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.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has promised to avenge the killing of his father, while U.S. President Donald Trump said Tehran and Washingto...
The U.S. Department of Justice has ordered several New York Times journalists to testify before a federal grand jury. ...
At least 44 people have died and more than one million have been stranded due to widespread flooding and landslides across southeastern Bangladesh, au...
The U.S. Department of Justice has ordered several New York Times journalists to testify before a federal grand jury.
At least 44 people have died and more than one million have been stranded due to widespread flooding and landslides across southeastern Bangladesh, authorities said on Saturday (11 July).
More than 100 countries now spend more on servicing debt than on education, UNESCO has warned, as it called on governments and international lenders to expand the use of debt-for-education swaps.
South Africa international midfielder Jayden Adams, who helped Bafana Bafana reach the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time, has died at the age of 25.
At least 12 people have been killed in forest fires in Almeria in southern Spain, Andalucía’s emergency agency has said, as firefighters continue efforts to put out the blaze.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington has agreed to resume talks with Iran after Tehran requested further negotiations, but declared that last month's ceasefire between the two countries was "over".
The U.S. military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
Dozens of flights have been cancelled across East Asia as Super Typhoon Bavi approaches China. The typhoon, which has maximum sustained winds of 162 kph (100mph), is nearing a remote chain of Japanese islands, east of Taiwan on Friday.
What began as a fan-created chant just months ago has become one of the defining images of this year's FIFA World Cup, with Norway's "Viking Row" sweeping through stadiums, city streets and social media.
The U.S. Department of Justice has ordered several New York Times journalists to testify before a federal grand jury.
A Miami-based tycoon wanted in Albania for allegedly laundering drug money is suspected of faking the deeds to land where Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner wants to build a controversial multi-billion dollar resort, the country’s organised crime agency said in case files reviewed by Reuters.
A 26-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murdering British politician Ann Widdecombe has been released and is no longer part of the investigation, UK police have said.
Russia launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Ukraine’s capital early on Saturday, injuring at least 10 people, officials said. The attack came as Kyiv faces a shortage of air defence munitions while awaiting fresh supplies to counter Russian strikes.
The remains of 10 victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide were carried to the Potočari Memorial Cemetery in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday ahead of their burial during the 31st anniversary commemoration.
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