World

International affairs, events, and conflicts

World
Harvard files a lawsuit against the Trump administration
Harvard University has sued the Trump administration after it took steps to freeze US$2.2 billion (A$3.42 billion) in funding from the university. The lawsuit is in an effort to halt the funding freeze, which Harvard president Alan Garber deemed “unlawful” and “beyond the government’s authority”. “These actions have stark real-life consequences for patients, students, faculty, staff, researchers, and the standing of American higher education in the world,” he said in a statement. The funding freeze came after the university rejected a list of demands from the Trump administration intended to crack down on campus anti-Semitism. Demands included calls for changes to Harvard’s hiring procedures, orders for officials to shift diversity officers and cooperate with the screening of international students, which Garber rejected in a message to the Harvard community. This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump started making moves to target DEI initiatives after taking office in the White House earlier this year. In his latest statement, Garber said the funding freeze could severely impact the university’s research efforts in the medical field. “The consequences of the government’s overreach will be severe and long-last
World
Tributes pour in as Pope Francis dies aged 88
Pope Francis, the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, has died at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke and cardiac arrest. His death on Monday at 9:47 am (5:47 pm AEST) at his apartment in Rome was announced in a statement from the Vatican. “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, His Eminence Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell said in the statement. “At 7.35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was devoted to service to the Lord and His Church.” Although he had suffered double pneumonia this year and was recently hospitalised for five weeks, the Pope’s death came only a day after he appeared in St. Peter's Square in an open-air vehicle to greet crowds on Easter Sunday and after he briefly met visiting U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. Pope Francis fell into a coma before he died of a stroke and irreversible cardiovascular arrest, Vatican doctor Andrea Arcangeli said on the death certificate. His death triggers a nine-day mourning period known as the "novemdiales" in the Catholic Church, with a funeral expected to be held between Friday and Sunday at the
World
Faulty line: Puerto Rico hit by island-wide power outage
Puerto Rico has been hit with an island-wide power outage, after its electricity plants unexpectedly failed. The outage began at 12:38pm local time, and affected power plants operated by multiple providers. More than 1.4 million Puerto Rican energy customers have been impacted. “We continue to work with our generation partners to restore service across the island,” electricity company LUMA Energy said on X at 5:30pm local time. “We have begun the process of restoring the electrical system following the unexpected shutdown of all generating plants.” “Based on current projections, it is estimated that restoring service to 90% of customers could take between 48 and 72 hours.” The power outage stemmed from a faulty electricity transmission line in southern Puerto Rico, according to the island’s Electric Power Authority. At least 78,000 Puerto Ricans are also without water due to the power failure. The island’s hospitals and San Juan Airport are currently operating on generators. Flights will not be interrupted, the airport said, but “some services are functioning in a limited manner”. Puerto Rico previously saw a major power outage in December, when a damaged underground power line caused a two-day blackout on New
World
Indonesia denies claims of Russian military base
A report published this week claimed that Russia had asked to create a military air base in Indonesia, just 1,200 km from Darwin. The news was initially reported by global military intelligence agency Janes, but has since been refuted by Indonesia. Before Indonesia confirmed that the claims were false, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defence Minister Richard Marles scrambled for full details. Marles confirmed with his Indonesian counterpart Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, that the claims were not true. "He has said to me in the clearest possible terms, reports of the prospect of Russian aircraft operating from Indonesia are simply not true," Marles said in a statement. While the military base may not be happening, strengthening military ties between Russia and Indonesia is nothing new. In October, Moscow’s ambassador to Jakarta, Sergei Tolchenov, told Russian state-run news agency TASS that military cooperation was "integral" to the countries' relations. "But we are working quietly in this direction. Business, diplomacy, and especially the military-technical sphere love silence,” he said. "I am sure that there will be substantive agreements." Tolchenov said partnerships like AUKUS and the Quad were
World
$2.2bn funding freeze for Harvard over Trump defiance
Harvard has been hit with a $2.2 billion freeze in federal funding, after the United States-based university rejected a list of demands from the Trump administration intended to crack down on campus anti-Semitism. The demands include calls for change to the university's hiring practices and admissions procedures, orders for officials to shut diversity offices and cooperation with immigration authorities for screening of international students. Harvard president Alan Garber refused the demands and said in no uncertain terms in a letter to students and faculty that Harvard would not “negotiate over its independence or its constitutional rights.” In response, Trump's Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism issued a statement announcing a freeze on $2.2 billion in multi-year grants, and $60 million in government contracts. "Harvard's statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation's most prestigious universities and colleges - that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws," the statement said.Credit: Kevin Payravi / Wikimedia"The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish s

World
Over 30 dead after a missile strike in Ukraine's Sumy
More than 30 civilians have been killed in a Russian missile strike on the northeastern city of Sumy, according to Ukrainian officials. The two ballistic missiles have been labelled the deadliest in Ukraine this year. They struck in the heart of the city at 10:15 am local time as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday. “On this bright Palm Sunday, our community has suffered a terrible tragedy,” Sumy’s acting Mayor Artem Kobzar said in a statement on social media. According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, 34 people were killed, two of whom were children and 117. Ukrainian president, Volodmry Zelensky, confirmed the death and injury toll and called for a global response to the attack. “It is crucial that the world does not stay silent or indifferent,” he said. “Russian strikes deserve nothing but condemnation.” “There must be pressure on Russia to end the war and guarantee security for people.” These sentiments were echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “Decisive measures are needed to force Russia to cease fire. France is working tirelessly with its partners to achieve this goal,” Macron said. “I'm appalled at Russia’s horrific attacks on civilians
World
Spanish Siemens chief, family killed in helicopter crash
Six people are dead - including a prominent executive and his family - after a Bell 206 helicopter operated by New York Helicopter crashed into the Hudson River near Lower Manhattan, close to the West Village, on 10 April. The helicopter was on a sightseeing tour, taking off from Downtown Manhattan Heliport. It circled landmarks like the Statue of Liberty before heading north along the New Jersey shoreline. Around 3:15 p.m. local time, the aircraft broke apart mid-flight and plunged into the river. The crash claimed the lives of all six people on board: the pilot and a family of five tourists from Barcelona, Spain. The family included Agustín Escobar, chief executive of Siemens' Spanish division, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children, aged 4, 5, and 11. Witnesses described the helicopter spinning uncontrollably before hitting water, and videos showed it overturning as it was submerged. Emergency responders from New York and New Jersey rushed to the scene, but there were no survivors. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the cause of the crash, which remains unclear. Weather conditions at the time included light rain and cloudy sk
World
Pope Francis receives visit from Charles and Camilla
King Charles and Queen Camilla have paid a surprise visit to Pope Francis during their four-day state visit to Italy. Buckingham Palace and the Vatican announced the visit, which comes after the 88-year-old Pope Francis recovered from double pneumonia and weeks of bedrest. It was a private visit from the royal duo, pared down from what was originally supposed to be a formal state affair before the Pope fell ill. A Vatican statement confirmed that the he instead met the couple privately at the Casa Santa Marta on Wednesday, which happened to coincide with their 20th wedding anniversary. In their own press release, Buckingham Palace said that the King and Queen "were delighted The Pope was well enough to host them — and to have had the opportunity to share their best wishes in person". The meeting was Charles' first with the Pope since he became King and head of the Church of England, back in 2022.
World
Ukraine warns of Chinese nationals on Russia's side
Two Chinese nationals fighting for Russia have been captured by Ukraine, with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy warning there are many more as conflicts between the countries continue. “Our military captured two Chinese citizens who fought in the Russian army,” he claimed in a post on Telegram today. “This happened on the territory of Ukraine - in the Donetsk region. There are documents of these prisoners, bank cards, personal data.” Zelensky’s announcement comes after Ukraine made a second incursion into Russia, probing into the border region of Belgrood. He said he had contacted Beijing for an explanation. According to Zelelnsky, there were "significantly more Chinese citizens" among Russian units, and he and his team were still clarifying the facts. “Russia's involvement, directly or indirectly, in this war in Europe is a clear signal that Putin is going to do anything, except end the war. He is looking for a way to continue fighting,” he said. Zelensky calls on Europe and the United States to act. As it stands, Ukraine firmly has the support of Europe, besides having agreed to a ceasefire proposed by Washington. However, Russia is still negotiating its terms for a truce. This comes after one of the