Week In Review (WIRE) News 03.02.2026
- LJS Exec
- Mar 2
- 8 min read
Asia and the Pacific
Written by Jesse Vu
India’s PM Modi Paid a Rare Visit to Israel
On Wednesday, February 25th, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India arrived in Jerusalem and received a warm welcome from his Israeli counterpart, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This marks only the second time Modi has visited Israel and the first since the beginning of the war in Gaza. The visit is expected to boost Israel’s international popularity, something which has plummeted drastically as the war in Gaza dragged on and the two countries look to deepen security and economic ties.
While Modi’s visit has faced much backlash from back home, including criticism from Jairam Ramesh, a spokesperson for the Congress Party, it carries huge diplomatic significance as the two countries aim to expand and strengthen economic and defence ties. During a speech on Wednesday, Modi emphasized the need for closer cooperation on trade projects such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and I2U2. Notably, India is also Israel’s second-largest trading partner with a trade value of $6.5 billion in 2024. Furthermore, the public awaits the signing of new security deals between the two countries that could be worth up to $10 billion on missiles, drones, and more.
Given India’s proximity to the Middle East, the country has maintained close ties with many Middle Eastern countries, which Israel considers adversaries, such as Iran and Saudi Arabia. India was among the countries that opposed the creation of Israel in 1948. Four decades later, India recognized Palestine as an independent state. Just last week, India backed a UN statement that condemned Israel's West Bank expansion. Nonetheless, PM Modi has embraced his close personal relationship with Netanyahu and strongly condemns the October 7 attack that led to the war in Gaza.
Central America and the Caribbean
Written by Gabriella Ramirez
Killings in Cuban Waters as Humanitarian Aid Rolls In Amidst a Caribbean Community Summit
Cuban soldiers confronted a speedboat carrying 10 people as the vessel neared Cuba. Passengers opened fire on the soldiers, who responded by firing back, killing four and wounding six. The Cuban Ministry of the Interior said those aboard the boat were Cubans living in the United States and accused them of trying to infiltrate the country for terrorist purposes. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel wrote on social media, “Cuba will defend itself with determination and firmness against any terrorist or mercenary aggression that seeks to undermine its sovereignty and national stability.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted it was not a government operation and that the American government was gathering information regarding the citizenship status of those involved. The wounded have been detained, and the government has identified seven of the 10 passengers. The shooting threatens to escalate tensions between the United States and Cuba, following President Trump’s increasingly aggressive actions toward Cuba.
Meanwhile, Canada announced it is sending $8 million in food aid to people in Cuba. The island currently faces an escalating fuel crisis due to slowing oil shipments, a result of the recently tightened U.S. embargo and threat of tariffs against countries providing Cuba with oil. Additionally, Mexico has sent a second humanitarian aid package for Cuba consisting of two Mexican navy vessels carrying 1,193 tons of supplies, including beans, powdered milk, and other food items.
Caribbean leaders, including those from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Haiti, met Tuesday in St. Kitts and Nevis to debate issues including relations with the U.S. government, which continues to strike suspected drug boats in the area, killing locals. The leaders also talked about issues concerning security, reparations, climate change, financing, and the economy. Rubio defended the Trump administration’s military operation to capture Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro to Caribbean leaders, stating the region was better off as a result. In the Caribbean, Trump has increased aggressive tactics to combat alleged drug smuggling with a series of strikes on boats that have killed over 150 people.
Europe
Written by Ethan Joyce
The Impact of the Strike on the Druzhba Oil Pipeline
Following a Russian military strike last month, damage to the Druzhba oil pipeline became a cause for its temporary suspension, making it so that neither Hungary nor Slovakia has had direct access to crude oil from Russia since then. The Druzhba pipeline is responsible for exporting high volumes of Russian crude throughout Europe, as well as lesser amounts of Ukrainian oil.
The issue of pipeline damage is compounded by the destruction of Ukraine's oil and gas facilities by Russia, which forced Ukraine to increase its dependence on oil imports. Today, the suspension of the pipeline service denies Ukraine key export revenues, which enable it to maintain its wartime budget. For both Hungary and Slovakia, which maintained dependence on Russian crude imports by way of the Druzhba pipeline (despite the emergence of the war between Russia and Ukraine), the damage has perpetuated long-term energy insecurity.
Slovakian officials recently took the stance that Ukraine has been deliberately prolonging the pipeline outage in order to “blackmail” the EU into providing them with further economic assistance. Meanwhile, Orbán claimed that this was all an attempt by Ukraine to undermine his reelection campaign. Since then, he has made extensive efforts within the EU to block new economic sanctions from being placed on Russia, and has stalled a 90-billion-dollar loan package Ukraine is dependent on for reconstruction.
On Friday, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic stated that “Croatia is here as a neighbor, partner and friend to ensure the energy security and smooth functioning of the economies of both Hungary and Slovakia”, essentially committing to supply both countries with oil via the Adria pipeline. Now, negotiating countries have been forced to utilize oil from their respective strategic reserves as they work toward a deal for Croatia to supply them with non-Russian crude. This agreement is especially pressing given further complications involving Hungarian energy company MOL Group, which has accused the Croatian energy company JANAF of using its institutional position to impose unilateral changes to the governing contract of the Adria pipeline and its transport of non-Russian crude.
Middle East and North Africa
Written by Ansley Hovater
Australian Detainees Failed Reentry to Australia
In Syria, 11 Australian women and 23 children were returned to detention camps after the Australian government refused their repatriation, remaining in Kurdish custody at the only major camp for women and children. Many of the women traveled to Syria at the height of the Islamic State’s power in 2011 and were detained when the Islamic State in Syria fell in 2019. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese insists they will receive no help from the Australian Federal government.
Many of the women had been married to Islamic State militants, resulting in their detainment by Kurdish-led forces following the ISIS territorial defeat. While Albanese’s administration will not assist their return, other women and children have been successfully repatriated, including the wife and children of one Australian jihadist. Prior Australian administrations worked with NGOs to bring Australians home after individual risk assessments. 17 returned in 2022, and, in 2025, six Australians who escaped Syria into Lebanon were issued passports before returning. The Australian government maintains that anyone who returns to Australia after having committed crimes will be met with the full force of the law.
The women ask that at least their children return to Australia, claiming that living in al-Roj harms their mental health and causes emotional trauma. The camp conditions threaten the health and safety of all residents, especially the children. The Australian women reported this week that their children show symptoms of emotional trauma, including wetting the bed, losing the feeling in their hands, and constant crying.
North America
Written by Justin Cohen
United States Defeats Canada in Olympic Gold Medal Hockey Match
This past weekend, the American Olympic men's ice hockey team defeated their Canadian rivals at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, winning the United States’s first men’s gold medal in the sport since 1980. Amidst the celebration, United States President Donald Trump sought to politicize the win against the backdrop of ongoing tensions with his country’s northern neighbor.
Hours after American Jack Hughes scored the ‘golden goal’ in overtime to defeat the Canadians, the White House released an AI-doctored video of another Team USA player, Brady Tkachuk, saying, “[The Canadians] booed our national anthem, so I had to come out and teach those maple syrup eating f---s a lesson.” An American national, Tkachuk is also the captain of the Ottawa Senators, one of Canada’s seven National Hockey League (NHL) teams. Upon returning to Ottawa, Tkachuk told reporters, “I'm not in control of any of those accounts. I know that those words would never come out of my mouth. So I can't do anything about it.”
Both countries' leaders congratulated their teams following the game. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney let his players know that they had made their country proud through their “hard-fought and well-earned silver” in a social media post, while President Trump made disparaging comments about the gold medal-winning US women’s hockey team, implying that he wished he did not have to invite them to the White House to celebrate. President Trump also arranged for the men’s team to attend his State of the Union address, during which he awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to standout goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
South America
Written by Trinity De Lima
Chile Stuck Between the Longstanding U.S.-China Rivalry
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused three high-ranking Chilean officials of eroding regional security by participating in activities that compromise telecommunications infrastructure. It is a reference to their plan to construct a submarine fiber optic cable that would connect Chile with China. The U.S. ambassador to Chile defended the visa removal as a decision rooted in respect for U.S. sovereignty. At a press conference in Santiago, Ambassador Brandon Judd stated, “It’s our sovereign right to take actions when we feel that the region’s security is being threatened.” He said that sanctions were the last resort after the Chilean authorities refused to be transparent about the project.
The decision did not go over well with Chile’s left-wing government, as President Gabriel Boric condemned it by saying that “unilateral sanctions” go against Chile’s sovereignty. Despite Washington being Chile’s top foreign investor, U.S.-Chile relations have greatly declined under the second Trump administration. Boric is one of the loudest critics of President Trump out of his presidential counterparts in nearby countries. He characterizes Trump as a “new emperor” in reference to his increasing involvement in Latin America. The target of the Trump administration’s spat with Chilean officials and further involvement in the region appears to be China’s well-established economic and strategic presence in the region.
In two weeks, Boric will leave office to welcome in the new right-wing leader, Jose Antonio Kast, who supports Trump and decreased reliance on China. Chile is highly digitized, and its strongest trading partner is China, which is why both the United States and China are vying for influence in the country.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Written by Alex Whirley
Unprecedented Drone Strikes by Al Qaeda-linked JNIM in Burkina Faso
Starting around February 14, Al-Qaeda-linked JNIM militants launched a series of “unprecedentedly coordinated” strikes across northern and eastern Burkina Faso using drone technologies. Unlike previous sporadic raids, these attacks targeted multiple hubs simultaneously, effectively stretching the army’s response capacity to its breaking point. Reports from diplomatic and security sources indicate that over 180 people were killed during this week-long surge. This offensive has severely undermined the legitimacy of Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s junta, which seized power in 2022 on the promise of restoring security.
A unique and brutal feature of this offensive was the systematic targeting of the Water and Forestry Combat Units (Equx et Forêts). These units, often used as auxiliary security forces in rural areas, were overwhelmed in two major incidents: Tandjari and Fada N’Gourma. In Tandjari, an ambush left approximately 50 forestry officers dead. In Fada N’Gourma, an assault on a forestry base reportedly killed between 60 and 70 personnel, described by witnesses as an “unbearable” scene that overwhelmed local medical facilities. JNIM (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin) is regarded as the most powerful jihadist group in West Africa.
The JNIM drones used in these attacks were commercial drone tech that was modified for combat. Off-the-shelf DJI Matrice and Mavic drones were used for surveillance, and FPV drones equipped with 3D-printed release mechanisms for IEDs/grenades were used for Kamikaze Strikes. JNIM is now also using these drones to enforce blockades around cities like Djibo and Titao, preventing food and fuel from reaching civilians. Experts note that JNIM is no longer just an insurgency but is beginning to act like a governing authority in the north and east, levying taxes and using drones to monitor “sovereign” territory. The use of high-tech drones by terrorist organizations is a new development in asymmetrical warfare, and it is seen as a highly concerning change in the way insurgents exert power over regions in which they operate.
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