分类： society

A coalition of students and faculty at Columbia University has initiated a comprehensive campaign to fundamentally restructure the institution’s highest governing body, the Board of Trustees. This movement emerges from mounting concerns over what participants describe as systemic governance failures and the disenfranchisement of university stakeholders.

The campaign, spearheaded by the Columbia chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), cites multiple catalysts for reform. Primary among these is the administration’s handling of pro-Palestine protests, particularly the decision to involve law enforcement which resulted in hundreds of student arrests, numerous suspensions, and several students facing deportation proceedings. Activists maintain these actions have created a chilling effect on free speech across campus.

Additional grievances include the university’s settlement with the Trump administration, wherein Columbia agreed to pay $220 million to resolve allegations of violating federal anti-discrimination laws rather than contesting the charges. Professor Michael Thaddeus, AAUP vice-president, characterized this as a ‘deeply misguided decision’ that involved unprecedented concessions to government demands regarding hiring practices, curriculum development, and admissions policies.

The campaign also highlights the case of Dr. Robert Hadden, a former gynecologist convicted of sexual assault, whose misconduct they allege was systematically concealed by university administration for decades.

Critics identify structural deficiencies within the current governance model. The 20-member board, composed primarily of finance sector executives with minimal academic representation, operates through a self-perpetuating nomination process without stakeholder input. Professor Jean E Howard notes the board’s concerning lack of transparency, refusing to publish meeting minutes while simultaneously curtailing the powers of the University Senate.

The proposed reforms envision transforming the board into a democratically elected body that better reflects the Columbia community’s diversity. Advocates argue this structural change would counter what they describe as oligarchic governance serving the interests of the wealthiest one percent rather than the broader university population.

While organizers acknowledge the long-term nature of this initiative, they emphasize the urgency of establishing more representative governance to restore Columbia’s ethical and intellectual integrity amid what they characterize as the challenges of the Trump era.

In a landmark legal confrontation at London’s High Court, Prince Harry has become the target of a sustained retaliation campaign for his courageous stance against one of Britain’s most influential media entities. The Duke of Sussex, alongside six prominent figures including music icon Elton John, has initiated legal proceedings against Associated Newspapers Limited, publisher of the Daily Mail, alleging systematic privacy violations spanning over two decades.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, Harry’s legal representative David Sherborne presented a compelling narrative of orchestrated media attacks against the prince. The court heard how Harry’s personal relationships, particularly those preceding his marriage to Meghan Markle, became subjects of intense and damaging media scrutiny. The alleged privacy breaches encompassed sophisticated methods including voicemail interception, landline bugging, and deceptive information gathering techniques known as ‘blagging’.

Sherborne emphasized the paradoxical relationship between Harry and the tabloid press, noting that while the prince generated substantial revenue for these publications, he simultaneously endured relentless invasions of privacy. Fourteen specific articles were cited as examples, including intrusive reports about Harry’s potential role as godfather to his former nanny’s child and sensitive details regarding his previous relationship with Chelsy Davy.

The psychological impact on Harry was described as significant, with the lawyer detailing how the constant surveillance created profound distress and paranoia. ‘Given the evidence presented, is it surprising that His Royal Highness feels subjected to sustained attacks for demonstrating the courage to challenge Associated Newspapers?’ Sherborne questioned the court.

This legal battle represents the latest chapter in Harry’s personal crusade for media accountability, a mission intensified by the tragic loss of his mother, Princess Diana, in a 1997 paparazzi-related incident. Associated Newspapers has vigorously denied all allegations, maintaining that their journalists operated within legal boundaries and obtained information through legitimate channels including contacts and press officers.

The trial, expected to extend over nine weeks, will feature testimony from all claimants including Elton John, who alleges the Mail obtained his son’s birth certificate through surrogacy before he and his husband received it. This case marks another historic moment as Harry prepares to potentially testify, having already made history as the first royal in 130 years to appear in court during his 2023 litigation against another media group.

Ajman Police Department has officially declared a comprehensive three-month closure of Rashid bin Abdulaziz Street, a key thoroughfare located in the Al Rashidiya 2 district. This significant infrastructure initiative commenced on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, and is projected to conclude on April 20, 2026.

The temporary shutdown forms an integral component of a broader municipal strategy aimed at road expansion and substantial development works designed to enhance urban mobility and transportation efficiency. Law enforcement authorities have proactively issued detailed guidance to motorists and commuters, strongly advising them to utilize designated alternative routes throughout the construction period to ensure minimal disruption to daily transit patterns.

Through strategic communications across their official social media platforms, Ajman Police have disseminated crucial informational resources including digital mapping illustrations that precisely delineate the affected closure zone while simultaneously highlighting recommended detour paths. This transparent public communication approach reflects the department’s commitment to maintaining seamless traffic flow and ensuring public safety during essential urban development operations.

The extended duration of this project underscores the scale and importance of the infrastructure enhancements underway, representing Ajman’s continued investment in modernizing its transportation network to accommodate growing urban demands and future development requirements.

A catastrophic fire that engulfed Karachi’s bustling Gul Plaza shopping center on Saturday evening has left a trail of devastation, with over 70 individuals still unaccounted for and 27 confirmed fatalities. The densely-packed wholesale market, which housed approximately 1,200 shops across multiple floors, became a death trap when flames rapidly consumed the structure despite its impending closure time.

Eyewitness accounts reveal a horrifying sequence of events where locked emergency exits and extreme overcrowding created impossible escape conditions. Rehan Faisal, a bedsheet merchant who narrowly escaped, described how the inferno transformed the entire building into an inferno within mere minutes. ‘No-one knew it would spread so much,’ he recounted, noting that everything burned ‘before our eyes’ in under seven minutes.

Nineteen-year-old shop employee Shoiab provided a harrowing testimony of the chaos: ‘Suddenly everything was covered with smoke – we couldn’t see anything and there was panic everywhere. The first exit I tried was locked and the crowds were too dense.’ His survival came only through the intervention of an unknown rescuer who dragged him to safety after he lost consciousness from smoke inhalation.

The tragedy has exposed critical failures in emergency preparedness and building safety compliance. Senior police official Syed Asad Raza confirmed that only three of the center’s sixteen exits remained accessible, while most gates had been secured ahead of the scheduled closing. Rescue operations face extreme challenges due to the structurally compromised building that risks complete collapse at any moment, according to Dr. Abid Jalaluddin Sheikh, a senior rescue official.

Anguished families maintain vigil at the disaster site, clutching onto fading hope for their missing loved ones. Muhammad Amin voices the collective despair: ‘What should I tell my mother? My nieces are crying for their father – they ask why he is late to come home.’ The emotional toll compounds as relatives like Muhammad Qaiser search for multiple missing family members without receiving coherent information from authorities.

Public outrage has escalated into protests demanding accountability for delayed emergency response and systemic safety negligence. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab faced public scorn when arriving nearly 24 hours post-incident, while survivors noted the fire brigade’s delayed arrival despite urgent need. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has pledged a comprehensive investigation, with national lawmakers calling for sweeping reforms in building safety protocols and urban emergency management systems.

As Tetsuya Yamagami awaits sentencing for the 2022 assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a profound societal division has emerged regarding appropriate punishment for the self-confessed killer. The 45-year-old defendant, who pleaded guilty at the outset of his trial, faces potential life imprisonment for shooting Japan’s longest-serving prime minister during a campaign speech in Nara.

Prosecutors characterize the assassination as a ‘grave act’ that shocked a nation unaccustomed to gun violence, demanding maximum punishment for the cold-blooded murder of a towering political figure. Conversely, Yamagami’s defense team argues for leniency, presenting their client as a victim of ‘religious abuse’ stemming from his mother’s ruinous devotion to the Unification Church.

The trial has revealed how Yamagami’s family bankruptcy—caused by his mother donating approximately 100 million yen (S$828,750) to the church—fueled resentment against Abe after the former prime minister appeared in a church-related video message in 2021. Despite initially targeting church executives, Yamagami ultimately directed his homemade weapon toward Abe, creating what prosecutors call ‘a leap in logic’ in connecting his grievances to the politician.

Journalist Eito Suzuki, who extensively covered the proceedings, observed how both the Abe and Yamagami families were ‘overwhelmed with despair’ throughout the emotional trial. The court witnessed tearful testimony from Yamagami’s sister describing the ‘dire circumstances’ endured by the family due to their mother’s church involvement.

The assassination has triggered significant repercussions, including government investigations into the Unification Church’s practices, the resignation of several cabinet ministers over church connections, and ultimately the revocation of the church’s religious corporation status by a Tokyo court. Sociologists note that public sympathy for Yamagami reflects widespread distrust of controversial religious organizations in Japan, though experts emphasize that victimhood does not justify political violence.