out of both emergency and non-urgent care with senior doctors drafted in to provide cover.

In the two most recent strikes – in July and November – NHS England said it was able to keep the majority of non-urgent operations and treatments, such as hip and knee replacements, going.

But NHS England said it expected more disruption this time. Concern has also been expressed that hospitals may struggle to discharge patients in time for Christmas as the doctors who are working concentrate on providing strike cover.

Medical director Prof Meghana Pandit said: "These strikes come at an immensely challenging time for the NHS, with record numbers of patients in hospital with flu for this time of year.

"Staff will come together as they always do, going above and beyond to provide safe care for patients and limit disruption.

"But sadly more patients are likely to feel the impact of this round of strikes than in the previous two – and staff who are covering will not get the Christmas break they deserve with their families."

Streeting added: "We have been working right up to today to try and avert these strike actions.

"Everyone knows the period leading up to Christmas and into the New Year are always the busiest for the NHS. With super flu, this year is harder.

"And that double whammy of flu plus strikes means that there is an additional burden now on other NHS staff."

NHS England said GP practices will continue to be open and urgent and emergency care services will be available for those who need them.

But even then there is likely to be some disruption. Cheltenham General Hospital's emergency department is closing for emergencies during the strike - it will remain open for minor injuries - with patients advised to use nearby Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

NHS England said the public should use 111 online as the first port of call for urgent, but not life-threatening issues during the strike.

Patients who need emergency medical care should continue to use 999 or come forward to A&E as normal, it added.

The strike is going ahead despite a new offer from the government being made last week, which included increasing the number of speciality training posts and covering out-of-pocket expenses like exam fees.

Getting job is 'nightmare'

The speciality training jobs, which resident doctors start in year three of their training after completing medical school, have become highly competitive.

This year 30,000 applicants went for 10,000 jobs – although some of the applicants were doctors from abroad.

Dr Tom Twentyman is one of those who lost out after trying to secure an emergency medicine post. He says finding a job is an "absolute nightmare".

Since then he has been struggling to find work, juggling a handful of locum shifts each month at the same time as applying for more than 40 short-term contracts at hospitals across the country – one of which he now secured.

But this will not count towards his training, so he will now look to reapply next year.

"Some of the job adverts were coming down within two hours of going up after they received 650 applications, which is clearly an enormous number to shortlist," he says.

Chart showing doctor pay rates

On Monday the BMA announced its members had voted to continue with the strike – effectively rejecting the offer in the process – after the union agreed to hold an online poll of members.

BMA resident doctor leader Dr Jack Fletcher described it as a "resounding response" and said the government needed to go further on jobs as well as pay.

Streeting has maintained he will not discuss pay as doctors have received pay rises totalling nearly 30% over the past three years.

The BMA argues that, despite the pay rises, resident doctors' pay is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008, once inflation is taken into account.

Dr Fletcher added: "It is well past the time for ministers to come up with a genuinely long-term plan.

"If they can simply provide a clear route to responsibly raise pay over a number of years and enough genuinely new jobs instead of recycled ones, then there need not be any more strikes for the remainder of this government."

But the BMA said it was committed to ensuring patient safety.

"We will be in close contact with NHS England throughout the strikes to address safety concerns if they arise," the union added.

Timothée Chalamet on why Beckhams and Susan Boyle are among all-time greatest Brits

Reuters Timothee Chalamet attends a special screening of the film 'Marty Supreme' in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., December 8, 2025.Reuters
Chalamet is known for his roles in films such as Dune, Wonka and Call Me By Your Name

Hollywood star Timothée Chalamet is compiling his list of five Brits who he considers to be all-time greats.

"Lewis Hamilton, David and Victoria," he begins, referring to the seven-time Formula One champion and the Beckhams.

"Fakemink," he continues, naming the underground London rapper who recently teamed up with EsDeeKid, the anonymous Liverpool drill artist who many have linked to Chalamet.

("No comment," is his reply when pressed on this. "All will be revealed.")

But Chalamet's final pick of someone who demonstrated British greatness comes totally out of left field.

After a long pause and some deep thought, he reveals his answer: "Susan Boyle."

Yes, it turns out that one of the biggest movie stars on the planet is an admirer of the 64-year-old former Britain's Got Talent star, who went on to have two US number one albums.

"She dreamt bigger than all of us," he explains, without any hint of irony.

"Who wasn't moved by that?" he says about the 2009 viral clip of the Scottish singer performing I Dreamed A Dream from Les Misérables on the talent show.

"I remember that like it was yesterday," the actor says. "That was like the advent of YouTube, you know."

Getty Images Former England footballer David Beckham (L) poses next to his wife singer and fashion designer Victoria Beckham (R) with his medal after being appointed as a Knight Bachelor (Knighthood) for services to sport and charity at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on November 4, 2025.Getty Images
Chalamet names the newly knighted Sir David and Victoria Beckham as two of his five great Britons

Chalamet, 29, knows a lot about using social media to advance a career.

The reason he is selecting great Britons, is due to one of the many ways he has found to promote his new 1950s table tennis film, Marty Supreme.

For the last month, he has been presenting jackets bearing the film's title to people he deems as being a great.

Honourees so far include swimmer Michael Phelps, NFL legend Tom Brady and Barcelona's Spanish wonder kid Lamine Yamal.

Now his promotional tour has taken him to London, where he opened a pop-up store and is now sitting in a hotel bar looking out over Hyde Park.

I had asked him which Brits would be worth of receiving a jacket, resulting in the SuBo surprise.

Andrew Yates/AFP via Getty Images Susan Boyle, wearing a red dress with her arms outstretched, sings during the musical "I Dreamed A Dream" at the Royal Theatre in Newcastle in 2012Andrew Yates/AFP via Getty Images
Susan Boyle "dreamt bigger than all of us", says Chalamet

Chalamet's frenetically entertaining performance in Marty Supreme has already landed him best actor nominations at both the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards, and the Oscar race is currently seen as a head-to-head between him and Leonardo DiCaprio.

The film is based on real life post-war table tennis star, Marty Reisman. The semi-fictionalised film version Marty Mauser, however, has some dubious morals, getting involved in a heist and trying to destroy the marriage of his biggest sponsor, who he resents.

Despite his questionable on-screen actions, Chalamet is a big fan of his character.

"You know, when you're in your early twenties, you're an idiot," he laughs. "And this movie, in large part, is about being an idiot in your early twenties.

"And if on top of that, you have a passion that you're singular about, you risk looking foolish in addition to being an idiot."

A24 Timothée Chalamet in Marty SupremeA24
Chalamet stars as table tennis player Marty Mauser in his latest film Marty Supreme

Marty Mauser exudes the same confidence that Chalamet demonstrated while collecting his best actor SAG Award this year for playing Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown.

During his acceptance speech he pontificated: "I'm really in pursuit of greatness. I know people don't usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats," before listing Daniel Day Lewis, Marlon Brando, Viola Davis and Michael Jordan, as actors who inspired him.

I ask where his confidence comes from.

"You know, it ebbs and flows. And I feel like that's kind of what keeps me on my toes," he says, in a far more humble way that he demonstrated on stage at the SAGs, wearing a bright green suit.

"It's my New York mentality insofar as if I'm on a movie or in a social situation, if things are going well, you feel great. And if not, the world's falling apart," he says, becoming far more introspective than I had expected.

"And I think increasingly in my life, like as I approach 30 here in a couple weeks, you want to be more on your feet. You want to grow into yourself. But that is a constant learning process. And it's a huge learning curve. And I try not to be too hard on myself or those around me who are also growing."

Getty Images Timothée Chalamet poses in the press room with the award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture for "A Complete Unknown" during the 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on February 23, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
At the SAG Awards in February, Chalamet said he wanted to be "one of the greats"

The actor's landmark birthday presents the perfect chance to ask him how he looks back at his twenties, a decade in which he has twice been nominated for best actor at the Oscars, and starred in huge box office hits including Dune and Wonka.

A huge smile comes over his face as he says: "It's been great. You know, it's been awesome.

"I feel like I'm living in a dream. I'm on top of a fancy hotel in London and talking about a film I'm deeply passionate about.

"And, you know, I got to offend somebody from Scotland the second they walked in with my English shirt," he jokes, referencing my barely disguised displeasure at his choice of interview garb.

Chalamet's dedication to roles is part of his success. He spent five years learning to play the guitar to play Bob Dylan; for Marty Supreme he embarked on seven years of table tennis lessons.

"I got approached with this project in 2018. So that basically gave me six, seven years to prepare on and off. In all my downtime, I would train as much as possible," he enthuses.

"I think the responsibility in this movie, like in the Bob Dylan movie, if you were a Dylan fan or a guitar player, that that looks real to you on screen. Similarly here, if you're a ping-pong aficionado, that that looks believable to you."

His dedication included taking his table tennis table into the desert during Dune and it was oompah-loompah ping-pong between takes on Wonka.

And he's already learning skills for film roles way in the future.

"I can't give anything away, but I do have a couple of white rabbits up my sleeve."

Getty Images Gwyneth Paltrow and Timothee Chalamet on the set of "Marty Supreme" on October 16, 2024 in New York City.Getty Images
Marty Supreme also marks Gwyneth Paltrow's first film role for seven years

One thing that is totally clear, is his love of the big screen.

In the same month that Netflix has announced its intention to buy one of the major film studios, Warner Bros, Marty Supreme is a film which will have a wide cinema release and has not been made for any streaming service.

It has been produced by A24, the independent film company behind recent Oscar favourites Moonlight, Past Lives and The Brutalist.

"That is an intense question," Chalamet muses after I ask him if he thinks cinemas will actually survive the length of his career.

"I do think with streaming stuff, there's less incentive for these streaming companies to try to put things in theatres, which is dangerous.

"But equally, I do think cinemas will survive and thrive. And that's not to be a false optimist."

And he wants to play his part.

"I feel like my responsibility as a young actor especially, is less to go, 'Hey, how do we get people to revisit this traditional form?' And rather to go, "Hey, how do we take this traditional form and bring it to people?"

Chalamet sincerely believes that Marty Supreme will, in its own way, help cinemas be saved.

"This is an original film at a time where a lot of original films aren't made.

"And there's no part of me that's a salesman that's saying this, but I've never been more confident in saying, "Hey, if you bring yourself to see this movie, you won't be let down. It's really like a slingshot."

Timothée Chalamet – about to turn 30 and more than ready to channel his inner Susan Boyle and dream his dream.

Marty Supreme is released on Boxing Day.

How curry for Christmas helps us avoid child meltdowns

Getty Images Cute girl looking away while eating food at home. Female is having lunch at dining table. She is in casuals.Getty Images

Nativity play nerves, Santa's grotto queues and Christmas lights crowds can make the festive season a sensory overload for children even before the big day arrives.

And their mini-meltdowns only add to the stresses of parents dashing between school plays, present shopping and masterminding the family feast.

Comedian and dad-of-three George Lewis tells CBeebies Parenting Download that while his children "love the thought of Christmas", the disruption in routine can make December "a real inner conflict" for them.

Parenting and child behaviour specialist San Mehra explains the mismatch of high excitement layered with unpredictability is the perfect recipe for "Christmas overwhelm". George and San share four ways to create a calmer Christmas for your children.

1. Stick to some routine

George Lewis Two children looking away from the camera touching a snowmanGeorge Lewis
George says his children enjoy Christmas more when events are spaced out as they feel less overwhelmed

Christmas disrupts normal routines, but San stresses that keeping anchor points like wake-ups, mealtimes and bedtimes the same helps children feel grounded.

"Chaos all day is hard for kids to cope with," she says. "If one part of the routine changes, it's manageable but if everything changes, overwhelm builds quickly."

She recommends putting up a calendar and marking on events like relatives arriving or a trip to see Santa so children can see what's coming up and ask questions.

"If you've got a child who's got anxiety around change you can have conversations around that and talk about any worries," she says.

And crucially, she adds, parents should schedule downtime as deliberately as activities as it will help you anticipate if you do or don't have time for certain events.

2. Build your own traditions

Getty Images A shot of two young sisters, their mother and their male cousin gathered together in the living room of their home at Christmas in South Shields, North East England. They are all smiling, sitting on the floor around a coffee table playing games, and there is a large Christmas tree in the corner of the room. Getty Images

George once clung to an idealised, movie-style Christmas - perfectly wrapped presents, big meals and a bustling house.

But two of his children have autism and the unpredictability and crowds quickly became overwhelming.

"I always had this version of the perfect Christmas in my head," he says. "But when my son spent an entire family gathering standing alone at the end of the garden, I thought: if this isn't for him, then who is it for?"

Now he builds Christmas around comfort and predictability: staying at home, keeping numbers low and spreading activities out.

One major change was the meal itself.

"We've stopped having Christmas dinner on Christmas Day," he explains and instead they cook it on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day.

"Then on the day itself we're not stressing about a big project and we just play with the kids and order a curry in the evening."

3. Acknowledge their overwhelm

Getty Images A stock image of a father calming a crying chld. Both are dressed in outdoor winter clothesGetty Images

Even with careful planning, festive outings can tip into overload quickly.

And when a meltdown hits, often after a long queue or an overstimulating attraction, San says the first step for parents is to check in with yourself.

"Your first instinct is panic and you might feel embarrassed or stressed and that's okay," she says. But it's important to first make yourself calm.

Then she recommends getting down to the child's level and helping them feel understood.

A simple acknowledgement like: "You've been waiting for ages, haven't you? You're probably fed up right now" can ease the tension.

"If you can name what they are feeling, like frustration or boredom, it will reduce the intensity by 50%," she says.

George adds that his family often chooses SEND-friendly sessions with reduced noise and fewer people to help keep outings enjoyable rather than overwhelming.

4. . Teach children to navigate conflict

Getty Images Boy and girl tugging at a Christmas gift in living roomGetty Images

With routines off-kilter and excitement running high squabbles can break out between siblings as well as cousins or friends they may not see regularly.

When kids clash, San says parents don't always need to dive in immediately. But if things look like they're escalating she suggests guiding them through these stages:

  • Separate the children and ask: "Do you want my help, or do you want to sort it out yourselves?"
  • Set the rules: "They have to be quiet while the other person is speaking and they have to listen and empathise."
  • Let each child explain what happened, then briefly clarify the sequence.
  • Brainstorm solutions together and agree on one
  • Check back later to see how it's working.

After a while San says that children will "start to sort it out themselves" using the same method.

Minute-by-minute: How Paul Doyle drove car at Liverpool parade crowd in fit of anger

Footage shows Paul Doyle's journey to Liverpool parade

Paul Doyle's loss of temper on the day of the Liverpool parade attack, described by the sentencing judge as "incomprehensible", may never be fully explained.

There seemed little cause for the 54-year-old to feel so aggrieved by the crowds blocking the roads as they celebrated at Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade on 26 May.

Whatever the reason, he is now serving a sentence of 21 years and six months after pleading guilty to 31 offences including dangerous driving, affray and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

This is how Doyle's increasing aggression on the roads developed into catastrophe over one afternoon, starting at 12:34 BST when a friend who he had agreed to drive to the parade arrived at his home.

PA Media Liverpool fans during the Premier League winners parade in Liverpool.PA Media
Liverpool fans lined the city's streets to cheer on the players during the team's victory parade

12:34 – Paul Doyle's friend Dave Clark and his family arrive at his home in Croxteth, Liverpool. The Clark family are Liverpool fans and Doyle, an Everton fan, has agreed to drive them into the city centre to watch the parade.

12:41 – Doyle leaves home with Mr Clark and his family. On the "mundane" journey into the city, they speak about house prices, schools, football, cars, their common work in IT and family matters.

He then drops them off on Exchange Street East, where footage showed him driving calmly and following the traffic measures on Dale Street.

CPS A police custody image of Paul Doyle. He has grey hair which is long on top and short at the sides. He is wearing a grey t-shirt and is staring directly at the camera.CPS
Paul Doyle could be heard on his car's own camera swearing and shouting as he mowed down supporters later that afternoon

13:35 – Doyle arrives home after dropping his friends off on Exchange Street East. The court heard that while it did not form part of the dangerous driving charge, he "drove in a markedly more aggressive way" on his way home, jumping lanes and undertaking other vehicles.

14:30 – The victory parade starts at Allerton Maze, in the the south of Liverpool.

17:24 – Doyle sends Mr Clark a message asking "how's it going?" and is told his friend is on Castle Street, close to Dale Street and Water Street.

MerseysidePolice Screen grab taken from video footage issued by Merseyside Police dated 26/05/25 of Paul Doyle's car (top centre) being driven through crowd on Water StreetMerseysidePolice
People could be seen on the bonnet of his car and falling underneath as Doyle accelerated into Water Street

17:29 – Doyle sets off from his house to return to the city centre. He instructs the sat-nav system in his Ford Galaxy car to take him to Castle Street. On the way, he undertakes several cars and runs a red light.

17:40 – The Liverpool FC parade finishes when the buses arrive outside the Liver Building on the waterfront.

17:48 – Mr Clark sends Doyle a message telling him signal is poor. Doyle says he will be at Castle Street in about 10 minutes but does not reply when Mr Clark asks if he wants them to walk anywhere. Mr Clark also tells him he might find the area of Castle Street blocked.

PA Media Police and emergency personnel dealing with a road traffic accident on Water Street near the Liver Building in Liverpool after a car collided with pedestrians during the Premier League winners parade. PA Media
Statements from 78 of Doyle's victims were read to the court during the course of his sentencing

17:54 – Doyle arrives on Dale Street from Byrom Street, having undertaken a series of other vehicles at traffic lights and gone around a roundabout in the wrong lane, coming close to pedestrians who are crossing the road.

He uses his horn and presses on down the road, despite a dense crowd of fans heading back from the waterfront. He drives through a red light at the junction with Stanley Street.

17:58 – A man walking with his child, who has not been identified, becomes concerned about Doyle's driving and places his foot on the bumper of the Ford Galaxy as he moves his child out of the way. He points at Doyle, who responds by shouting: "It's a [expletive] road."

After this interaction, Doyle continues to drive in the direction of the increasingly worried crowd, some of whom bang on his car roof.

He blasts his car horn and shouts further obscenities. Adults jump out of his way and children are pulled from his path.

Reuters Police officers work at the scene after an incident where a car ploughed into a crowd of Liverpool fans during a paradeReuters
Doyle hit more than 100 people that day in the space of a few minutes

He initially stops ahead of traffic cones put in place to divert traffic away from Water Street, which is full of fans, but then steers into the left lane.

The first person he hits is Jack Trotter, 23, who attempts to get out of the way but suffers an injury to his leg. He then drives into a group of people who are thrown onto his bonnet. He hits another group of people and then drives into a 10-year-old girl, before shouting "[Expletive] move".

He carries on down Water Street, striking more people, including Jacqueline McClaren, 60, and paramedic Jay Vernon, 34. He reverses and collides with an ambulance.

Doyle stops for a short time and fans surround his vehicle. One, ex soldier Dan Barr, opens the rear passenger door and gets into the car.

Paul Doyle told police his actions "ruined so many people's lives" as he was arrested

Doyle then accelerates again, hitting Simon Nash, who is thrown into the air. Driving sharply to the right, he hits Sheree Aldridge and the pram she is pushing, carrying six-month-old baby Teddy Eveson.

The pram, with Teddy in, is thrown into the air but the baby is uninjured. Ms Aldridge suffers a serious injury to her left thigh.

From the back of the car, Mr Barr leans forward and holds the automatic gear selector in park mode. Doyle continues to try and accelerate but eventually the car, with four people underneath it, comes to a stop.

18:01 – Doyle is dragged from his vehicle and quickly shielded from the crowd by police officers. In the two minutes since he drove into the crowd, 134 people have been hit.

Doyle pleaded not guilty to 31 charges when he appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on 4 September, with a trial scheduled for November.

Jurors were sworn in on 25 November but he changed his pleas the following day as the prosecution prepared to open its case.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

'My opponents get angry when they lose': Girl, 9, wants to become world's best chess player

BBC A close-up portrait image of TaraBBC
Tara says she hopes to become a psychiatrist one day so she can read her "opponent's next move"

"People are a bit annoyed when I beat them and maybe a bit sad because they lost to a child."

At just 4ft 2in (130cm), nine-year-old Tara keeps cool as a cucumber when she faces seasoned chess players in tournaments.

She recently competed in the 2025 UK Open Blitz Championship qualifier, where she finished as the top performing girl in the tournament and made it to the Women's Final.

The prodigy from Leicester says she is hoping to become the best chess player in the world in her age category.

Tara says she started falling in love with the game at the age of four and her first opponents were her parents, who are both software engineers.

"When I was playing them I was jumping up and down because I was getting excited about what they will do," she says.

"I saw a piece - a knight - which can go in an L shape and I thought they all could go like they're in an army."

Tara started going to chess clubs in Year 2 but is now privately tutored.

Shalini Sathiyaseelan Tara posing in front of chess boardsShalini Sathiyaseelan
Tara, who made the women's final, hopes to become the best in the world at her age category

"I play much older people - they get a bit nervous. In big tournaments, when we play very fast, they ask 'how can this girl play like this?'

"And I just keep playing my game and don't worry about others," she says.

Tara shows no sign of stopping anytime soon, and is constantly training or playing opponents online.

She admits she does get nervous sometimes.

"When I played online games against a Master I was getting nervous. But then I started playing and I stopped being nervous.

"Sometimes emotion comes into it. Especially when you make a big move, it can feel emotional.

"Or when you miscalculate something, it can feel a bit sad. But if you keep playing confidently, you can win. Chess is like a mind game," Tara adds.

She says she will never stop playing, however she would like to become a psychiatrist one day.

"I want to be a psychiatrist. I want to be able to read people's minds so I can find out my opponent's next move," she says.

Shalini Sathiyaseelan Tara behind a chess boardShalini Sathiyaseelan
Tara says chess has helped her with her studies

Tara's mum Shalini Sathiyaseelan says she did not think her daughter was going to become a chess prodigy straight away.

But as the young girl kept on playing, she said she could see something "grow inside her".

"We thought we could support her, get her a coach and get her to the next level," Mrs Sathiyaseelan adds.

"She is very quiet and calm. Whenever she goes to tournaments, she prepares for them because every game is different.

"She is really enjoying it. She would sit with her dad and talk about tricks and tactics."

Head of Fairfield Prep School in Loughborough, Andrew Earnshaw, says watching Tara's development in chess has been "truly amazing".

"To qualify for the Women's Final at such a young age is extraordinary, and to hold her own against some of the strongest female players in the country speaks volumes about her talent, determination and composure."

Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.

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Shock as popular South African DJ shot dead in Johannesburg

Getty Images  DJ Warras wearing a sweater written adidas while standing next to a lorry covered in snow Getty Images
DJ Warras was shot by a man with dreadlocks in broad daylight, police say

A popular South African radio and club DJ has been shot dead in the country's largest city, Johannesburg, sending shockwaves across the nation grappling with entrenched crime.

Warrick Stock, popularly known as DJ Warras, was gunned down in the city centre on Tuesday afternoon.

Police said the 40-year-old media personality was approached by three suspects, one of whom opened fire on him before fleeing on foot.

The motive of the shooting is unknown and no arrests have been made, police said.

Stock was a well-known radio and TV presenter and a podcaster in South Africa.

Fred Kekana, a local police chief, said Stock was attacked as he was leaving Zambesi House near Carlton Centre.

Stock spent several hours at the building overseeing the installation of security systems at the premises, which had been controversially occupied by unknown people, reports the state-run SABC.

"It is alleged the victim was approached by three unknown suspects after parking his vehicle, and they opened fire at him before fleeing the scene on foot," the South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement.

CCTV footage showed a man with dreadlocks and dressed in what looked like a security uniform opening fire on Stock before fleeing, said Kekana.

The DJ tried to run away after he was shot but fell down across the street, the police chief added.

He said that Stock had an unused firearm on him and nothing was taken during the attack.

Key evidence, like cartridges, were discovered at the scene, according to the police.

Police have appealed to eyewitnesses and members of the public who may have seen the suspects to come forward.

"We know they walked a long distance after the shooting, and officers have been tracking them to determine their whereabouts," added Kekana.

His sister Nicole Stock told SABC that the family was struggling to process his death.

"I am in shock. I don't have words. I am shattered," she said.

"We know he was a voice for many people around the country. He spoke out bravely about issues not many people were willing to speak about. This is a tremendous loss."

She appealed to the public to refrain from sharing graphic images or videos from the scene, saying this was an incredibly difficult time, especially for Shock's three sons.

Stock was the presenter of Ngicel' iVisa, a reality show that premiered on Mzansi Magic, a South African digital satellite entertainment channel.

Beyond his media career, Stock was involved in various business ventures, including private security, providing elite guarding and VIP protection services and securing high-profile events across South Africa, according to local media.

He was also reportedly involved in property management and assisted with building evictions.

His murder has shocked the country and prompted an outpouring of tributes from his fans, the government and political parties.

Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie said he was angry and saddened by Stock's murder.

"He spoke his truth without fear or favour. He even spoke up against me and my decisions as a minister. He was a pure example of who we should be," added McKenzie.

Leader of South African's Build One party Mmusi Maimane said the "brazen murder of DJ Warras in broad daylight is a shock for all South Africans".

"DJ Warras was more than just a face of a reality series. He was a talented storyteller, a passionate music lover and a warm soul who brought joy and energy to every moment on screen. His dedication to creativity left an indelible mark on our channels," said Shirley Adonisi, director of local entertainment Channels (Mnet).

In a statement, Mzansi Magic said Stock was known for his charisma, warmth and sharp wit, adding that his legacy "will live on".

South Africa, the continent's most industrialised nation, has one of the world's highest murder rates, fuelled by robberies and gang violence, with some 63 people killed each day between April and September, according to police data.

More BBC stories from South Africa:

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Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

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