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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
Harvard's enduring leftist leanings: From Castro to campus controversies
Fidel Castro. (Getty Images) Harvard university, a beacon of liberal academia and a prominent US academic leader, has long displayed a discernible inclination towards leftist ideologies, a trend that has recently drawn sharp criticism from the Trump administration. This perceived political alignment intensified as President Donald Trump, citing Harvard's opposition to his policies and personal history, began imposing restrictions on the university's federal funding. While Trump denied personal resentment from any alleged Harvard rejection, the antipathy deepened significantly following the university community's response to the October 7 Hamas attack. The institution faced widespread condemnation for its "disgraceful display of anti-Israel vitriol and tacit endorsement of violent messaging," which then-president Claudine Gay initially refused to condemn, ultimately leading to her resignation, as reported by The Hill. This incident provided ample opportunity for Trump to lambast Harvard, given that approximately 90 percent of its student body and faculty reportedly supported his Democratic opponents in the three most recent presidential elections, as stated by The Hill. The Trump administration's scrutiny broadened further when Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa revocations for Chinese students with Communist Party ties or those studying in "critical fields." Later, Trump issued a proclamation limiting the entry of international students to Harvard for study and research, as reported by The Hill. A soft spot for leftist leaders Harvard's historical leanings are not a new phenomenon. In 1959, the university notably hosted Fidel Castro, the young Cuban revolutionary who had just overthrown the right-wing dictator Fulgencio Batista. During his visit, Castro delivered a fiery speech extolling his revolution. In a question-and-answer session, when confronted with reports of summary executions without trials, Castro vehemently denied any extra-judicial killings, as reported by The Hill. Less than two years later, despite his repeated claims of "I am not a Communist," Castro declared his Marxist-Leninist ideology and Cuba's alliance with the Soviet Union, as observed by The Hill. Vietnam war and Communist influence The Vietnam War era further underscored Harvard's evolving political landscape. Despite the conflict's origins under Harvard alumnus John F. Kennedy, the faculty and student body progressively turned against escalating US intervention under Lyndon Johnson. They increasingly viewed North Vietnam's Communist dictator, Ho Chi Minh, as merely an "agrarian reformer" and the Communist Vietcong as "oppressed democrats" rather than agents of North Vietnam's invasion, as reported by The Hill. In May 1965, when Johnson's Secretary of State Dean Rusk criticized the academic community for its "stubborn disregard of plain facts," Harvard led numerous Boston and Cambridge colleges in drafting a unified response to Rusk, as stated by The Hill. This period demonstrated how U.S. universities, including Harvard, became fertile ground for communist influence operations, a fact that China, North Vietnam's primary supporter, exploited for decades. Countering malign activities on US campuses The House Select Committee on China has since detailed the Chinese Communist Party's extensive efforts to leverage the openness of American society, particularly in acquiring technical and scientific information. A notable instance occurred in 2021 when Harvard professor Charles Lieber was convicted of selling classified information to Chinese university colleagues and lying to federal investigators about it, as reported by The Hill. Such incidents have cast a shadow over many international scholars in the US. University officials and government investigators now face the challenge of cooperating to counter "malign activities on US campuses without damaging America's reputation for free speech and open idea exchange," as noted by The Hill – an outcome that would be a strategic victory for Beijing. This dilemma extends beyond academia, as decades of US Defense Department military exercises with the People's Liberation Army, intended to build mutual understanding, have arguably ignored the underlying reality that in China's totalitarian system, "everything in academia, economics, and the military is subservient not to the needs and interests of the Chinese people but to the Chinese Communist Party," as stated by The Hill. Joseph Bosco, who served as China country director for the Secretary of Defense, emphasized that changing China remains a daunting challenge, and the "wishful thinking of unconditional engagement" has proven both futile and increasingly perilous, as quoted by The Hill. Both Harvard and the US government must now dedicate their best minds to this complex endeavor. Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
Epoch Times
34 minutes ago
- Epoch Times
US–China Hold Second Day of Trade Talks in London
U.S. and Chinese officials met for a second day of economic and trade discussions in London on June 10. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters that the two sides met all day on June 9 and will likely meet again on June 10.
Euronews
36 minutes ago
- Euronews
14-year-old kills staff member in French middle school knife attack
A 14-year-old pupil fatally stabbed a school staff member during a routine bag check on Tuesday at a middle school in eastern France, officials said. The teenager was arrested at the scene. The incident occurred at Françoise Dolto School in Nogent, near Dijon. A police officer assisting with the bag checks sustained minor injuries while apprehending the suspect, who used the same knife in both attacks, according to the National Gendarmerie. President Emmanuel Macron condemned the act as "senseless violence," writing in a post on X: "While she was looking after our children in Nogent, an educational assistant lost her life. The nation is in mourning and the government is mobilised to reduce crime." Though deadly incidents in French schools are rare, there is growing concern about violence on campuses. In response, the Education Ministry introduced bag checks earlier this year. Over two months this spring, officials confiscated 186 knives and detained 32 individuals, the Interior Ministry reported. Prosecutor Denis Devallois confirmed that the suspect had no prior criminal record. Education Minister Élisabeth Borne said the boy had been involved in the school's anti-bullying initiative and was previously suspended briefly for classroom disruption. The stabbing occurred just outside the school gate, where the 31-year-old educational assistant was standing alongside police officers conducting checks. Classes were suspended for the day and counselling was made available for pupils and staff. A fellow classmate described the 14-year-old as "normal" but occasionally "a little bizarre," adding that they never thought he would be capable of such an attack, according to local media reports. The incident follows a similar tragedy in April, when a student stabbed four classmates in western France, killing one. That attack prompted the prime minister to call for stricter measures to combat knife violence in schools. The road to a diplomatic reset in EU-China relations is paved with escalating tit-for-tat trade measures, casting a shadow over efforts to ease long-standing disputes. On Tuesday, Chinese authorities announced a six-month extension of their anti-dumping investigation into pork imports from the EU, citing the complexity of the case as justification for the delay. Initially launched in June 2024, the probe will now run until the end of the year, targeting more than €1.75 billion in pork exports, particularly from Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark. The announcement came as Brussels and Beijing are seeking to stabilise relations despite years of friction, exacerbated by US president's trade war against China and a shifting global order. A crucial milestone in this process will be the EU-China summit, now confirmed for the second half of July 2025 in Beijing. But China's extension of the investigation into pork imports show that the trade relationship between the EU and China is still fraught, with each side using sensitive sectors, such as electric vehicles for the EU and agriculture for China, as leverage in their negotiations. Pork is a strategically important product for both sides: China is the world's largest consumer, and EU farmers export significant quantities of offal products like ears, feet, and snouts, which are highly valued in Chinese cuisine but have little value in other markets. Pork is a strategically important product for both sides: China is the world's largest consumer, and EU farmers export significant quantities of offal products like ears, feet, and snouts, which are highly valued in Chinese cuisine but have little value in other markets. However, the pork investigation is viewed less as a genuine trade concern and more as a bargaining chip in wider trade negotiations. The pork probe is widely interpreted as China's response to the EU's recent decision to impose tariffs of up to 45% on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs). Brussels argued the tariffs were necessary to counteract state subsidies and prevent market distortion, as Chinese EV manufacturers rapidly increase their presence in Europe. At the time of their announcement, China sharply criticised the EU's EV tariffs as protectionist, warning of 'necessary measures' to defend national interests, signalling that Tuesday's extension of the pork probe might now be part of a broader strategic play. Key discussions on EV tariffs recently took place in Paris, where Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao met with EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič in talks that covered also broader concerns such as rare earth export controls and public procurement access. At the heart of the negotiations is a potential shift from punitive tariffs to a system of minimum prices for Chinese EVs. This approach aims to address the EU's concerns about unfair competition while avoiding outright trade barriers, potentially serving as a model for future high-tech trade frameworks. 'Negotiations for an agreement on a price undertaking, which would then replace the existing duties we have in place, are continuing at both technical and political level,' a European Commission spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday. This latest clash echoes earlier episodes in China-EU trade relations. Last week, the EU hit back with restrictions on Chinese medical device makers, limiting their access to public procurement contracts in response to Beijing's 'Buy China' policy, which disadvantages EU firms in Chinese markets. All these moves reflect an established pattern of reciprocal measures, with both sides targeting politically sensitive industries to gain a negotiating advantage. Another potential flashpoint is China's restriction of rare earth mineral exports, which are critical components for many EU manufacturing sectors. Though initially aimed at the United States, these restrictions have implications for Europe and are now part of a wider toolkit of Chinese leverage. The EU now hopes that these restrictions will soon be lifted and addressed the topic in Paris' talks last week. 'All we have so far is an indication from the Chinese government via a statement by the spokesperson for their Commerce Ministry that they are indeed looking at this issue and that they're going to find a way to address it,' said a European Commission spokesperson on Tuesday. 'As far as we know, nothing has been formally communicated to us in a structured way,' the spokesperson continued, adding that once the bloc receives such communication, it will need time to assess it. Amid the back-and-forth, there have also been signs of goodwill. China recently expanded market access for certain Spanish food products in an apparent signal that it remains open to negotiation. A crucial milestone in this process is the EU-China summit, now confirmed for the second half of July 2025 in Beijing. Both sides hope it will serve as a platform to recalibrate their economic ties and potentially defuse one of the most complex and consequential trade disputes of the decade.
