Trump administration blocks Harvard from enrolling international students

Good morning, happy Friday and welcome to FirstFT Asia. In today’s newsletter:

• Trump administration escalates its attacks on Harvard

• An embarrassing setback for North Korea’s navy

• India and Pakistan launch rival diplomatic offensives

The Trump administration has barred Harvard University from enrolling international students, in a major escalation of its attacks on one of the most prestigious Ivy League schools in the US.

How it happened: Secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem sent a letter to Harvard yesterday telling its administration that the university’s student and exchange visitor programme certification had been revoked, “effective immediately”. The decision comes amid a deepening crackdown by US President Donald Trump on elite institutions which he accuses of promoting “woke” ideology and failing to tackle antisemitism.

What it means: The move would affect the admission of students for the coming academic year, but Noem also said the ban meant Harvard’s almost 6,800 existing international students, representing more than 27 per cent of its intake this year, must switch their enrolment to other universities. It will also spark concern for the 1.1mn foreigners enrolled in American universities — of whom the largest share come from India and China — as well as others hoping to study in the US.

Harvard’s response: The university said the administration’s move was “unlawful” and that it was “fully committed” to maintaining its ability to host international students. Harvard has already sued the administration for halting more than $2bn in funding for the university. Read the full story.

Here’s what else we’re keeping tabs on today and over the weekend:

• Economic data: Japan and Singapore publish April CPI inflation rate data.

• Results: Cathay Financial Holding reports first-quarter results.

• State visit: French President Emmanuel Macron begins a trip to Vietnam on Sunday, as part of larger tour of south-east Asia. (Reuters)

How well did you keep up with the news this week? Take our quiz.

Five more top stories

1. Kim Jong Un has lashed out at North Korea’s navy after the failed launch of its largest warship. During the launch, which Kim attended, the ship became unbalanced and sustained damage to its hull. The North Korean leader denounced the unsuccessful launch of the 5,000-tonne naval destroyer as a “criminal act” caused by “carelessness”.

2. Trump has moved a big step closer to fulfilling a key objective of his second term with the passage of his sweeping, “big beautiful” tax bill by a slim majority in the House of Representatives. However, while Republicans celebrated yesterday after the bill passed by a single vote, the legislation could become a poisoned chalice for the president and his party.

• Related news: Shares in US renewable energy groups fell yesterday, as cuts to clean energy tax credits in Trump’s landmark tax bill proved more aggressive than expected.

3. Two Israeli embassy staff members were shot and killed outside an event at the Jewish museum in Washington on Wednesday night by a man who chanted “free, free Palestine”. Israeli and US officials condemned the attack as an act of antisemitism, while police said a suspect was in custody. Here are more details.

4. Microsoft-backed Builder.ai collapsed after an internal investigation found evidence of potentially bogus sales and the company revised down revenues to just a quarter of prior estimates. Builder.ai, one of the UK’s best-funded technology start-ups, informed employees earlier this week that it would commence insolvency proceedings after its lenders called a default.

5. Britain’s National Crime Agency has obtained freezing orders on two London properties linked to the regime of ousted Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina, amid allegations of embezzlement. The properties are owned by Ahmed Shayan Fazlur Rahman, the son of Salman F Rahman, a Bangladeshi businessman who acted as an investment adviser to Sheikh Hasina.

Join us for a subscriber-only webinar next Wednesday for insights into the most consequential geopolitical rivalry of our time: the US-China showdown. Register now and put questions to our panel.

News in-depth

India and Pakistan are dispatching competing delegations around the world in an effort to bolster sympathies and press their view of this month’s conflict, the worst fighting in decades between the nuclear-armed neighbours. Here’s what both countries are telling foreign officials in their rival diplomatic offensives.

We’re also reading . . . 

• Space race: Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite system dominates the battle for the future of global connectivity, but Amazon and Chinese rivals are working to catch up.

• Eurostar’s competition: Financing, regulation and different rail systems mean potential rivals are years away from launching services.

• ‘The cult of Saint Traoré’: How the Russian-backed junta leader of Burkina Faso transformed from an obscure military officer to an anti-western icon.

Chart of the day

Bets that currency deals will form part of trade negotiations with the US have helped lift a string of Asian currencies against the dollar, as traders look for signs that countries will offer to scale back intervention to appease Trump.

Take a break from the news

Most people are getting dumber, writes Simon Kuper, as smartphones sap our attention spans, reading skills and ability to reason. How to buck the trend? Here are seven habits to live by to become a great thinker.