Harvard graduates cheer commencement speakers who urge the school to stand strong

Harvard graduates cheer commencement speakers who urge the school to stand strong
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Harvard graduate students applaud during the 374th Harvard Commencement in Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 29, 2025. (AFP)
Harvard graduates cheer commencement speakers who urge the school to stand strong
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Harvard honorary degree recipient Puerto Rican actress Rita Moreno (C) stands onstage during the 374th Harvard Commencement in Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 29, 2025. (AFP)
Harvard graduates cheer commencement speakers who urge the school to stand strong
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US geologist professor Richard Alley of Penn State gives two thumbs up as he receives an honorary degree during the 374th Harvard Commencement in Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 29, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 30 May 2025
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Harvard graduates cheer commencement speakers who urge the school to stand strong

Harvard graduates cheer commencement speakers who urge the school to stand strong
  • Sustained by a $53 billion endowment, the nation’s wealthiest university is testing whether it can be a bulwark against Trump’s efforts to limit what his administration calls antisemitic activism on campus

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts: Harvard graduates celebrated commencement on Thursday at a pivotal time for the Ivy League school, cheering speakers who emphasized maintaining a diverse and international student body and standing up for truth in the face of attacks by the Trump administration.
Harvard’s battles with Trump over funding and restrictions on teaching and admissions presented another challenge for the thousands of graduates who started college as the world was emerging from a pandemic and later grappled with student-led protests over the war in Gaza.
“We leave a campus much different than the one we entered, with Harvard at the center of a national battle of higher education in America,” Thor Reimann told his fellow graduates. “Our university is certainly imperfect, but I am proud to stand today alongside our graduating class, our faculty, our president with the shared conviction that this ongoing project of veritas is one that is worth defending.”
Other schools face the loss of federal funding and their ability to enroll international students if they don’t agree to the Trump administration’s shifting demands. But Harvard, which was founded more than a century before the nation itself, has taken the lead in defying the White House in court and is paying a heavy price.
A school under threat
Among the Trump administration’s latest salvos was asking federal agencies to cancel about $100 million in contracts with the university. The government already canceled more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants, moved to cut off Harvard’s enrollment of international students and threatened its tax-exempt status.
Visa interviews for international students admitted to schools nationwide were halted on Tuesday, and Trump said Wednesday that Harvard should reduce its international enrollment from 25 percent to about 15 percent.
Sustained by a $53 billion endowment, the nation’s wealthiest university is testing whether it can be a bulwark against Trump’s efforts to limit what his administration calls antisemitic activism on campus, which Harvard sees as an affront to the freedom to teach and learn nationwide.
Citing campus protests against Israel as proof of “antisemitic violence and harassment,” the Trump administration has demanded that Harvard make broad leadership changes, revise its admissions policies, and audit its faculty and student body to ensure the campus is home to many viewpoints.
Harvard President Alan Garber disputed the government’s allegations, saying in a letter this month that the school is nonpartisan and has taken steps to root out antisemitism on campus. He insisted that Harvard is in compliance with the law, calling the federal sanctions an “unlawful attempt to control fundamental aspects of our university’s operations.”




Harvard President Alan Garber greets graduating seniors at the 374th Harvard Commencement in Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 29, 2025. (AFP)

In response to the administration’s threats, Harvard has sued to block the funding freeze and persuaded a federal judge to temporarily halt the ban on enrolling international students. During a hearing in Boston on Thursday, the judge extended her order blocking the ban.
Calls for Harvard to stand strong
Garber didn’t directly touch on the Trump administration threats Thursday. But he did get a rousing applause when he referenced the university’s global reach, noting that it is “just as it should be.”
Others speakers were more direct. Speaking in Latin, salutatorian Aidan Robert Scully delivered a speech laced with references to Trump policies.
“I say this: ... Neither powers nor princes can change the truth and deny that diversity is our strength,” Scully said.
It was a sentiment echoed by Yurong “Luanna” Jiang, a Chinese graduate who studied international development. She described growing up believing that the “world was becoming a small village” and finding a global community at Harvard.
“When I met my 77 classmates from 32 different countries, the countries I knew only as colorful shapes on a map turned into real people, with laughter, dreams and the perseverance to survive the long winter in Cambridge,” she said of the other students in her program. “Global challenges suddenly felt personal.”
Now, though, she said she wonders whether her worldview is under threat.
“We’re starting to believe those who think differently, vote differently or pray differently, whether they are across the ocean or sitting right next to us, are not just wrong — we mistakenly see them as evil,” she said. “But it doesn’t have to be this way.”
Others weigh in
Dr. Abraham Verghese, a bestselling author and Stanford University expert on infectious diseases, opened his keynote address by saying he felt like a medieval messenger “slipping into a besieged community.” He praised Harvard for “courageously defending the essential values of this university and indeed of this nation,” and told students that more people than they realize have noticed the example they’ve set.
“No recent events can diminish what each of you have accomplished here,” Verghese said.
On Wednesday, basketball Hall of Famer and activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the “Class Day” speaker, praising Harvard for standing up to the Trump administration and comparing Garber’s response to Rosa Parks’ stand against racist segregation.




Former NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (L) applauds UC Berkeley professor and writer Elaine Kim as she receives an honorary degree during the 374th Harvard Commencement in Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 29, 2025. (AFP)

“After seeing so many cowering billionaires, media moguls, law firms, politicians and other universities bend their knee to an administration that is systematically strip-mining the US Constitution, it is inspiring to me to see Harvard University take a stand for freedom,” he said.
Brynn Macaulay, who received a master’s degree in public and global health, said she hopes such students will keep enrolling because they bring a wealth of knowledge and perspective.
“On a personal level, it feels like somebody is attacking people that I love and that I consider to be family,” she said.
Samartha Shrestha, a fellow public health graduate from Spokane, Washington, said it was disheartening to see the funding cuts’ impacts — one of his professors was laid off — and international students’ worrying.
“I’m hopeful that they’re able to continue getting an education from one of the best, if not the the best, universities in the whole world,” he said. “My hope and dream is that one day they do graduate, just like I did today, and get to carry on the Harvard tradition to bring change wherever they go in the world.”
 


Europol says pro-Russia hacking group broken up

Europol says pro-Russia hacking group broken up
Updated 38 sec ago
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Europol says pro-Russia hacking group broken up

Europol says pro-Russia hacking group broken up
NoName057(16), was disrupted following raids in 12 countries between July 14 and 17

THE HAGUE: EU anti-crime bodies Europol and Eurojust said Wednesday they had coordinated an international operation to dismantle a pro-Russian hacking group accused of launching thousands of online attacks against Ukraine and its allies.

The network, known as NoName057(16), was disrupted following raids in 12 countries between July 14 and 17, they said.

Germany and Spain led the legal action, while police made arrests in France and Spain.

Saudi Cultural Week concludes at Osaka Expo

Saudi Cultural Week concludes at Osaka Expo
Updated 34 min 40 sec ago
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Saudi Cultural Week concludes at Osaka Expo

Saudi Cultural Week concludes at Osaka Expo
  • The event was held in honor of the Kingdom’s designation of 2025 as the Year of Handicrafts
  • Visitors were welcomed into the Saudi Heritage Majlis

TOKYO: The Saudi Ministry of Culture hosted the Saudi Cultural Week in Osaka from July 12 to 15 at the Osaka Expo’s Gallery EAST to celebrate Saudi culture and the cultural intersections between Japan and Saudi Arabia.

The event was held in honor of the Kingdom’s designation of 2025 as the Year of Handicrafts and highlighted artistic exchange between the two countries.

It offered a diverse program of exhibitions, performances and interactive showcases that invited visitors to explore the Kingdom’s cultural heritage and learn about the traditions shared by both nations.

It was organized by the Saudi Ministry of Culture with the participation of the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, the Saudi Artisanal Company, the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Global Center for Arabic Calligraphy, and the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives.

Visitors were welcomed into the Saudi Heritage Majlis, where they experienced traditional Saudi hospitality and viewed side-by-side presentations of cultural garments, including a Saudi bisht and a Japanese kimono.

Live performances by a Saudi oud musician and a Japanese shamisen musician symbolized the harmony between the two cultures.

The program also featured collaborative demonstrations with Saudi and Japanese artisans presenting crafts together, including Al-Sadu weaving and Japanese tapestry, Khous making and bamboo crafting, and pottery from both traditions.

Visitors participated in hands-on workshops led by craftspeople and students, highlighting the event’s emphasis on cultural exchange and shared learning.

A photographic exhibition curated by the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives chronicled the history of Saudi Japanese relations over the past seven decades.


Doha Forum launches significant new global governance initiative at Tokyo Conference

Doha Forum launches significant new global governance initiative at Tokyo Conference
Updated 44 min 30 sec ago
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Doha Forum launches significant new global governance initiative at Tokyo Conference

Doha Forum launches significant new global governance initiative at Tokyo Conference
  • This event, in collaboration with JIIA, launched a new joint research initiative
  • Over the next year, the Doha initiative aims to unite leading scholars and experts

TOKYO: The Doha Forum Tokyo Conference took place in Tokyo on Wednesday and explored the engaging theme of “Prospects for International Order and Global Governance: A World Without Navigators.”

This event, in collaboration with the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), launched a new joint research initiative focused on the evolving landscape of global governance.

Mubarak Ajlan Al-Kuwari, Executive Director of the Doha Forum, emphasized in his opening remarks that multilateral institutions are facing increasing pressure, leading to a more fragmented and uncertain global governance structure.

“How can we ensure fairness, stability, and accountability in a multipolar world?” he asked. “What principles and partnerships can guide us through this evolving landscape? These questions are central to a new strategy launched today by the Doha Forum and JIIA.”

Over the next year, the Doha initiative aims to unite leading scholars and experts to focus on the role of middle powers in restoring trust, fostering cooperation, and strengthening the rules-based international system.

Panelists and speakers at the conference on Wednesday included Professor Ken Endo and Professor Satoshi Ikeuchi, both from the University of Tokyo; Professor Maiko Ichihara from Hitotsubashi University; and Professor Naoko Eto from the University.

Additionally, Professor Abdullah Baabood, Chair of the State of Qatar for Islamic Area Studies at the Faculty of International Research and Education, also participated as a speaker.

Jaber Jaralla Al-Marri, the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Japan, attended the event with around 100 participants from the Japanese business, academic, diplomatic, and expert communities.

Panelists discussed current affairs in the Middle East and the role of effective players, such as Qatar and Japan, as the world witnesses the declining power of major global players, including the United States of America.

They highlighted the unique contributions of Qatar and Japan in this changing landscape, from their diplomatic efforts to their economic influence, and the potential for them to shape the future of global governance.


US sends third-country deportees under secrecy to the small African kingdom of Eswatini

US sends third-country deportees under secrecy to the small African kingdom of Eswatini
Updated 57 min 24 sec ago
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US sends third-country deportees under secrecy to the small African kingdom of Eswatini

US sends third-country deportees under secrecy to the small African kingdom of Eswatini
  • The US has already deported eight men to another African country, South Sudan
  • McLaughlin said the men sent to Eswatini, who are citizens of Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen and Laos, had arrived on a plane, but didn’t say when or where

CAPE TOWN: The United States sent five men it describes as “barbaric” criminals to the small African nation of Eswatini in an expansion of the Trump administration’s largely secretive third-country deportation program, the US Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday.

The US has already deported eight men to another African country, South Sudan, after the Supreme Court lifted restrictions on sending people to countries where they have no ties. The South Sudanese government has declined to say where those men, also described as violent criminals, are after it took custody of them nearly two weeks ago.

In a late-night post on X, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the men sent to Eswatini, who are citizens of Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen and Laos, had arrived on a plane, but didn’t say when or where.

She said they were all convicted criminals and “individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back.”

The men “have been terrorizing American communities” but were now “off of American soil,” McLaughlin added.

McLaughlin said they had been convicted of crimes including murder and child rape and one was a “confirmed” gang member. Her social media posts included mug shots of the men and what she said were their criminal records. They were not named.

Like in South Sudan, there was no immediate comment from Eswatini authorities over any deal to accept third-country deportees or what would happen to them in that country. Civic groups there raised concerns over the secrecy from a government long accused of clamping down on human rights.

“There has been a notable lack of official communication from the Eswatini government regarding any agreement or understanding with the US to accept these deportees,” Ingiphile Dlamini, a spokesperson for the pro-democracy group SWALIMO, said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. “This opacity makes it difficult for civic society to understand the implications.”

It wasn’t clear if they were being held in a detention center, what their legal status was or what Eswatini’s plans were for the deported men, he said.

An absolute monarchy
Eswatini, previously called Swaziland, is a country of about 1.2 million people between South Africa and Mozambique. It is one of the world’s last remaining absolute monarchies and the last in Africa. King Mswati III has ruled by decree since 1986.

Political parties are effectively banned and pro-democracy groups have said for years that Mswati III has crushed political dissent, sometimes violently. Groups like SWALIMO have called for democratic reforms.

Pro-democracy protests erupted in Eswatini in 2021, when dozens were killed, allegedly by security forces. Eswatini authorities have been accused of conducting political assassinations of pro-democracy activists and imprisoning others.

Because Eswatini is a poor country with a relative lack of resources, it “may face significant strain in accommodating and managing individuals with complex backgrounds, particularly those with serious criminal convictions,” Dlamini said.

While the US administration has hailed deportations as a victory for the safety and security of the American people, Dlamini said his organization wanted to know the plans for the five men sent to Eswatini and “any potential risks to the local population.”

US is seeking more deals
The Trump administration has said it is seeking more deals with African nations to take deportees from the US Leaders from some of the five West African nations who met last week with President Donald Trump at the White House said the issue of migration and their countries possibly taking deportees from the US was discussed.

Some nations have pushed back. Nigeria, which wasn’t part of that White House summit, said it has rejected pressure from the US to take deportees who are citizens of other countries.

The US also has sent hundreds of Venezuelans and others to Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama, but has identified Africa as a continent where it might find more governments willing to strike deportation agreements.

Rwanda’s foreign minister told the AP last month that talks were underway with the US about a potential agreement to host deported migrants. A British government plan announced in 2022 to deport rejected asylum-seekers to Rwanda was ruled illegal by the UK Supreme Court last year.

‘Not a dumping ground’
The eight men deported by the US to war-torn South Sudan, where they arrived early this month, previously spent weeks at a US military base in nearby Djibouti, located on the northeast border of Ethiopia, as the case over the legality of sending them there played out.

The South Sudanese government has not released details of its agreement with the US to take deportees, nor has it said what will happen to the men. A prominent civil society leader there said South Sudan was “not a dumping ground for criminals.”

Analysts say some African nations might be willing to take third-country deportees in return for more favorable terms from the US in negotiations over tariffs, foreign aid and investment, and restrictions on travel visas.


Philippines appeals for help to rescue nationals trapped in scam hubs

Philippines appeals for help to rescue nationals trapped in scam hubs
Updated 16 July 2025
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Philippines appeals for help to rescue nationals trapped in scam hubs

Philippines appeals for help to rescue nationals trapped in scam hubs
  • More than 200 Filipinos were freed from a compound on Myanmar’s Myawaddy in April
  • Government says nationals ‘still trapped inside different scam centers’ in Southeast Asia

MANILA: The Philippines is appealing to foreign governments for help in rescuing its nationals believed to be trapped in scam hubs across mainland Southeast Asia, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.

For several years, the cyberscam industry has proliferated in Southeast Asia, especially in border areas of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.

More than 220,000 people from all over the world — many trafficked to the region — have been working in scam hubs in Cambodia and Myanmar alone, according to UN Office on Drugs and Crime data.

UNODC’s April 2025 report estimates that they generate about $40 billion annually, from romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, fake investment platforms, online gambling, phishing and impersonation scams.

The presence of Filipinos in these operations came to the spotlight when at least 200 of them were freed in late February and March from a scam center located in an office complex in Myawaddy on Myanmar’s border with Thailand.

It was unclear at the time how many more Philippine nationals remained there, but the Department of Foreign Affairs has been receiving reports of Filipinos “still trapped inside different scam centers” in Southeast Asia.

The DFA said it is working closely with its embassies and consulates in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia “to persistently devote efforts and resources in extending all possible assistance to our Filipinos in distress, while requesting the authorities of the host countries for their invaluable cooperation.”

The DFA called on overseas-based nationals to help prevent the recruitment of Filipinos into such operations, and urged relatives of victims “to provide verified information on their kin that they believe may be trapped in scam hubs in the vicinity of the Myanmar-Thai border.”

The rescue of Philippine nationals in April helped to shed light on new patterns of their recruitment by scam syndicates.

An investigation by the Philippine Interagency Council Against Trafficking showed that many of them came from the Philippines’ middle class and were often educated individuals — not necessarily unemployed — seeking better opportunities abroad.

The offers usually came through unofficial channels such as social media, advertising roles in call centers, marketing, customer service or chat support — often based in Thailand.

But once they reached Thailand, instead of the jobs they were promised, the victims were transported across the border into the high-security compounds where they were forced to scam people globally.

Their rescue is complicated by the fact that many hubs operate in lawless border zones or semi-autonomous regions controlled by militias, such as Myanmar’s Karen State, limiting diplomatic and law enforcement reach.