Harvard students end protest as school agrees to discuss Gaza conflict

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts — Protesters against the war between Israel and Hamas were voluntarily taking down their tents in Harvard Yard on Tuesday after university officials agreed to discuss their questions about the endowment, bringing a peaceful end to the kinds of demonstrations that were broken up by police on other campuses.  The student protest group Harvard…

Australia plans limits on international students

SYDNEY — Australia says it will impose limits on the number of international students coming into the country to ease stress on housing and to reduce immigration.   The government in Canberra has said that international education programs, under which foreign students come to study in Australia, were fertile ground for immigration and visa fraud. In…

US college students face muted graduations amid Gaza war protests

Commencement ceremonies are being scaled back or canceled at U.S. universities because of security concerns over pro-Palestinian student protests. While some campus demonstrations have resulted in concessions, others have led to violent confrontations. VOA’s Tina Trinh has the story from New York. …

Pro-Palestinian protesters break through barricades to retake MIT encampment

NEW YORK — Pro-Palestinian protesters who had been blocked by police from accessing an encampment at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Monday broke through fencing, linked arms and encircled tents that remained there, as Columbia University canceled its university-wide commencement ceremony following weeks of pro-Palestinian protests. Sam Ihns, a graduate student at MIT studying mechanical…

Columbia University cancels main commencement after protests that roiled campus for weeks

New York — Columbia University is canceling its large university-wide commencement ceremony amid ongoing pro-Palestinian protests but will hold smaller school-based ceremonies this week and next, the university announced Monday. “Based on feedback from our students, we have decided to focus attention on our Class Days and school-level graduation ceremonies, where students are honored individually alongside…

Pro-Palestinian protests in US could impact 2024 election

Despite the fact that many of their encampments at university campuses have been dismantled, pro-Palestinian demonstrators in the United States are standing their ground. If the protests continue, some analysts say they could have an impact on the 2024 presidential election. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias explains. …

Columbia students on edge as police presence remains on campus after raid to clear protesters

Police remain on Columbia University’s campus, even after clearing out student protesters and their encampment. But questions remain about how the university and the students move forward. Tina Trinh reports from New York. …

Botched US student aid application form rollout leaves many in limbo

Washington — The last thing standing between Ashnaelle Bijoux and her college dream is the FAFSA form — a financial aid application that’s supposed to help students go to college but is blocking her instead. She has tried to submit it over and over. Every time, it fails to go through. “I feel overwhelmed and stressed…

Amid pro-Palestinian protests, Jewish students sue Columbia University for failing to protect them

Tensions on U.S. campuses enter a new phase as a Jewish student files a proposed class action lawsuit alleging students were displaced from Columbia University because its administration could not guarantee their safety. VOA’s Natasha Mozgovaya has the story. …

Florida Democrats hope abortion, marijuana issues draw young voters

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA — Jordan Vassallo is lukewarm about casting her first presidential ballot for President Joe Biden in November. But when the 18-year-old senior at Jupiter High School in Florida thinks about the things she cares about, she says her vote for the Democratic incumbent is an “obvious choice.” Vassallo will be voting for…