Waiting for Leadership in a Time of Crisis
Hotspots in Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe allude solutions
The Trump administration is brushing aside decades of precedent by ordering Columbia University in New York City to oust the leadership of an academic department, a demand seen as a direct attack on academic freedom and a warning of what’s to come for other colleges facing federal scrutiny. Federal officials told the university it must immediately place its Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Department under “academic receivership for a minimum of five years.” The demand was among several described as conditions for receiving federal funding, including $400 million already pulled over allegations of antisemitism. Across academia, it was seen as a stunning intrusion. “It’s an escalation of a kind that is unheard of,” said Joan Scott, a historian and member of the academic freedom committee of the American Association of University Professors. “Even during the McCarthy period in the United States, this was not done.” President Donald Trump has been threatening to withhold federal funding from colleges that do not get in line with his agenda, from transgender athletes’ participating in women’s sports to diversity, equity and inclusion programs. On Friday, his administration announced investigations into 52 universities as part of his DEI crackdown - AP
U.S. attempts to bring peace to Ukraine appears to be hitting the walls of the Kremlin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Moscow of trying to slow down the process and accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of manipulative tactics. “The onus is now on Russia to accept or refuse the U.S. proposal for an 30-day ceasefire- and show the world who is truly the barrier to peace,” I told BBC World Television early this morning. In London, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to convene a second summit, this time virtually, of leaders belonging to a western “coalition of the willing” - which has now grown to around 25 to include Australia and New Zealand. It’ll also mark the first time newly sworn-in Mark Carney takes part as Canadian prime minister. US President Donald Trump has praised talks held with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the US-proposed ceasefire deal in Ukraine as "good and productive". He said in a Truth Social post that the talks provided "a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end". Absent from his recent remarks were earlier threats to “arm Ukraine to the teeth” should Moscow not offer concessions that will lead to peace.
Bloomberg reported on March 12 that sources familiar with the Kremlin's thinking and the situation stated that Putin will "stretch the timeline" for agreeing to the temporary ceasefire in order to ensure that his stipulations "are taken into account." A source close to the Kremlin stated that Russia may demand a halt to weapons supplies to Ukraine as a condition of the temporary ceasefire. Meanwhile, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday that Ukrainian troops remaining in the Kursk region of Russia will be ruthlessly destroyed if they continue to fight.
A taskforce which helped find hundreds of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia has been scrapped by Elon Musk’s Doge. The Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL), which was based at Yale University is the latest organisation to fall victim to the tech billionaire’s evisceration of the federal budget. It is estimated that more than 20,000 Ukrainian children have been kidnapped by the Russians since the 2022 invasion. “Researchers at the Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) were notified recently that government funding for their work on the war in Ukraine has been discontinued,” a Yale spokesman said. “HRL investigates and addresses humanitarian crises worldwide, using data and analysis from open-source and remote sensing.” Campaigners say the children have been indoctrinated to Russian customs and turned against their home country. The Yale team located hundreds of children who were unlawfully brought to Russia working with Bring Kids Back UA, a campaign launched by Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president. In all, around 1,240 have been repatriated. The kidnapping of Ukrainian children has been raised many times on Capitol Hill including by senior Democrat Dick Durbin. “War brings out the worst in humans. And Russia, under the bloody leadership of Vladimir Putin, has committed some of the worst wartime atrocities that a mind can imagine,” he said. “But one of the most horrific of these atrocities is Russia’s kidnapping of Ukrainian children… Since Russia’s full-scale war of aggression started in 2022, the government of Russia has abducted, forcibly transferred, or facilitated the illegal deportation of at least 20,000 Ukrainian children.
“War brings out the worst in humans. And Russia, under the bloody leadership of Vladimir Putin, has committed some of the worst wartime atrocities that a mind can imagine,” - senior U.S. Democrat Dick Durbin.
Hungary has agreed to drop its veto and allow the renewal of the sanctions that the European Union has imposed on more than 2,400 individuals and entities, mainly from Russia, in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The resolution happened on Friday, less than 48 hours before the measures were set to expire, a risky deadlock that had put the bloc in a situation of extraordinary suspense. Sanctions have to be renewed every six months by unanimity, meaning one member state can single-handedly derail the entire process. Budapest demanded several names be removed from the blacklist, several diplomats told Euronews. Following intense discussions behind the scenes, a compromise was eventually reached to release four people, three of whom Hungary wanted. They were: Russian businessman Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor; Russia’s sports minister, Mikhail Degtyaryov; and Gulbahor Ismailova, the sister of oligarch Alisher Usmanov; and, Vladimir Rashevsky, businessman (removed over "weak legal case") - Euronews
The UN emergency food relief agency has not been able to transport any aid into the Gaza Strip, due to the ongoing closure of all border crossing points, which is now in its twelfth day, the UN Spokesperson said on Friday. There is also a shortage of fuel, which is affecting the movement of vehicles across Gaza and slowing down first responders, Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at the regular news briefing in New York. “The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) notes that oxygen supplies and electricity generators are also critically needed to maintain life-saving operations at hospitals in Gaza,” he said. “At least two dozen additional generators are needed for health centres, as the ones currently in use need maintenance and spare parts,” he added.
Cuba's national electrical grid collapsed late on Friday, leading to widespread blackouts in the capital Havana and across the Caribbean island nation. Energy ministry officials said an electrical substation in Havana failed around 8:15 p.m. (0015 GMT), knocking out power to a large swath of western Cuba, including the capital. The lights were out across all of Havana's waterfront skyline, a Reuters witness observed, with only a scattered few tourist hotels operating on fuel-fired generators. Reports on social media from outlying provinces both east and west of the capital city suggested much of the country of 10 million people was without power - Reuters
Iran is using aerial drones, facial recognition systems, and a citizen-reporting app to enforce mandatory hijab laws on women, according to a United Nations report released Friday. The report highlights Iran’s escalating reliance on technology to monitor and punish women defying the mandatory dress code. Central to this crackdown is the “Nazer” mobile application, a government-backed tool that allows citizens and police to report women for alleged violations. Investigators involved in a two-year fact-finding mission accuse Iran of systemic human rights violations and crimes against humanity in its repression of dissent, particularly targeting women and girls. According to the report, the “Nazer” mobile application enables users to upload the license plate, location, and time of a vehicle where a woman is not wearing a hijab. The app then “flags” the vehicle online, alerting the police,” the report reads. The app also “triggers a text message (in real-time) to the registered owner of the vehicle, warning them that they had been found in violation of the mandatory hijab laws, and that their vehicles would be impounded for ignoring these warnings,” per the report. The app, accessible via Iran’s police, abbreviated as (FARAJA) website, was expanded in September 2024 to target women in ambulances, taxis, and public transport.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that South Africa’s ambassador to the United States “is no longer welcome” in the country, in the latest Trump administration move targeting the African nation. Rubio, in a post on X, accused Ebrahim Rasool of being a “race-baiting politician” who hates President Donald Trump. Rubio declared the South African diplomat “persona non grata. Neither Rubio, who posted as he was flying back to Washington from a Group of 7 foreign ministers meeting in Canada, nor the State Department gave any immediate explanation for the decision. But Rubio linked to a Breitbart story about a talk Rasool gave earlier Friday as part of a South African think tank’s webinar in which he spoke about actions taken by the Trump administration in the context of a United States where white people soon would no longer be in the majority - AP
The Committee to Protect Journalists has urged India’s Maharashtra state authorities to consult with journalists and media groups to ensure that its plan to use artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor media coverage and correct “negative” reports does not undermine press freedom. According to a March 6 Government Resolution approving the release of funds, a new 100 million-rupee (US$1.2 million) media monitoring center will track print, electronic, digital, and social media news reports about western Maharashtra’s state government and classify them as either “positive” or “negative.” A private consulting agency will analyze the coverage and compile reports for state authorities. “Maharashtra state’s AI-driven media monitoring plan raises serious concerns about press freedom and the potential for government overreach,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi. “The government’s intention to monitor and pursue media outlets producing news that the government classifies as ‘negative’ could increase the risk of self-censorship and deter journalists from investing in critical reporting. The Maharashtra government must commit to protecting press freedom and come clean about the purpose and scope of this plan.”
The United States has restricted visas to current and former Thai officials involved in the return of 40 Uyghurs to China last month, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday. The visa curbs are part of a new US policy to combat China’s efforts to pressure governments to forcibly return Uyghurs and other groups to China, the secretary of state said in a statement. Members of the Chinese minority group are subject to torture and enforced disappearances and the new visa restriction policy will apply to any government officials who deport Uyghurs back to the Asian country, Mr Rubio said “In light of China’s longstanding acts of genocide and crimes against humanity committed against Uyghurs, we call on governments around the world not to forcibly return Uyghurs and other groups to China,” he said. The US did not identify the Thai officials who will face visa restrictions. It said certain family members of the targeted individuals might also be subject to the measures - Bangkok Post
An estimated 12.1 million women and girls - and increasingly men and boys - are at risk of sexual violence in Sudan. “This is an 80 per cent increase from the previous year,” said Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, briefing the UN Security Council on the situation in Sudan. “With its economy and social services system and infrastructure in near collapse, and no end to the conflict in sight, we estimate that nearly two thirds of Sudan’s total population - more than 30 million people - will require humanitarian assistance this year. 16 million of them are children - and they are paying a terrible price.” The humanitarian crisis in Sudan is escalating rapidly, with famine spreading to hotspots across the country. Russell added, “Famine is occurring in hotspots in at least five locations in Sudan, with an estimated 1.3 million children under five living in these areas. Over 3 million children under five are at imminent risk of deadly disease outbreaks, including cholera, malaria, and dengue, due to a failing health system.” The dire situation is exacerbated by the collapse of infrastructure, with 16.5 million school-aged children out of school, and nearly an entire generation at risk. “This is not just a crisis, it is a poly-crisis affecting every sector, from health and nutrition to water, education, and protection," Russell said.
Read my New York Times OpEd on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by clicking HERE