In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike against ISIS-Somalia on July 13, 2025.
The airstrike occurred southeast of Bossaso, Puntland, in Northeastern Somalia.
AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade ISIS-Somalia’s ability to plan and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad.
Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security.
In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike against ISIS-Somalia on July 13, 2025.
The airstrike occurred southeast of Bossaso, Puntland, in Northeastern Somalia.
AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade ISIS-Somalia’s ability to plan and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad.
Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security.
Adopted unanimously, the resolution extending the UN Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) until 28 January 2026, underscores the Mission’s critical role in maintaining fragile stability amid signs of renewed military escalation and deepening humanitarian need.
The resolution – 2786 (2025) – reaffirms the Council’s support for the 2018 Stockholm Agreement, including the ceasefire in the Houthi-controlled port city – and demilitarisation of its docks, where the majority of Yemen’s imports and vital aid shipments pass through.
The mission’s future
It also signals a growing debate over the mission’s future, requesting the Secretary-General to submit a review by November to enhance coordination and coherence of UN operations, “bearing in mind challenges” that have directly impeded UNMHA’s capacity to deliver.
“The Security Council…expresses its intention to review the full range of options for UNMHA’s mandate, including assessing the future viability and sunsetting of the Mission, and make any necessary adjustments to gain efficiencies and reduce costs or otherwise, as may be required to UN operations in Hudaydah by developments on the ground, including inter alia a durable nationwide ceasefire,” the resolution noted.
UNMHA was established in 2019 to support implementation of the Stockholm Agreement between the Government of Yemen and Ansar Allah (as the Houthis are formally known), which sought to prevent major conflict over the region.
The mission monitors the ceasefire, facilitates redeployments and supports de-escalation through liaison mechanisms between the parties.
Tensions mounting
While the military situation on the ground remains tenuously stable, tensions are mounting on multiple fronts.
According to a letter from the Secretary-General to the 15-member Council in June, a growing number of ceasefire violations – averaging over 100 per day between June 2024 and May 2025 – highlight the fragile state of the region.
Government-aligned forces fortified positions in anticipation of a possible offensive on the city, while Houthi units increased infiltration attempts and public mobilisation, including military-style youth camps in areas they control.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
Security Council unanimously adopts Resolution 2786 (2025) extending until 28 January 2026 the mandate of the UN Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA).
Deadly Red Sea passage
Compounding this, Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea have intensified. On 8 July, the commercial vessel Eternity C was sunk, killing several crew members and leaving others missing. This followed the sinking of the Magic Seas vessel two days earlier.
In a statement, UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg condemned the attacks, calling them violations of international maritime law and warning they risked serious environmental and geopolitical fallout.
He called on Ansar Allah to cease attacks that risk escalating tensions in and around Yemen.
“[He urges them] to build on the cessation of hostilities with the United States in the Red Sea and to provide durable guarantees to the region and the wider international community, ensuring the safety of all those using this critical waterway,” the statement noted.
Significant operational constraints
Within Hudaydah itself, UNMHA faces significant constraints.
The June letter by the Secretary-General details restrictions by Houthi authorities on UN patrols to the critical Red Sea ports – Hudaydah, Salif and Ras Issa.
Damage from repeated airstrikes, including by the US and Israel in response to Houthi attacks, has left key port infrastructure partially inoperable, disrupting fuel, food and medical imports.
With Hudaydah responsible for 70 per cent of Yemen’s commercial imports and 80 per cent of humanitarian deliveries, the stakes are high.
Meanwhile, a new round of polio vaccinations is underway in Government-controlled areas of southern Yemen, amid mounting concerns over the continued spread of the virus.
From 12 to 14 July, health workers deployed across 12 governorates, aimed at curbing the outbreak of variant type 2 poliovirus.
The campaign, led by Yemen’s Ministry of Public Health with support from UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO), came as 282 cases have been reported since 2021, with environmental surveillance confirming ongoing transmission.
“The campaign is essential to interrupt transmission and protect every child from the debilitating effects of polio,” said Ferima Coulibaly-Zerbo, acting WHO Representative in Yemen.
UNICEF’s Peter Hawkins echoed the urgency, warning of the “imminent threat” to unvaccinated children if immunisation gaps persist.
“But, through vaccination, we can keep our children safe,” he said.
“As of 13 July, we have recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food; 674 of them were killed in the vicinity of GHF sites,” said Thameen Al-Kheetan, OHCHR spokesperson, referencing the US-Israeli run private organization which has bypassed regular humanitarian operations.
The remaining 201 victims were killed while seeking food “on the routes of aid convoys or near aid convoys” run by the UN or UN-partners still operating in the war-shattered enclave, Mr. Al-Kheetan told journalists in Geneva.
Killings linked to the controversial US and Israeli-backed aid hubs began shortly after they started operating in southern Gaza on 27 May, bypassing the UN and other established NGOs.
The latest deadly incident happened at around 9am on Monday 14 July, when reports indicated that the Israeli military shelled and fired towards Palestinians seeking food at the GHF site in As Shakoush area, northwestern Rafah.
According to OHCHR, two Palestinians were killed and at least nine others were injured. Some of the casualties were transported to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) hospital in Rafah. On Saturday medics there received more than 130 patients, the “overwhelming majority” suffering from gunshot wounds and “all responsive individuals” reporting they were attempting to access food distribution sites.
Deadly hunger
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, expressed deep concerns about the continuing killing of civilians trying to access food, while deadly malnutrition spreads among children.
“Our teams on the ground – UNRWA teams and other United Nations teams – have spoken to survivors of these killings, these starving children included, who were shot at while on their way to pick up very little food,” said Juliette Touma, UNRWA Director of Communications.
Speaking via video from Amman, Ms. Touma insisted that the near-total Israeli blockade of Gaza has led to babies dying of the effects of severe acute malnutrition.
“We’ve been banned from bringing in any humanitarian assistance into Gaza for more than four months now,” she said, before pointing to a “significant increase” in child malnutrition since the Israeli blockade began on 2 March.
Ms. Touma added: “We have 6,000 trucks waiting in places like Egypt, like Jordan; it’s from Jordan to the Gaza Strip it’s a three-hour drive, right?”
In addition to food supplies, these UN trucks contain other vital if basic supplies including bars of soap. “Medicine and food are going to soon expire if we’re not able to get those supplies to people in Gaza who need it most, among them one million children who are half of the population of the Gaza Strip,” Ms. Touma continued.
West Bank: ‘Silent war is surging’
Meanwhile in the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem, Palestinians continue to be killed in violence allegedly linked to Israeli settlers and security forces, UN agencies said.
According to OHCHR, two-year-old Laila Khatib was shot in the head by Israeli security forces on 25 January while she was inside her house in Ash-Shuhada village, in Jenin.
On 3 July, 61-year-old Walid Badir was shot and killed by Israeli security forces, reportedly while he was cycling back home from prayers, passing through the outskirts of the Nur Shams camp, the UN rights office continued, pointing to intensifying “killings, attacks and harassment of Palestinians in past weeks.
“This includes the demolition of hundreds of homes and forced mass displacement of Palestinians,” OHCHR’s Mr. Al-Kheetan noted, with some 30,000 Palestinians forcibly displaced since the launch of Israel’s operation “Iron Wall” in the north of the occupied West Bank earlier this year.
“We should recall that international law is very clear about this in terms of the obligations of the occupying power,” he said. “Bringing about a permanent demographic change inside the occupied territory may amount to a war crime and is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”
“We continue to have a silent war that is surging, where heavy restrictions on movement continue, where poverty is increasing as people are cut off from their livelihoods and unemployment soars,” said UNRWA’s Ms. Touma.
With its current focus on the northern occupied West Bank, the Israeli military operation has impacted the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams.
“It is causing the largest population displacement of the Palestinians in the West Bank since 1967,” Ms. Touma continued.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
TAC welcomes Government’s proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services The Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) welcomes the Government’s submission of the legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services to the Legislative Council Panel on Transport.
The Chairman of the TAC and the Working Group for Enhancing Personalised Point-to-Point Transport Services (Working Group), Professor Stephen Cheung, said, “The development density of Hong Kong is high, with nearly 90 per cent of commuters using public transport. We agree with the Government’s adherence to a public transport oriented policy and the effective utilisation of limited road resources. With advancements in technology and changing travel patterns, booking and providing personalised point-to-point transport services through online hailing platforms have become an international trend. Various sectors of society, the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies have been calling on the Government to regulate online hailing hire car services, with a view to creating a healthy and sustainable competitive environment for the personalised point-to-point transport market.”
“The TAC welcomes the Government’s legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services from three aspects, namely platforms, vehicles, and drivers, to ensure that the services provided comply with legal requirements and regulations relating to safety standards and service quality. This will help safeguard passengers’ safety and rights and meet the travel needs of the public. The TAC expects that, after the relevant regulation has been implemented, taxis will continue to maintain its current advantages and coexist with online hailing hire cars, thereby meeting passengers’ diversified transport demands.” Professor Cheung continued.
The TAC established the Working Group in July last year to advise the Government on the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group comprises a number of TAC members, representatives from relevant agencies/departments, namely the Insurance Authority and the Tourism Commission, as well as representatives from the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Transport Department. In February this year, the Working Group met with representatives from the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies to gather their views and suggestions, and subsequently received views from various taxi trade representatives, online hailing platform companies and the public regarding the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group has previously submitted the views collected, along with the research findings on the regulation of online hailing hire car services in other regions, to the Government. Issued at HKT 20:52
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
TAC welcomes Government’s proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services The Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) welcomes the Government’s submission of the legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services to the Legislative Council Panel on Transport.
The Chairman of the TAC and the Working Group for Enhancing Personalised Point-to-Point Transport Services (Working Group), Professor Stephen Cheung, said, “The development density of Hong Kong is high, with nearly 90 per cent of commuters using public transport. We agree with the Government’s adherence to a public transport oriented policy and the effective utilisation of limited road resources. With advancements in technology and changing travel patterns, booking and providing personalised point-to-point transport services through online hailing platforms have become an international trend. Various sectors of society, the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies have been calling on the Government to regulate online hailing hire car services, with a view to creating a healthy and sustainable competitive environment for the personalised point-to-point transport market.”
“The TAC welcomes the Government’s legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services from three aspects, namely platforms, vehicles, and drivers, to ensure that the services provided comply with legal requirements and regulations relating to safety standards and service quality. This will help safeguard passengers’ safety and rights and meet the travel needs of the public. The TAC expects that, after the relevant regulation has been implemented, taxis will continue to maintain its current advantages and coexist with online hailing hire cars, thereby meeting passengers’ diversified transport demands.” Professor Cheung continued.
The TAC established the Working Group in July last year to advise the Government on the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group comprises a number of TAC members, representatives from relevant agencies/departments, namely the Insurance Authority and the Tourism Commission, as well as representatives from the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Transport Department. In February this year, the Working Group met with representatives from the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies to gather their views and suggestions, and subsequently received views from various taxi trade representatives, online hailing platform companies and the public regarding the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group has previously submitted the views collected, along with the research findings on the regulation of online hailing hire car services in other regions, to the Government. Issued at HKT 20:52
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
TAC welcomes Government’s proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services The Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) welcomes the Government’s submission of the legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services to the Legislative Council Panel on Transport.
The Chairman of the TAC and the Working Group for Enhancing Personalised Point-to-Point Transport Services (Working Group), Professor Stephen Cheung, said, “The development density of Hong Kong is high, with nearly 90 per cent of commuters using public transport. We agree with the Government’s adherence to a public transport oriented policy and the effective utilisation of limited road resources. With advancements in technology and changing travel patterns, booking and providing personalised point-to-point transport services through online hailing platforms have become an international trend. Various sectors of society, the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies have been calling on the Government to regulate online hailing hire car services, with a view to creating a healthy and sustainable competitive environment for the personalised point-to-point transport market.”
“The TAC welcomes the Government’s legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services from three aspects, namely platforms, vehicles, and drivers, to ensure that the services provided comply with legal requirements and regulations relating to safety standards and service quality. This will help safeguard passengers’ safety and rights and meet the travel needs of the public. The TAC expects that, after the relevant regulation has been implemented, taxis will continue to maintain its current advantages and coexist with online hailing hire cars, thereby meeting passengers’ diversified transport demands.” Professor Cheung continued.
The TAC established the Working Group in July last year to advise the Government on the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group comprises a number of TAC members, representatives from relevant agencies/departments, namely the Insurance Authority and the Tourism Commission, as well as representatives from the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Transport Department. In February this year, the Working Group met with representatives from the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies to gather their views and suggestions, and subsequently received views from various taxi trade representatives, online hailing platform companies and the public regarding the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group has previously submitted the views collected, along with the research findings on the regulation of online hailing hire car services in other regions, to the Government. Issued at HKT 20:52
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
TAC welcomes Government’s proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services The Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) welcomes the Government’s submission of the legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services to the Legislative Council Panel on Transport.
The Chairman of the TAC and the Working Group for Enhancing Personalised Point-to-Point Transport Services (Working Group), Professor Stephen Cheung, said, “The development density of Hong Kong is high, with nearly 90 per cent of commuters using public transport. We agree with the Government’s adherence to a public transport oriented policy and the effective utilisation of limited road resources. With advancements in technology and changing travel patterns, booking and providing personalised point-to-point transport services through online hailing platforms have become an international trend. Various sectors of society, the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies have been calling on the Government to regulate online hailing hire car services, with a view to creating a healthy and sustainable competitive environment for the personalised point-to-point transport market.”
“The TAC welcomes the Government’s legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services from three aspects, namely platforms, vehicles, and drivers, to ensure that the services provided comply with legal requirements and regulations relating to safety standards and service quality. This will help safeguard passengers’ safety and rights and meet the travel needs of the public. The TAC expects that, after the relevant regulation has been implemented, taxis will continue to maintain its current advantages and coexist with online hailing hire cars, thereby meeting passengers’ diversified transport demands.” Professor Cheung continued.
The TAC established the Working Group in July last year to advise the Government on the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group comprises a number of TAC members, representatives from relevant agencies/departments, namely the Insurance Authority and the Tourism Commission, as well as representatives from the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Transport Department. In February this year, the Working Group met with representatives from the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies to gather their views and suggestions, and subsequently received views from various taxi trade representatives, online hailing platform companies and the public regarding the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group has previously submitted the views collected, along with the research findings on the regulation of online hailing hire car services in other regions, to the Government. Issued at HKT 20:52
Town centres across London will see an enhanced police presence this summer, building on reductions in thefts, burglary, knife crime and robbery achieved so far this year* and more shoplifting cases solved.
Intensified multi-agency action will tackle anti-social behaviour and theft is part of ongoing work by the Met and Mayor of London to put visible neighbourhood policing at the heart of fighting crime and rebuilding community confidence.
London’s Safer Neighbourhood teams now have an additional 500 Met officers and staff ranging from Superintendent to PCSOs, working closer than ever with communities to understand and deal with local priorities.
Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Kaya Comer-Schwartz joins Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes and Enfield Council Leader Cllr Elgin Erbil to see ‘Safer Streets Summer’ in action.
London’s town centres, high streets and communities will see an enhanced police and local authority presence this summer as part of partnership work to build on reductions in theft, burglary, robbery, ASB and retail crime achieved in the capital so far this year.
The Met Police have identified the top 32 town centres and high street locations3 across London that have the biggest challenge with anti-social behaviour, theft and street crime and they will be the focus for enhanced partnership action with local authorities, businesses and communities to tackle crime.
Every single borough will see increased police and partner activity in the hotspot areas including Stratford, Woolwich Town Centre, Finsbury Park, Croydon Town Centre, Shepherds Bush Green, Elephant and Castle, Seven Sisters and London’s West End.
London is a global destination, particularly over the summer months with five million additional visitors expected over the peak tourism season and with school summer holidays beginning soon, our town centres will be very busy. At a time of high demand for policing, the Mayor of London, Met police, local authorities and partners are strengthening their joint work to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour impacting our town centres and high streets.
The top twenty town centre and high streets being focused on by police, MOPAC, local authorities and community partners as part of Safer Summer Streets make up only a small percentage of London overall, but account for almost 10 per of knife crime, 24 per cent of theft person offences and 6 per cent of all ASB calls.*
There will be increased police patrols, intelligence-led plain-clothed operations in hotspot areas, and officers will relentlessly target wanted and prolific offenders who commit multiple offences, particularly shoplifting and ASB, seeking long sentences and Criminal Behaviour Orders.
These summer plans are based on strong partnership working, with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), the Met, local authorities, businesses, community organisations sharing information using a new approach so issues can be identified and acted upon quickly. Local solutions will include the designing out of offences through local authority powers related to licensing, parking, CCTV, waste management and trading standards.
Thanks to the hard work of the police, London’s Violence Reduction Unit, Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), local authorities and partners, the first six weeks of this financial year have seen promising reductions in a number of crime types compared to the same period last year.
Knife crime – down by 18.1 per cent
Residential burglary – down by 17.7 per cent
Theft from the person – down by 15.6 per cent
Personal robbery – down by 12.8 per cent.
Shoplifting – the Met have solved 163 per cent more cases this year than in the same period as last year.
These reductions are in addition to the latest Office for National Statistics Crime stats which show that overall, the violent crime with injury rate is lower in London than in the rest of England and Wales1. Gun crime with lethal barrel discharges, knife crime with injury for those aged under 25 and homicides in the capital have all fallen since 2016.2
Through more precise targeting of the most dangerous offenders and greater focus on the issues that matter most to Londoners, the Met are arresting more than 1,000 more criminals each month.
Whilst there have been significant reductions in some crime types since the start of the financial year and since 2016, it’s clear that more needs to be done to ensure everyone in the capital is safe and feels safe.
The intensified action to tackle anti-social behaviour and theft is part of ongoing work by the Met and Mayor of London to boost local neighbourhood teams and put high visibility policing at the heart of fighting crime and rebuild community confidence. It is backed with record funding from City Hall which has helped to London’s Safer Neighbourhood teams. Over the last two years the Met has put an additional 500 Met officers and staff ranging from Superintendent to PCSOs into neighbourhood teams and continue to increase officers in these teams, working closer than ever with communities to understand and deal with local priorities.
It also forms part of the Home Office’s national Safer Streets Summer Initiative running from 30 June until the end of September 2025, which will see officers in London focusing on reducing town centre criminality including shop theft, street crime and anti-social behaviour.
On Wednesday morning, London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Kaya Comer-Schwartz will join Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes, Enfield Council Leader Cllr Elgin Erbil and neighbourhood officers in Enfield to see the ‘Safer Streets Summer’ in action.
Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, said: “The safety of our town centres is more than just policing – it’s about building stronger, more connected communities where everyone feels secure.
“That’s why I was really pleased to meet with local partners and community groups today – along with the police – to strengthen our collaborative work to tackle shoplifting, theft and anti-social behaviour in all its forms.
“We have seen this in action today in Enfield, with officers speaking with local people and business owners addressing their concerns. Across our city there will be partnership led operations to tackle shoplifting and clear, visible neighbourhood officers out on patrol, keeping our communities safe and working to build safer town centres and a safer London for everyone.”
Deputy Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police, Matt Jukes, said: “Our intelligence and data-led approach to tackle the crimes that matter most to Londoners – such as shoplifting, robbery and anti-social behaviour – is already working.
“We’re arresting 1,000 more criminals each month, neighbourhood crime is down 19 per cent and we’ve solved 163 per cent more shoplifting cases this year.
“In 32 of the hardest hit areas, we’re working with the community, councils, businesses and partners, to focus our resources and bear down on prolific offenders and gangs who blight too many neighbourhoods across the capital.”
Cllr Ergin Erbil, Leader of Enfield Council, said: “Creating a safer Enfield is our priority. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their neighbourhood and community, and here in Enfield we’re proud to be working closely with the Met Police, the Mayor of London and our partners to make that a reality. Safer Streets Summer is a powerful example of what can be achieved when we come together to cut crime and antisocial behaviour.
“Alongside improved policing, Enfield Council is spending time and money towards making our streets safer for those who live and work in Enfield. For example, our dedicated summer parks patrols, launched last month, are helping to stop and prevent antisocial behaviour by providing a visible presence and reassurance. Police officers and our council teams are patrolling our parks and town centres side by side.
“Likewise, our partnership with local policing teams and other partners in Upper Edmonton and Edmonton Green has meant we are tackling serious organised crime and the causes of crime through three steps called Clear Hold Build. Our residents on the most affected estates are telling us they feel safer and better protected. Consequently, they are working with us to combat crime and improve our neighbourhoods.
“We’re committed to building safer, stronger town centres where residents, businesses and visitors can feel safer and can thrive.”
Hannah Wadey, CEO, Safer Business Network said: “Businesses across London have a crucial role to play in keeping our public spaces safe, and Safer Streets Summer is a great example of what we can achieve when we all work together. From preventing crime and anti-social behaviour to creating welcoming environments, this work is vital for our communities and businesses are proud to play their part. When people feel safe, our town centres thrive.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China firmly opposes the U.S. unilateral sanctions against Cuba and interference in Cuba’s internal affairs under the guise of so-called “human rights”, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.
China urges the United States to immediately lift its blockade and sanctions against Cuba, the spokesperson added.
Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a query about U.S. sanctions imposed on senior Cuban officials.
Lin said that the United States has imposed a comprehensive blockade and illegal sanctions on Cuba for over 60 years, inflicting profound suffering on the Cuban people. “Sanctions should be lifted immediately instead of being intensified.”
Lin said that China firmly supports Cuba in taking a development path that suits its national conditions and firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its sovereignty and dignity.
“We urge the United States to immediately lift the blockade and sanctions against Cuba and remove it from the list of ‘state sponsors of terrorism,’” he added.
“If the U.S. side truly cares about human rights, it should reflect on its own record of human rights violations in Guantanamo, Cuba and around the world over the years,” he said.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China firmly opposes the U.S. unilateral sanctions against Cuba and interference in Cuba’s internal affairs under the guise of so-called “human rights”, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.
China urges the United States to immediately lift its blockade and sanctions against Cuba, the spokesperson added.
Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a query about U.S. sanctions imposed on senior Cuban officials.
Lin said that the United States has imposed a comprehensive blockade and illegal sanctions on Cuba for over 60 years, inflicting profound suffering on the Cuban people. “Sanctions should be lifted immediately instead of being intensified.”
Lin said that China firmly supports Cuba in taking a development path that suits its national conditions and firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its sovereignty and dignity.
“We urge the United States to immediately lift the blockade and sanctions against Cuba and remove it from the list of ‘state sponsors of terrorism,’” he added.
“If the U.S. side truly cares about human rights, it should reflect on its own record of human rights violations in Guantanamo, Cuba and around the world over the years,” he said.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be losing patience with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, voicing disappointment on Monday just hours after threatening “severe tariffs” against Russia.
“I’m disappointed in him, but I’m not done with him. But I’m disappointed in him,” Trump told BBC in an interview.
A few hours earlier, during a meeting with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, Trump warned, “We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs” if a ceasefire agreement on Ukraine is not reached within 50 days.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick clarified later that Trump actually meant “economic sanctions” when he threatened “secondary tariffs” against Russia, The Washington Times reported.
Trump also told Rutte that the United States would supply weapons to Ukraine through NATO, including Patriot missile systems, with deliveries starting soon.
In a post on X following a phone call with Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude for Trump’s “willingness to support Ukraine” and hailed their strong relationship.
This is not the first time Trump has expressed disappointment with Putin over the Ukraine crisis, despite claiming he has a good relationship with the Russian leader. In early July, after a phone conversation with Putin, Trump told reporters, “I didn’t make any progress with him today at all,” adding, “I’m not happy about that.”
Trump, who promised during his campaign to end the conflict in Ukraine within 24 hours, has held several conversations with Putin since taking office. However, his efforts to pressure the Russian leader have yet to yield a ceasefire.
Following the driest spring in 132 years, Environment Agency steps up operational response.
EA officers rescuing fish from a dried up River Redlake in Shropshire
The Environment Agency has declared drought status for the West Midlands and East Midlands following the driest spring in 132 years.
The Environment Agency announced the change in status today, 15th July 2025. Following declining river flows and groundwater levels with some river flows in the regions at their lowest for June since 1976.
The decision sees the regulator stepping up its operational response in the West Midlands and the East Midlands. While making sure water companies deliver the actions agreed in their drought plans.
The announcement comes as the National Drought Group meets to discuss next steps, with people being asked to play their part and use water wisely.
West Midlands and East Midlands follow other regions that have moved into drought recently, including the north-west of England and Yorkshire.
Matt Gable, Regional Incident Lead at the Environment Agency, said:
Against a backdrop of a changing climate, this change of status recognises the impact prolonged dry weather is having on water resources and the environment.
In the Midlands, we are taking action to reduce that impact and to oversee the actions water companies need to take to secure public water supplies.
We are also encouraging people to play their part through the rest of the summer period by noting the small steps we can all take to save water.
In the Midlands, river levels are already low with some river flows in the region at their lowest for June since 1976. The River Severn catchment received only two-thirds of the rainfall it normally does in June, while the Trent catchment fared worse, with only 37% of its long-term average for June.
Teams are out on the ground actively monitoring river levels, with staff working with the water sector to ensure there is enough water for the people and the environment. Staff are also supporting farmers and abstractors with advice on how to manage abstraction during prolonged dry weather and low flows. Fisheries teams are responding where necessary to protect fish which are struggling due to reduced oxygen or moving them if the river has dried up.
The Environment Agency expects and will ensure that water companies follow their drought management plans. Water companies need to step up their work to fix leaks and adjust their operations to conserve water.
The public is being asked to think about how they use water at home and in the garden, and to comply with any local restrictions. The less water you use at the home, the more water there is in your local environment. Recreational water users are being asked to remain vigilant and report any environmental issues they see, such as fish in distress, acting as important eyes and ears on the ground.
A decision to declare drought is taken based on reservoir levels, river flows, groundwater levels, how dry soils are, environmental incidents and water resources position along with consideration of the long-term weather forecasts. These are based on Environment Agency Area classifications.
Temporary Use Bans (TUBs) are a decision for the water companies and must be made in line with their drought plans. Read more here: Why do we have hosepipe bans?
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 15 (Xinhua) — Two special trains on the China-Europe international rail freight route arrived one after another at the Multimodal Transport Center of the China-SCO Regional Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone (hereinafter referred to as the China-SCO Demonstration Zone), delivering more than 3,100 tons of feed wheat flour from Kazakhstan to Shandong Province, east China. After unloading, the goods were stored in a warehouse in the national logistics hub park for China-Europe trains in Qingdao, east China, marking the official opening of the warehouse-shipment-trade integrated service for goods transported along the aforementioned China-Europe routes.
According to the Qingdao Daily newspaper, the “warehouse-transportation-trade” format in the context of international China-Europe rail freight transportation implies the close integration of three links – warehousing, transportation and trade – into a single, highly efficient and coordinated trade and logistics ecosystem within the framework of the operation of the aforementioned trains. Such an integrated service allows for the optimization of resource allocation, reduction of intermediate links and significant improvement of overall operational efficiency.
According to a representative of Shandong Hi-Speed Group, the company has currently developed a comprehensive solution for the entire process in the format of “warehouse-transportation-trade” for a customer of feed wheat flour from Kazakhstan, taking into account customer needs.
Zang Yuanqi, an official with the China-SCO Demonstration Zone Management Committee, said the zone will give full play to its public good character, accelerate the construction of the Qingdao hub, and develop and strengthen new business models such as the integration of transportation and trade to accurately and efficiently serve the country’s foreign trade enterprises. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 15 (Xinhua) — The China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Forum on Interregional Economic and Trade Cooperation will be held in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, on July 17-18, according to the Commerce Department of East China’s Shandong Province.
The event, hosted by the Shandong Provincial Government and supported by the Qingdao City Government, is held under the theme of “Jointly Seeking Regional Cooperation, Together for Innovative Development.” Its aim is to strengthen the platform for economic and trade cooperation between Shandong and the regions of the SCO countries.
As it became known, four dialogue meetings on international cooperation in the areas of logistics and transport, new energy, mechanical engineering technologies and digital economy are planned within the framework of the forum. These platforms are designed to ensure practical interaction between the participants.
At present, the SCO Secretary General and the heads of 9 regions/provinces, regions, cities/countries of the organization have confirmed their participation in the forum. Minsk/Belarus/ will act as the main guest region and will hold a special presentation within the framework of the event. In addition, the forum will be attended by heads of ministries and state committees of the PRC, representatives of leading Chinese enterprises and research institutes.
As part of the business program, the Shandong Provincial Commerce Department and the Qingdao Government will jointly organize a series of related events, including the 4th SCO International Trade and Investment Fair.
The holding of this forum will contribute to deepening cooperation between Shandong and the SCO countries in the economic, trade and industrial spheres, giving new impetus to the economic development of the region. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 15 (Xinhua) — The China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Forum on Interregional Economic and Trade Cooperation will be held in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, on July 17-18, according to the Commerce Department of East China’s Shandong Province.
The event, hosted by the Shandong Provincial Government and supported by the Qingdao City Government, is held under the theme of “Jointly Seeking Regional Cooperation, Together for Innovative Development.” Its aim is to strengthen the platform for economic and trade cooperation between Shandong and the regions of the SCO countries.
As it became known, four dialogue meetings on international cooperation in the areas of logistics and transport, new energy, mechanical engineering technologies and digital economy are planned within the framework of the forum. These platforms are designed to ensure practical interaction between the participants.
At present, the SCO Secretary General and the heads of 9 regions/provinces, regions, cities/countries of the organization have confirmed their participation in the forum. Minsk/Belarus/ will act as the main guest region and will hold a special presentation within the framework of the event. In addition, the forum will be attended by heads of ministries and state committees of the PRC, representatives of leading Chinese enterprises and research institutes.
As part of the business program, the Shandong Provincial Commerce Department and the Qingdao Government will jointly organize a series of related events, including the 4th SCO International Trade and Investment Fair.
The holding of this forum will contribute to deepening cooperation between Shandong and the SCO countries in the economic, trade and industrial spheres, giving new impetus to the economic development of the region. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
WASHINGTON, July 15 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to be losing patience with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, expressing frustration on Monday just hours after threatening to impose “harsh tariffs” on Russia.
“I’m disappointed in him, but I’m not done with him. But I’m disappointed in him,” Trump said in an interview with the BBC.
Hours earlier, during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, the US president warned that the US would impose very tough tariffs if a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine was not reached within 50 days.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick later clarified that Trump actually meant “economic sanctions” when he threatened “secondary tariffs” against Russia, The Washington Times reports.
After a telephone conversation with D. Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude to the US President on the X social network for his “willingness to support Ukraine” and welcomed their strong relations. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
DAMASCUS, July 15 (Xinhua) — Syrian authorities on Tuesday declared a complete ceasefire in the southern province of As-Suwayda after days of deadly clashes between local Druze armed groups, Bedouin tribes and forces loyal to the Damascus regime, Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
DAMASCUS, July 15 (Xinhua) — Syrian authorities on Tuesday declared a complete ceasefire in the southern province of As-Suwayda after days of deadly clashes between local Druze armed groups, Bedouin tribes and forces loyal to the Damascus regime, Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said.
In a statement published on the X social network, M. Abu Kasra said: “We have ordered a complete ceasefire for all units operating in the city of As-Suwayda after reaching an agreement with local elders and senior officials.”
He said Damascus-controlled forces would only respond to active sources of fire, adding that strict instructions had been given to protect civilians, maintain public order and protect public and private property.
The events come amid a sharp rise in violence over the weekend. At least 99 people have been killed and nearly 200 wounded in the past two days, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The dead include 60 Druze civilians, including two women and two children, 18 Bedouins, 14 soldiers loyal to the regime in Damascus and seven unidentified men in military uniform. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
An exhibition of archival photographs opened in the passage between the Savelovskaya stations of the Big Circle and Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya lines.
“As part of the 90th anniversary of the Moscow metro, together with the Russian news agency TASS, we opened a new exhibition of archival photographs. We invite passengers to immerse themselves in the past and learn more about the history of the capital’s main transport. We continue to develop the capital’s metro as a cultural space on behalf of Sergei Sobyanin,” said Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport and Industry
The exhibits include a unique photo of the first test train before a test run from Komsomolskaya to Sokolniki, taken in 1934. Visitors will see a photo of Crown Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands and her husband Claus von Amsberg at the Kitay-Gorod metro station in 1973.
In addition, at the exhibition you can see what Moscow metro stations looked like in different years, and see photographs of metro builders, employees, and passengers.
The exhibition will run until August 15 inclusive.
The Moscow metro today is not only one of the main modes of transport in the capital, but also a cultural space. Exhibitions dedicated to holidays, significant dates and historical events have become a tradition for the stations.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Because the final version of the legislation moved swiftly through the Senate and the House, estimates regarding the number of people likely to lose their health insurance coverage were incomplete when Congress approved it by razor-thin margins. Nearly 12 million Americans could lose their health insurance coverage by 2034 due to this legislation, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
Work requirements target people eligible for Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act’s expansion. They tend to have slightly higher incomes than other people enrolled in the program.
Medicaid applicants who are between 19 and 64 years old will need to certify they are working at least 80 hours a month or spending that much time engaged in comparable activities, such as community service.
When these rules have been introduced to other safety net programs, most people lost their benefits due to administrative hassles, not because they weren’t logging enough hours on the job. Experts like me expect to see that occur with Medicaid too.
The new policies also make it harder for states to pay for Medicaid, which is run by the federal government and the states. They do so by limiting the taxes states charge medical providers, which are used to fund the states’ share of Medicaid funding. With less funding, some states may try to reduce enrollment or cut benefits, such as home-based health care, in the future.
Losing Medicaid coverage may leave millions of low-income Americans without insurance coverage, with no affordable alternatives for health care. Historically, the people who are most likely to lose their benefits are low-income people of color or immigrants who do not speak English well.
A supporter of the Affordable Care Act stands in front of the Supreme Court building on Nov. 10, 2020. Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Should they exit, there would be fewer choices and higher premiums for people getting their insurance this way. It could also mean that some counties could have no ACA plans offered at all.
Ramifications for the uninsured and rural hospitals
Having to struggle to pay the kinds of high medical bills people without insurance face takes a physical, mental and financial toll, not just on people who become uninsured but also their families and friends. It also harms medical providers that don’t get reimbursed for their care.
Public health scholars like me have no doubt that many hospitals and other health care providers will have to make tough choices. Some will close. Others will offer fewer services and fire health care workers. Emergency room wait times will increase for everyone, not just people who lose their health insurance due to changes in Trump’s tax and spending package.
Rural hospitals play a crucial role in health care access.
Republicans tried to protect rural hospitals by designating $50 billion in the legislative package for them over 10 years. But this funding comes nowhere near the $155 billion in losses KFF expects those health care providers to incur due to Medicaid cuts. Also, the funding comes with a number of restrictions that could further limit its effectiveness.
What’s next
Some Republicans, including Sens. Mike Crapo and Ron Johnson, have already indicated that more health care policy changes could be coming in another large legislative package.
Moving forward, spending on Medicare, the insurance program that primarily covers Americans 65 and older, could decline too. Without any further action, the CBO says that the law could trigger an estimated $500 billion in mandatory Medicare cuts from 2026 to 2034 because of the trillions of dollars in new federal debt the law creates.
Simon F. Haeder has previously received funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for unrelated projects.
Government has made regulatory changes that protect homebuilders’ projects from increases in Metro Vancouver Regional District development cost charges, freeing up hundreds of millions of dollars in capital to invest in additional new homes.
Eligible projects now will be protected from increases to development cost charges for 24 months instead of the previous 12. This will help to ensure that homebuilders, future homebuyers, renters and tradespeople in Metro Vancouver will have more certainty that housing projects, which are planned or under construction, will continue to be built.
“There’s no question that global financial uncertainty and rising costs of goods and skilled labour have challenged the housing market in cities all over the world,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “In B.C., we’re looking for new ways every day to make sure people can live in homes they can afford. That’s why we’re taking more steps to ensure major housing projects in our biggest region have the financial certainty they need to succeed.”
The change supports the Metro Vancouver Regional District’s eligibility for $250 million in federal infrastructure funding, while granting eligible homebuilders an extra year to access the lower development cost charge rates. Using federal funding in this way ensures that Metro Vancouver can continue to upgrade critical infrastructure without increasing costs for residents or future homebuyers.
“Metro Vancouver is committed to supporting the delivery of more affordable and diverse housing options across the region,” said Mike Hurley, chair, board of directors, Metro Vancouver. “Development cost charges are essential for funding the critical housing enabling infrastructure and aligning to the commitment of growth paying for growth — such as water, wastewater treatment, and parks — that keeps our region livable, while balancing affordability. Allowing more time to continue paying 2024 rates offers developers more financial certainty for eligible developments, which can help to advance housing, support local jobs, and stimulate the economy.”
This builds on recent changes to another provincial regulation to further reduce the cost of delivering new homes for people by allowing B.C. homebuilders to delay paying 75% of development fees as long as four years or until occupancy, whichever comes first.
The Province is doing its part to reduce barriers, support housing development and encourage developers to take advantage of these changes to help ensure the benefits are felt by future homeowners. These measures are part of B.C.’s work to help deliver more homes and address key infrastructure needs during uncertain financial times.
Quotes:
Anne McMullin, president and CEO, Urban Development Institute–
“Extending the instream protection period for Metro Vancouver’s DCC increase is a meaningful step that reflects the realities of today’s development environment. Current high-cost conditions have placed significant pressure on project viability, and without this change, many projects would not have been able to proceed. This change demonstrates a practical understanding of the barriers facing the industry and helps ease some of the immediate pressure on projects, so they can move forward.”
Duncan Wlodarczak, chief of staff, Onni Group–
“This protection will help ensure our existing project pipeline can continue with less uncertainty. This means we can keep working to build more housing people need. Minister Kahlon and the Province have demonstrated an openness in these uncertain economic times to have productive conversations on steps they can take to provide relief to homebuilders. We look forward to making projects more viable, activate much needed economic activity, and deliver the necessary housing needed in the region.”
Rick Ilich, CEO, Townline–
“Bold moves like today’s announcement bring cost clarity for every project that is in the queue for building permits. Minister Kahlon understands that the cost of delivery of new housing is a major obstacle in cities achieving mandated housing supply. For companies like Townline, this added certainty supports the viability of projects in our pipeline and helps protect thousands of jobs across the region. Coupled with deferring DCC and ACC payments, it delivers timely support for much-needed housing delivery.”
Colin Bosa, CEO, Bosa Properties –
“This extension of DCC protection to 24 months is a positive step for housing development in Metro Vancouver, improving our collective ability to move forward and support more housing and construction activity across the region. We look forward to continued collaboration with all levels of government to address broader housing challenges and deliver more homes for British Columbians.”
Quick Facts:
An order-in-council will bring into force provisions of the Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (Bill 13), which received royal assent on May 29, 2025.
Homebuilders who submitted an application before March 22, 2024, and were issued permits between March 23, 2025, and March 22, 2026, will benefit from having lower development cost charge rates than new projects.
As part of the federal government’s funding agreement toward the Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant project, the governments of Canada and British Columbia negotiated terms that better support communities throughout the province.
This change applies only to Metro Vancouver Regional District, Greater Vancouver Water District, and Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District development cost charges bylaws currently in effect.
Learn More:
Information about the development cost charges can be found here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/finance/local-government-development-financing/development-cost-charges
To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for people in British Columbia, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/housing/
Information about Bill 13 – 2025, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 can be found here: https://www.leg.bc.ca/parliamentary-business/overview/43rd-parliament/1st-session/bills/1st_read/gov13-1.htm
Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Andrew J. Hoffman, Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise, Ross School of Business, School for Environment & Sustainability, University of Michigan
Questions about the role of business education have led to introspection among business school leaders and researchers.Supatman/iStock via Getty Images
Programs to help students discern their vocation or calling are gaining prominence in higher education.
According to a 2019 Bates/Gallup poll, 80% of college graduates want a sense of purpose from their work. In addition, a 2023 survey found that 50% of Generation Z and millennial employees in the U.K. and U.S. have resigned from a job because the values of the company did not align with their own.
These sentiments are also found in today’s business school students, as Gen Z is demanding that course content reflect the changes in society, from diversity and inclusion to sustainability and poverty. According to the Financial Times, “there may never have been a more demanding cohort.”
Historically, studies have shown that business school applicants have scored higher than their peers on the “dark triad” traits of narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism. These traits can manifest themselves in a tendency toward cunning, scheming and, at times, unscrupulous behavior.
Over the course of their degree program, other studies have found that business school environments can amplify those preexisting tendencies while enhancing a concern for what others think of them.
And these tendencies stick after graduation. One study examined 9,900 U.S. publicly listed firms and separated the sample by those run by managers who went to business school and those whose managers did not. While they found no discernible difference in sales or profits between the two samples, they found that labor wages were cut 6% over five years at companies run by managers who went to business school, while managers with no business degree shared profits with their workers. The study concludes that this is the result “of practices and values acquired in business education.”
Those who have decided it is worth the high cost either complain of its lack of rigor, relevance and critical thinking or use it merely for access to networks for salary enhancement, treating classroom learning as less important than attending recruiting events and social activities.
This is concerning because of the outsized role that business leaders play in today’s society: allocating capital, developing and deploying new technologies and influencing political and social debates.
At times, this role is a positive one, but not always. Distrust follows that uncertainty.
Facing this reality, business educators are beginning to reexamine how to nurture business leaders who view business not only as a means to making money but also as a vehicle in service to society.
Business schools have often included ethics courses in their curriculum, often with limited success. What some schools are experimenting with is character formation.
As part of this experimentation is the development of a coherent moral culture that lies within the course curriculum but also within the cocurricular programming, cultural events, seminars and independent studies that shape students’ worldviews; the selection, socialization, training and reward systems for students, staff and faculty; and other aspects that shape students’ formation.
Stanford’s Bill Damon, one of the leading scholars on helping students develop a sense of purpose in life, describes a revised role for faculty in this effort, one of creating the fertile conditions for students to find meaning and purpose on their own.
This is relational teaching that artificial intelligence cannot do. It involves bringing the whole person into the education process, inspiring hearts as much as engaging heads to form competent leaders who possess character, judgment and wisdom.
It allows an examination of both the how and the why of business, challenging students to consider what kind of business leader they aspire to be and what kind of legacy they wish to establish.
These are but a few examples of a growing movement. So, the building blocks are there to draw from. The student demand is waiting to be met. All that is needed is for more business schools to respond.
Andrew J. Hoffman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Pro-Palestinian supporters march outside Columbia University in September 2024.AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura
In spring 2024, pro-Palestinian student encampments that began at Columbia and Harvard spread to university campuses throughout the U.S. as Israel invaded Gaza in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attack. At least 100 campuses had encampments for at least a few days during this period.
In spring 2024, Ohio State University’s College Impact Laboratory, where we all work, surveyed universities to learn more about whether their campuses experienced protests, what happened and how they handled them. Part of our goal was to understand how spiritual leaders played a role, if any, in managing the protests. We’ve been analyzing the data ever since. The results from those who responded point to several lessons universities could learn from to avoid violence in future protests.
Often, these protests reflect broader societal tensions, and how universities respond has played a significant role in shaping their outcomes.
Historically, protests have been most likely to escalate when students feel unheard. In contrast, institutions that adopt proactive strategies, such as facilitating conversations or including students in decision-making, often experience better outcomes.
A George Washington University student carries a Palestinian flag at a student encampment protesting the Israel-Hamas war in May 2024. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
Snapshot of the pro-Palestinian protests
As our survey data shows, the pro-Palestinian protests illustrate this dynamic.
To gather data, the College Impact Laboratory sent questionnaires to administrators at the 329 universities that participate in our Interfaith Spiritual, Religious and Secular Campus Climate Index, also known as the INSPIRES Index, as well as hundreds of colleges and universities in our recruitment database.
In all, 35 schools responded to our 23-question survey. Of those, we found that most protests were led by students, half lasted less than a week, and the vast majority were nonviolent. Fifteen did not have protests, while the rest did. While the number of institutions that participated in this survey is relatively small, it does give us key insights into what schools were thinking.
Half of the campuses with protests reported law enforcement involvement – either campus police or city officers – with 20% experiencing physical altercations between protesters and police. Other disruptive actions such as academic interruptions, vandalism, physical violence and doxxing were reported with varying frequencies.
Protests at campuses that participated in our survey peaked during April and May 2024, with 70% of them experiencing demonstrations in these months.
Here are three takeaways from the survey, suggesting steps universities can take before and during future protests to avoid escalation:
1. Involve students in guidelines for engagement – early
At every surveyed institution that reported protests, students were at the forefront of organizing and leading these efforts.
Yet, despite this clear student leadership, about one-third of institutions said they didn’t consult with students to establish guidelines for engagement. Those that did invited representatives from student organizations or student government officers into the policymaking process to determine what protocols would be followed to manage protests and keep them peaceful.
On campuses where administrators didn’t engage with student leaders, tensions tended to escalate, and protests disrupted the institutions for weeks, often after police were called in or curfews were imposed.
While many of the protests lasted only one to seven days, we found that institutions that opened lines of communication early between administration and student protest leaders were more likely to deescalate tensions quickly. In contrast, campuses where administrators did not engage early on saw protests lasting weeks or involving greater disruptions.
Also, institutions that engaged early with student leaders were less likely to face stronger demands, such as calls for administrators to be fired, divestment from Israeli companies or calls to defund the campus police.
Our survey results suggest it’s important for administrators to engage with students early to establish clear guidelines to make it less likely future protests spiral into violence.
2. Communicate openly, often and before protests
Discussion of difficult topics, such as the conflict between Israel and Palestinians, shouldn’t wait until protests break out to begin. We found that every school in our survey that proactively supported dialogue between Jews and Muslims – before the war broke out – didn’t see violence result from the protests.
Dialogue isn’t just a strategy for preventing protests from spiraling out of control; it is fundamental to intergroup learning in higher education. These events create safe spaces for students − whether Arab, Jewish, Palestinian or members of different ethnic or religious groups − to engage with classmates with different points of view.
But even once protests begin, dialogue can help. When institutions engaged in dialogue, during or as a result of a protest, the protests were less likely to involve violence. At half of the campuses that participated in our survey and experienced protests, protests were ended peacefully through dialogue.
Brown, for example, modeled the power of institutional listening in its response to its April 2024 encampment. Rather than escalating tensions, university leaders engaged directly with student activists, resulting in a peaceful resolution and a commitment to bring the students’ divestment proposal to a formal vote in October. It ultimately failed to pass the board of directors.
Demonstrators unfurl a banner on a lawn after an encampment protesting the Israel-Hamas war was taken down at Brown University on April 30, 2024, in Providence, R.I. AP Photo/David Goldman
3. Involve relevant groups in decision-making
Most administrators in our survey, as they considered how to engage with protesters, reached out to relevant student groups such as those that focus on Jewish and Muslim students to better understand their perspectives.
However, only 28% consulted a religious or spiritual life office staff member on campus.
Religious or spiritual life staff are present on both private and public campuses and may include university-employed multifaith chaplains, interfaith coordinators or directors of spiritual life. Unlike student-led religious groups, these professionals often serve as liaisons to the religious and nonreligious communities represented on campus.
The focus of such roles on serving students from all worldviews positions them as key resources for deescalation through community outreach, support and two-way communication. Additionally, these professionals have valuable expertise in religious pluralism and community relationships. This experience helps them to advise administrators on policy and potential courses of action in times of tension.
Consulting with university staff with a focus on religion or spiritual life makes particular sense given the nature of the protests and how religion is intertwined, but our data suggests they may be underutilized more broadly for their expertise in navigating tensions related to competing worldviews.
Proactive engagement with these leaders not only helps campuses navigate an immediate crisis but demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity and respect for different groups’ perspectives.
Leading by example
Put another way, our research suggests institutions can avoid the negative outcomes of protests by embodying the traits commonly associated with universities, such as showing mutual respect, fostering democratic debate and engaging in critical thinking even on divisive issues. Engaging from a mindset of goodwill with student leaders shows administrators value student voices and are willing to work collaboratively toward solutions.
But when campuses ignore peaceful protests or refuse to engage with student leaders, they risk turning manageable situations into prolonged crises.
At a time when divisions run deep, we believe campuses that lead by example by embracing dialogue and engaging student activists before, during and after protests take place are not only likely to see less violence, but are likely to help heal America’s great divides.
Matthew J. Mayhew receives grant funding for various research projects from the National Science Foundation, the ECMC Foundation, the Templeton Religion Trust, the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, and Pew Charitable Trusts. Currently, Dr. Mayhew leads the College Impact Laboratory at The Ohio State University. He is the Principal Investigator for the INSPIRES Index project and is the current editor of the Digest of Recent Research.
Renee L. Bowling works for the College Impact Lab at The Ohio State University that produces the INSPIRES Index and serves as Chair of NASPA’s Spirituality and Religion in Higher Education Knowledge Community.
Hind Haddad does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The Trump administration detained former Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian protest leader Mahmoud Khalil, center, for more than two months and is seeking to revoke his lawful permanent resident status.Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images
Since the 1950s, Congress has removed some of this sprawling federal law’s most discriminatory features, such as racist national origins quotas. But other key provisions remain on the books. Now they are the primary legal basis for some of President Donald Trump’s most controversial immigration crackdowns.
Author and reporter Clay Risen discusses parallels between anticommunist fears in the 1950s and the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies.
Foreign policy trumps free speech
In March 2025, the White House invoked the McCarran-Walter Act to justify arresting and deporting Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident who had participated in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University. Officials pointed to Section 237(a)(4)(C) of the law, which states that any “alien whose presence or activities in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is deportable.”
The Trump administration cited the same provision to justify detaining Tufts University doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk in March. Ozturk came under government scrutiny because she co-authored an op-ed in the Tufts student newspaper criticizing the university’s position on the Israel-Gaza war.
Surveillance footage of a terrified Ozturk being arrested by masked Immigration Customs and Enforcement agents on a street in Somerville, Massachusetts, drew criticism from government officials and civil liberties advocates. In response, Secretary of State Marco Rubio alleged that Ozturk had harmed U.S. interests by supporting “movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus.”
Khalil and Ozturk both were released after weeks in detention, pending final resolution of their cases. Their lawyers argue that their clients’ treatment violates free speech protections and that the defendants were punished for expressing their political beliefs.
On Jan. 20, 2025, Trump issued an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security to enforce an “alien registration requirement.” The agency issued a final rule in April requiring all noncitizens over the age of 14 to register and be fingerprinted. Parents or guardians must register noncitizen children under age 14. The rule also requires adult noncitizens to carry “evidence of registration” at all times.
Such policies aren’t new. Noncitizen registration was codified in the Alien Registration Act of 1940, on the eve of U.S. entry into World War II. The law was designed to regulate the foreign-born population and encourage eligible noncitizens to join the U.S. armed forces. Its requirements were written into the McCarran-Walter Act.
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Bush administration created the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, which targeted noncitizen males age 16 or older from 25 Muslim-majority countries. It required registrants to submit biometric information, check in regularly with immigration authorities and use specific ports of entry for travel.
The Trump administration says it will strictly enforce a long-standing requirement for immigrants in the country more than 30 days to register with the federal government.
During his first term, Trump invoked these sections of the law to justify a travel ban on seven predominantly Muslim countries. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately upheld this action in 2018 by a 5-4 vote in Trump v. Hawaii. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts stated that the travel ban was well within broad powers over immigration granted to the president under the McCarran-Walter Act. He added that the court had “no view on the soundness of the policy.”
Trump’s new ban is more carefully crafted than earlier versions and more likely to withstand legal challenges. But his efforts to use the McCarren-Walter Act to ban international students from attending Harvard University face stiff legal headwinds.
On May 22, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem notified Harvard officials that the agency was revoking the school’s certification to participate in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which grants visas to international students to come to the U.S. In a June 4 proclamation, the White House claimed that foreign students at Harvard had behaved in ways that threatened U.S. national security.
A federal judge in Boston quickly blocked the revocation, holding that it violated core constitutional free speech rights. “The government’s misplaced efforts to control a reputable academic institution and squelch diverse viewpoints seemingly because they are, in some instances, opposed to this administration’s own views, threaten these rights,” wrote Judge Allison D. Burroughs.
The latest step came on July 9, when the Trump administration subpoenaed Harvard for information on its foreign students, including their disciplinary records and involvement in campus protests.
Broad power over noncitizens
Ironically, congressional sponsors of the McCarran-Walter Act were at odds with the White House when the law was enacted in 1952. They overrode a veto by President Harry S. Truman, who thought the law’s nativist ideas were unfitting for a nation of immigrants and global defender of democracy.
However, the expansive executive powers created by this law have endured largely unaltered over time, through waves of immigration reform.
Now they are a boon to the Trump administration’s ambitious immigration crackdown. It’s a telling reminder that repressive old laws can come back to life – even when they don’t reflect the current views of many Americans.
Daniel Tichenor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Because the final version of the legislation moved swiftly through the Senate and the House, estimates regarding the number of people likely to lose their health insurance coverage were incomplete when Congress approved it by razor-thin margins. Nearly 12 million Americans could lose their health insurance coverage by 2034 due to this legislation, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
Work requirements target people eligible for Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act’s expansion. They tend to have slightly higher incomes than other people enrolled in the program.
Medicaid applicants who are between 19 and 64 years old will need to certify they are working at least 80 hours a month or spending that much time engaged in comparable activities, such as community service.
When these rules have been introduced to other safety net programs, most people lost their benefits due to administrative hassles, not because they weren’t logging enough hours on the job. Experts like me expect to see that occur with Medicaid too.
The new policies also make it harder for states to pay for Medicaid, which is run by the federal government and the states. They do so by limiting the taxes states charge medical providers, which are used to fund the states’ share of Medicaid funding. With less funding, some states may try to reduce enrollment or cut benefits, such as home-based health care, in the future.
Losing Medicaid coverage may leave millions of low-income Americans without insurance coverage, with no affordable alternatives for health care. Historically, the people who are most likely to lose their benefits are low-income people of color or immigrants who do not speak English well.
A supporter of the Affordable Care Act stands in front of the Supreme Court building on Nov. 10, 2020. Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Should they exit, there would be fewer choices and higher premiums for people getting their insurance this way. It could also mean that some counties could have no ACA plans offered at all.
Ramifications for the uninsured and rural hospitals
Having to struggle to pay the kinds of high medical bills people without insurance face takes a physical, mental and financial toll, not just on people who become uninsured but also their families and friends. It also harms medical providers that don’t get reimbursed for their care.
Public health scholars like me have no doubt that many hospitals and other health care providers will have to make tough choices. Some will close. Others will offer fewer services and fire health care workers. Emergency room wait times will increase for everyone, not just people who lose their health insurance due to changes in Trump’s tax and spending package.
Rural hospitals play a crucial role in health care access.
Republicans tried to protect rural hospitals by designating $50 billion in the legislative package for them over 10 years. But this funding comes nowhere near the $155 billion in losses KFF expects those health care providers to incur due to Medicaid cuts. Also, the funding comes with a number of restrictions that could further limit its effectiveness.
What’s next
Some Republicans, including Sens. Mike Crapo and Ron Johnson, have already indicated that more health care policy changes could be coming in another large legislative package.
Moving forward, spending on Medicare, the insurance program that primarily covers Americans 65 and older, could decline too. Without any further action, the CBO says that the law could trigger an estimated $500 billion in mandatory Medicare cuts from 2026 to 2034 because of the trillions of dollars in new federal debt the law creates.
Simon F. Haeder has previously received funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for unrelated projects.
When we first got together, we wondered whether our unconventional project, linking space weather and human behavior, could actually bridge such a vast disciplinary divide. Now, two years on, we believe the payoffs – personal, professional and scientific – were well worth the initial discomfort.
Our collaboration, which culminated in a recent paper in the journal Science Advances, began with a single question: What happened to life on Earth when the planet’s magnetic field nearly collapsed roughly 41,000 years ago?
Weirdness when Earth’s magnetic shield falters
This near-collapse is known as the Laschamps Excursion, a brief but extreme geomagnetic event named for the volcanic fields in France where it was first identified. At the time of the Laschamps Excursion, near the end of the Pleistocene epoch, Earth’s magnetic poles didn’t reverse as they do every few hundred thousand years. Instead, they wandered, erratically and rapidly, over thousands of miles. At the same time, the strength of the magnetic field dropped to less than 10% of its modern day intensity.
So, instead of behaving like a stable bar magnet – a dipole – as it usually does, the Earth’s magnetic field fractured into multiple weak poles across the planet. As a result, the protective force field scientists call the magnetosphere became distorted and leaky.
The magnetosphere normally deflects much of the solar wind and harmful ultraviolet radiation that would otherwise reach Earth’s surface.
So, during the Laschamps Excursion when the magnetosphere broke down, our models suggest a number of near-Earth effects. While there is still work to be done to precisely characterize these effects, we do know they included auroras – normally seen only in skies near the poles as the Northern Lights or Southern Lights – wandering toward the equator, and significantly higher-than-present-day doses of harmful solar radiation.
The skies 41,000 years ago may have been both spectacular and threatening. When we realized this, we two geophysicists wanted to know whether this could have affected people living at the time.
The archaeologist’s answer was absolutely.
Human responses to ancient space weather
For people on the ground at that time, auroras may have been the most immediate and striking effect, perhaps inspiring awe, fear, ritual behavior or something else entirely. But the archaeological record is notoriously limited in its ability to capture these kinds of cognitive or emotional responses.
In response, people may have adopted practical measures: spending more time in caves, producing tailored clothing for better coverage, or applying mineral pigment “sunscreen” made of ochre to their skin. As we describe in our recent paper, the frequency of these behaviors indeed appears to have increased across parts of Europe, where effects of the Laschamps Excursion were pronounced and prolonged.
Naturally occurring ochre can act as a protective sunscreen if applied to skin. Museo Egizio di Torino
At this time, both Neanderthals and members of our species, Homo sapiens, were living in Europe, though their geographic distributions likely overlapped only in certain regions. The archaeological record suggests that different populations exhibited distinct approaches to environmental challenges, with some groups perhaps more reliant on shelter or material culture for protection.
Importantly, we’re not suggesting that space weather alone caused an increase in these behaviors or, certainly, that the Laschamps caused Neanderthals to go extinct, which is one misinterpretation of our research. But it could have been a contributing factor – an invisible but powerful force that influenced innovation and adaptability.
Cross-discipline collaboration
Collaborating across such a disciplinary gap was, at first, daunting. But it turned out to be deeply rewarding.
Archaeologists are used to reconstructing now-invisible phenomena like climate. We can’t measure past temperatures or precipitation directly, but they’ve left traces for us to interpret if we know where and how to look.
An artistic rendering of how far into lower latitudes the aurora might have been visible during the Laschamps Excursion. Maximilian Schanner (GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany)
But even archaeologists who’ve spent years studying the effects of climate on past behaviors and technologies may not have considered the effects of the geomagnetic field and space weather. These effects, too, are invisible, powerful and best understood through indirect evidence and modeling. Archaeologists can treat space weather as a vital component of Earth’s environmental history and future forecasting.
Likewise, geophysicists, who typically work with large datasets, models and simulations, may not always engage with some of the stakes of space weather. Archaeology adds a human dimension to the science. It reminds us that the effects of space weather don’t stop at the ionosphere. They can ripple down into the lived experiences of people on the ground, influencing how they adapt, create and survive.
The Laschamps Excursion wasn’t a fluke or a one-off. Similar disruptions of Earth’s magnetic field have happened before and will happen again. Understanding how ancient humans responded can provide insight into how future events might affect our world – and perhaps even help us prepare.
Our unconventional collaboration has shown us how much we can learn, how our perspective changes, when we cross disciplinary boundaries. Space may be vast, but it connects us all. And sometimes, building a bridge between Earth and space starts with the smallest things, such as ochre, or a coat, or even sunscreen.
Agnit Mukhopadhyay has received funding from NASA Science Mission Directorate and the University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School.
Raven Garvey and Sanja Panovska do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
This image of the Sculptor galaxy will give astronomers detailed information on a variety of stars, nebulae and galactic regions. European Southern Observatory
If you happen to find yourself in the Southern Hemisphere with binoculars and a good view of the night sky on a dark and clear summer night, you might just be able to spot the Sculptor galaxy. And if your eyes were prisms that could separate light into the thousands of colors making it up, then congratulations: After hours of staring, you could have recreated the newest image of one of the nearest neighbors to our Milky Way galaxy.
This is not just another stunningly gorgeous picture of a nearby galaxy. Because it reveals the type of light coming from each location in the galaxy, this image of the Sculptor galaxy is a treasure trove of information that astronomers around the world cannot wait to pick apart.
As an astronomy Ph.D. student at Ohio State University, I (Rebecca) am one of the lucky people who gets to stare at this image for hours every day, alongside my adviser (Adam), discovering meaning behind the beauty everyone can appreciate.
Creating the image
The Sculptor galaxy lies 11 million light-years from the Milky Way. This may sound unfathomably far, but it actually makes Sculptor one of the closest galaxies to Earth.
For this reason, Sculptor has been the primary target for many observations. In 2022, an international team of scientists observed Sculptor with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer, MUSE, on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile, and publicly released the data this June.
Most astronomical observations obtain either an image of a single color of light – for example, red or blue – or a spectrum, which splits the light coming from the whole galaxy into many different colors.
MUSE, conveniently, does both, producing a spectrum at every location it observes. One observation creates thousands of images in thousands of colors, each tracing the critical components that make up the galaxy: stars, dust and gas.
It may look like only one picture, but this image of Sculptor is actually over 100 individual observations and 8 million individual spectra, painstakingly stitched together to reveal millions of stars all in one cohesive galaxy.
Scientific significance
The light associated with the stars in Sculptor is colored white, and gas made up of charged particles is colored red. The largest concentration of both is found in the spiral arms. At the very center of the galaxy is a nuclear starburst: a region of extreme star formation that is blowing material out of the galaxy.
There is even information in the absence of light. Dust obscures light emitted from behind it, creating a shadow effect called dust lanes. Tracing these dust lanes reveals the cold, dense material that exists between stars. Scientists believe this dark material is the fuel that will form the next generation of stars.
Complex gaseous nebulae (red) surround young and massive stars (white) in this zoom-in of a cluster of star-forming regions. European Southern Observatory/VLT/MUSE
There is a lot to look at in this image, but the subject of my work and what I find most interesting is the gas illuminated in red. In these star-forming regions, young and massive stars excite the gas around them, which then glows with a specific color to reveal the chemical makeup and physical conditions of the gas.
This image represents one of the first times that astronomers have obtained images of thousands of star-forming regions at this impressive level of detail. A component of our team’s research uses the data from MUSE to understand how these regions are structured and how they interact with the surrounding galaxy.
By meticulously piecing all of this information together, astronomers can use this image to learn more about the formation and evolution of stars across the universe.
Rebecca McClain receives funding from the National Science Foundation.
Adam Leroy receives funding from NASA/Space Telescope Science Institute that supports research related to the survey of NGC 253 discussed in this article.
Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Andrew J. Hoffman, Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise, Ross School of Business, School for Environment & Sustainability, University of Michigan
Questions about the role of business education have led to introspection among business school leaders and researchers.Supatman/iStock via Getty Images
Programs to help students discern their vocation or calling are gaining prominence in higher education.
According to a 2019 Bates/Gallup poll, 80% of college graduates want a sense of purpose from their work. In addition, a 2023 survey found that 50% of Generation Z and millennial employees in the U.K. and U.S. have resigned from a job because the values of the company did not align with their own.
These sentiments are also found in today’s business school students, as Gen Z is demanding that course content reflect the changes in society, from diversity and inclusion to sustainability and poverty. According to the Financial Times, “there may never have been a more demanding cohort.”
Historically, studies have shown that business school applicants have scored higher than their peers on the “dark triad” traits of narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism. These traits can manifest themselves in a tendency toward cunning, scheming and, at times, unscrupulous behavior.
Over the course of their degree program, other studies have found that business school environments can amplify those preexisting tendencies while enhancing a concern for what others think of them.
And these tendencies stick after graduation. One study examined 9,900 U.S. publicly listed firms and separated the sample by those run by managers who went to business school and those whose managers did not. While they found no discernible difference in sales or profits between the two samples, they found that labor wages were cut 6% over five years at companies run by managers who went to business school, while managers with no business degree shared profits with their workers. The study concludes that this is the result “of practices and values acquired in business education.”
Those who have decided it is worth the high cost either complain of its lack of rigor, relevance and critical thinking or use it merely for access to networks for salary enhancement, treating classroom learning as less important than attending recruiting events and social activities.
This is concerning because of the outsized role that business leaders play in today’s society: allocating capital, developing and deploying new technologies and influencing political and social debates.
At times, this role is a positive one, but not always. Distrust follows that uncertainty.
Facing this reality, business educators are beginning to reexamine how to nurture business leaders who view business not only as a means to making money but also as a vehicle in service to society.
Business schools have often included ethics courses in their curriculum, often with limited success. What some schools are experimenting with is character formation.
As part of this experimentation is the development of a coherent moral culture that lies within the course curriculum but also within the cocurricular programming, cultural events, seminars and independent studies that shape students’ worldviews; the selection, socialization, training and reward systems for students, staff and faculty; and other aspects that shape students’ formation.
Stanford’s Bill Damon, one of the leading scholars on helping students develop a sense of purpose in life, describes a revised role for faculty in this effort, one of creating the fertile conditions for students to find meaning and purpose on their own.
This is relational teaching that artificial intelligence cannot do. It involves bringing the whole person into the education process, inspiring hearts as much as engaging heads to form competent leaders who possess character, judgment and wisdom.
It allows an examination of both the how and the why of business, challenging students to consider what kind of business leader they aspire to be and what kind of legacy they wish to establish.
These are but a few examples of a growing movement. So, the building blocks are there to draw from. The student demand is waiting to be met. All that is needed is for more business schools to respond.
Andrew J. Hoffman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Pro-Palestinian supporters march outside Columbia University in September 2024.AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura
In spring 2024, pro-Palestinian student encampments that began at Columbia and Harvard spread to university campuses throughout the U.S. as Israel invaded Gaza in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attack. At least 100 campuses had encampments for at least a few days during this period.
In spring 2024, Ohio State University’s College Impact Laboratory, where we all work, surveyed universities to learn more about whether their campuses experienced protests, what happened and how they handled them. Part of our goal was to understand how spiritual leaders played a role, if any, in managing the protests. We’ve been analyzing the data ever since. The results from those who responded point to several lessons universities could learn from to avoid violence in future protests.
Often, these protests reflect broader societal tensions, and how universities respond has played a significant role in shaping their outcomes.
Historically, protests have been most likely to escalate when students feel unheard. In contrast, institutions that adopt proactive strategies, such as facilitating conversations or including students in decision-making, often experience better outcomes.
A George Washington University student carries a Palestinian flag at a student encampment protesting the Israel-Hamas war in May 2024. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
Snapshot of the pro-Palestinian protests
As our survey data shows, the pro-Palestinian protests illustrate this dynamic.
To gather data, the College Impact Laboratory sent questionnaires to administrators at the 329 universities that participate in our Interfaith Spiritual, Religious and Secular Campus Climate Index, also known as the INSPIRES Index, as well as hundreds of colleges and universities in our recruitment database.
In all, 35 schools responded to our 23-question survey. Of those, we found that most protests were led by students, half lasted less than a week, and the vast majority were nonviolent. Fifteen did not have protests, while the rest did. While the number of institutions that participated in this survey is relatively small, it does give us key insights into what schools were thinking.
Half of the campuses with protests reported law enforcement involvement – either campus police or city officers – with 20% experiencing physical altercations between protesters and police. Other disruptive actions such as academic interruptions, vandalism, physical violence and doxxing were reported with varying frequencies.
Protests at campuses that participated in our survey peaked during April and May 2024, with 70% of them experiencing demonstrations in these months.
Here are three takeaways from the survey, suggesting steps universities can take before and during future protests to avoid escalation:
1. Involve students in guidelines for engagement – early
At every surveyed institution that reported protests, students were at the forefront of organizing and leading these efforts.
Yet, despite this clear student leadership, about one-third of institutions said they didn’t consult with students to establish guidelines for engagement. Those that did invited representatives from student organizations or student government officers into the policymaking process to determine what protocols would be followed to manage protests and keep them peaceful.
On campuses where administrators didn’t engage with student leaders, tensions tended to escalate, and protests disrupted the institutions for weeks, often after police were called in or curfews were imposed.
While many of the protests lasted only one to seven days, we found that institutions that opened lines of communication early between administration and student protest leaders were more likely to deescalate tensions quickly. In contrast, campuses where administrators did not engage early on saw protests lasting weeks or involving greater disruptions.
Also, institutions that engaged early with student leaders were less likely to face stronger demands, such as calls for administrators to be fired, divestment from Israeli companies or calls to defund the campus police.
Our survey results suggest it’s important for administrators to engage with students early to establish clear guidelines to make it less likely future protests spiral into violence.
2. Communicate openly, often and before protests
Discussion of difficult topics, such as the conflict between Israel and Palestinians, shouldn’t wait until protests break out to begin. We found that every school in our survey that proactively supported dialogue between Jews and Muslims – before the war broke out – didn’t see violence result from the protests.
Dialogue isn’t just a strategy for preventing protests from spiraling out of control; it is fundamental to intergroup learning in higher education. These events create safe spaces for students − whether Arab, Jewish, Palestinian or members of different ethnic or religious groups − to engage with classmates with different points of view.
But even once protests begin, dialogue can help. When institutions engaged in dialogue, during or as a result of a protest, the protests were less likely to involve violence. At half of the campuses that participated in our survey and experienced protests, protests were ended peacefully through dialogue.
Brown, for example, modeled the power of institutional listening in its response to its April 2024 encampment. Rather than escalating tensions, university leaders engaged directly with student activists, resulting in a peaceful resolution and a commitment to bring the students’ divestment proposal to a formal vote in October. It ultimately failed to pass the board of directors.
Demonstrators unfurl a banner on a lawn after an encampment protesting the Israel-Hamas war was taken down at Brown University on April 30, 2024, in Providence, R.I. AP Photo/David Goldman
3. Involve relevant groups in decision-making
Most administrators in our survey, as they considered how to engage with protesters, reached out to relevant student groups such as those that focus on Jewish and Muslim students to better understand their perspectives.
However, only 28% consulted a religious or spiritual life office staff member on campus.
Religious or spiritual life staff are present on both private and public campuses and may include university-employed multifaith chaplains, interfaith coordinators or directors of spiritual life. Unlike student-led religious groups, these professionals often serve as liaisons to the religious and nonreligious communities represented on campus.
The focus of such roles on serving students from all worldviews positions them as key resources for deescalation through community outreach, support and two-way communication. Additionally, these professionals have valuable expertise in religious pluralism and community relationships. This experience helps them to advise administrators on policy and potential courses of action in times of tension.
Consulting with university staff with a focus on religion or spiritual life makes particular sense given the nature of the protests and how religion is intertwined, but our data suggests they may be underutilized more broadly for their expertise in navigating tensions related to competing worldviews.
Proactive engagement with these leaders not only helps campuses navigate an immediate crisis but demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity and respect for different groups’ perspectives.
Leading by example
Put another way, our research suggests institutions can avoid the negative outcomes of protests by embodying the traits commonly associated with universities, such as showing mutual respect, fostering democratic debate and engaging in critical thinking even on divisive issues. Engaging from a mindset of goodwill with student leaders shows administrators value student voices and are willing to work collaboratively toward solutions.
But when campuses ignore peaceful protests or refuse to engage with student leaders, they risk turning manageable situations into prolonged crises.
At a time when divisions run deep, we believe campuses that lead by example by embracing dialogue and engaging student activists before, during and after protests take place are not only likely to see less violence, but are likely to help heal America’s great divides.
Matthew J. Mayhew receives grant funding for various research projects from the National Science Foundation, the ECMC Foundation, the Templeton Religion Trust, the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, and Pew Charitable Trusts. Currently, Dr. Mayhew leads the College Impact Laboratory at The Ohio State University. He is the Principal Investigator for the INSPIRES Index project and is the current editor of the Digest of Recent Research.
Renee L. Bowling works for the College Impact Lab at The Ohio State University that produces the INSPIRES Index and serves as Chair of NASPA’s Spirituality and Religion in Higher Education Knowledge Community.
Hind Haddad does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
