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Al Jazeera
2 minutes ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Why is Columbia University expelling pro-Palestine students?
The United States's prestigious Columbia University has punished nearly 80 students who took part in protests against Israel's war on Gaza with expulsions, one-to-three-year suspensions, and degree revocations. The University's Judicial Board stated on Tuesday that it had completed disciplinary hearings for the May 7, 2025, Butler Library demonstration on its campus and the May 31, 2024, 'Revolt for Rafah' encampment during the university's annual alumni weekend. In 2024, pro-Palestinian student encampments at Columbia University became a flashpoint for a global wave of campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza. The movement drew national attention before university administrators called NYPD officers to dismantle the camps, resulting in dozens of arrests. 'Suspension from Columbia for protesting genocide is the highest honour,' said Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), an umbrella coalition of student groups, in a post on X. 'We reject that Columbia has any reputation worth upholding and we categorically state that we do not wish to uphold it,' the student body said. So, why has Columbia expelled these students? And why has the Trump administration clamped down on universities? What has happened? Columbia University has disciplined nearly 80 students for their participation in pro-Palestinian protests – to 'separate them from the University'. The disciplinary action follows a series of demonstrations on campus, including a student-led occupation of Butler Library during final exams on May 7 earlier this year. The NYPD arrested 78 individuals that day. The protests are part of a call for the university to divest from companies linked to the Israeli military, cut all financial ties with Israel, and express solidarity with Palestinians amid the continuing war in Gaza. According to student organisers, the suspended students took part in a 'peaceful teach-in' which included readings and discussions about Palestinian writer and activist Basil al-Araj, killed by Israeli forces in 2017. The mass disciplinary action, described as the biggest of its kind in Columbia's history, has sparked backlash from civil liberties groups and fellow students. Organisers argue the crackdown is part of a broader effort to suppress pro-Palestinian activism on US campuses and have linked it to a pending agreement between Columbia and Trump administration officials. The University's student newspaper, Columbia Spectator, reported that the majority of students received a two-year suspension. The students have reportedly been asked to apologise to the university before they can be allowed to return to campus. Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced it would withhold approximately $400m in funding for Columbia University, citing the institution's alleged failure to adequately address anti-Semitism amid pro-Palestinian protests on campus. That move prompted Columbia to concede to a list of demands laid down by the government in return for negotiations to reinstate its funding. Among other concessions, the university agreed to ban face masks and to empower 36 campus police officers with special powers to arrest students. What has Columbia said? In a statement published on Tuesday, the University stated that the disruption at Butler Library during reading period had affected hundreds of students and subsequently led to the interim suspension of Columbia participants. The University said sanctions would include probation, suspensions ranging from one year to three years, degree revocations, and expulsions. It did not state how many faced each of these sanctions, nor did it reveal any of the students' identities, citing student privacy. 'Our institution must focus on delivering on its academic mission for our community. And to create a thriving academic community, there must be respect for each other and the institution's fundamental work, policies, and rules,' the statement noted. 'Disruptions to academic activities are in violation of University policies and Rules, and such violations will necessarily generate consequences.' How have students responded? News of the suspensions and expulsions came on the same day that Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University protest leader targeted for deportation by President Donald Trump, met with lawmakers in Washington, DC, just over a month after the 30-year-old, a legal permanent resident of the United States, was released from immigration custody in Louisiana. Khalil continues to face deportation under the Trump administration, which has relied on an obscure provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 in its attempts to expel international students involved in pro-Palestinian advocacy. In response to the suspensions and expulsion announced by Columbia on Tuesday, the student activist group Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), an umbrella coalition of student groups, noted that while 'the US and Israel starve 2.1 million Gazans to death, Columbia has worked diligently with [Trump's administration] to suspend dozens of students for pro-Palestine activism'. The group noted the suspensions were the highest ever for a single political protest in Columbia's history and 'hugely exceed sentencing precedent for teach-ins or non-Palestine-related building occupations'. 'Students remain committed to ending US- and Columbia-backed Israeli genocide regardless of the school's sanctions,' the student body said in its statement. Quoting a testimony from students' July disciplinary hearings, the group reiterated: 'Every university in Gaza has been destroyed. Hundreds of academics have been killed. Books and archives have been incinerated. Entire families have been erased from the civil registry. This is not a war. It is a campaign of erasure.' 'We will not be deterred. We are committed to the struggle for Palestinian liberation,' the statement quoted students in conclusion. Why has Trump clamped down on universities? The antiwar protests against Israel's war on Gaza, which spread across US university campuses from Columbia and UCLA to Harvard, last year have drawn comparisons with the anti-Vietnam War era, when student activism directly challenged US foreign policy. Trump has capitalised on this by painting students as part of a left-wing, anti-Semitic revolt and clamping down on universities, particularly 'elite' institutions. The administration argues that universities have failed to protect Jewish students from harassment and violence during demonstrations, citing incidents of encampments and chants deemed anti-Semitic. Since early 2025, the administration has targeted more than 50 universities, including Columbia, with investigations by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. This has been coupled with executive orders and actions, such as freezing billions in federal research grants and threatening to revoke tax-exempt status or accreditation, as seen in demands placed on Harvard and Columbia. Harvard's rejection of demands that its programmes be audited for 'ideological capture' led to billions of dollars in federal funding being frozen. The administration also threatened to bar international students from Harvard, citing 'national security' and high campus crime rates, which underscores the White House's chokehold over the universities. Harvard has sued the administration and secured a federal judge's temporary block on the order to bar international students. The policies under the Trump administration also reflect its general opposition to perceived liberal biases in higher education, as it aims to dismantle 'woke' culture and promote conservative values. It has also targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes operated by universities and other workplaces, accusing them of promoting division and 'reverse discrimination'.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Bruce Willis: A look at his career, unforgettable roles, and his fight with dementia
Bruce Willis , the 'Die Hard' actor, has been in critical condition and now, can no longer speak, walk, or remember his fruitful career. The latest reports state that the condition of the actor, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, has worsened. The 70-year-old actor announced his diagnosis in 2023, after retiring from acting in 2022 due to the early signs. Bruce Willis and his career Willis, known for his iconic films, has acted in nearly 100 films with one of the greatest cinematic moments. However, he rose to fame by starring in the classic 1988 film, 'Die Hard,' portraying NYPD officer John McClane. Through the '90s, Willis made an indelible mark in the entertainment industry with films like 'Pulp Fiction' (1994), '12 Monkeys' (1995), 'The Fifth Element' (1997), 'Armageddon' (1998), and 'The Sixth Sense' (1999). Bruce Willis and the list of his awards Born on March 19, 1955, Walter Bruce Willis (aka Bruce Willis) has received many awards throughout his career for his exceptional work. The actor won a Golden Globe for the renowned series, 'Moonlighting' in 1987, in addition to two Primetime Emmy Awards for 'Moonlighting' and for a guest appearance in the popular series 'Friends' in 2000. Along with the trophies, Willis has also been honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, along with recognition from the American Cinematheque and French Order of Arts and Letters. Bruce Willis' personal life According to Express Tribune, the actor's personal life has always been a hot topic in Hollywood. Willis tied the knot with the charming actress, Demi Moore , in 1987, and shares three daughters: Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah. Furthermore, the 'IT couple' decided to split up in 2000. However, they have been co-parenting the kids, and have maintained a cordial relationship. Later in 2009, Bruce married a model and actress, Emma Heming, and shares two children with her, Mabel Ray and Evelyn Penn. Bruce Willis' health update As per the above stated portal, currently, the health of the actor is seemingly deteriorating, and he is 'said to have become largely non-verbal and is reportedly experiencing motor difficulties, though no specific details about his mobility have been confirmed by his family in recent months.'
9 News
9 hours ago
- 9 News
Man in custody after baby girl thrown down garbage chute in New York
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here A one-year-old girl is recovering after being thrown down a garbage chute on Staten Island, New York on Monday, police said. Investigators say the child's father called 911 about 3.15pm local time and officers quickly responded to an apartment building at 195 Steuben Street near Weser Avenue in the Park Hill section of the borough. Police found the little girl with abrasions to the torso. A one-year-old girl is recovering after being thrown down a garbage chute on Staten Island on Monday, police said. (CNN) She was rushed to Richmond University Hospital in stable condition and is expected to recover. Police said a 39-year-old man was taken into custody. Police sources say he is the one-year-old's uncle. He has not been charged. An NYPD officer was seen on the third floor standing in front of the garbage chute and just down the hall was the family's apartment with the door open. Neighbour Milton Franklin told CBS News New York the family has lived in the building for a while. "I'm lost for words right now because I'm just ... a baby down a garbage chute is just ... it's absolutely mindboggling," Franklin said. He said he was coming home from work on Monday afternoon when he saw several emergency crews outside the building and a distraught woman carrying a child to an ambulance. "I'm going to pray that God wraps his arms around this family and they get through this situation," Franklin said. "It makes me feel so depressed. It makes me feel bad about who can do a thing like that," neighbour Froylan Zapata added. New York USA World crime police CONTACT US Auto news: Why Australians are still driving around without insurance.
New York Post
9 hours ago
- New York Post
Manhattan bomb plot foiled as feds charge NY man with building, stashing IEDs across city
A New York man is facing federal charges after allegedly building and stashing homemade bombs across Manhattan, including on active subway tracks and residential rooftops. Michael Gann, 55, of Inwood, was charged Tuesday with manufacturing at least seven improvised explosive devices (IEDs) using chemicals he bought online, according to US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton. Advertisement 'The safety of New Yorkers is paramount,' said Clayton. 'As alleged, Michael Gann built explosive devices, stored them on a rooftop in SoHo, and threw one onto the subway tracks—putting countless lives at risk. Thanks to swift work by our law enforcement partners, no one was harmed. That vigilance assuredly prevented a tragedy in New York,' Clayton said in a statement. Authorities say Gann's alleged actions included throwing an IED onto the Williamsburg Bridge subway tracks and hoarding explosives, some with shotgun shells, above Manhattan apartment buildings. He was arrested June 5 with another device on him, officials said. On Instagram on the same day, Gann reportedly posted, 'Who wants me to go out to play like no tomorrow?' 4 Michael Gann, 55, of Inwood, was charged Tuesday with manufacturing at least seven improvised explosive devices (IEDs) using chemicals he bought online. US Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York 4 Gann captured on camera allegedly placing an IED on a rooftop in New York City. US Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York Advertisement 4 An explosive device thrown on the tracks of a subway station on the Williamsburg Bridge. US Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York 4 A stash of the homemade bombs discovered by officials. US Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York FBI Assistant Director Christopher Raia credited the 'swift partnership' between agencies for stopping Gann before he could inflict harm. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the coordinated effort 'intervened before he caused any harm.' Advertisement 'This defendant allegedly stockpiled homemade explosives and traveled to New York City with these deadly devices,' Tisch said in the release. 'He threw one of these devices onto an active subway track and stored others on the rooftop of a residential building, but because of the skilled investigative work and swift response from the NYPD and our partners, we were able to intervene before he caused any harm.' The case is being prosecuted by the US Attorney's National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant US Attorneys Jonathan L. Bodansky, Michael D. Lockard, and Chelsea L. Scism, and Special Assistant US Attorney Julie Isaacson are in charge of the prosecution. Gann is charged with one count of attempted destruction of property by means of explosives (mandatory minimum five years, maximum 20), one count of transportation of explosive materials (maximum 10), and one count of unlawful possession of destructive devices (maximum 10). Sentencing will be determined by a judge.
Express Tribune
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Who is Bruce Willis? A look at his career, notable roles and health journey
In July 2025, Bruce Willis's family confirmed that the actor no longer remembers his career in film, due to the progression of frontotemporal dementia, a neurological condition that affects areas of the brain responsible for language, behavior, and decision-making. The diagnosis was first shared publicly in 2023, following his 2022 retirement due to aphasia, an early sign of the disease. The announcement prompted renewed public reflection on Willis's decades-long career, which spans more than 100 film and television credits. He gained international recognition in 1988 with Die Hard, portraying NYPD officer John McClane. The film became a critical and commercial success, launching a franchise and bringing mainstream attention to Willis, who was previously known for his work on the TV series Moonlighting (1985–1989). The line 'Yippee-ki-yay, motherf*er' from the film became widely associated with his on-screen persona. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Willis appeared in a variety of genres. His notable films include Pulp Fiction (1994), 12 Monkeys (1995), The Fifth Element (1997), Armageddon (1998), and The Sixth Sense (1999). His roles often featured characters in high-stakes situations and were frequently part of ensemble or science fiction films. Willis received several major awards during his career. He won a Golden Globe for Moonlighting in 1987, as well as two Primetime Emmy Awards, one for Moonlighting and another for a guest role on Friends in 2000. He has also been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and recognition from the American Cinematheque and French Order of Arts and Letters. Willis has five daughters, three with actress Demi Moore, and two with his current wife, Emma Heming Willis. His family has regularly shared public updates regarding his health and has remained active in raising awareness of frontotemporal dementia. Since his diagnosis, Willis has stayed out of the public spotlight.
