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Columbia University said on Wednesday it will pay over $200 million to the U.S. government in a settlement with President Donald Trump's administration to resolve federal probes and have most of its suspended federal funding restored, Reuters reported.

Trump has targeted several universities since returning to office in January over the pro-Palestinian student protest movement that roiled college campuses last year. He welcomed the agreement between his administration and Columbia in a post on social media late on Wednesday.

In March, the Trump administration said it was penalizing Columbia over how it handled last year's protests by canceling $400 million in federal funding. It contended that Columbia's response to alleged antisemitism and harassment of Jewish and Israeli members of the university community was insufficient.

"Under today's agreement, a vast majority of the federal grants which were terminated or paused in March 2025 - will be reinstated and Columbia's access to billions of dollars in current and future grants will be restored," the university said in a statement, according to Reuters.

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned top European Union officials on Thursday to "make correct strategic choices", state media said, during a key summit in Beijing set to be dominated by thorny issues ranging from trade frictions to the Ukraine war, Reuters reported.

Expectations were low for the summit marking 50 years of diplomatic ties after weeks of escalating tension and wrangling over its format, with the duration abruptly halved to a single day at Beijing's request.

Issues of trade imbalance, market access and rare earths are on the agenda as Xi and Premier Li Qiang meet visitors Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union Commission, and Antonio Costa, the European Council president.

"The more severe and complex the international situation, the more China and the EU must strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust and deepen cooperation," Xi told von der Leyen and Costa, state broadcaster CCTV said, according to Reuters.

A summit between China and the European Union (EU) has kicked off in Beijing on Thursday, with leaders set to discuss issues ranging from trade conflict to the war in Ukraine, BBC reported.

Expectations have been tempered however by uncertainty over global trade, politics and the attendance of Chinese President Xi Jinping, after he had earlier reportedly declined a visit to Brussels, where the summit was originally to be held. 

China confirmed this week that Xi would meet European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Antonio Costa in Beijing.

Optimism had surrounded EU-China relations at the start of the year, with hopes that a Donald Trump presidency in the US would bring the two economic powerhouses closer, according to BBC.

India and Israel have agreed to develop an institutional framework to deepen defense cooperation, following talks in New Delhi between Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Israeli Defense Ministry DG Major General (Res) Amir Baram, according to Firstpost.

Both sides reviewed ongoing collaborations and condemned recent terror attacks. Israel reaffirmed support for India’s fight against terrorism, while India condemned the October 2023 attacks on Israel and called for the release of hostages.

The visit marks a key step in advancing the strategic partnership, Firstpost reported.