Latest news with #studentProtests
The Guardian
7 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
Trump officials intensify Columbia dispute with accreditation threat
The Department of Education announced on Wednesday afternoon that it has notified Columbia University's accreditor of a violation of federal anti-discrimination laws by the elite, private university in New York that is part of the Ivy League. The alleged violation means that Columbia, in the Trump administration's assessment, has 'failed to meet the standards' set by the relevant regional, government-recognized but independent body responsible for the accreditation of degree-granting institutions, as a kind of educational quality controller. In this case the accreditor is the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Accreditors determine which institutions are eligible for federal student loans and various federal grants. The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The notice marks the latest escalation in the Trump administration's bid to dictate to Columbia after accusing the college of failing to protect students from antisemitic harassment. It follows the cancellation of $400m in federal grants and contracts, after which the university yielded to a series of changes demanded by the administration, including setting up a new disciplinary committee, initiating investigations into students critical of Israel's war in Gaza, and ceding control of its Middle East Studies department. Columbia was at the forefront of student encampment protests last spring, with more direct action protests erupting in recent weeks and jeers at leadership at commencement ceremonies last month, and has cycled through a series of university presidents in the past 18 months. More details soon … Reuters contributed reporting
BBC News
14 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Abbott voices support for Oxford student Gaza protestors
Diane Abbott MP has voiced her support for pro-Palestinian campaigners facing disciplinary action after a protest at the University of than a dozen Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P) protesters were arrested after the group occupied university offices on Wellington Square in May group, who were later released without charge, are currently the subject of university disciplinary procedures - with hearings expected to take place this a letter, former shadow Home Secretary Abbot said it was "neither fair nor reasonable" to treat such protests as misconduct. The university has yet to respond to a BBC request for comment. "Subjecting students to formal sanctions for their involvements risks undermining the core values of freedom of expression and academic freedom that universities ought to uphold," she wrote in the letter to the university that has been seen by the BBC. The Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington said any potential disciplinary action against the students, including suspensions, could have "long-lasting consequences on a young person's future" and were "particularly disproportionate"."It is neither fair nor reasonable for a university to treat principled protest on urgent moral and humanitarian issues as misconduct warranting punitive measures.""To do so risks chilling the very civic engagement and moral leadership that we should be encouraging in the next generation," she university has failed to respond to a BBC request for comment, but in a statement following last year's protest it said it was "not a 'peaceful sit-in', but a violent action designed to escalate tensions"."It is clear that the actions of some of the protesters involved in the encampment have created a deeply intimidating environment for many members of our community, including our Jewish students and staff and members of the local Jewish community," it added. Abbott has been vocal in her support of Gaza during the on-going conflict with Israel, that began more than a year and a half launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas' cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken least 54,470 people have been killed in Gaza since then, including 4,201 since Israel resumed its offensive on 18 March, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Associated Press
5 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Thousands rally in Serbia's capital demanding snap elections after months of protests
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Thousands of people rallied on Friday in Serbia's capital demanding early elections following seven months of persistent anti-corruption protests that have shaken the populist rule of President Aleksandar Vucic. The protest in Belgrade was organized by Serbia's university students, who have been a key force behind the nationwide demonstrations triggered by a collapse on Nov. 1 of a concrete train station canopy in the country's north that killed 16 people. Many people in Serbia believe that the deadly crash was the result of flawed renovation work on the station building, and they link the disaster to alleged government corruption in major infrastructure projects with Chinese state companies. Protesting university students have been demanding accountability for the crash and the rule of law in Serbia, a Balkan nation that is formally seeking European Union entry but where the ruling populists have been accused of clamping down on democratic freedoms. After months-long protests drawing hundreds of thousands of people, the student movement is now seeking a snap vote, arguing that the current government cannot meet their demands for justice for the crash victims. Presidential and parliamentary elections are otherwise due some time in 2027. Vucic, whom critics accuse of an increasingly authoritarian rule despite the proclaimed EU bid, initially dismissed early elections but on Friday suggested they may be held, though without saying exactly when. No one has been sentenced in connection with the tragedy in the northern city of Novi Sad. Authorities have indicted over a dozen people but doubts prevail that the proceedings will uncover the alleged corruption behind the crash. A huge, noisy column of protesters in Belgrade marched by the state prosecutor's offices before reaching the government building. They carried a big banner urging elections. Maja Rancic said she was hopeful the protests can bring about changes: 'I really hope and wish, and I think it will happen.' Vucic's government has stepped up pressure on the protesting students and Serbia's universities, claiming without proof that they were instructed by foreign powers to stage a revolution in the country. Students are planning more protests all over the country this weekend.
Telegraph
28-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Sandi Toksvig on shortlist to be Cambridge chancellor
The chancellorship is a largely ceremonial position at the head of the university, representing the institution at events and fundraising initiatives. The role is unpaid but its extensive foreign travel is paid for by the university. Lord Sainsbury , the former chairman of the supermarket chain established by his great-grandfather, will step down next month after 14 years as chancellor. His successor will inherit Cambridge's figurehead position at a difficult time for the university sector as it grapples with a worsening financial crisis and increasingly polarised debate over free speech issues. While Cambridge University's £4 billion endowment fund and global reputation means it is largely shielded from financial woes, it has attracted disruptive student protests recently over the war in Gaza. Free speech theme for all candidates All 10 nominees spoke about the importance of defending free speech or academic freedom in their candidate statements, with Toksvig saying 'the politicisation of free speech' was one of a number of threats facing academia. Lord Browne of Madingley, the former chief executive of BP and a crossbench beer, said he would 'sustain our long-held values particularly of free speech, intellectual freedom, and fact-based analysis'. The Cambridge physics graduate stepped down from the company in 2007 over speculation about his private life, later writing about the pressures of being a closet homosexual in the world of business. Lord Smith of Finsbury, a former Labour Cabinet minister who is also on the shortlist, and is the current master of Pembroke College, said his own experience as the first openly gay MP showed his commitment to 'diversity, openness and ethics'. Mrs Miller also promised to champion academic freedom and open debate at Cambridge 'when trust in institutions is eroding and authoritarianism and anti-intellectualism are on the rise'. The businesswoman became a prominent public figure by bringing a court case against the UK Government in 2016 over its ability to implement Brexit without parliamentary approval, and successfully challenging Boris Johnson's decision to prorogue Parliament in 2019 to push through his Brexit plans. Warning of 'reality TV show' outcome But fellow candidate Prof Wyn Evans, an astrophysics professor at Cambridge, warned that if 'Cambridge needs a high-profile or celebrity chancellor to be noticed, we might as well give up and rebrand the university as a reality TV show.' The other five candidates include a former oil industry executive, an Egyptian-American economist, two consultants and a former Cambridge education professor who has pledged to fight the university's ties to the arms and fossil fuels industries if successful. Voting is open to members of the University Senate, which includes all alumni or former members of staff who hold a qualifying Cambridge degree. More than 34,500 people have registered to vote online when the ballot opens on July 9, with several thousand more expected to cast their vote in person. The winner will be announced in the week beginning July 21, and will serve at least 10 years.
The Guardian
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
First Thing: Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters arrested after Columbia calls in NYPD
Good morning. The NYPD arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian activists who had occupied part of the main library building on Columbia University's campus yesterday, ending an hours-long standoff, roughly one year after student anti-war protest swept the Ivy League school. Claire Shipman, the university's acting president, said she asked the NYPD to help clear the building after protesters had refused to leave despite being threatened with disciplinary action and possible arrest for trespassing. Video shared on social media showed protesters handcuffed with zip ties being led out of the building by police. The student-run Columbia Daily Spectator reported that about 75 protesters were arrested. The Trump administration has in recent months launched a sweeping crackdown on student demonstrators involved in campus protests, including the recently released Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian green card holder and Columbia student who was detained for his activism, and Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and Columbia graduate, who was arrested in March and remains in custody. How did Columbia justify its decision to call in the NYPD? 'Requesting the presence of the NYPD is not the outcome we wanted, but it was absolutely necessary to secure the safety of our community,' said Shipman, who called the protesters' actions 'outrageous'. How did the Trump administration weigh in on the arrests? Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, said on X: 'We are reviewing the visa status of the trespassers and vandals who took over Columbia University's library.' Pakistan has said it will avenge the deaths of 31 people killed in missile attacks by the Indian air force, raising fears of an escalating conflict between the two nuclear-armed countries. Pakistan's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said late on Wednesday: 'We make this pledge, that we will avenge each drop of the blood of these martyrs.' Pakistan claimed to have shot down 12 Indian drones overnight and said drone attacks had left one civilian dead and four soldiers injured. Pakistan's military spokesperson said India had 'apparently lost the plot' as he accused it of'yet another blatant military act of aggression'. How has Pakistan responded to the Indian strikes? Pakistan's government accused India of 'igniting an inferno' with strikes on nine sites in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the Pakistani province of Punjab and authorized its military to take 'corresponding' retaliatory action against India. How did India justify the actions? India said the strikes were a direct retaliation for an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir late last month in which militants killed 25 Hindu tourists and their guide. India has accused Pakistan of direct involvement in the attacks through Islamist militant organizations it has long been accused of backing. Plumes of black smoke emerged from the chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel yesterday, signalling that the 133 cardinals sealed off inside had not elected a new pope on the first day of conclave. After the formal procession to the Sistine Chapel and each of the cardinals swearing the oath to secrecy, the first voting round got under way at about 5.45pm local time. Then all eyes were on the chimney. After a tense wait, black smoke finally appeared at 9.05pm. How does the conclave work? There are 133 cardinals eligible to vote, who have all arrived at the Vatican from around the world. Read about the full process here. Who will be the next pope? Predicting the outcome of the highly secretive papal conclave is very difficult. But at the moment, speculation has focused on these men. US intelligence agencies have been ordered to focus their spying activities on Greenland, in a stark sign of Donald Trump's determination to acquire the territory. A federal appeals court yesterday granted a judge's order to bring a Turkish Tufts University student, Rümeysa Öztürk, from a Louisiana immigration detention center back to New England for hearings to determine whether her rights were violated, after she co-wrote an op-ed that criticized the school's response to Israel's war on Gaza. Ceremonies will be held across Europe today as countries mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day. China's Xi Jinping is in Russia on a four-day visit, during which he will attend a military parade for Russia's Victory Day anniversary. Canadian police scaled back a search for two children missing in woods for six days, given the 'low' odds the children are still alive. Food rations for a million people in Uganda have been cut off completely this week amid a funding crisis at the UN World Food Programme. Donald Trump's freeze on US aid spending in January has badly hit Uganda's ability to look after refugees. 'Malnutrition has reached critical levels,' WFP Uganda said. Donald Trump's tariffs plunged the world economy into chaos. The left should seize on capitalism's crisis of legitimacy, writes John Cassidy, a staff writer at the New Yorker, in this long read adapted from his upcoming book, Capitalism and Its Critics. It's a year since teachers at a school in St Albans, England, asked parents not to give younger children smartphones. 'When we were at school, at least when we went home the bullies couldn't get us there,' said one head teacher. The four-day storm that caused destruction and killed at least 21 people across the central Mississippi valley in early April was made about 9% more intense and 40% more likely by human-caused climate change, a World Weather Attribution study found A new tool from Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean (Mico) visualizes astonishing animal journeys, such as those of female loggerhead turtles who swim more than 1,000km north from the east coast of Florida to their feeding grounds. First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you're not already signed up, subscribe now. If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@
