18/09/2025

THURSDAY | SEPT 18, 2025

8

US govt sued over actions against universities

France on alert over expected protests PARIS: France is bracing for a day of nationwide protests today, with a source close to authorities saying some 800,000 people are expected to take to the streets. In a rare show of unity, trade unions have urged French people to strike in protest at authorities over a “horror show” draft budget designed to reduce France’s ballooning debt. Road traffic, rail and air services are expected to be disrupted and many schools will be closed today. The planned demonstrations come after President Emmanuel Macron last week named his close ally Sebastien Lecornu as the new prime minister to resolve a deepening political crisis. Lecornu’s predecessor Francois Bayrou lost a confidence vote in parliament over an attempt to get an austerity budget adopted, which he had hoped would cut the French deficit and address a growing debt pile. Last Wednesday, about 200,000 demonstrators turned out in a show of grassroots opposition to Macron following calls on social media to “block everything”. Officials expect a much bigger turnout today, pointing to determination of trade unions to bring protesting crowds onto the streets as anger simmers over political deadlock and high living costs. At least 250 marches are expected to take place, a security source said. The scale of the protest is expected to be comparable to that of one in 2023 against the controversial pension reform when between 280,000 and more than a million people demonstrated, depending on the day. Outgoing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told law enforcement officials that “the risks of public disorder are significant due to the presence of small groups of ultra-leftists who will try to infiltrate the official marches”. He said no damage to public buildings would be tolerated, warning of the risk of sabotage and blockades. About 80,000 policemen will be deployed across the country. – AFP Activist murder suspect faces death penalty PROVO: The suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk appeared in court on Tuesday and was charged with the conservative activist’s murder, as prosecutors said they were seeking the death penalty for the crime. Kirk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump and founder of student activism group Turning Point USA, was shot dead last week during an event on a Utah university campus. Tyler Robinson, 22, is accused of firing a single bullet from a rooftop, fatally hitting Kirk in the neck in front of thousands of people. District judge Tony Graf read out seven charges, including aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and witness tampering, allegedly for ordering his roommate to be silent. Utah County attorney Jeff Gray cited lengthy text message exchanges between Robinson and his roommate, whom he described as “a biological male who was transitioning genders”. Gray said on the day of the murder, Robinson had texted his roommate to say there was a message under his keyboard. “I have the opportunity to take out Kirk and I am going to take it,“ said the note. In one part of the exchange, the roommate asked Robinson why he had killed Kirk. “’I had enough of his hatred. Some hate cannot be negotiated out’,” Gray cited the messages as saying. On Monday, the White House said it would be pursuing an alleged left-wing “domestic terror movement” in the wake of Kirk’s killing, prompting alarm that such a campaign could be used to silence political dissent. – AFP

WASHINGTON: Labour unions, faculties and students in the University of California education system sued US President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday over the freezing of federal funds and other actions that they say aim to stifle academic freedom. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, seeks to forbid the government from using financial threats against the system that it said are harmful and unlawful. It also aims to restore funding already suspended. The coalition that filed the lawsuit said the threats are based on disdain for the institutions’ curriculum, expressive activity on campuses, and initiatives for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The university said it is not a party of the o Suit seeks to forbid financial threats against system and restore suspended funding

Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom called it an extortion attempt. UCLA said in August the government froze US$584 million in funding before a judge ordered the Trump administration to restore some of the money. The University of California, Berkeley said on Friday it provided information on 160 faculty members and students to the government as part of an investigation. University of California president James Milliken said on Monday the institution is facing one of the gravest threats in its history due to the federal government’s actions, adding that it receives more than US$17 billion each year in federal support. The Trump administration has faced legal roadblocks in its funding freeze attempts. A federal judge ruled earlier this month that it had unlawfully terminated more than US$2 billion in grants for Harvard University. The government alleges that universities allowed antisemitism in campus protests. Protesters, including some Jewish groups, have said the government is wrongly equating their criticism of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories with antisemitism, and their advocacy for Palestinian rights with support for extremism. – Reuters California

suit but was engaged in legal and advocacy efforts to maintain and restore its funding. A White House spokesperson dismissed the suit as a legal effort from “victimhood-seeking professors”, saying the government opposes “unreasonable overhead fees” while advocating responsible management of federal funds. The government has launched probes into universities’ handling of alleged antisemitism during student protests against Israel’s assault on Gaza and has frozen funds over that and other issues, including climate initiatives and DEI programmes. Civil rights advocates say the Trump administration is trying to make universities more aligned with his political agenda while critics see such attempts as threatening free speech and academic freedom. The University of California operates one of the largest higher-education systems in the country, with 10 main campuses and nearly 300,000 students, as well as 265,000 faculty and other staff. The Trump administration had proposed to settle its probe into the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) through a US$1 billion (RM4.19 billion) payment from the institution.

Four held over Trump, Epstein images on UK castle LONDON: Four people were arrested on Tuesday following a projection of images of US President Donald Trump alongside sex offender Jeffrey Epstein onto the royal Windsor Castle, where Trump is set to be hosted by King Charles during his state visit to Britain. were arrested on suspicion of malicious communications following an “unauthorised projection” at Windsor Castle, which they described as a “public stunt”. The four remain in custody. Although he has urged his supporters to move on from the topic, appetite for details about Epstein’s crimes and who else may have known about them or been involved with him has remained high. The images were projected by a campaign group, Led By Donkeys, after the arrival of Trump for a state visit to the country. – REUTERSPIC

Trump was friends with Epstein before becoming president but had a falling out with the former financier years before his 2019 death in prison. The birthday letter contained text of a purported dialogue between Trump and Epstein in which Trump called him a “pal” and said: “May every day be another wonderful secret.” The text sits within a crude sketch of the silhouette of a naked woman. – Reuters

Democrats in the US House of Representatives on Sept 8 made public a birthday letter that Trump allegedly wrote to Epstein more than 20 years ago, although the White House has denied its authenticity. The letter was also projected onto the castle, along with pictures of Epstein’s victims, news clips about the case and police reports. The release of the letter has brought renewed attention to an issue that has become a political thorn in the president’s side.

Trump arrived in Britain on Tuesday for an unprecedented second state visit and was greeted by Charles yesterday for a day of pomp at Windsor Castle. Earlier on Tuesday, protesters unfurled a massive banner featuring a photograph of Trump and Epstein near Windsor Castle, and later projected several images of the two onto one of the castle’s towers. Police said in a statement four adults