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China 'super embassy' protests cost police almost £350,000 over two days

China 'super embassy' protests cost police almost £350,000 over two days

They added: 'Against the backdrop of pressure on the UK's public finances and local governments cutting community spending and welfare budgets, it is hard to convince people of the necessity of mobilising such a large-scale police force and spending in the face of a peaceful citizen demonstration, all for the political manoeuvre of establishing a mega Chinese embassy.'

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America's foreign student fiasco
America's foreign student fiasco

Newsroom

time33 minutes ago

  • Newsroom

America's foreign student fiasco

One of the world's best universities, a magnet for the globe's brightest brains, is under attack by the Trump administration. And while Harvard is fighting various funding restrictions and bans on foreign student visas, harsher policies on America's borders are creating fear from returning students that they could be arrested by immigration officers and jailed or deported. International students are big money-makers for universities worldwide – in New Zealand they pay four times the amount in fees as domestic students. 'We could be doing well while doing good,' says the chief economist at the policy think-tank The New Zealand Initiative, Dr Eric Crampton. 'It's amazing that America's throwing all this away. 'We aren't the destination market for the best students in the world. But if the place that is the destination for the best students in the world suddenly says 'We don't want them any more' – my God we'd better be ready for that,' he tells The Detail. Crampton is Canadian, but spent time in the US on a student visa so knows what it's like to study there. He's also taught at Canterbury University and has experience with exchange students. He says the American administration has now basically put every student visa under threat, with erratic threats coming from the President, whether over funding or threats to Chinese students on the basis that 'they're all spies or something'. Trump's move to bar international students from Harvard by blocking their visas has itself now been blocked by a court order, but the situation remains uncertain. At the same time foreign students are getting nervous about leaving the country and trying to get back in, with reports about people getting arrested randomly at the border. The hit to the US economy is expected to cost billions in revenue, and has been described as an 'anti-intellectual spree'. 'When you live in America on something like a student visa, every interaction with the state you're reminded that you're less than an American. Even in 2002 it was very clear that you are there by their sufferance. 'It would be awful being there now on a student visa because just imagine it … you'd be paying $US50,000 per year in international tuition fees, maybe you've already paid for two years of study and you're coming towards the end of it … and you've got two more years ahead of you … if they cancel your visa you've wasted $100,000 and two years. 'If you're at a place like Harvard, people wouldn't hold it against you, you could continue your studies elsewhere. People would say 'Well, he was admitted to Harvard, he must be really good', but if you're at a mid-tier US university – which is still better than anything New Zealand has – you'll have sunk two years' worth of study and $100,000 worth of cost, and you won't be able to finish your degree. 'It feels like the kind of spot where New Zealand could help. We've always been able to accommodate students on international exchange. We could make it really easy for students to come in that way.' Universities New Zealand chief executive Chris Whelan says New Zealand is nearly back up to pre-Covid numbers of foreign students, with our eight universities having about 20,000 full-time equivalent students between them. 'International students help, but they're just one of a number of different mechanisms that universities are looking to for making payroll and keeping lights on,' he says. 'We don't want to grow too far … we want international education to be a genuinely quality and value proposition for both domestic students – giving them the ability to rub shoulders with people from different cultures – but also for the international students, to give them a genuine international experience. 'But if any student did want to, or was forced to, discontinue their studies in the US, there are places like New Zealand that I think would welcome them and would make it as easy as possible for them to get here.' Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here. You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.

Chinese beauty brands explore foreign M&A to spur growth
Chinese beauty brands explore foreign M&A to spur growth

Time of India

time41 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Chinese beauty brands explore foreign M&A to spur growth

HighlightsProya Cosmetics aims to join the ranks of the top ten global beauty brands within the next decade, targeting annual revenue of at least 50 billion yuan ($7 billion) through acquisitions of established European brands. Chinese beauty companies such as S'Young and Ushopal are actively pursuing international acquisitions, having already expanded their portfolios with well-known foreign skincare and fragrance brands. Experts warn that while global acquisitions can diversify revenue streams for Chinese beauty firms, challenges remain in successfully managing and localizing foreign brands after acquisition. Some of China's top beauty brands such as Proya and S'Young are exploring acquisitions of smaller foreign rivals to expand their portfolios and replicate the success of global leaders like L'Oreal or Estee Lauder amid slowing growth at home. While still relatively unknown internationally, these Chinese brands have found significant domestic success, even capturing market share from global players. But a prolonged property crisis and concerns about wage growth and employment security have dampened consumer spending in China - posing new challenges to their continued growth. Proya Cosmetics ' founder, Hou Juncheng, said last month that the company's 10-year plan aims to position the firm among the top ten globally, a goal that would require an annual revenue of at least 50 billion yuan ($7 billion). To do so, the Hangzhou-based Proya plans "to acquire some European brands with history and technology", local media reports cited Hou as telling shareholders at a meeting. Proya, which specialises in science-backed skincare at mass market price points, became the first Chinese beauty player to surpass 10 billion yuan in annual revenue in 2024. In comparison, Japan's Shiseido, currently ranked tenth globally, raked in $6.9 billion and market leader L'Oreal generated over $45 billion in revenue last year. S'Young and Ushopal , two prominent Chinese beauty groups, have already made strides in international acquisitions. S'Young owns French skincare brand Evidens de Beaute and U.S.-brand ReVive, while Ushopal added French brand Payot to a portfolio that includes British skincare label ARgENTUM and French fragrance Juliette has a gun. William Lau, a partner at Ushopal, said the company plans to acquire one to two new brands annually. Analysts say buying foreign brands can help Chinese beauty firms diversify revenue streams and reduce reliance on the domestic market, but they also note that some similar efforts by Chinese fashion groups had missed expectations in the past. The beauty and personal care market is projected to generate a revenue of $677.19 billion globally in 2025, versus $41.78 billion in China, German data provider Statista estimates. Chinese brands are likely to target premium-positioned European skincare, fragrance or haircare brands with valuations under $500 million, said Gregoire Grandchamp, co-founder of Next Beauty China, who has advised Chinese groups on global deals. "In coming years, there will be a big Chinese company that will be the Chinese L'Oreal, Estee Lauder, Shiseido, or Amorepacific," Grandchamp predicted. GLOBAL M&A 'VERY DIFFICULT' Acquisitions have long been a growth strategy for beauty giants. L'Oreal's $2.5 billion purchase of Australian brand Aesop in 2023 added a premium, natural cosmetics brand to its portfolio, while Estee Lauder's $2.8 billion acquisition of Tom Ford in 2022 helped boost its array of high-end perfumes. Chinese beauty brands aim to borrow from this M&A playbook, but there are concerns about their ability to operate brands outside their home turf. In the fashion space, state-owned textile giant Ruyi once made headlines for snapping up foreign brands and touting its ambition to become "China's LVMH" only to see those international deals unwound by creditors in a few short years. But Ushopal's Lau says these challenges are not unique to Chinese groups, citing examples like Shiseido's buyout of Drunk Elephant to L'Oreal's purchase of some Chinese brands that struggled to meet expectations. "Global acquisitions are very difficult" in general and part of the problem is that companies often try to localise brands too quickly after a deal, he said. "One of the reasons you buy a brand is because it's an amazing brand, so if you then redo the entire DNA of the brand, what's the point of buying it?" he added. Mark Tanner, founder and managing director of Shanghai-based marketing and research agency China Skinny, said: "Opening doors to the Chinese market and capital injections, rather than a wholesale management takeover" are more likely to succeed.

Pics: Dead Democrat congressman mysteriously still sending fundraising emails
Pics: Dead Democrat congressman mysteriously still sending fundraising emails

American Military News

time42 minutes ago

  • American Military News

Pics: Dead Democrat congressman mysteriously still sending fundraising emails

Pictures shared on social media by a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informant show that fundraising emails are still being sent out on behalf of former Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who died last month from esophageal cancer. According to Connolly died in May at the age of 75. The outlet reported that the Democrat congressman's death came just weeks after he confirmed that his esophageal cancer had returned following 'grueling' cancer treatments since his initial diagnosis in 2024. Despite Connolly's death in May, Kamran Fareedi, a former FBI informant, has reported that the Democrat congressman's campaign is continuing to send fundraising emails to Connolly's supporters. READ MORE: Democrat governor vetoes bill limiting Chinese land near US bases Sharing pictures of the fundraising emails Fareedi has continued to receive from Connolly's campaign following the congressman's death, the former FBI informant tweeted, 'Why am I getting emails from @GerryConnolly's campaign AFTER he has passed away? Beyond unethical.' In another post, Fareedi wrote, 'For those unfamiliar, former Connolly campaign operatives are trying to coronate his former Chief of Staff as the successor to Connolly's congressional seat, who would probably hold the office and rule over Fairfax County constituents for the next few decades.' Fareedi claimed that a Democrat primary process is scheduled to begin in 'just 22 days at polling places that still haven't even been announced' and that whoever is responsible for overseeing the deceased Democrat congressman's campaign infrastructure is trying to use it to 'secure James Walkinshaw the nomination.' The former FBI informant shared a screenshot of one of the fundraising emails, explaining that each of the fundraising emails he received has ended with a paragraph regarding Connolly's death last month. The fundraising email noted that Connolly died 'after a courageous battle with cancer' on May 21. The email also stated, 'Before his passing, Gerry formally endorsed his longtime advisor, former Chief of Staff and current Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw, to succeed him in Congress and continue the work they began together.' A party run primary process is being held in just 22 days at polling places that still haven't even been announced. Meanwhile, whoever is controlling the @GerryConnolly campaign infrastructure is using it to try and secure James Walkinshaw the nomination. The emails end with: — Kamran Fareedi (@fareedi_kamran) June 6, 2025 Commenting on the continued use of the deceased Democrat congressman's fundraising infrastructure, Fareedi wrote, 'Seems incredibly unethical and disrespectful to the deceased.'

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