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Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Thousands ask Harvard not to ‘give in' and pay fine to Trump
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The letter, signed by more than 14,000 Harvard alumni, students, faculty and members of the public, comes as the school is at the negotiating table with the Trump administration. A coalition of groups at Harvard urged the university to reject striking a deal with the Trump administration that would relinquish 'the university's autonomy in unconstitutional or unlawful ways'. The letter, signed by more than 14,000 Harvard alumni, students, faculty and members of the public, comes as the school is at the negotiating table with the Trump administration. The university is trying to restore the billions of dollars in research funds that the Trump administration has frozen and put an end to attacks on several other fronts. 'A settlement with the Trump administration will have a chilling effect on the Harvard community and on all of higher education,' stated the letter, sent by Crimson Courage, a new alumni group that formed to defend academic freedom. It was addressed to Harvard's president Alan M. Garber and the board that governs the university. The government has targeted top universities, claiming that they have failed to protect Jewish students from antisemitism and allowed diversity programming to flourish. It has cut off or frozen research money, forcing universities to negotiate to turn the funding tap back on. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore No service on Sengkang-Punggol LRT due to power fault: SBS Transit Singapore Owners call for stronger management rules in ageing condos, but seek to avoid being overburdened Asia Johor seizes four Singapore-registered vehicles for illegal e-hailing Singapore More families in Singapore using childminding and elder-minding services Business US Treasuries a draw as yield gap with S'pore govt bonds widens, but analysts urge caution Asia Attack on my son is a 'warning' to silence me, says Malaysian MP Rafizi Ramli World Trump says Putin ready to make deal on Ukraine as leaders prepare for Alaska meeting Singapore From quiet introvert to self-confident student: How this vulnerable, shy teen gets help to develop and discover her strength Several universities recently struck agreements with the Trump administration that could inform the terms of the negotiations. Columbia University signed a deal that included more than US$200 million (S$256.72 million) in payment to the government in exchange for the restoration of more than US$400 million in grants that were terminated or frozen by the Trump administration. Brown University agreed to pay US$50 million to state workforce development programs along with other demands to restore frozen funding. The University of Pennsylvania also recently struck a deal that limits how transgender athletes can participate in sports. The Aug 14 letter urged Harvard to reject that trend. 'Columbia and Brown's settlements represent a dangerous capitulation that risks eroding the foundation of American higher education,' the letter stated. 'They must not become a precedent guiding Harvard or other higher educational institutions nationwide.' It added: 'Do not give in.' Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It is the only university that has directly sued the administration, a move that had been praised by some who saw the elite school as one of the few powerful institutions standing up to the Trump administration's conservative agenda. That decision prompted a wave of donations. But as the school has indicated that it is willing to make a deal with the government, professors have worried that if an influential university like Harvard turns over a large sum of money, it would have a cascading effect on higher education as a whole. 'At one level I understand why you do this,' said Dr Todd Wolfson, the president of the American Association of University Professors, a faculty rights group. 'You need to run your institution. It needs to be financially whole. But at another level, I feel like in preserving the institution you're selling out the sector,' he said. Dr Wolfson added that 'the most powerful, well-heeled institutions of higher education in this country are cutting deals with the Trump administration that undermine the future of higher education.' In July 2025, the administration accused Duke University of 'systematic racial discrimination' and froze US$108 million in research funding, before issuing findings or even conducting an investigation. The administration said recently that it was seeking US $1 billion from UCLA after the school settled a lawsuit that accused the university of not interfering when pro-Palestinian protesters blocked campus access to Jewish students. Governor Gavin Newsom of California and other political leaders in that state have said they would push back against the president's targeting of UCLA. Earlier in the week, the governor also criticised Harvard for negotiating with the Trump administration, suggesting Dr Garber should resign for trying to work with the president. NYTIMES
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
China's 'robot Olympics' sees humanoids from 16 nations compete in table tennis, football, track
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Humanoid robots take part in a test 100m run ahead of the opening ceremony of the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games, at National Speed Skating Oval, in Beijing, China, August 14, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang BEIJING - China kicked off a three-day long sports showcase for humanoid robots on Friday, looking to highlight progress in artificial intelligence and robotics with 280 teams from 16 countries competing in the World Humanoid Robot Games. Robots will compete in sports such as football, track and field, and table tennis, as well as tackle robot-specific challenges from sorting medicines and handling materials to cleaning services. Teams come from countries including the United States, Germany, and Brazil, with 192 representing universities and 88 from private enterprises. Robots from Chinese companies including Unitree and Fourier are among those competing. The Beijing municipal government is among the organising bodies for the event, underscoring the emphasis Chinese authorities place on the emerging robotics industry and reflecting the country's broader ambitions in AI and automation. The China's robotics push also comes as the country grapples with an ageing population and slowing economic growth. The sector has received government subsidies exceeding $20 billion over the past year, while Beijing plans to establish a one trillion yuan ($137 billion) fund to support AI and robotics startups. China has staged a series of high-profile robotics events in recent months, including what it called the world's first humanoid robot marathon in Beijing, a robot conference and the opening of retail stores dedicated to humanoid robots. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Power fault on Sengkang-Punggol LRT line brings trains to a halt Singapore Owners call for stronger management rules in ageing condos, but seek to avoid being overburdened Asia Johor authorities seize four Singapore-registered vehicles over illegal e-hailing Singapore More families in Singapore using childminding and elder-minding services Business US Treasuries a draw as yield gap with S'pore govt bonds widens, but analysts urge caution Asia Attack on my son is a 'warning' to silence me, says Malaysian MP Rafizi Ramli World Trump says Putin ready to make deal on Ukraine as leaders prepare for Alaska meeting Singapore From quiet introvert to self-confident student: How this vulnerable, shy teen gets help to develop and discover her strength However, the marathon drew criticism after several robot competitors emitted smoke during the race and some failed to complete the course, raising questions about the current capabilities of the technology. Still, while some may view such competitions and events as publicity stunts, industry experts and participants see them as crucial catalysts for advancing humanoid robots toward practical real-world applications. Morgan Stanley analysts in a report last week noted a surge in attendance to a recent robot conference from the general public compared to previous years, saying this showed "how China, not just top government officials, has embraced the concept of embodied intelligence." "We believe this widespread interest could be instrumental for China's continued leadership in the humanoid race, providing the necessary talent, resources, and customers to boost industry development and long-term adoption," they said. Booster Robotics, whose humanoid robots are being used by a Tsinghua University team in the football competition, views soccer as an effective test of perception, decision-making and control technologies that could later be deployed in factories or homes. "Playing football is a testing and training ground for helping us refine our capabilities," said Zhao Mingguo, Chief Scientist at Booster Robotics. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
New Zealand sees most citizens leave since 2012 as economy cools
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Some 71,851 citizens departed the country in the period, the most since June 2012. WELLINGTON – New Zealand recorded the most citizen departures in 13 years in the 12 months through June, reducing the net gain through immigration to the lowest in more than two and a half years. Some 71,851 citizens departed the country in the period, the most since June 2012, Statistics New Zealand said Aug 15 in Wellington. There were 25,353 returning citizens, resulting in a net exodus of 46,497. Many citizens have opted to look overseas – particularly to Australia – for better paying jobs amid a cooling economy and rising unemployment at home. Foreign workers are also increasingly reluctant to head to New Zealand when work is scarce, resulting in a steady decline in net annual immigration to 13,702 – the lowest since November 2022. Net annual immigration is down from a peak of 135,529 in October 2023. While citizen departures have increased, it is the slump in arrivals that has mainly driven the overall decline in net immigration. The economy is struggling to recover from a deep recession last year, with unemployment rising as businesses curb investment and hiring. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore No service on Sengkang-Punggol LRT due to power fault: SBS Transit Singapore Owners call for stronger management rules in ageing condos, but seek to avoid being overburdened Asia Johor seizes four Singapore-registered vehicles for illegal e-hailing Singapore More families in Singapore using childminding and elder-minding services Business US Treasuries a draw as yield gap with S'pore govt bonds widens, but analysts urge caution Asia Attack on my son is a 'warning' to silence me, says Malaysian MP Rafizi Ramli World Trump says Putin ready to make deal on Ukraine as leaders prepare for Alaska meeting Singapore From quiet introvert to self-confident student: How this vulnerable, shy teen gets help to develop and discover her strength Some local economists predict growth stalled in the three months through June while the Reserve Bank has projected annual average growth of just 0.7 per cent in 2025. About 59 per cent of all citizen departures were to Australia, the statistics agency said, citing data for the year ended December that is the most recent available. Citizen departure rates tend to be concentrated in younger age groups, with 38 per cent of those leaving in the year through June aged between 18 and 30, the statistics agency said. Bloomberg
