Not content with demanding government oversight of Harvard's teaching and appointments, Donald Trump has directed his government to cease all federal funding of America's most prestigious university. And in a wider blow to academia, US embassies around the world have been ordered to suspend scheduling appointments for student visas. Social media vetting will be stepped up for those hoping to step foot on an American campus. Why is Donald Trump so fixated on the higher education institutions that have made the US world leaders in so many sectors? We speak to one Harvard scholar who is leading the calls for his university not to cave in to the pressure.

Later, as Trump accuses Putin of "playing with fire", could he finally be serious about slapping tough new sanctions on Russia? And what does America's intelligence community make of the way he's conducting himself on the world stage?

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