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One day, Emma decided to host a special dinner party, but the guests were not her friends or family – they were the different versions of herself at various stages of her life. As she sat at the head of the table, surrounded by her inner child, her teenage self, and her younger adult self, Emma felt a sense of peace and healing wash over her. She listened to their stories, their fears, and their dreams, and she offered them the love and acceptance they had been longing for.
WASHINGTON — Three American citizens imprisoned for years by China have been released and are returning to the United States, the White House said Wednesday, announcing a rare diplomatic agreement with Beijing in the final months of the Biden administration. The three are Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung , all of whom had been designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained by China. Swidan had been facing a death sentence on drug charges while Li and Leung were imprisoned on espionage charges. “Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years,” the White House said in a statement. The release comes just two months after China freed David Lin, a Christian pastor from California who had spent nearly 20 years behind bars after being convicted of contract fraud. U.S.-China relations have been roiled for years over major disagreements between the world’s two largest economies on trade, human rights, the production of fentanyl precursors, security issues that include espionage and hacking, China’s aggressiveness toward Taiwan and its smaller neighbors in the South China Sea, and Beijing’s support for Russia’s military-industrial sector. The release of Americans deemed wrongfully detained in China has been a top agenda item in each conversation between the U.S. and China, and Wednesday’s development suggests a willingness by Beijing to engage with the outgoing Democratic administration before Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January. Trump took significant actions against China on trade and diplomacy during his first term. He has pledged to continue those policies in his second term, leading to unease among many who fear that an all-out trade war will greatly affect the international economy and could spur potential Chinese military action against Taiwan. Still, the two countries have maintained a dialogue that has included a partial restoration of military-to-military contacts. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met this month to discuss potential improvements. In a separate but related move, the State Department on Wednesday lowered its travel warning to China to “level two,” advising U.S. citizens to “exercise increased caution” from the norm when traveling to the mainland. The alert had previously been at “level three,” telling Americans they should “reconsider travel” to China in part because of the “risk of wrongful detention” of Americans. The new alert removes that wording but retains a warning that the Chinese government “arbitrarily enforces local laws, including exit bans on U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries, without fair and transparent process under the law.” The Biden administration had raised the cases of the detained Americans with China in multiple meetings over the past several years, including this month when Biden spoke to Xi during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru. Politico was first to report the men’s release, which it said was part of a prisoner swap with the U.S. The White House did not immediately confirm that any Chinese citizens in American custody had been returned home. Senators from both political parties praised the move. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said he was “overjoyed” — Swidan’s mother lives in Texas — and credited senior Biden administration officials for having “worked tirelessly to secure this achievement.” Li, a Chinese immigrant who started an export business in the U.S. and lived in New York, was detained in September 2016 after flying into Shanghai. He was placed under surveillance, interrogated without a lawyer and accused of providing state secrets to the FBI. A U.N. working group called his 10-year prison sentence arbitrary and his family has said the charges were politically motivated. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who said he had worked for years to try to secure Li’s release, welcomed the news. “Even when it felt like there was no hope, we never stopped believing that one day Mr. Li would return home,” Schumer said in a statement. Leung was sentenced last year to life in prison on spying charges. He was detained in 2021, by the local bureau of China’s counterintelligence agency in the southeastern city of Suzhou after China had closed its borders and imposed tight domestic travel restrictions and social controls to fight the spread of COVID-19. After Leung’s sentencing, the U.S. recommended — though without citing specific cases — that Americans reconsider traveling to China because of arbitrary law enforcement and exit bans and the risk of wrongful detentions. Swidan had been jailed for the last 12 years on a drug charge and, along with Li and Leung, was considered by the State Department to be wrongfully detained.
Unlikely battleground California plays key role -- again -- in setting US House's political balanceThe CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has been accused of betraying the 600 families of Munambam Waqf victims. These families, who have occupied the disputed land for generations, are now facing despair following the government’s decision to appoint a Judicial Commission headed by Justice (Retd) C.N. Ramachandran Nair, former Acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court. The high-level meeting, chaired by CM Vijayan on November 22, decided to file a petition in the High Court while entrusting the Judicial Commission to resolve the issue. This move, however, has been widely criticized by the victims and observers, who see it as a ploy to stall their agitation and defer action indefinitely. Angered by the government’s decision, the affected families carried out torch-bearing marches in the streets of Munambam, expressing their discontent. The Munambam Action Council has rejected the formation of the Judicial Commission, vowing to continue their agitation. Observers have pointed out that the high-level meeting, which included Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leaders, appeared to be more of a political performance than a genuine attempt to address the issue. IUML state president Panakkad Sayid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal and general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty met with the Arch Bishop of the Varappuzha Archdiocese before the meeting, raising questions about the sincerity of the process. While the government maintains that no one with legal title deeds will be evicted, it has remained silent on the broader legal rights of the landowners. Critics argue that the appointment of the Judicial Commission is a calculated move to dilute the intensity of the agitation. The Waqf Protection Council, supporting the Waqf Board’s claim over the Munambam land, reiterated that the disputed lands belong to the Waqf. This position was discussed in a Waqf Tribunal meeting in Kozhikode just before the high-level talks in Thiruvananthapuram. Although the tribunal deferred its decision to December 6, it has further fueled tensions among the affected families. The commission has been tasked with resolving the issue within three months. However, there are concerns that its tenure could be extended, delaying justice further. The government has assured that those with legal title deeds will not be evicted and that their rights will be protected. The state will issue specific orders to guide the Judicial Commission in reaching a final legal solution. CM Vijayan is expected to meet with the Munambam Action Council online to urge them to call off their protests. Munambam Action Council’s Stand. The Action Council has firmly rejected the government’s proposals and has vowed to continue its agitation until a fair resolution is reached. “We cannot accept the Judicial Commission as a solution. This is just a ploy to silence our voices,” said a council representative.
Moving forward, it is imperative for the school to implement stringent quality control measures to prevent such controversies from arising in the future. Clear communication channels between the school administration and parents should be established to foster trust and transparency within the school community.One of the standout characteristics of these investments is the patience exhibited by the big funds acting as the primary backers. Instead of seeking quick returns or short-term gains, these investors have opted for a long-term approach, hence earning the moniker of "patient capital". This patient capital strategy not only reflects a deep understanding of the complexities and challenges of the semiconductor industry but also underscores the confidence in the potential growth and value of these companies over time.