Israel ambassador meets Canadian officials after what Carney calls ‘unacceptable' West Bank warning shots
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Winnipeg Free Press
11 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
With Columbia as a model, White House seeks fines in potential deals with Harvard and others
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is pursuing heavy fines from Harvard and other universities as part of potential settlements to end investigations into campus antisemitism, using the deal it struck with Columbia University as a template, according to an administration official familiar with the matter. Fines have become a staple of proposed deals in talks with Harvard and other schools, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The new strategy was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Federal civil rights investigations into schools and universities almost always have been resolved through voluntary settlements, yet they rarely include financial penalties. The Biden administration reached dozens of such deals with universities and none included fines. Columbia's settlement with the Trump administration included a $200 million fine in exchange for regaining access to federal funding and closing investigations accusing Columbia of tolerating harassment of Jewish students and employees. The agreement announced Wednesday also orders Columbia to ensure its admissions and hiring decisions are 'merit-based' with no consideration of race, to hire more Jewish studies faculty, and to reduce the university's reliance on international students, among other changes. It places Columbia under the watch of an independent monitor and requires regular disclosures to the government. The agreement deal includes a clause forbidding the government from directly dictating decisions on hiring, admissions or academics. Columbia leaders said it preserves the university's autonomy while restoring the flow of federal money. The Trump administration is investigating dozens of universities over allegations that they failed to address campus antisemitism amid the Israel-Hamas war, and several institutions have faced federal funding freezes, like those at Columbia and Harvard. The federal government has frozen more than $1 billion at Cornell University, along with $790 million at Northwestern University. In announcing the Columbia settlement, administration officials described it as a template for other universities. Education Secretary Linda McMahon called it a 'roadmap' for colleges looking to regain public trust, saying it would 'ripple across the higher education sector and change the course of campus culture for years to come.' As Trump departed the White House on Friday, he told reporters that Harvard 'wants to settle' but that Columbia 'handled it better.' The president said he's optimistic his administration will prevail in Harvard's legal challenge — at least on appeal — and he suggested Harvard may never regain the level of federal funding it received in the past. 'The bottom line is we're not going to give any more money to Harvard,' he said. 'We want to spread the wealth.' ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
CTV News
41 minutes ago
- CTV News
Israel says it is considering alternatives to ceasefire talks with Hamas, deepening uncertainty
Smoke and fire rise to the sky following an Israeli airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, July 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) CAIRO, Egypt — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering 'alternative options' to ceasefire talks with Hamas after Israel and the U.S. recalled their negotiating teams, throwing the future of the negotiations into further uncertainty. Netanyahu's statement came as a Hamas official said negotiations were expected to resume next week and portrayed the recall of the Israeli and American delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which are mediating the talks alongside the United States, said the pause was only temporary and that talks would resume, though they did not say when. The teams left Qatar on Thursday as President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said Hamas' latest response to proposals for a deal showed a 'lack of desire' to reach a truce. Witkoff said the U.S. will look at 'alternative options,' without elaborating. In a statement released by his office, Netanyahu echoed Witkoff, saying, 'Hamas is the obstacle to a hostage release deal.' 'Together with our U.S. allies, we are now considering alternative options to bring our hostages home, end Hamas's terror rule, and secure lasting peace for Israel and our region,' he said. He did not elaborate. Israel's government didn't immediately respond to whether negotiations would resume next week. Stall in talks comes as hunger worsens A breakthrough on a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has eluded the Trump administration as experts warn Gaza is being pushed closer to famine, after months of Israel entirely blocking food or letting in only limited amounts. This month, deaths related to malnutrition have accelerated. More then two dozen Western-aligned countries and more than 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticizing Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. The charities and rights groups said even their own staff were struggling to get enough food. On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would recognize Palestine as a state. 'The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved,' he said. Jordan has requested to carry out airdrops of aid into Gaza 'due to the dire situation,' a Jordanian official said. The official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. An Israeli security official said the military was co-ordinating the drops, which were expected in the coming days. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the yet-to-be-finalized plans. Desperate Palestinians gathered at a charity kitchen in Gaza City on Friday, clutching empty pots waiting for a share of watery lentil soup. Such kitchens distributing cooked meals have been a main source of food for many Palestinians, but the number of meals they produce every day has plummeted to 160,000 from more than a million in April, according to the U.N. 'We've been living three months without bread,' said one woman in line, Riham Dwas. 'We're relying on charity kitchens, surviving on a pot of lentils and there are many times when we don't even have that.' When she can't find food, she takes her children to a hospital to be put on saline IV drips for sustenance. Mourners carry the bodies of strike victims An Israeli airstrike hit a school-turned-shelter for displaced people in Gaza City, killing at least five people, including an 11-year-old boy, according to hospital officials. Afterwards, dozens of mourners marched carrying the bodies from Shifa Hospital as women nearby screamed and wept. 'Enough!' screamed Taraji Adwan, whose son and grandson were among the dead. She said the strike hit as she was filling up water jugs. 'Stop the war! Our children are dying from starvation, malnutrition, dehydration, lack of food, strikes, and dying from fear and destruction. Enough, Hamas! Enough, Israel! Enough, world!' she said. The Gaza Health Ministry said around 80 people were killed since Thursday night, mostly in strikes but including nine killed while seeking aid. Talks have struggled over issue of ending the war Hamas official Bassem Naim said Friday that the group was told that the Israeli delegation returned home for consultations and would return early next week to resume ceasefire negotiations. Hamas said that Witkoff's remarks were meant to pressure the group for Netanyahu's benefit during the next round of talks and that in recent days negotiations had made progress. Naim said several gaps had been nearly solved, such as the agenda of the ceasefire, guarantees to continue negotiating to reach a permanent agreement and how humanitarian aid would be delivered. In a joint statement, Egypt and Qatar also said progress had been made. 'It is a natural to pause talks to hold consultations before the resumption of the dialogue once more,' they said. The sides have held weeks of talks in Qatar, reporting small signs of progress but no major breakthroughs. Officials have said a main sticking point is the redeployment of Israeli troops from positions in Gaza after any ceasefire takes place. The deal under discussion is expected to include an initial 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up, and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting ceasefire. The talks have been bogged down over competing demands for ending the war. Hamas says it will only release all hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal and end to the war. Israel says it will not agree to end the conflict until Hamas gives up power and disarms. The militant group says it is prepared to leave power but not surrender its weapons. Hamas is believed to be holding the hostages in different locations, including tunnels, and says it has ordered its guards to kill them if Israeli forces approach. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza but fewer than half are believed to be alive. Their families say the start-stop talks are excruciating. 'I thought that maybe something will come from the time that the negotiation, Israeli team were in Doha,' said Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is being held hostage. 'And when I heard that they're coming back, I ask myself: When will this nightmare end?' By Samy Magdy And Wafaa Shurafa. Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip.
Vancouver Sun
2 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Opinion: Canada needs a nation-building project for young people. We've done it before
Canada is facing overlapping crises that threaten our national fabric — rising authoritarianism abroad, deepening climate instability at home, and a growing sense of disillusionment among our young people. We need a bold, nation-building response, one that invests in youth not just as future leaders, but as the leaders we need now. To the south, the U.S. is becoming increasingly authoritarian and inward-looking. What was once our most stable trading partner is veering toward isolationism and chaos, reshaping the global order in the process. Meanwhile, the climate crisis is amplifying the impacts of extreme weather, with wildfires this spring forcing emergency declarations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. These cascading challenges are not distant — they are hitting our communities now. In response, the government of Prime Minister Mark Carney has focused on fast-tracking resource projects and boosting defence spending to shore up economic and geopolitical resilience. A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. But if we're serious about safeguarding Canada's future, we must also look inward, supporting those most impacted by this changing world and preventing the drift toward authoritarianism that we're seeing take hold elsewhere. Young people are bearing the brunt of today's instability. Youth unemployment is rising sharply — one in four unemployed Canadians is under 25. Entry-level jobs are being hollowed out by automation and AI. A recent Ipsos poll found 43 per cent of Canadians ages 18 to 35 would vote to join the U.S. under certain conditions (if citizenship and conversion of assets to U.S. dollars were guaranteed). If this doesn't raise alarm bells, we're not listening. This isn't the first time Canada has faced existential threats to its unity and identity. In the 1970s, amid fears of separation and economic turmoil, the federal government launched Katimavik, a national youth service program aimed at fostering unity and workforce development. Since then, it has served over 35,000 participants, 90 per cent of whom say the program significantly benefited their lives. Today, the threats are different — but just as urgent. What we need is a modern-day Katimavik: a national Youth Climate Corps that matches the scale of the moment. Communities across Canada are unprepared for climate disasters. We need rapid mobilization on wildfire and flood mitigation, extreme heat preparedness, and disaster response. This is work that needs to happen, and young people are ready to do it. As executive-director of Youth Climate Corps B.C., I've seen firsthand the demand for this kind of program. When the B.C. government took leadership and invested $3 million over three years to pilot our model, we received more than eight times the number of applications than available placements. Local governments are now stepping forward with matching funds to bring the program to their communities. We've also seen how local climate action can shift public perception. Federal climate policy often feels abstract or polarizing, but when young people are visibly improving their own communities — retrofitting homes, preparing for fires, supporting community zero-waste projects — it builds grassroots support and civic pride. A national Youth Climate Corps would do more than fight climate change. It would offer young Canadians meaningful, community-based work that pays a living wage and aligns with their values. It would provide the kind of purposeful, nation-building experience that previous generations have benefited from — and that this generation urgently needs. A recent Vancouver Coastal Health report found that half of Grade 11 students had experienced climate anxiety in the previous two weeks. The mental and economic toll on youth is unsustainable. We know transformative change is coming to Canadian communities. The question is whether that change will empower young leaders or leave them behind. We can choose a future where young people are building stronger, more resilient communities. Or we can ignore their needs and risk another existential threat to our democracy. We have a choice: invest in young people to lead the transformation we need, or risk losing them to despair, disillusionment, or worse. A national Youth Climate Corps is not just a good idea — it's a necessary one. Ben Simone is executive-director of B.C.'s Youth Climate Corps.
