Trump administration refers Harvard to Justice Department in civil rights probe, World News
In late June, the Trump administration said an investigation had concluded Harvard violated federal civil rights law for failing to address harassment of Jewish and Israeli students.
Critics, rights experts and some faculty said such probes are a pretext to assert federal control over schools and threaten academic freedom and free speech.
Harvard has been embroiled in talks and a legal fight with the Trump administration, seeking the restoration of billions of dollars of frozen federal funds for medical research and other programmes. It sued the Trump administration earlier this year.
"The parties' several months' engagement has been fruitless," said the letter dated Wednesday from the US Department of Health and Human Services to Harvard's leadership.
"OCR (Office for Civil Rights) therefore has no choice but to refer the matter to DOJ to initiate appropriate proceedings to address Harvard's antisemitic discrimination."
Trump has threatened to cut federal funds for universities over pro-Palestinian protests against US ally Israel's war in Gaza. The government alleges universities allowed antisemitism during last year's pro-Palestinian protests.
Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say the Trump administration wrongly equates their criticism of Israel's military assault in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories with antisemitism, and advocacy for Palestinian rights with support for extremism.
Campus protesters demanded an end to US backing for Israel and a commitment that their universities will cease investing in weapons makers and companies that support Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories.
Harvard had no immediate comment on Wednesday's letter. The university has said it aims to combat discrimination. Reports released in April by Harvard's antisemitism and Islamophobia task forces found fear and bigotry faced by Jewish, Muslim and Arab students.
The Trump administration has not announced equivalent probes into Islamophobia.
Last week, Columbia University agreed to pay over US$220 million (S$285 million) to resolve federal probes. The New York Times has reported Harvard was open to spending up to US$500 million to end its dispute with the government.
[[nid:720454]]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
19 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Zelenskiy says Russia seems more inclined now to a ceasefire
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a press conference on the first day of the two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025), on plans for the reconstruction of Ukraine, in Rome, Italy, July 10, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that Russia seemed "more inclined" to a ceasefire, but details of a potential deal are of great significance and neither Ukraine nor the U.S. should be deceived by Moscow. President Donald Trump said his special envoy Steve Witkoff's meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Wednesday delivered "great progress," but Trump gave no specifics. Following the meeting, Zelenskiy had a call with Trump, joined by European allies. "Ukraine will definitely defend its independence. We all need a lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war that it itself started," Zelenskiy said on X. Trump, who has signalled frustration with Putin in recent weeks and has given the Russian president until Friday to make peace with Ukraine or face tougher sanctions, hailed Witkoff's visit as highly productive. But a White House official said the secondary sanctions that Trump has threatened against countries doing business with Russia were still expected to be implemented on Friday. An executive order introducing additional 25% tariffs on India for Russian oil imports was signed on Wednesday. "The pressure on (Russia) works. But the main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details – neither us nor the U.S.," Zelenskiy said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore MRT track issue causes 5-hour delay; Jeffrey Siow says 'we can and will do better' Singapore ST Explains: What is a track point fault and why does it cause lengthy train disruptions? Singapore Three people taken to hospital after fire in Punggol executive condominium Singapore Elderly man found dead in SingPost Centre stairwell could have been in confused state: Coroner Singapore 81 primary schools to hold ballot for Phase 2C of Primary 1 registration Singapore S'pore and Indonesia have discussed jointly developing military training facilities: Chan Chun Sing Singapore Two workers died after being hit by flying gas cylinders in separate incidents in 2025 Sport Young Lions and distance runner Soh Rui Yong left out of SEA Games contingent Ukraine has repeatedly called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. Russia, which now controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory and proceeds with its advances on the eastern front, rejected the idea. National security advisers from Ukraine and allied nations were to meet soon to work out a "joint stance", Zelenskiy added. REUTERS
Straits Times
19 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Lula rejects 'humiliation' of calling Trump over US-Brazil tariff
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva poses for a picture after an interview with Reuters at the Alvorada Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, August 6, 2025. REUTERS/Adriano Machado BRASILIA - As U.S. tariffs on Brazilian goods jumped to 50% on Wednesday, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told Reuters in an interview that he saw no room for direct talks with U.S. President Donald Trump which he believes would turn into a "humiliation" for him. Brazil is not about to announce reciprocal tariffs, he said. Nor will his government give up on cabinet-level talks. But Lula himself is in no rush to ring the White House. "The day my intuition says Trump is ready to talk, I won't hesitate to call him," Lula said in an interview from his presidential residence in Brasilia. "But today my intuition says he doesn't want to talk. And I'm not going to humiliate myself." Despite Brazil's exports facing one of the highest tariffs imposed by Trump, the new U.S. trade barriers look unlikely to derail Latin America's largest economy, giving Lula more room to stand his ground against Trump than most Western leaders. Lula described U.S.-Brazil relations at a 200-year nadir after Trump tied the new tariff to his demand for an end to the prosecution of right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is standing trial for plotting to overturn the 2022 election. The president said Brazil's Supreme Court, which is hearing the case against Bolsonaro, "does not care what Trump says and it should not," adding that Bolsonaro should face another trial for provoking Trump's intervention, calling the right-wing former president a "traitor to the homeland." "We had already pardoned the U.S. intervention in the 1964 coup," said Lula, who got his political start as a union leader protesting against the military government that followed. "But this now is not a small intervention. It's the president of the United States thinking he can dictate rules for a sovereign country like Brazil. It's unacceptable." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore MRT track issue causes 5-hour delay; Jeffrey Siow says 'we can and will do better' Singapore ST Explains: What is a track point fault and why does it cause lengthy train disruptions? Singapore Three people taken to hospital after fire in Punggol executive condominium Singapore Elderly man found dead in SingPost Centre stairwell could have been in confused state: Coroner Singapore 81 primary schools to hold ballot for Phase 2C of Primary 1 registration Singapore S'pore and Indonesia have discussed jointly developing military training facilities: Chan Chun Sing Singapore Two workers died after being hit by flying gas cylinders in separate incidents in 2025 Sport Young Lions and distance runner Soh Rui Yong left out of SEA Games contingent Lula said his ministers were struggling to open talks with U.S. peers, so his government was focused on domestic measures to cushion the economic blow of U.S. tariffs, while maintaining "fiscal responsibility." He also said he was planning to call leaders from the BRICS group of developing nations, starting with India and China, to discuss the possibility of a joint response to U.S. tariffs. Lula also described plans to create a new national policy for Brazil's strategic mineral resources, treating them as a matter of "national sovereignty" to break with a history of mining exports that added little value in Brazil. REUTERS
CNA
22 minutes ago
- CNA
Zelenskiy says Russia appears more open to ceasefire, but warns against deception
KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday (August 6) that Russia appeared "more inclined" to agree to a ceasefire, but cautioned that the details of any potential deal would be crucial and that neither Ukraine nor the United States should be misled by Moscow. His remarks followed a meeting in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff, which US President Donald Trump described as having delivered 'great progress' – though he offered no specifics. CALL FOR LASTING PEACE "Ukraine will definitely defend its independence. We all need a lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war that it itself started," Zelenskiy said in a post on X following a phone call with Trump that included European allies. Trump, who has shown increasing frustration with Putin in recent weeks, has given the Russian president until Friday to advance toward peace or face tougher sanctions. A White House official confirmed that the secondary sanctions Trump had previously warned of – targeting countries that continue doing business with Russia – were still scheduled to take effect on Friday. TARIFFS ON INDIA ADD TO PRESSURE Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday (August 6) imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods over its purchases of Russian oil. The move is widely seen as part of a broader strategy to pressure Moscow by targeting its trade partners. 'The pressure on (Russia) works. But the main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details – neither us nor the US,' Zelenskiy said. While Ukraine has consistently called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, Russia, which controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory, has rejected the proposal and continues to push forward on the eastern front.
