First Thing: Trump blocks grant funding for Harvard until it meets government demands
Good morning.
The Department of Education told Harvard University yesterday that it was ending billions of dollars in research grants and other aid unless the school acceded to a list of demands from the Trump administration that would effectively cede control of the nation's oldest and wealthiest university to the government.
The news was delivered to Dr Alan Garber, Harvard's president, in a deeply partisan letter from Linda McMahon, the education secretary, filled with extended diatribes about a series of grievances.
The main reason for the crackdown on Harvard is the school's rejection of a long list of demands from the Trump administration's antisemitism taskforce, prompted by campus protests against Israel's bloody military campaign in Gaza. McMahon also accuses the university of 'a systematic pattern of violating federal law'.
What impact might the funding suspension have? In its lawsuit fighting against the Trump administration, Harvard said the government's funding cuts would have stark 'real-life consequences for patients, students, faculty, staff [and] researchers' by ending crucial medical and scientific research. Hamas no longer interested in truce talks after Israel's new Gaza plan, senior official says Injured Palestinians are brought to the al-Awda hospital after Israeli forces targeted a vehicle at Nuseirat refugee camp in Deir Al Balah on Monday. It was reported that at least four people were killed in the attack. Photograph: Hassan Jedi/Anadolu/Getty Images
A senior Hamas official has told AFP the group is no longer interested in truce talks with Israel after Benjamin Netanyahu announced yesterday a new 'intensified' offensive in Gaza that will involve Israeli troops holding on to seized territory and significant displacement of the population.
'There is no sense in engaging in talks or considering new ceasefire proposals as long as the hunger war and extermination war continue in the Gaza Strip,' Basem Naim said, urging the international community 'to pressure the Netanyahu government to end the crimes of hunger, thirst, and killings' in Gaza.
His comments come a day after Israel's military said expanded operations in Gaza would include displacing 'most' of its residents. What is Israel's plan for seizing Gaza? Netanyahu, accused of prolonging the war for his own political survival, did not say how much territory would be seized by soldiers, but said Israeli troops would not go into Gaza, launch raids and then retreat quickly. 'The intention is the opposite of that,' he said.
What is the latest with the Israeli aid blockade on Gaza? Hunger is being used as a 'weapon of war', according to a Guardian editorial on Sunday. Flour is said to cost 30 times more than before the war. Aid warehouses are empty. UN World Food Program bakeries closed a month ago when supplies ran out; essential community kitchens are now following. This is despite the strong legal consensus that occupying powers have an absolute duty under the Geneva conventions to permit food to be given to a population in need. Ukrainian drones target Moscow for second night Aftermath of a Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow back in March 2025. Photograph: Reuters
Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow for the second night in a row, forcing the temporary closure of the capital's airports, Russia's military reported.
The consecutive attacks came ahead of Moscow this week marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies over Germany in the second world war.
Vladimir Putin tried to call a three-day ceasefire for the 8-10 May anniversary; however, Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, characterised the idea as self-serving and pointless unless it lasted 30 days in line with a US proposal that the Russian president has ignored.
What are the details? The Moscow mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said at least 19 Ukrainian drones approached Moscow 'from different directions'. Three social media sites with links to Russian security services – Baza, Mash and Shot – said one drone struck an apartment building near a major road in the south of the capital, smashing windows. There were no reports of casualties. In other news … Louis Theroux in The Settlers on the BBC. Photograph: BBC/Mindhouse Productions/Josh Baker A Palestinian activist who appeared in a Louis Theroux documentary about settlers in the West Bank has reportedly had his home raided by Israeli soldiers. 'They don't see us as equal human beings who deserve the same rights they do,' Issa Amro said.
The former vice-president Mike Pence has rebuked Trump over tariffs and his 'wavering' support for Ukraine, saying his import duties are 'not a win for the American people'.
Germany's chancellor-elect, Friedrich Merz, was not approved by the Bundestag in Berlin, in a shock first ballot.
An X-ray has revealed that a scroll was authored by the Greek philosopher Philodemus, nearly 2,000 years after it was torched by Mount Vesuvius volcano ash in AD79. Stat of the day: 45% of Americans say third world war very likely or fairly likely within five to 10 years Dresden, Germany, in 1945 after Anglo-American bombing. Photograph: Sovfoto/UIG/Getty Images
As Europe marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day, a YouGov poll across a range of countries found many believe a devastating third global conflict could break out within a decade. In the US, 14% said it was very likely and 31% said it was fairly likely. Don't miss this: After Canada and Australia, could Donald Trump really be the saviour of center-left politics? (Left to right) Donald Trump, Peter Dutton, Pierre Poilievre, Mark Carney and Anthony Albanese. Composite: Victoria Hart/Guardian design
Some have nicknamed it 'the Trump slump' and suggested the phenomenon was spreading. But even after liberal victories in Australian and Canadian elections, experts and analysts disagree over the reviving in fortunes of center-left parties. Climate check: Democratic-led states sue Trump for blocking wind energy projects Turbines operate at the Block Island windfarm, Rhode Island. Photograph: Julia Nikhinson/AP
A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general sued on Monday in an attempt to block Donald Trump's move to suspend leasing and permitting of new wind projects, saying it threatens to cripple the wind industry and a key source of clean energy. Last Thing: Met Gala 2025 red carpet – in pictures Zendaya arrives at the 2025 Met Gala. Photograph: John Shearer/WireImage
This year's Met Gala theme was 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style', looking back at 300 years of Black fashion alongside the history of Black dandyism. It coincides with a gallery opening of the Met's first ever fashion exhibition devoted entirely to designers of color. Check out what celebrities wore here. Sign up
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The National
9 minutes ago
- The National
Keir Starmer accused of 'gaslighting' statement on US bombing of Iran
The Prime Minister posted on social media following news of the attack, with his comments gathering 1.7 million views and thousands of furious comments. Starmer said the US bombing was taken to 'alleviate' the threat of Iran developing a nuclear weapon. 'The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority,' he wrote. READ MORE: 'I spent 16 months in Gaza amid Israel's genocide. Here's what I saw' 'We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.' Starmer's comments prompted a furious response from politicians and social media users. Former first minister Humza Yousaf said: 'An awful statement from the PM, which ignores our collective responsibility to uphold international law. 'Supporting illegal military action in Iran, and gas-lighting us about an imminent nuclear threat, is hauntingly reminiscent of the lies told in the run up to the Iraq war.' (Image: PA) Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: 'This is a deplorable response, but all too predictable. 'Israel expanding its war, by attacking Iran when negotiations were imminent, was an outrage. The US is now escalating the conflict. 'Instead of being a voice for de-escalation, the UK is siding with the aggressors.' Green party deputy leader Zack Polanski said: 'I don't think anyone expected him to say anything better. 'But he'd probably have been better maintaining his usual silence. 'Iran were negotiating - when Israel launched a war on them. The US joined in - and now our Prime Minister basically says 'well they were asking for it'.' READ MORE: Laura Kuenssberg slammed live on air for platforming Israeli president SDLP MP Colum Eastwood said simply: 'Utterly pathetic.' Social media users also criticised the PM's comments. One wrote: 'I have never despised a prime minister more. You've drenched every British citizen in blood. The vast majority reject your support for Israel, its genocide, and its constant violations of international law. Shame on you.' Another added: 'Are you dumb? Iran was bombed whilst at the negotiating table. Stop gaslighting your electorate and start telling the truth.' Elsewhere, First Minister John Swinney called for a 'diplomatic solution'. It comes after Cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds would not say the UK supported the military action nor whether he believed the US strikes were legal. Asked on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg if the US action was a good thing, he said: 'The outcome. It isn't the means by which anyone in the British Government would have wanted to see this occur.' Pushed on whether the US strike was legal, he said: 'It is where we are today.' The US attacked Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz which are linked to Iran's nuclear programme. The Tehran regime has insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful but its uranium enrichment process has gone far beyond what is required for power stations. In an address to the nation from the White House, Donald Trump warned there could be further strikes if Iran retaliates: 'There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran.'
New Statesman
12 minutes ago
- New Statesman
How Benjamin Netanyahu beat America First
'Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace,' Donald Trump told the world from inside the White House last night. Earlier that day, B-2 bombers had dropped their bunker-busting payloads on three Iranian nuclear facilities, marking America's entrance into the conflict between Israel and Iran. This is not peace through strength, but peace through war. What happens now depends on the Iranian response. Trump's gamble seems to be that the attack will force a vulnerable Iran to negotiate (which they were doing before Israel assassinated their chief negotiator) because the mullahs know a long bombing campaign risks bringing down the regime itself. But that would mean Ayatollah Khamanei accepting the humiliation of bowing to American power. The alternative is to attack. The 40,000 American troops in the Middle East have been told to prepare for retaliation. The Iranians could also hike the price of oil by attempting to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 per cent of the world's supply passes. That is why Trump wants this to be the end. Escalation puts his administration's core purpose at risk. The neoconservative mind assumes that America can be insulated from its foreign wars. In contrast, America First sees war as inexorably linked to, and inevitably bad for, Washington's appetite to put Americans first. Hence Maga isolationists have spent the past two weeks lobbying against any strikes. Where is that dissent now? Charlie Kirk, the online Maga influencer, posted: 'America stands with President Trump'. JD Vance stood beside the president as he gave his speech, even as Reuters reported earlier on Saturday that the vice president told senior Israeli officials that the US should not be directly involved in the conflict and that Israel was going to drag the US into the war. The lesson here is that loyalty to the Maga leader sits beneath any moral or strategic gripes someone in Maga might have with the president's decisions. That dissent is rare means the Democrats can take up the anti-war mantle. Bernie Sanders read out news of the attack at a rally yesterday. The crowd erupted into the chant: 'No more war'. 'It is so grossly unconstitutional,' Sanders said, 'the president does not have the right'. Sanders is correct: bombing a sovereign country is a declaration of war, a power that the constitution reserves to Congress. President Trump did not put much effort into winning over the public. Where were the interviews making the case for war? Persuasion was substituted by his own public musings as to whether he would give the order, which is illuminating because it suggests he sees war as something waged by himself alone, and not the nation as a whole. His nationalism, in other words, sits beneath his ego. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe It feels almost quaint to talk about the United Nations in 2025, but Trump has reduced those institutions designed to stop one country forcefully imposing its will on another to farce. Similar disregard for the UN in 2003 was at least accompanied by the pretence – at least partly down to the diplomatic efforts of Tony Blair throughout 2002 – that Bush cared enough about international opinion to enlist Colin Powell to plead the case at the Security Council. That pretence has been read its last rites. The President has not even tried to justify the strike in terms of self-defence. The Labour government has said it supports the strikes, despite pushing diplomacy as the only appropriate course of action beforehand, raising the question: do they support the ends without the means, or do they now support the action simply because it has happened? That call for diplomacy now looks quixotic. Trump is a practitioner of power, not words. As he said this week, 'Europe is not going to be able to help in this'. The timeline of events leading up to Saturday's strike punctures the idea that this was Trump's plan all along. In May he asked Netanyahu not to strike Iran so that negotiations could take place. But once Netanyahu ignored him, Trump's pure machismo need to be in on the action meant he forgave the snub and sent a fleet of B-2 bombers to Iran. The Israelis were reportedly told about yesterday's strike beforehand, and Trump even thanked Netanyahu personally in his White House speech. If international law and diplomacy has lost, Netanyahu has won. He once again judged correctly that America would follow where he led. Remember Joe Biden's 'redline' over Rafah? Netanyahu invaded anyway. The alliance endured. Clearly it still does. [Further reading: Where have all the anti-war Democrats gone?] Related
BreakingNews.ie
13 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Diplomacy not an option, warns Iran after US attacks key nuclear sites
Iran's foreign minister has warned that diplomacy is not an option after a US strike on its nuclear facilities. Abbas Araghchi said while the 'door to diplomacy' should always be open, 'this is not the case right now'. Advertisement The United States attacked three sites in Iran overnight, inserting itself into Israel's war aimed at destroying the country's nuclear programme, and President Donald Trump claimed the facilities had been 'completely and fully obliterated'. The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran confirmed attacks took place on its Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz sites, but it insisted its nuclear programme will not be stopped. Mr Araghchi said: 'The warmongering, lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far reaching implications of its act of aggression.' He said 'there is no red line' that the US has not crossed, adding: 'The most dangerous one was what happened only last night when they crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities only.' Advertisement Satellite images taken on Sunday show damage to the entrances to the underground site at Fordo. The images, by Planet Labs PBC, also appear to show damage to the mountain itself that Fordo is under. Sealing those entry tunnels means Iran would have to dig out the facility to reach anything inside. The once-brown mountain had parts turned grey and its contours appeared slightly different than in previous images, suggesting a blast threw up debris around the site. That suggests the use of specialised American bunker-buster bombs on the facility. Light grey smoke also hung in the air. Advertisement Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog said there were no immediate signs of radioactive contamination at the three locations following the strikes. It is not clear whether the US will continue attacking Iran alongside its ally Israel, which has been engaged in a nine-day war with Iran. Iran targeted Tel Aviv with missiles in the hours after the US attack (Oded Balilty/AP) Mr Trump acted without congressional authorisation, and he warned there will be additional strikes if Tehran retaliates against US forces. 'There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran,' he said. Advertisement Iran's foreign ministry said Washington had 'betrayed diplomacy' with the military strikes, and that 'the US has itself launched a dangerous war against Iran'. Its statement added: 'The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its right to resist with full force against US military aggression and the crimes committed by this rogue regime, and to defend Iran's security and national interests.' Hours after the American attacks, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it launched a barrage of 40 missiles at Israel, including its Khorramshahr-4, which can carry multiple warheads. Israeli authorities reported that more than 80 people suffered mostly minor injuries, though one multi-storey building in Tel Aviv was significantly damaged, with its entire facade torn away to expose the apartments inside. Houses across the street were almost completely destroyed. Advertisement Following the Iranian barrage, Israel's military said it had 'swiftly neutralised' the Iranian missile launchers that had fired, and that it had begun a series of strikes towards military targets in western Iran. President Donald Trump addressed the nation from the White House following the air strikes (Carlos Barria/pool/AP) Iran has maintained its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only, and US intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a bomb. However, Mr Trump and Israeli leaders have argued Iran could quickly assemble a nuclear weapon, making it an imminent threat. The decision to directly involve the US in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel that significantly degraded Iran's air defences and offensive missile capabilities, and damaged its nuclear enrichment facilities. But US and Israeli officials have said American B-2 stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound bunker-buster bomb that only they have been configured to carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear programme buried deep underground. Mr Trump appears to have made the calculation – at the prodding of Israeli officials and many Republicans – that Israel's operation had softened the ground and presented a perhaps unparalleled opportunity to set back Iran's nuclear programme, perhaps permanently. 'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordo, Natanz, and Esfahan,' Mr Trump said in a post on social media. 'All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordo. All planes are safely on their way home.' — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2025 Mr Trump later added: 'This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!' Israel announced on Sunday that it had closed its airspace to both inbound and outbound flights in the wake of the US attacks. US officials said the attack used bunker-buster bombs on Iran's Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, while submarines launched about 30 Tomahawk missiles. The decision to attack was a risky one for Mr Trump, who won the White House partially on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts and scoffed at the value of American interventionism. But he has vowed he will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon and he had initially hoped the threat of force would bring the country's leaders to give up its nuclear programme peacefully.
