A United States federal judge has ruled that US President Donald Trump’s administration unlawfully terminated about $2.2 billion in grants awarded to Harvard University and can no longer cut off research funding to the prestigious Ivy League school, Reuters reports.

The decision by US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston marked a major legal victory for Harvard as it seeks to cut a deal that could bring an end to the White House’s multi-front conflict with the nation’s oldest and richest university.

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based school became a central focus of the administration’s broad campaign to leverage federal funding to force change at US universities, which Trump says are gripped by anti-Semitic and “radical left” ideologies.

The administration cancelled hundreds of grants awarded to Harvard researchers on the grounds the school failed to do enough to address harassment of Jewish students on its campus.

Harvard sued, arguing the Trump administration was retaliating against it in violation of its free-speech rights after it refused to meet officials’ demands that it overhaul its governance, hiring and academic programs to align with their ideological agenda.

Read more here.

 Students gather on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US on April 15, 2025. — Reuters/Faith Ninivaggi/ File
Students gather on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US on April 15, 2025. — Reuters/Faith Ninivaggi/ File

Opinion

Editorial

Ceasefire extension
Updated 23 Apr, 2026

Ceasefire extension

THOUGH the US has extended the Iran ceasefire — thanks largely to effective Pakistani diplomacy to prevent sliding...
Climate & livelihoods
23 Apr, 2026

Climate & livelihoods

THE latest ILO report estimates that around 3.3m jobs may have been affected by the 2025 floods — significantly...
Virtual courts
23 Apr, 2026

Virtual courts

THOUGH routine activities in Islamabad have been greatly hindered amidst security preparations for another round of...
Moment of truth
Updated 22 Apr, 2026

Moment of truth

ISLAMABAD is all set to host the second round of US-Iran talks. But the million-dollar question is: will they go...
Rights at risk
22 Apr, 2026

Rights at risk

ACROSS the world, rights are shrinking. Amnesty International’s latest report notes a pattern that cuts across...
Extrajudicial killing
22 Apr, 2026

Extrajudicial killing

THE appeal by a Lady Health Worker from Muzaffargarh to the chief justice of Pakistan for an independent probe into...