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Iran says coastal attack will lead to full Gulf closure and mine-laying

An attack on Iran's southern coast and islands will lead to Gulf routes being cut with the laying of sea mines, the country's Defence Council said on Monday, according to state media. The US is considering plans to occupy or blockade Iran's Kharg Island, the country's main oil export hub, to pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping, according to Axios. "Any attempt to attack Iran's coasts or islands will cause all access routes in the Gulf (...) to be mined with various types of sea mines, including floating mines that can be released from the coast," the statement read. "In this case, the entire Gulf will practically be in a situation similar to the Strait of Hormuz for a long time (...) One should not forget the failure of more than 100 minesweepers in the 1980s in removing a few sea mines." The Defence Council recalled that non-belligerent states can only pass through the Strait of Hormuz by coordinating passage with Iran...

Harvard President apologises as campus reports reveal antisemitism, anti-muslim bias

Harvard University President Alan Garber issued a formal apology Tuesday following the release of two scathing internal reports detailing antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias across campus. The reports, commissioned in early 2024 after student unrest related to the Israel war, outlined a culture of fear and discrimination that left Jewish, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian students feeling targeted, unsafe, and pressured to conceal their identities. The investigations, conducted by separate task forces, revealed that students experienced harassment, doxxing, and social exclusion during the 2023–24 academic year, particularly in the aftermath of the genocide. Garber acknowledged the university’s failure to uphold its standards of inclusion and condemned the prejudice reported, stating, “Harvard cannot—and will not—abide bigotry.” The reports include recommendations to improve campus culture, such as reforming admissions to emphasize applicants’ ability to engage constructively across differences and expanding academic offerings in Jewish, Arab, and Islamic studies. Harvard has committed to reviewing policies, enhancing safety measures, and promoting civil discourse. The release comes as Harvard faces mounting pressure from the Trump administration, which has frozen over $2 billion in federal funds and demanded the elimination of race-based preferences in admissions. Harvard responded by filing a lawsuit against the federal government, accusing it of violating the university’s constitutional rights and using funding as leverage to influence academic policy. Spanning more than 500 pages, the reports mark a pivotal moment for the nation’s oldest university, which is now pledging institutional reform amid national scrutiny and internal division.

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At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

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