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How the Army Caused Alarm in the Washington Skies Years Before a Fatal Crash

An aged helicopter fleet and inexperienced pilots from nearby Fort Belvoir had raised “widespread concern” among local pilots before a midair collision killed 67 people.

© Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Helicopter helmets and a model of a Black Hawk helicopter on display in the home of Austin Roth, who served two decades in the Army, including as an instructor at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. The helmet on the top left is one Mr. Roth used while assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion.

香港火灾殉职消防员何伟豪出殡 市民夹道送别

香港消防处星期五(12月19日)为在大埔火灾中殉职的消防员何伟豪举行最高荣誉丧礼。图为香港市民送别何伟豪。 (中新社)

香港大埔火灾殉职消防员何伟豪星期五(12月19日)出殡,市民夹道送别。特首李家超等港府官员当天上午也到殡仪馆致哀。

综合网媒“香港01”和《星岛日报》等港媒报道,何伟豪的灵堂设于世界殡仪馆,李家超、政务司司长陈国基、保安局局长邓炳强和警务处处长周一鸣等港府官员星期五上午到场致哀。香港消防处当天为何伟豪举行最高荣誉丧礼。

丧礼仪式约上午10时开始,消防灵车抵达殡仪馆。仪式结束后完毕,扶灵队伍护送灵柩离开灵堂,盖上区旗的灵柩被抬上灵车。

灵车驶离殡仪馆,港府官员及消防人员在殡仪馆外列队,向消防队目(追授)何伟豪作最后致敬,市民也夹道送别灵车。上午11时许,灵车在交通警员护送下驶到大埔宏福苑进行约六分钟的路祭。

大批官员、消防员及警员列队致意,当中包括警察新界北总区指挥官林敏娴、大埔区指挥官江永祥等。灵车短暂停留后驶离现场,前往沙田消防局,期间市民高喊:“何Sir:一路好走。”大批市民也在宏福苑外围及行人天桥上送别灵车。

香港消防处星期五(12月19日)为在大埔火灾中殉职的消防员何伟豪举行最高荣誉丧礼。图为何伟豪灵车抵达他生前所属的沙田消防局。(中新社)
香港消防处星期五(12月19日)为在大埔火灾中殉职的消防员何伟豪举行最高荣誉丧礼。图为何伟豪灵车抵达他生前所属的沙田消防局。(中新社)

接近中午时分,灵车驶至沙田消防局,由消防处长杨恩健带领消防人员在消防局外列队,向何伟豪消防队目致敬。仪式结束,消防响鸣了三短一长的钟声,寓意“何Sir正式落更(完成任务)。”

在灵车驶往合石坟场内的浩园途中,何伟豪的大批亲友及同袍已在浩园列队迎接,其后家属也如贯进入浩园。何伟豪的弟弟捧着遗照准备迎接灵车,何伟豪的哥哥及何伟豪未婚妻Kiki也在旁守候。

下午1时许,灵车抵达浩园,灵柩从灵车抬下时,现场银乐队随即开始奏乐。灵柩在吹奏声中,随扶灵队伍缓缓进入浩园。全场肃立默哀约两分钟,旗手上前收起灵柩上的区旗。消防处处长杨恩健率同袍向灵柩敬礼致意,何伟豪生前使用的头盔被摆放在灵柩上,仵工随后将灵柩放进墓穴。杨恩健、何伟豪亲友及同袍最后轮流上前献花,鞠躬致意。安葬仪式期间,何伟豪未婚妻伤心流泪。

何伟豪生于1987年,2016年加入消防处任职消防员。今年11月26日,何伟豪奉召前往大埔宏福苑执行灭火救援行动,期间身受重伤,不幸殉职。何伟豪奋勇无畏、捨己为人的专业精神足为典范,将永志香港市民心中。为表扬他向火逆行的无私奉献精神,消防处已向何伟豪追授消防队目荣誉职衔。

何伟豪终年37岁,遗下双亲、兄长、弟弟及未婚妻。

How the Army Caused Alarm in the Washington Skies Years Before a Fatal Crash

An aged helicopter fleet and inexperienced pilots from nearby Fort Belvoir had raised “widespread concern” among local pilots before a midair collision killed 67 people.

© Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Helicopter helmets and a model of a Black Hawk helicopter on display in the home of Austin Roth, who served two decades in the Army, including as an instructor at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. The helmet on the top left is one Mr. Roth used while assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion.

Trump’s Attacks on Rob Reiner and Others Characterize an Uninhibited 2nd Term

Many of President Trump’s supporters love his professional-wrestling style of leadership. But some of his recent attacks have sickened even some of his own political allies.

© Eric Lee for The New York Times

Mr. Trump’s brash personality has been an element of his appeal to supporters, who find it bracingly authentic in contrast to cookie-cutter politicians.

F.D.A. Turmoil Keeps Spotlight on Its Commissioner

The agency’s high-level turnover and conflicting policy decisions on drug oversight have fueled concerns about the leadership of Dr. Marty Makary.

© Al Drago for The New York Times

Dr. Marty Makary, the F.D.A. commissioner, has faced intense criticism as the agency undergoes top-level turnover in critical areas like drug approvals.

Falling Enrollment, Money Woes: The New School Seeks a Path to Survival

The New York City university has embarked on an overhaul that some professors and students say imperils its standing as a bastion of the liberal arts.

© Mimi d’Autremont for The New York Times

Students and faculty members at the New School, including Danielle Twiss, a doctoral student studying Marxist political economy, rallied over budget cuts prompted by the university’s budget woes.

After the Louvre Heist, Museums Look for Lessons to Help Stop Thieves

Museums and the consultants who advise them have been busy reviewing their own precautions in the aftermath of the brazen daylight break-in at the Louvre.

© Kena Betancur/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A member of the security staff at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Experts say U.S. institutions are reviewing the Louvre heist to ensure they do not share similar vulnerabilities.

US suspends green card lottery scheme after Brown shooting

Reuters Kristi Noem attends a House Homeland Security hearing, she stares above the camera in a serious expression.Reuters
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the suspect "should never have been allowed in our country"

President Donald Trump has suspended the US green card lottery scheme in the wake of a mass shooting at Brown University last week in which two people were killed.

The suspect, a Portuguese man who was found dead on Thursday, entered the country through the diversity lottery immigrant visa programme (DV1) in 2017 and was granted a green card.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she has paused the visa scheme under Trump's direction to "ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous programme".

US officials said they believe the suspect, 48-year-old Claudio Neves Valente, also killed Portuguese Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno Loureiro earlier this week.

The programme makes up to 50,000 visas available each year through a random selection process among entries from countries with low rates of immigration to the US.

Writing on social media, Noem said Trump had previously "fought to end" the scheme in 2017 after eight people were killed in a truck-ramming attack in New York City.

Uzbekistan national Sayfullo Saipov, an Islamic State supporter who is serving multiple life sentences for the attack, entered the US through the DV1 scheme, according to Noem.

Her comments come just hours after Neves Valente was found dead in a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, from what police believe is a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police said video evidence and tips from the public led investigators to a car rental location where they found the suspect's name and matched him to their person of interest, following a six-day multi-state manhunt.

He was found dead with a satchel and two firearms. Evidence in a car nearby matched to the scene of the shooting at Brown University in Providence, according to Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha.

Reuters Green and purple images of the shooter at Brown University, identified by authorities as Claudio Neves Valente, are displayed during a press conference in Providence, Rhode Island.Reuters
Claudio Neves Valente was matched as the main suspect in last week's mass shooting

Brown University President Christina Paxson said Neves Valente was enrolled at the Ivy League school from the autumn of 2000 to the following spring, and was studying for a PhD in physics.

He had "no current active affiliation" to Brown, she said.

Officials said they believe Neves Valente shot and killed MIT professor Nuno F Gomes Loureiro, 47, on Monday at his home in Brookline, which is about 50 miles (80km) from Providence.

Both men had studied at the same university in Portugal in the late 1990s, police said.

Officials said the cases were linked when the suspect's vehicle was identified via CCTV footage and a witness at Brown University.

The same car was spotted near the scene of the professor's shooting, which happened just two days later.

Authorities have not provided any suspected motive for either of the attacks.

Two students were killed and nine others were injured as a gunman burst into Brown University's engineering building on 13 December and opened fire during final exams.

They have been identified as Ella Cook, 19, a second-year student from Alabama, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, an Uzbek-American who had just started at the university.

Parents in India devastated as children with thalassemia test HIV positive

Getty Images A woman dressed in red salwar-kameez shows her palms, with "STOP AIDS" painted on them. The Thalassemia and AIDS Prevention Society organised an awareness demonstration on World AIDS Day in Kolkata, India, on 1 December 2025, to raise awareness about prevention and cure against AIDS in the countryGetty Images
In India, HIV still carries strong social stigma, often leading to discrimination

Parents of children with thalassemia in India say they are devastated after life-saving blood transfusions left their children HIV-positive, confronting them with illness, social stigma, and uncertainty.

Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that requires regular transfusions to manage severe anaemia and sustain life.

On Wednesday, authorities in central state of Madhya Pradesh said five children with thalassemia, aged three to 15, have tested positive for HIV, prompting concerns over blood transfusion practices. A committee has been set up to investigate the cases.

The families are from Satna district. Although the infections were detected during routine screening between January and May 2025, they drew wider attention after local media reports earlier this week.

The cases follow a similar incident in the eastern state of Jharkhand weeks earlier, where five children with thalassemia, all under eight, were found to have contracted HIV after blood transfusions at a state-run hospital.

HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, spreads through unprotected sex, unsafe medical practices, infected blood transfusions, or from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.

While no longer a death sentence, it requires lifelong management. In India, more than 2.5 million people live with HIV, with about 66,400 new infections each year. Over 1.6 million are on lifelong treatment at antiretroviral therapy (ART) centres, government data shows.

Pradeep Kashyap/BBC A group of men stand near a white ambulance car parked outside the entrance of the district hospital building in Madhya Pradesh's SatnaPradeep Kashyap/BBC
The state-run hospital in Madhya Pradesh where the five children are undergoing treatment

Satna district collector Satish Kumar S said the five children had received blood transfusions at different locations, involving multiple donors.

Health officials said these included government hospitals and private clinics, and that all the children are now receiving treatment.

In one case, officials said both parents of a three-year-old were HIV positive. In the other cases, the parents tested negative, ruling out mother-to-child transmission.

Satna's chief medical and health officer Manoj Shukla said children with multiple transfusions are considered high-risk and are routinely screened for HIV.

"Once detected, treatment was started immediately and is continuing. At present, the children are stable," he said.

Every unit of blood issued by the district hospital's blood bank is tested according to government protocol and released only after a negative report, Dr Shukla says.

However, in rare cases, blood donors who are in the early stages of HIV infection may go undetected during initial screenings but test positive later, he adds.

Cases of thalassemia patients contracting HIV during treatment are not new in India.

In October, after similar incidents in Jharkhand, authorities suspended a lab assistant, the doctor in charge of the HIV unit and the chief surgeon of the state-run hospital involved.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren also announced an assistance of 200,000 rupees ($2,212; £1,655) for each affected family.

In 2011, authorities in Gujarat launched an investigation after 23 children with thalassemia tested positive for HIV following regular blood transfusions at a public hospital.

Last week, thalassemia patients urged India's parliament to pass the National Blood Transfusion Bill 2025, saying it would strengthen regulation of blood collection, testing and transfusion.

Campaigners, including patients who contracted HIV through unsafe transfusions, called the bill a long-awaited step towards safer, quality-assured blood for those reliant on frequent transfusions.

Getty Images Nurses, patients and attendants walking outside the building of the state-run hospital in India's eastern state of Jharkhand where five children suffering from thalassemia were infected with HIV after receiving blood transfusions in October 2025Getty Images
The Jharkhand hospital where five children contracted HIV from blood transfusions in October

In India, where healthcare access can be limited, especially in rural areas and small towns, families of the HIV-infected children in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand are deeply concerned.

"My daughter was already suffering from thalassemia. Now she has got HIV, all thanks to the pathetic medical facilities of Madhya Pradesh," said one father, whose child is among those affected.

Another parent said their child was struggling with side-effects of HIV medication, including vomiting and constant fatigue.

In India, HIV still carries strong social stigma, often leading to discrimination. In Jharkhand, the family of a seven-year-old boy was forced to leave their rented home after the landlord learned of the child's HIV status, the father told the BBC.

"I tried to convince them a lot, but they remained adamant on getting the house vacated. So, I had to return to my village, about 27km [17 miles] away," said the father, who is a farmer.

"In the village, it is not only a challenge for my son to get better health facilities, but he is also deprived of a good education."

Additional reporting by Mohammad Sartaj Alam in Jharkhand

Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

台民调:赞成停砍公教年金民众少于反对者

台湾民调机构的调查结果显示,赞成停砍公教年金的台湾民众少于不赞成者。至于行政院长卓荣泰不副署立法院通过的财划法,赞成不副署的人士也少于不赞成者。

综合台湾ETtoday新闻云、中时新闻网和《自由时报》报道,民调机构台湾民意基金会星期五(12月19日)公布的民调显示,36%赞成停砍公教年金,48%反对。

在军公教人员方面,赞成者占41%,44%不赞成。在蓝白阵营支持者方面,不赞成停砍公教年金的人士分别为30%和32%。

台湾民意基金会董事长游盈隆认为,这对大力推动这项修法的蓝白两党而言,是一个坏消息。

在不副署财划法的做法方面,39%民众支持卓荣泰不副署,43%反对。

游盈隆说,对于卓荣泰不副署、不执行立法院所通过在野党版本财划法修正案,社会各界态度严重分歧,明显循着绿蓝白政党支持倾向展开。这也显示大罢免政治风暴平息四个月之后,风云再起,传统朝野支持者的全面对抗再次浮现,再度引爆。

台湾朝野近期因《财划法》修法、公教人员年金改革,以及明年度政府总预算案审议等议题陷入僵局。

国民党与民众党立委星期四(18日)在立法院司法及法制委员会通过谴责赖清德与卓荣泰,并移请监察院弹劾卓荣泰。立法院蓝白阵营也在星期五宣布弹劾总统赖清德,将他比作曾经称帝的袁世凯。

杭州立法管理居民体重

浙江省杭州市通过地方立法推动全民健康,相关条例聚焦体重管理,通过营养状况监测、营养干预计划,以及建设全民健身场所和设施、建立健康积分奖励制度等,规范居民“管住嘴,迈开腿”。

综合澎湃新闻、杭州网等报道,杭州市人大常委会星期四(12月18日)通报,《杭州市全民健康促进条例》(《条例》)已经浙江省人大常委会批准,将于明年1月1日起正式施行。杭州成为中国首个就全民健康实现地方立法的城市。

杭州市卫健委党委书记、主任方健国引述调查指出,杭州成年居民年龄别标化超重率和肥胖率分别为30.54%和8.77%,都处于需要系统干预、持续改善的区间。因此,《条例》专门突出居民的体重管理,主要从“管住嘴、迈开腿”两个方面规定了相关举措。

在“管住嘴”上,《条例》规定,相关部门应定期组织开展居民营养状况监测,根据监测结果制定重点人群营养干预计划,组织开展未成年人和老年人营养改善行动。

托幼机构、学校、养老机构、医院、学生餐配送企业应配备营养师或者营养指导员。有关部门应当定期组织营养师或者营养指导员参加培训。《条例》也鼓励全社会参与减盐、减脂、减糖等健康饮食行动。

在“迈开腿”上,《条例》明确地方政府及其有关部门应制定并组织实施全民健身计划,按照相关规划建设全民健身场所和设施。

中小学校体育场地设施应免费向公众开放,并对开放学校予以补助。高等院校应当创造条件,利用寒暑假等非教学时间,向公众开放体育场地设施。

《条例》规定,体育主管部门应开展国民体质测试评估,建立针对不同年龄和性别、不同身体状况、不同环境下人群的运动处方库,指导居民科学健身和运动康复,推行体育与医疗相结合的疾病管理与健康服务模式。

《条例》并提出激励制度,要求有关部门探索建立健康积分奖励机制,对居民参与健康教育、体育健身和健康管理等活动予以积分奖励,并鼓励医疗卫生机构、体育健身场馆、健康科普场馆等提供健康积分兑换服务。

中国宪法自2000年起赋予设区的市(即地级市)人大及其常委会制定地方性法规的职权。据中国人大网介绍,地方性法规可以设定除限制人身自由、吊销企业营业执照以外的行政处罚。

日本高官称东京应拥核武 北京促停止试探国际底线红线

东亚安全局势紧张之际,日本高级政府官员表态认为东京应拥有核武器。中国外交部星期五(12月19日)指这反映出日本右翼保守势力复活军国主义、摆脱国际秩序约束、加速“再军事化”的野心膨胀,敦促东京停止为扩军强武寻找借口,停止在拥核问题上试探国际的底线红线。

共同社、NHK、《朝日新闻》等多家日本媒体引述日本高级政府官员星期四(18日)向记者表达个人观点,认为日本应该拥有核武器。据报道,这名不具名官员在安全事务上,为首相高市早苗提供建议。

不过,上述日本高官也补充说,政府内部未讨论过这种可能性,并承认这在现实中很难实现。

此番言论的出现,正值日本处于敏感时刻,中日关系因日本首相高市早苗11月7日发表“台湾有事论”已持续紧张月余。

《朝日新闻》引述上述日本高官提到东京的安全环境日益严峻,并指这源于中国核能力不断增强、俄罗斯的核威胁,以及朝鲜发展核武器等问题。共同社引述该官员称,最终还是要靠日本来保卫自己。

日本内阁官房长官木原稔星期五在例行新闻发布会上,被问到这些报道时表示,政府将继续坚持不拥有、不制造、不运进核武器的长期承诺,“我们不会对个别新闻报道发表评论。政府将继续坚持无核三原则。”

木原稔续称:“我们持续为全球的和平与繁荣做出贡献,这一立场没有改变。”

他并补充说:“作为唯一遭受过核攻击的国家,我们将采取切实可行的措施,维护和加强《不扩散核武器条约》的框架,朝着无核武的世界迈进。”

中国外交部发言人郭嘉昆星期五则批评,一段时间以来,日本在军事安全问题上错误言行不断。他说,现在日本一些势力又放风要拥有核武器,反映出日本右翼保守势力复活军国主义、摆脱国际秩序约束、加速“再军事化”的野心膨胀。

郭嘉昆指出,今年是中国抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年,日本必须深刻反省历史罪责,恪守国际法和自身宪法,停止为扩军强武寻找借口,停止在拥核问题上试探国际的底线红线。

The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics

Every week political cartoonists throughout the country and across the political spectrum apply their ink-stained skills to capture the foibles, memes, hypocrisies and other head-slapping events in the world of politics. The fruits of these labors are hundreds of cartoons that entertain and enrage readers of all political stripes. Here's an offering of the best of this week's crop, picked fresh off the Toonosphere. Edited by Matt Wuerker.

欧盟未用俄罗斯资产,通过900亿欧元援助乌克兰计划 3个国家不参加 - RFI - 法国国际广播电台

19/12/2025 - 10:52

欧洲领导人在布鲁塞尔经过17个小时的谈判,终于在今天周五凌晨达成协议,通过共同举债900亿欧元贷款,为乌克兰的战争努力提供至少两年的资金支持。因未能达成一致,欧盟最终放弃了动用俄冻结资产的援乌计划。

法新社说,欧盟领导人必须不惜一切代价为基辅找到一个可持续的财务解决方案,因为基辅可能在2026年第一季度就面临资金短缺。在特朗普总统决定关闭美国资金来源后,欧盟承诺向乌克兰提供大部分财政和军事支持。

乌克兰总统泽连斯基对此作出回应称:“这是重要的支持,真正增强了我们的韧性。”他专程前往布鲁塞尔传达这一信息,并对欧洲领导人表示了感谢。他在社交媒体X上写道:“重要的是,俄罗斯的资产仍然被冻结,乌克兰在未来几年获得了金融安全保障。”

据Politico说,这对支持动用俄罗斯资产计划的德国总理默茨和其他一些“节俭国家”领导人来说是一个失败。他们坚持认为,动用存放在布鲁塞尔证券托管机构欧洲清算银行(Euroclear)的1千850亿欧元资产是维持乌克兰财政运转的最佳途径。

匈牙利、斯洛伐克和捷克

Politico透露,欧盟 27 个成员国中有 24 个参加推进共同筹集 900 亿欧元的无息贷款计划,以维持乌克兰未来两年的运转。3个不参加的国家是:匈牙利、斯洛伐克和捷克。



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