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Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
US visa curbs on Chinese students may backfire on the administration's decision
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads One night in 1978, President Jimmy Carter got a phone call at 3 a.m. from a top adviser who was visiting China "Deng Xiaoping insisted I call you now, to see if you would permit 5,000 Chinese students to come to American universities," said the official, Frank Press."Tell him to send 100,000," Carter Christmas time that year, the first group of 52 Chinese students had arrived in the United States , just ahead of the formal establishment of US-China diplomatic relations on New Year's Day. A month later, Deng, then China's top leader, made a historic visit to America during which he watched John Denver sing "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and was photographed wearing a cowboy almost hard to believe how little contact there had been between the United States and modern China before that. Sinologist John K. Fairbank wrote in 1971: "Since 1950 Washington has officially sent more men to the moon than it has to China." The visits by Deng, and more important, by those first Chinese students, began a new chapter that would fundamentally change China -- and the world. The United States gained access to a vast market and talent pool, while China found a model and a partner for transforming its that chapter has closed, after the Trump administration announced that it would begin "aggressively" revoking the visas of Chinese students the millions of Chinese who have studied in the United States, myself included, it is a sobering and disheartening development. It marks a turning point that America, long a beacon of openness and opportunity, would start shutting its doors to Chinese who aspire for a good education and a future in a society that values freedom and human curbing people-to-people exchanges, President Donald Trump is taking a decisive step toward decoupling from China. To treat Chinese students and professionals in science and technology broadly not as contributors, but as potential security risks, reflects a foreign policy driven more by insecurity and retreat than by the self-assurance of a global to the new policy in China, reflected in the US Embassy 's social media accounts, was mixed. Some commenters thanked the United States for "sending China's brightest minds back." Others drew historical parallels, comparing the Trump administration's isolationist turn to China's Ming and Qing dynasties -- once global powers that declined after turning inward and were ultimately defeated in foreign invasions. One commenter remarked that the policy's narrow-mindedness would "make America small again."The shift also comes at a time when many young Chinese, disillusioned by political repression and economic stagnation under Xi Jinping's leadership, are trying to flee the country to seek freedom and opportunities."Xi is pushing many of the best and the brightest to leave China," said Thomas E. Kellogg, executive director of Georgetown's Center for Asian Law and a leading scholar of legal reform in China. "The US should be taking advantage of this historic brain drain, not shutting the door to many talented Chinese young people."The number of Chinese students in the United States dropped to about 277,000 in the 2023-24 academic year, a 25% decline from its peak four years earlier, according to government data. Students from China remained the second-largest group of international students, after those from India. In fact, applications for post-graduation temporary employment permits rose by 12% in 2023-24 over the prior year, signaling more interest in working in the United States despite the new visa policy will leave many of these students with little choice but to leave, or at the least reconsider their future in the United States.I interviewed a doctoral candidate in computer science at a top US university, a young man from China who first dreamed of studying in America at 17, when he began to question Chinese government propaganda. He arrived eight years ago and never seriously considering returning. But now, facing the threat of visa revocation, he said he is no longer sure if he can -- or even wants to -- stay."America doesn't feel worth it anymore," he said, asking me not to identify him for fear of retribution from Washington. The immigration process is fraught with anxiety, he said, and the returns no longer seem to justify the stress. He said he was exploring work visa options in Canada, Australia and Western Europe, even though he has a job offer from a big tech company on the West Coast of the United States."The pay might be lower," he said, "but those countries offer more personal freedom."His experience is in stark contrast to that of Dong Jielin, who was among the first Chinese students to come to the United States after the Cultural Revolution. When she arrived at Carnegie Mellon University in 1982 on a U.S. scholarship, she knew little about the country beyond what the Chinese state media had portrayed: a capitalist society in perpetual crisis and a people living in didn't take long for her perception to shift. "The moment I walked into a supermarket, I could see that life here was far from miserable," she told me in an interview. Encounters with Americans quickly dispelled other myths as well. "They were not vicious or hostile," she said. "They were warm and kind."Dong went on to earn a doctoral degree in physics, build a career in finance and technology, become a U.S. citizen and raise a US government has good reasons to worry about national security risks from China, including espionage and intellectual property theft. The FBI calls the Chinese government the most prolific sponsor of talent recruitment programs that aim to transfer scientific and technological breakthroughs to also makes sense to block people with ties to China's military industrial it's something else entirely to deny visas to 18-year-old students simply because they are Chinese and hope to pursue a STEM degree in the United officials often say they aim to distinguish between the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people. That distinction was emphasized during Trump's first term. It's largely absent policy now targets anyone with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. But the party has nearly 100 million members, about 1 in 7 Chinese. And most children in China grow up as members of the Young Pioneers and Communist Youth League, school-based party organizations. It's just the way of life in a country ruled by a Leninist one commenter put it on the US Embassy's WeChat account, "How could any Chinese not be associated with the Party?"The policy is also very likely to found that Chinese undergraduates at US universities were more predisposed to favor liberal democracy than their peers in China. However, they said, exposure to xenophobic, anti-Chinese comments by Americans significantly decreased their belief that political reforms are desirable for China. Those who experienced discrimination were more likely to reject democratic values in favor of autocratic who have studied abroad also face growing suspicion at home. The government and some employers believe that exposure to Western values makes their fellow Chinese politically Mingzhu, chair of the appliance giant Gree Electric, said recently that her company will never hire a graduate from a foreign university. "There are spies among them," she the Chinese internet, some people compared her to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who announced the visa Jielin, the former student who was among the first to come to the United States, said the experience had a profound impact on her life, giving her the opportunity to explore the frontiers of science and is understandable, she said, that the government is raising screening standards for student visas. "But I believe the vast majority of those who stay in the US will, over time, become loyal American citizens," she said, just like herself.
Scottish Sun
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Harry Kane finally gets his hands on first career trophy as Bayern Munich win Bundesliga in style
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HARRY KANE proved during the week he cannot sing to save his life. But on the day the England captain finally got his hands on some silverware, an occasion he will certainly never forget, Kane gave a reminder that he is half decent at scoring goals. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Harry Kane leads the rejoicing as Bayern revel in their latest title glory Credit: Getty 8 The striker makes a small piece of kiss-tory for himself Credit: Reuters 8 Harry Kane fired the opener in a 2-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach Credit: Reuters Bayern clinched the Bundesliga title six days earlier without kicking a ball as Bayer Leverkusen drew with Freiburg. Kane celebrated with his team-mates in a posh Munich restaurant before murdering 'We Are The Champions', 'Sweet Caroline' and 'Take Me Home, Country Roads'. With beers flowing in the stands from an hour before kick-off, the Bavarian party was well underway in Bayern's penultimate game of the season by the time Kane struck in the 31st minute before former Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise got a late second . After the game, Kane and his team walked back onto the pitch along a red carpet and onto a podium. Kane's frustrations over a trophyless first season at Bayern, the pain of not winning anything with his boyhood team Spurs and devastating two losses in major finals with England were replaced by the joy of finally being a winner. His latest goal also broke yet another record. Kane's header saw him become the first player in German history to score 25 goals or more in his first two Bundesliga seasons. The header was an 81st goal in 90 games since leaving Bayern for Spurs for £104million. Despite receiving criticism in some quarters for not scoring in big games - although he did strike against Inter Milan in the quarter-finals - the 31-year-old has already become the club's main man. 8 Kane is ecstatic after finally picking up major silverware Credit: Reuters BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Equally, it was also a special day for Eric Dier who followed his pal from north London to Bavaria 18 months ago and has also won his first title. The defender is now heading to Monaco after turning down a one-year contract to stay in Germany and he featured in a presentation on the pitch before the game and was given a standing ovation. Harry Kane celebrates with Bayern team-mates after FINALLY winning a trophy Once the game started, Bayern were lethargic and seemed to be paying the price for their boozy celebrations. Yet Kane scored with his first chance and it was very much made in England as the player delivering his 14th assist of the season was Olise. While he plays for France, Olise grew up in London and played for Reading and Palace before making a £50million move last summer. He then delivered a deft finish for his 16th goal in the 90th minute. Certainly for Bayern fans, apart from paying tribute to their new goal hero, this day was all about saying farewell to 35-year-old Thomas Muller who is ending his 25-year association with the club. Bayern were hoping that Muller, 35, would score a 249th goal on what was his 751st appearance. He had a couple of moments but on both occasions his shots were blocked. And in the 83rd minute, Muller - who could end up playing in MLS - left the Allianz pitch for the last time and was given a guard of honour by the subs and coaching staff before a few of the first-team belatedly joined in. 8 Michael Olise sealed Bayern's win the the final minute Credit: Getty 8 Thomas Muller enjoys his send-off in his final Bayern home game, as Kane and Leon Goretzka join in the celebrations Credit: Getty Kane was replaced in injury-time and received a big hug from his manager Vincent Kompany who must be thankful Thomas Tuchel signed the striker a couple of years ago. For ex-Manchester City defender Kompany, this was also an unforgettable occasion. And this was in stark contrast to a year ago today when as manager of Burnley, Kompany suffered a 2-1 loss to Spurs for a 23rd Premier League defeat of the season. If you had told him that 12 months later, he would have been doing a victory lap around the pitch at the Allianz, you have to wonder what the reply would have been. 8 Departing legend Thomas Muller shows all his emotions as he hugs Harry Kane, with Eric Dier applauding in the background Credit: Reuters 8 England skipper Kane saluted fans amid a carnival atmosphere Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
10-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Harry Kane finally gets his hands on first career trophy as Bayern Munich win Bundesliga in style
HARRY KANE proved during the week he cannot sing to save his life. But on the day the England captain finally got his hands on some silverware, an occasion he will certainly never forget, Kane gave a reminder that he is half decent at scoring goals. 8 Harry Kane leads the rejoicing as Bayern revel in their latest title glory Credit: Getty 8 The striker makes a small piece of kiss-tory for himself Credit: Reuters 8 Harry Kane fired the opener in a 2-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach Credit: Reuters Bayern clinched the Bundesliga title six days earlier without kicking a ball as Bayer Leverkusen drew with Freiburg. Kane celebrated with his team-mates in a posh Munich restaurant before murdering 'We Are The Champions', 'Sweet Caroline' and 'Take Me Home, Country Roads'. With beers flowing in the stands from an hour before kick-off, the Bavarian party was well underway in Bayern's penultimate game of the season by the time Kane struck in the 31st minute before former Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise got a late second . After the game, Kane and his team walked back onto the pitch along a red carpet and onto a podium. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Kane's frustrations over a trophyless first season at Bayern, the pain of not winning anything with his boyhood team Spurs and devastating two losses in major finals with England were replaced by the joy of finally being a winner. His latest goal also broke yet another record. Kane's header saw him become the first player in German history to score 25 goals or more in his first two Bundesliga seasons. The header was an 81st goal in 90 games since leaving Bayern for Spurs for £104million. Despite receiving criticism in some quarters for not scoring in big games - although he did strike against Inter Milan in the quarter-finals - the 31-year-old has already become the club's main man. Most read in Bundesliga 8 Kane is ecstatic after finally picking up major silverware Credit: Reuters BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Equally, it was also a special day for Eric Dier who followed his pal from north London to Bavaria 18 months ago and has also won his first title. The defender is now heading to Monaco after turning down a one-year contract to stay in Germany and he featured in a presentation on the pitch before the game and was given a standing ovation. Harry Kane celebrates with Bayern team-mates after FINALLY winning a trophy Once the game started, Bayern were lethargic and seemed to be paying the price for their boozy celebrations. Yet Kane scored with his first chance and it was very much made in England as the player delivering his 14th assist of the season was Olise. While he plays for France, Olise grew up in London and played for Reading and Palace before making a £50million move last summer. He then delivered a deft finish for his 16th goal in the 90th minute. Certainly for Bayern fans, apart from paying tribute to their new goal hero, this day was all about saying farewell to 35-year-old Thomas Muller who is ending his 25-year association with the club. Bayern were hoping that Muller, 35, would score a 249th goal on what was his 751st appearance. He had a couple of moments but on both occasions his shots were blocked. And in the 83rd minute, Muller - who could end up playing in MLS - left the Allianz pitch for the last time and was given a guard of honour by the subs and coaching staff before a few of the first-team belatedly joined in. 8 Michael Olise sealed Bayern's win the the final minute Credit: Getty 8 Thomas Muller enjoys his send-off in his final Bayern home game, as Kane and Leon Goretzka join in the celebrations Credit: Getty Kane was replaced in injury-time and received a big hug from his manager Vincent Kompany who must be thankful Thomas Tuchel signed the striker a couple of years ago. For ex-Manchester City defender Kompany, this was also an unforgettable occasion. And this was in stark contrast to a year ago today when as manager of Burnley, Kompany suffered a 2-1 loss to Spurs for a 23rd Premier League defeat of the season. If you had told him that 12 months later, he would have been doing a victory lap around the pitch at the Allianz, you have to wonder what the reply would have been. 8 Departing legend Thomas Muller shows all his emotions as he hugs Harry Kane, with Eric Dier applauding in the background Credit: Reuters 8 England skipper Kane saluted fans amid a carnival atmosphere Credit: Getty
NZ Herald
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Hori Shaw, Shane Walker, Te Wehi announce NZ tour this winter
Te Wehi's cover of Allen Stone's Unaware, Shaw's Back in My Arms and Walker's Coasty Girl have all reached number one on the charts and are currently charted at 1, 2 and 3. Shaw said he was excited to bring his iconic sounds to towns and cities across the North Island for his first headline tour in New Zealand. He has been a major part of New Zealand's music scene since he released Country Roads in 2023 and his success has continued with further hits Back in My Arms; Shawfyah and One Day, all released last year. Back in My Arms is arguably his biggest release so far, securing a spot on NZ's Official Top 40 Singles chart, and a number one spot on the Official Top 20 Aotearoa Singles chart. Shaw said he appreciated the love he has received for his music. He said he believed Country Roads had connected with people because of its reliability, and he was excited to perform on tour this winter. 'Everyone can relate to it.' Since releasing FX*K You Too, Walker has been cementing his place as a powerhouse in today's music with Coasty Girl dominating airwaves and his subsequent single Waimā Girl is also making its way up the charts. He said he was looking forward to connecting with fans on the Homegrown Road Trip, where he would be giving fans an engaging and entertaining set throughout. He said each set will be tailored to each stop on the tour. 'You never know what you're going to get.' He said he had always been deeply connected to his Cook Island heritage but also had been reconnecting with his Māori roots in recent years, which had 'been enlightening'. The tour announcement also coincided with the release of a new single this week – a special single called Māmā, which will be released on Friday in time for Mother's Day. Te Wehi's cover of Unaware reached number one on the Official Top 20 Aotearoa Singles chart on April 4, where it still sits. He said he had always been a fan of Allen Stone and the song Unaware was a song he had connected to and sang socially. Since releasing it as his own single, he said he had been blown away by the support he had received. 'I'm looking forward to getting around New Zealand.' Tickets go on sale on May 8 at 6pm. Tour dates: June 26: Gisborne – Sugar Bar. June 27: Whakatāne – Boiler Room. June 28: Tauranga – Rusty's. Advertise with NZME. July 3: Kaitāia – Awanui Hotel. July 4: Auckland – Darby St Station. July 5: Hamilton – The Factory. July 31: Rotorua – Social Club. August 1: Napier – Cabana Bar. August 2: Palmerston North – Royal Hotel. Advertise with NZME. August 8: New Plymouth – Crowded House August 9: Wellington – The Grand Registrations for pre-sales are available here.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Chelsea dynasty: How they celebrated an ‘unbelievable' sixth Women's Super League title in a row
In the Chelsea dressing room, no one uttered a word in front of Sonia Bompastor about the possibility of winning the Women's Super League before their away game against Manchester United on Wednesday night. But the players were aware that Arsenal's 5-2 defeat to Aston Villa, which finished 30 minutes before their kick-off at Leigh Sports Village (LSV), left an opening for them to snatch the title with two games to spare. Bompastor did not want to speak about it though as such information may have allowed her players to relax a little. Advertisement It was a question of when not if Chelsea would win the league but nobody expected it to happen on Wednesday yet Lucy Bronze leapt like a salmon to head the ball home in the 74th minute to hand Bompastor's side a 1-0 win and a sixth consecutive league triumph. The celebrations were muted. When the full-time whistle blew, Sandy Baltimore hopped on the back of compatriot Maelys Mpome, Millie Bright burst into a huge smile and later hugged her parents, who were in the far corner of LSV with the travelling fans. Along with Erin Cuthbert, who had a Scottish flag tied around her waist, Bright lofted Guro Reiten in the air. Aggie Beever-Jones grabbed a water bottle and poured it over Niamh Charles' head, yet there was no spraying of bubbles. The team formed a line and banged the winners' board that the league provided at the last minute on Wednesday given the unexpected timing of Chelsea's triumph. Chelsea Women CEO Aki Mandhar and Nadia Shahrestani, head of stadium revenue, joined the team on the pitch but executives from the Women's Professional League Limited, the company that runs the WSL, were not there. The plan is to present the trophy on the final day of the season at Stamford Bridge. Instead, in the away dressing room, Niamh Charles bounced a bottle of water as the squad, who were missing members such as Sam Kerr, Lauren James and Kadeisha Buchanan, bobbed round her to the tune of John Denver's 'Take Me Home, Country Roads'. Bompastor described the feeling as 'unreal' while Hampton, wearing the 2024-2025 Champions flag as a skirt, said she felt 'relief' and their achievement had not yet sunk in. Advertisement Chelsea's players were understandably deflated after Sunday's 8-2 aggregate hammering by Barcelona, which dumped them out of the Champions League semi-finals. 'Not going to lie, I wasn't listening to a lot of people after Sunday,' Hampton told after Wednesday's 1-0 win. 'I honestly couldn't explain the emotions. People don't realise the emotions that footballers go through. It's either high or low. There's never a middle ground. It's so hard to explain to non-footballers what that feeling actually is unless you experience it yourself.' Her head coach, France and Lyon's former captain, knows. Bompastor told her players after that chastening European loss: 'It hurts to be knocked out of the Champions League but we are professionals. We need to focus on how we can win on Wednesday against Man United and get a step closer to the title.' Advertisement On Monday morning, Bompastor reminded her players that they are top of the league, unbeaten, six points ahead of Arsenal and fully competent enough to beat Manchester United away as long as they have the desire. 'I just trust our process,' said Bompastor. The Chelsea boss didn't do or say anything different on the days between the two games. The players had more of a recovery day on Monday to clear their minds, according to Hampton, before getting back on the pitch on Tuesday to prepare. In some aspects, it was good to have a 72-hour turnaround from Sunday as the players could focus on a task and wipe the slate clean. Advertisement Hampton said Chelsea's Champions League semi-final performances were 'not the Chelsea we know'. 'We were more annoyed at ourselves that we went out of the Champions League and the way that we did. Everyone was more determined and had a lot more fight and grit in their stomach. They didn't want fans to think that performance against Barca was the (true) Chelsea. We wanted to come here and prove that we can win the league.' Bompastor told the squad before the game: 'We started pre-season in August. We are probably 90 minutes away from having a hand on the title. 'Ninety minutes — it's nothing. The game will go quickly and make sure at the end, we just think we have done the job.' Advertisement Bompastor, despite saying that she gets more stressed when her attention is taken away from the task at hand, had an eye on the Aston Villa and Arsenal game early on during the evening. '1-0, 2-0; I was like: 'I'm done, I'm not watching anymore',' she said. Her staff informed her before the game that Arsenal had suffered a shock 5-2 defeat, which she admitted gave her some breathing space. Against United, Bompastor wanted her team to win the duels with the first contact, be first to second balls, to fight for each other and protect their goal as a unit to secure a clean sheet. United put up a tough fight and were resilient at the back, but failed to convert any of their five shots on target. The fact that Bronze, a player who leads by example, scored the winning goal was symbolic of Chelsea's never-say-die attitude. Advertisement Despite the muted celebrations, one should not diminish Chelsea's nor Bompastor's achievements. 'You have to be mentally really strong to be able to bounce back,' she said. 'Some people think because you are Chelsea, it's so easy to do that but it's not.' Chelsea have beaten Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United both home and away, a feat never achieved under former manager Emma Hayes or in the club's history. 'It's unbelievable,' Bompastor said. 'I think you need to realise that'. The WSL title has been decided on the final day of the season for the last four years but Chelsea wrapped it up with two games of the season left, an illustration of their dominance. Advertisement They have set a new record for the most consecutive matches unbeaten in a single campaign, surpassing Manchester City's tally of 19 from the 2018-19 season. It is their ninth WSL trophy, three times as many as any other side, with Arsenal coming closest on three. Personally, for Bompastor, who has won the Champions League as a player and a manager, her first WSL title ranks high in her list of achievements. She had expectations on her shoulders at her former club Lyon but the WSL, according to her, is more competitive and the gap between teams is closer. Bompastor is a self-acclaimed perfectionist who demands a lot from her players. 'I never let my players breathe,' she said. She is always pushing for more and always thinking of the next step. With Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool up next, Chelsea's goal is to go the whole season unbeaten. No team has ever gone undefeated in a 22-game WSL campaign. Should they win their last two games, they will also equal their record points tally of 58 and are still on track to win a domestic treble, a feat they have only achieved once in their history in 2020-2021. Advertisement 'We're not going to get complacent now,' said Hampton. Bompastor did offer herself a moment of reflection, though, pointing out that she is a new manager to the league, a foreign coach who, in her words 'struggled a little bit with the barrier language' and had a wealth of information about the club, players and 'everything in England' to absorb. She thanked her predecessor Hayes for allowing her to build on Chelsea's foundations. 'I'm sure she's very happy tonight with our title,' said the Frenchwoman. 'It feels really nice.' Bompastor, who describes herself as a 'simple' person, said that she was considering toasting the victory with a little champagne on the bus back with some milk — not dark — chocolate followed by a kiss for her children on Thursday morning. Advertisement As for Hampton, should have got some well-earned rest. 'We have a game in three days (against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday) so I don't think we can celebrate just yet. I can't lie, I'm going to sleep.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Chelsea, Soccer, UK Women's Football 2025 The Athletic Media Company
