“The United Nations said Monday it will ‘reduce its footprint’ in the Gaza Strip after an Israeli tank strike hit one of its compounds last week, killing one staffer and wounding five others. Israel has denied it was behind the March 19 explosion at the U.N. guesthouse in central Gaza. In a statement Monday, U.N. Secretary-General spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said that ‘based on the information currently available,’ the strikes on the site ‘were caused by an Israeli tank’. The Israeli military did not immediately comment. Dujarric said the U.N. ‘has made taken the difficult decision to reduce the Organization’s footprint in Gaza, even as humanitarian needs soar.’ He said the world body was cutting back about a third of its approximately 100 international staffers in Gaza, but ‘the U.N. is not leaving Gaza.'” (03/24/25)
“Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Monday faced a no-confidence motion in parliament as the opposition alleged she was being unduly influenced by her father, a former prime minister, and is mismanaging the country. Paetongtarn, who took office last year, is expected to survive her first no-confidence vote on Wednesday with the backing of her ruling coalition that makes up the majority of the House of Representatives. The head of the opposition in parliament, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, said Paetongtarn had failed to address many of the country’s chronic problems including the slumping economy, air pollution, crimes and corruption. He said her administration was serving the interests of her family and her father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a popular but highly controversial political figure.” (03/24/25)
“Detained Columbia University protester Mahmoud Khalil hid his ties to the controversial United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees on his visa application, the feds have alleged. Lawyers for the Department of Justice lodged new accusations against the anti-Israel campus protest leader in court papers over the weekend, arguing that they should be grounds for his deportation. Khalil — a green-card holder who was nabbed by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in New York on March 8 — allegedly fraudulently applied to change his immigration status without disclosing his ‘membership in certain organizations,’ the feds said. Among those organizations was the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, known as UNRWA …. Khalil was a political affairs officer with UNRWA from June through November 2023.” (03/24/25)
“The White House plans to spare specific sectors from wide-ranging tariffs expected early next month, Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Stocks jumped in early trading after reports that suggested the much-hyped ‘Liberation Day’ might not be as harsh or broad as previously expected. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration will likely impose reciprocal tariffs on about 15% of nations with ongoing trade imbalances [sic] with the U.S. He did not specify the nations or the tariff rates they could face, as the Wall Street Journal notes.” (03/24/25)
“South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Monday the claim that white people are being persecuted in his country is a ‘completely false narrative.’ It was his latest attempt to push back against allegations made by U.S. President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and some white minority groups in South Africa. South African-born Musk, who has regularly accused South Africa’s [b]lack-led government of being anti-white, repeated a claim this weekend in a social media post that some of the country’s political figures are ‘actively promoting white genocide.’ Ramaphosa said in his weekly message to the nation that South Africans ‘should not allow events beyond our shores to divide us or turn us against each other. In particular, we should challenge the completely false narrative that our country is a place in which people of a certain race or culture are being targeted for persecution.'” (03/24/25)
“Several ‘incendiary devices’ were found at a Tesla dealership in Texas, according to police. A bomb squad deployed to the dealership in north Austin around 8 a.m. Monday after receiving a call about suspicious objects that had been found there. The objects were determined to be working incendiary devices, and were taken away by cops. No suspects or motivations in the case have been released, but it comes after a string of attacks on the Elon Musk-owned car company in recent weeks in retaliation over his activities with President Trump’s DOGE.” (03/24/25)
“Human genetics and biotechnology firm 23andMe has announced that it has filed for bankruptcy and its chief operating officer, Anne Wojcicki, has resigned. The California-based company made the announcement Sunday in a statement, explaining it is seeking to enter Chapter 11 proceedings to facilitate a court-supervised sale of its assets. … On Friday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert warning customers of 23andMe to delete their genetic data from the company, as ‘it is in financial distress and stated in securities filings that there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue.’ 23andMe said Sunday that it plans to continue business operations throughout the Chapter 11 process and that there will be no changes to the way it stores, manages and protects customer data.” (03/24/25)
“Nadine Menendez and her prison-bound husband — former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez — were ‘partners in crime,’ a prosecutor told a jury Monday as opening statements began in her trial over allegations that the power couple accepted bribes of cash and gold bars. The longtime senator was convicted last year of accepting bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from three New Jersey businessmen. Now, a new jury will hear similar evidence about Nadine Menendez, 58, after her trial was postponed when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Pomerantz said Nadine Menendez ‘did the dirty work’ for the 71-year-old New Jersey Democrat, who is scheduled to report to prison in June to begin serving an 11-year sentence. Defense attorney Barry Coburn told jurors they will have to exonerate Nadine Menendez because there will be an ‘absolute, utter failure of proof in this case.'” (03/24/25)
“Armed militants from Somalia raided a Kenyan police camp near the border, killed six reservists and seized weapons, Kenyan police said Sunday. Four other police reservists sustained serious wounds from the attack on a camp in Garissa county by al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab militants, police spokesperson Michael Muchiri said, adding that more police had been deployed to increase security in the area. The militants shot and stabbed the reservists, ransacked the camp and took away weapons. An undisclosed number of militants also died in the attack, Muchiri said. The area near the porous Kenya-Somalia border that has been repeatedly breached by militants.” (03/23/25)
“South Korea’s constitutional court has ruled against the impeachment of the country’s prime minister, Han Duck-soo, and to restore his position as acting president, marking the latest political twist in months of political turmoil. Han took over as acting president after the country’s leader, Yoon Suk Yeol, was himself impeached over his short-lived declaration of martial law late last year. Han lasted less than two weeks in the post and was impeached and suspended on 27 December after clashing with the opposition-led parliament by refusing to appoint three more justices to the constitutional court. The court’s justices ruled seven to one on Monday to strike down the impeachment.” (03/24/25)
