Israel to halt military operations for 10 hours daily as aid airdrops begin
Military activity will stop daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (0700-1700 GMT) until further notice in Al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian area along the coast, in central Deir al-Balah and in Gaza City, to the north.The military said designated secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine will also be in place between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. starting from Sunday.The United Nations food aid agency needs quick approvals by Israel for its trucks to move into Gaza if it is to take advantage of Israel's planned humanitarian pauses in fighting, a senior World Food Programme official said on Sunday.United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher said on Sunday that some movement restrictions appeared to have been eased by Israel in Gaza on Sunday after Israel decided to 'support a one-week scale-up of aid.'Initial reports indicate that more than 100 truckloads of aid were collected from crossings to be transported into Gaza, Fletcher said in a statement.'This is progress, but vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis,' he said.In their first airdrop in months, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates parachuted 25 tons of aid into Gaza on Sunday, a Jordanian official said, but added that it was not a substitute for delivery by land.
Israel says it has been allowing in aid but must prevent it from being diverted by militants. (Photo: Reuters)
Palestinian health officials in Gaza City said at least 10 people were injured by falling aid boxes.Work on a UAE project to run a new pipeline that will supply water from a desalination facility in neighbouring Egypt to around 600,000 Gazans along the coast would also begin in a few days, the Israeli military said.advertisementDozens of Gazans have died of malnutrition in recent weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave.The ministry reported six new deaths over the past 24 hours due to malnutrition, bringing the total deaths from malnutrition and hunger since the war began in 2023 to 133, including 87 children.On Saturday, a 5-month-old baby, Zainab Abu Haleeb, died of malnutrition at Nasser Hospital, health workers said."Three months inside the hospital and this is what I get in return, that she is dead," said her mother, Israa Abu Haleeb, as the baby's father held their daughter's body wrapped in a white shroud.The Egyptian Red Crescent said it was sending more than 100 trucks carrying over 1,200 metric tons of food to southern Gaza on Sunday. Some had been looted in the area of Khan Younis after entering Gaza, residents said.Aid groups said last week there was mass hunger among Gaza's 2.2 million people, and international alarm over the humanitarian situation has increased.A group of 25 states including Britain, France and Canada last week said Israel's denial of aid was unacceptable.advertisementThe military's spokesperson said Israel was committed to international law and monitors the humanitarian situation daily. Brigadier General Effie Defrin said there was no starvation in Gaza, but appeared to acknowledge conditions were critical."When we start approaching a problematic line (threshold) then the IDF works to let in humanitarian aid," he said. "That's what happened over the weekend."Israel cut off aid to Gaza from the start of March to pressure Hamas into giving up dozens of hostages it still holds, and reopened aid with new restrictions in May.Israel says it has been allowing in aid but must prevent it from being diverted by militants and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza's people.HOPE, UNCERTAINTYMany Gazans expressed some relief at Sunday's announcement, but said fighting must end."People are happy that large amounts of food aid will come into Gaza," said Tamer Al-Burai, a business owner. "We hope today marks a first step in ending this war that burned everything up."Health officials at Al-Awda and Al-Aqsa Hospitals in central Gaza said Israeli firing killed at least 17 people waiting for aid trucks. Israel's military said it fired warning shots at suspects endangering troops and was unaware of any casualties.advertisementPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue to allow the entry of humanitarian supplies whether it is fighting or negotiating a ceasefire and vowed to press on with the campaign until "complete victory".Hamas said Israel was continuing its military offensive."What is happening isn't a humanitarian truce," said Hamas official Ali Baraka.The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters stormed southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.Since then, Israel's offensive has killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials, reduced much of the enclave to ruins and displaced nearly the entire population.- EndsTune InMust Watch
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Time of India
15 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump vs. Harvard: A battle that tests the strength of American democracy and the price of intellectual freedom
Harvard's standoff with the Trump administration tests the price of dissent in American academia. January 2025 wasn't supposed to read like the script of a dystopian campus drama. Yet, within days of Donald Trump's second inauguration, American higher education found itself back in the crosshairs. Harvard University, that centuries-old fortress of intellectual prestige, became the frontline in a clash not over grades or graduation rates, but over politics, power, and the weaponisation of federal authority. This isn't the same old 'Trump vs. Academia' skirmish we saw in 2017. This time, it's a stress test of whether a White House—any White House—can muscle its way into university governance, dictate the fate of billions in research funds, and even toy with student visas as leverage. If you think this saga only concerns one elite campus, think again. What happened to Harvard between January and July 2025 may well be the blueprint for how political control over universities could be asserted in America for years to come. January–February 2025: The opening moves On January 29, barely a week after the oath-taking ceremony, Trump signed Executive Order 14188. Following this, the Department of Justice established the Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism on Campuses. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo At first glance, it seemed like another culture-war skirmish wrapped in civil rights language. But the fine print gave federal agencies unprecedented authority to probe universities, condition funding, and scrutinise so-called 'alien students' for ideological leanings. Harvard, along with dozens of institutions, received its first formal letter of 'concern' on February 27 from the Department of Justice, demanding meetings over alleged Title VI violations. For the uninitiated, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act bars institutions receiving federal funds from discriminating on the basis of race, colour, or national origin. These weren't polite invitations. They were the opening salvo in a campaign that would escalate beyond anything seen before in federal–academic relations. The groundwork was laid: The administration now had a legal hook (civil rights), a moral shield (antisemitism), and a political target (elite universities often painted as 'woke havens'). Harvard was merely the first domino. March–April 2025: From review to retaliation On March 31, the Task Force formally launched a federal review into Harvard's use of billions in federal research grants, citing alleged failures to protect Jewish students. Boston University Radio (WBUR) and multiple outlets reported that this review was the precursor to unprecedented fiscal scrutiny and laid the foundation for later punitive actions. Just days later, the White House sent a letter demanding sweeping changes at Harvard: Dismantle DEI programs, overhaul governance, adopt 'merit-based' hiring, submit to viewpoint diversity audits, and revise admissions policies. In other words, the federal government wasn't just enforcing civil rights, it was trying to rewrite campus rules by diktat. Harvard refused. What followed was a fiscal guillotine. On April 14, $2.2 billion in federal research grants were frozen, along with $60 million in contracts. The message was blunt: Comply or watch your labs go dark. Trump's Truth Social post on—calling Harvard a 'JOKE' teaching 'Hate and Stupidity' and suggesting it lose tax-exempt status—wasn't just an online bluster. It was the President setting policy through grievance politics. By April 16, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem piled on, demanding detailed records on every international student, threatening SEVP decertification (loss of Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification), and cancelling an additional $2.7 million in grants. Harvard struck back legally on April 21, filing its first lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, to challenge the funding freeze as unconstitutional. The complaint asked the federal court to vacate punitive actions and restore billions in research dollars. But the damage was already done: Projects stalled, faculty recruitment froze, and students with research assistantships were left dangling, unsure if their stipends would arrive next semester. May 2025: Visa warfare on campus If April was about money, May targeted people. On May 5, Trump signed a proclamation declaring Harvard an 'unsuitable destination' for foreign students, citing nebulous national-security concerns. It was a shot across the bow, signalling that visas could be wielded as a political weapon. Then came May 22. ICE revoked Harvard's SEVP certification, effectively threatening the legal status of roughly 5,500–6,000 international students overnight. The timing was surgical: Just as spring exams wrapped, thousands of students risked being forced to leave the country or transfer. Harvard's emergency lawsuit on May 23 pulled it back from the brink—Judge Allison Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order hours later, halting the move. But the message was clear: Even the most prestigious university couldn't shield its students from the whims of political power when visas were used as leverage. For every prospective international student watching this unfold, the warning was unmistakable: In the US, your ability to study may hinge less on your merit than on whether your university angers the Oval Office or not. June–July 2025: Courtroom standoff and settlement signals By summer, the conflict had crystallised into two major lawsuits: One over the funding freeze, another over SEVP decertification. Both landed in Boston's federal court, with Harvard arguing that the administration's actions violated the First Amendment, Title VI protections, and due process laws. The Trump team countered that grant money was a privilege, not a right, and universities failing 'agency priorities' could have funding yanked at will. On July 21, oral arguments over the $2.2 billion freeze saw Judge Allison Burroughs grill both sides. A final ruling has not yet been issued, but the hearing laid bare the stakes: if Harvard loses, future presidents could dictate university policy through the purse strings, turning research funding into a political loyalty test. If Harvard wins, it would carve out a legal shield for academic freedom, albeit one forged in bitter litigation. Meanwhile, The New York Times revealed Harvard is exploring a potential settlement with the Trump administration, reportedly willing to pay up to $500 million to resolve the dispute. Negotiations reportedly focus on restoring access to more than $2 billion in frozen research funds while preserving governance autonomy, but the very premise of these talks is chilling. The figure is staggering, not just because of the money involved, but because of what it signals: Even the wealthiest and most powerful university in the country might have to 'pay tribute' to the White House to unlock funding it was already lawfully awarded. The talks mirror Columbia University's earlier $200 million settlement, but this is a higher‑stakes game. Harvard's endowment has become both shield and target, a financial bullseye for an administration eager to make an example of elite academia. Behind the headlines, DHS expanded its scrutiny to J-1 visas, research visas, and campus-linked foreign programs. Even without a final ruling, universities nationwide began quietly reviewing policies, fearing they'd be next. The chilling effect on student speech, faculty hiring, and international enrolment was immediate and measurable. Harvard's choice: Buy relief or win the law If Harvard settles, it risks sidelining the judiciary altogether, dodging the constitutional answer: Can a White House weaponise federal funding to police campus thought? The money tap may reopen, but the chance to set a legal boundary closes. The precedent becomes fear, telling every university president that when Washington knocks, resistance is futile and freedom negotiable. It transforms education into a marketplace where political compliance can be bought and dissent carries a billion-dollar price tag. If Harvard bows to this arrangement, it legitimises a dangerous precedent: Federal funding as ransom, with intellectual independence up for sale. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. 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Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
Operation Sindoor: India shot down nearly 1000 Pakistan missiles & drones on May 9, says PM Modi in Parliament
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking in Lok Sabha during the ongoing special discussion on Operation Sindoor, defended the military action taken in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. The attack had claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists. Modi rejected claims of international pressure on India, stating clearly that 'no leader in the world asked India to stop' its operations. Modi also responded to allegations by Congress and its allies regarding the ceasefire with Pakistan. The PM refuted suggestions that the United States played a mediating role, countering opposition claims that US President Donald Trump had repeatedly claimed to broker peace. 'Congress and its allies have unfortunately become spokespersons of Pakistani propaganda,' he said. Terrorism won't be spared, says Modi Addressing the Pahalgam terror attack, the Prime Minister called it the 'height of cruelty.' He emphasized that India would not spare terrorism or those behind it. According to Modi, after the attack, India launched Operation Sindoor as a direct military response. 'The perpetrators of terrorism won't be spared,' he said. PM Modi in Parliament: "NO leader of the world asked us to STOP our action." 🔥🔥PM Modi dismisses US President Donald Trump on India-Pakistan Ceasefire claims. #ModiGovtAgainstTerror #NarendraModi He further added that Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) had reached out pleading, saying: 'Don't hit us anymore, we can't suffer any longer.' Response to opposition's charges on ceasefire and Trump In response to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who questioned why Operation Sindoor was halted within 22 minutes and dared Modi to call Donald Trump a liar, the PM said that the decision to stop was India's own. Modi reiterated that India did not bow to any external pressure. 'No country in the world has stopped India from taking any action in its defence,' he said, adding that 'India showed the world we will not bow to nuclear blackmail.' He also said that the world supported India's actions, but the opposition questioned them. Referring to the U.S. Vice President's call on May 9, Modi said, 'He warned me of a big attack from Pakistan. I told him that our response would be bigger. We will respond to bullets with cannons.' If PM Modi has even 50% of the courage Indira Gandhi had, let him make a statement in parliament that Trump is a liar, US didn't force a ceasefire, and we didn't lose any fighter planes.- Shri @RahulGandhi Defence minister, Shah back operation; Opposition fires back Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Rajya Sabha that Operation Sindoor was not only a message to Pakistan but also to its supporters. He added that if Pakistan cannot handle terrorism, 'India is ready to help.' Home Minister Amit Shah said in Lok Sabha that Operation Mahadev, conducted shortly after, neutralised three Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack. Shah stated that all three were 'A-Grade' terrorists on the National Investigation Agency's radar. Meanwhile, Congress leaders including Priyanka Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge questioned the government on the ceasefire terms and the lack of security personnel at the Pahalgam site. Priyanka Gandhi asked why no forces were present to prevent the attack, while Kharge raised questions about repeated U.S. claims of ceasefire mediation. Akhilesh Yadav, SP criticise ceasefire announcement route Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav also joined the criticism, questioning why the ceasefire was first announced via social media, pointing to Donald Trump's post on Truth Social. He suggested that diplomatic communications should not rely on such channels. Modi says world saw a new India In his concluding remarks, PM Modi said the world witnessed the strength of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' during the operation. He claimed that India's armed forces were given full freedom and made sure 'masters of terrorism can't sleep peacefully anymore.' He termed this aggressive stance against terror the 'new normal.' To stay updated on the stories that are going viral follow Indiatimes Trending.
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Going nowhere fast': Russia accuses US of stalling diplomatic efforts amid Ukraine war; Trump threatens new sanctions
Donald Trump (left), Vladimir Putin (AP) The Kremlin on Thursday said that attempts to restore bilateral ties, including efforts to resume normal embassy operations with the United States have seen a slowdown. 'So far, the process of normalizing (relations with the US) is going nowhere fast,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. 'We'd like to see a bit more movement [in the talks], since that's what we're interested in,' reported news agency AFP. Peskov suggested that Washington was falling short, stating that the talks need 'initiative from both sides.' He added, "We would like to see more dynamics. We are interested in this. In order to move forward, we need impulses from both sides". The statement came a day after US Donald Trump expressed renewed frustration with Russia over its continued offensive in Ukraine. Trump criticized Putin for having 'nice and respectful conversations' while still 'launching rockets' at Ukrainian cities. He warned of additional sanctions and said secondary tariffs could be imposed if Russia fails to reach a peace agreement with Ukraine within 10 to 12 days. Peskov stated that the Kremlin had 'taken into account' Trump's latest ultimatum but chose not to comment on the possibility of new sanctions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Up to 70% off | Shop Sale Libas Undo He added that the war against Ukraine would proceed despite the threats from Washington, according to the Moscow Times. Senior Russian officials have previously accused the White House of delaying efforts to restore diplomatic relations, including settling ongoing issues related to embassies and consular access. Moscow is pushing for the return of six diplomatic properties seized by the US between 2016 and 2018 in response to alleged Russian interference in U.S. elections. It has also asked for 'clearer answers' regarding its proposal to restart direct flights between Russia and the US. The Kremlin says US officials have linked the resumption of flights to progress on achieving a ceasefire in Ukraine. So far, Putin has rejected Trump's attempts to negotiate a truce.
