Protests, Conflicts, and Controversies Across the Globe

Jewish students at Columbia University protested, chaining themselves to the gates of St. Paul’s Chapel on April 2. They demanded accountability from the university's trustees following Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest. Police intervened, removing journalists and other students before using tools to break the protesters’ chains.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the Israeli military would seize control of the “Morag Corridor” in Gaza. This action mirrors their control of the Philadelphi Corridor, further isolating the southern city of Rafah from the rest of the Palestinian enclave.

Penguins on remote volcanic rocks near Antarctica are now subject to a 10% tariff under US President Donald Trump’s latest tariffs. This tariff was imposed despite the absence of residents, buildings, and the last human visit being nearly a decade ago. The location is among the remotest places on earth, accessible only by a two-week boat voyage from Australia. Despite this, the US imported $1.4M in machinery and electrical goods from there in 2022, four times the amount of the past five years.

US President Donald Trump showcased his administration’s $5 million ‘gold card’ a month after announcing the plan to offer it to wealthy foreigners on April 3. Described as ‘green card privileges plus,’ the scheme offers permanent residency and a path to citizenship to those who can afford the price.

The British Medical Association cancelled a planned speech by Dr. Ang Swee Chai, a prominent medical advocate for the Palestinian cause. She gained international recognition for her medical work during the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacres. Instead of speaking at the BMA, she addressed her supporters outside.

US President Donald Trump shared drone footage, claiming it targeted a group of Houthis awaiting instructions. Many observers noted the targets resembled a Yemeni tribal gathering, raising concerns about the US’s role in civilian casualties in Yemen. Since Trump took office in January 2025, the US has conducted multiple air strikes in Yemen, resulting in at least 60 deaths, with many casualties being women and children.

Thousands of demonstrators from across the US gathered in Washington, DC, for the largest pro-Palestine protest since the start of the Trump administration.

A Palestinian girl mourned her friends after an Israeli strike in Gaza took their lives. The UN reports that since Israel broke the ceasefire on March 18, at least 100 children have been killed or injured in Gaza daily, with the total number of children killed since October 7, 2023, exceeding 15,000.

US President Donald Trump called a reporter's question 'stupid' when asked about market situations he would consider unacceptable amid tumbling global stock markets. He stated that sometimes you have to take medicine to fix a problem while speaking to the media aboard Air Force One on April 6.