Columbia University said on Wednesday it will pay more than $200 million to the U.S. government to settle federal probes and regain most of its suspended federal funding, after months of scrutiny from President Donald Trump’s administration.
Trump welcomed the agreement in a post on his Truth Social account, calling it a “historic” deal and praising Columbia for agreeing to end its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, admit students “based only on merit,” and compensate Jewish employees who were “unlawfully targeted and harassed.”
The settlement follows the Trump administration’s decision in March to cancel $400 million in federal funding, citing Columbia’s “insufficient response” to alleged antisemitism and harassment of Jewish and Israeli members of its community during pro-Palestinian campus protests.
"Under today's agreement, a vast majority of the federal grants which were terminated or paused in March 2025 - will be reinstated and Columbia's access to billions of dollars in current and future grants will be restored," the university said in a statement.
Columbia said it will also pay $21 million to settle U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigations. The university stressed that the deal preserves its "autonomy and authority over faculty hiring, admissions, and academic decision-making."
Trump has increasingly targeted universities since returning to office in January, focusing on campuses where large pro-Palestinian demonstrations have taken place.
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Armenia is entering a tense election period, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warning that rivals risk pushing the country back towards conflict, while urging voters to remain on a path towards peace with Azerbaijan.
Turkish police have detained 83 people for “glorifying crime and criminals” following two school shootings this week, including an attack in Kahramanmaraş in which a 14-year-old student killed at least nine people before taking his own life.
The U.S. has warned it could impose sanctions on buyers of Iranian oil and expects China to halt purchases as Washington intensifies enforcement of a maritime blockade on Iran.
A federal judge has dismissed a high-profile lawsuit brought by the Trump administration that sought to pre-emptively stop the state of Hawaii from suing major fossil fuel companies over the local impacts of climate change.
Greenland’s prime minister has appointed his predecessor to oversee foreign affairs, as pressure from Washington intensifies over the Arctic island’s future.
Spain’s plan to grant legal status to hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants is facing early resistance, with immigration officers warning they may strike over a lack of preparation and resources.
Dubai’s most iconic hotel, the Burj Al Arab, is set to close for the first time since opening in 1999 as it begins an extensive 18-month refurbishment aimed at preserving its status as a global symbol of luxury.
The U.S. and Iran could resume peace talks over the next couple of days, U.S. President Donald Trump has said. Talks between Israel and Lebanon were held in Washington yesterday. Fuel prices have dropped below $100 a barrel. U.S. blockade on Iranian ports completes first day.
Azerbaijan and Russia have announced a formal settlement over the 2024 crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) Embraer 190 near Aktau, confirming that all outstanding issues, including compensation, have been resolved.
Germany’s opposition party, The Left, on Thursday accused Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government of fuelling the war in Iran by exporting arms to Israel, as new figures revealed millions of euros in approved military sales.
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday rejected two legislative resolutions aimed at stopping the sale of heavy bombs and military bulldozers to Israel.
A federal judge has dismissed a high-profile lawsuit brought by the Trump administration that sought to pre-emptively stop the state of Hawaii from suing major fossil fuel companies over the local impacts of climate change.
A major fire at the Geelong oil refinery near Melbourne in Australia on Wednesday 15 April was extinguished on Thursday lunchtime officials said. It's one of Australia's largest and critical plant's. Authorities said it is still producing jet fuel and diesel but at reduced levels.
The U.S. military said it carried out a lethal strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific on Wednesday, killing three people.
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