Comment on As repression mounts, China under Xi Jinping feels increasingly like North Korea

(CHICAGO) — For five days, the shouts of student protesters and supporters rang out from Northwestern University’s Deering Meadow as they joined demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war unfolding on college campuses nationwide. But the meadow on the suburban Chicago campus fell silent hours after student organizers and the school announced an agreement late Monday to curb protest activity in return for the reestablishment of an advisory committee on university investments and other commitments. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] By Tuesday, only two unoccupied tents remained, surrounded by abandoned folding chairs, cases of bottled water and other supplies. By quickly defusing the protests in Evanston and avoiding the longer standoffs that happened on other campuses, the agreement at Northwestern offered an example of successful negotiations between anti-war demonstrators and administrators.

For Pia Hollenstein, the long-awaited ruling at the European Court of Human Rights for a case brought against the Swiss government by her group, KlimaSeniorinnen, came at an inconvenient time. At 73, the retired nurse and former Parliamentarian from St. Gallen is an avid climber, and on the day of the verdict, she was planning to hike the Grisons Alps.

Both President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping strongly reject the current U. S.-China competition as a new Cold War. As recently as September, Biden said that he doesn’t “want to contain China” and that “we’re all better off if China does well.” Xi, in turn, proclaimed that “China doesn’t want a cold war or a hot war with anyone,” following a meeting between the two in San Francisco in November.

(NEW YORK) — Large numbers of New York City police officers began entering the Columbia University late Tuesday as dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters remained on the campus. Demonstrators had occupied Hamilton Hall hours earlier after setting up an encampment earlier in the month. Students had defiantly set up tents again after police cleared an encampment at the university on April 18 and arrested more than 100 people.

mdash; Two men have been charged with cutting down the popular 150-year-old Sycamore Gap tree next to Hadrian’s Wall last year in northern England, prosecutors said Tuesday. Daniel Graham, 38, and Adam Carruthers, 31, were charged with causing criminal damage and damaging the wall built in A. D. 122 by Emperor Hadrian to guard the northwest frontier of the Roman Empire. They were ordered to appear in Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on May 15. The sycamore’s majestic canopy between two hills made it a popular subject for landscape photographers.

Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, became the first member of the British royal family to visit Ukraine since Russia launched its full scale invasion of the country in February 2022. Sophie is the wife of Prince Edward, the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II, and brother of King Charles III. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The Duchess met Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska during the Monday visit.