Weekly Recap Feb 26 to March 3

North America:

• US President Joe Biden announced last Friday (March 1) that the United States would conduct an airdrop of aid in response to a tragic incident in northern Gaza known as the ‘Flour Massacre’, in which more than 100 Palestinians were killed while waiting for aid. Israel has been restricting the entry of essential supplies since the beginning of the conflict on October 7. President Joe Biden mistakenly referred to airdrops intended for Gaza as Ukraine during another announcement last Friday (March 1) while hosting the Italian Prime Minister. White House officials clarified the error. Biden expressed the urgency of aid for Gaza, emphasising the dire situation with widespread hunger and malnutrition. He pledged to collaborate with Jordan and called on Israel to facilitate more trucks and routes for assistance. 

• The Oregon House approved a $211 million bill, and on Friday (March 1), the state Senate also voted in favour of the measure. The recently sanctioned measure in Oregon redefines the possession of small quantities of drugs such as heroin or methamphetamine as a misdemeanour, carrying a maximum sentence of six months in jail. This initiative empowers law enforcement to confiscate drugs, addressing their presence in public spaces, while offering drug treatment as an alternative to legal consequences. Supporters argue that individuals will have an opportunity to seek treatment before facing legal penalties. The proponents stress the importance of enabling law enforcement to tackle public drug use and pledge to minimise racial disparities in the criminal justice system. 

• Donald Trump secured all 39 state delegates at the Michigan Republican party convention last Saturday (March 2). This victory enhances Trump’s progress in securing the GOP nomination, and the delegates awarded play a crucial role as the focus shifts to the pivotal March 5 primaries across 15 states. The convention, hosted at the Amway Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan, shows Trump’s widespread support among delegates from the state’s 13 congressional districts. Notably, this united endorsement surpassed the backing Trump received in the primary, where former UN ambassador Nikki Haley only got around 26% of the vote. Significantly, Haley’s failure to secure any delegates during the convention shows Trump’s dominant influence within the party. These delegates hold importance as they contribute to shaping Trump’s position as the potential nominee for the November presidential election. The formal nomination is set to occur at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July.

• The University of Florida, boasting over 30,000 undergraduates, announced in a memo released on Friday (March 1) its decision to shut down the office of the chief diversity officer. The university is ending Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) positions, administrative appointments, and terminating contracts with external vendors focusing on DEI. In response to these changes, DEI employees will be given a 12-week pay and are encouraged to seek alternative positions within the university with a fast-tracked evaluation process. This decision is influenced by the context of approximately 40 anti-DEI bills introduced across the United States last year, as reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The university shows its enduring commitment to universal human dignity, affirming its dedication to cultivating a community of trust and respect for all members of the Gator Nation, referencing its athletic program.

• A recent survey, published on Saturday (March 2), indicates that the disapproval of Joe Biden’s job performance among voters has surged to 47 per cent, marking the highest negative polling number at any stage of his presidency. The poll discloses that a substantial 47% of voters strongly disapprove of Biden’s job performance. In a national comparison with likely Republican candidate Donald Trump, Biden currently lags behind. Regarding the perception of the country’s direction, only 24 per cent of respondents believe it is heading in the right direction, a crucial factor leading up to a national election. Furthermore, more than double the number of voters claimed that Biden’s policies personally harmed them compared to those who felt positively impacted. Within the two-thirds of respondents who believe the nation is on the wrong path, 63 per cent expressed their inclination to vote for Trump, according to the survey results.

• Oil leaking from a capsized barge off Tobago spread over hundreds of miles to reach the Caribbean island of Bonaire, posing a “serious threat” to its ecosystems last Wednesday (Feb 28). The barge, traced to Panama and possibly bound for Guyana, ran aground in Trinidad and Tobago earlier this month with no crew aboard. An investigation suggests it may have leaked oil as early as Saturday (Feb 3) before capsizing. Despite Trinidad and Tobago’s emergency response, the spill has continued flowing westward, with satellite images showing it reaching Grenada’s waters by Wednesday (Feb 14). Now impacting Bonaire’s pristine mangroves and marine life, the barge’s ownership and cause of capsizing remains unknown, compounding the challenges of containing this unfolding environmental disaster.

• According to BBC reports last Monday (Feb 26), Mexico’s governing party’s presidential candidate, Claudia Sheinbaum, denounced being flooded with hate messages after her phone number was leaked online. Sheinbaum, the current frontrunner for the June 2024 election, stated that she is receiving hate calls and messages in an attempt to intimidate her campaign. This privacy violation comes just days after Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador publicly revealed the phone number of a New York Times journalist, sparking condemnation for this breach of journalistic protections. Both incidents heighten concerns in Mexico’s political landscape leading up to the presidential vote this summer.

• Former US ambassador Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, pleaded guilty to serving as a Cuban agent for over 40 years while working as an American diplomat last Friday (March 1). Initially pleading not guilty to charges of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, wire fraud, and making false statements, Rocha admitted his guilt in a Miami court. Considered one of the highest-profile Cuba-US espionage cases in decades, Rocha’s plea deal admission stunned officials. The evidence against him includes recordings of Rocha praising Fidel Castro and calling the US “the enemy.” His betrayal as a Cuban mole within the US foreign service for nearly his whole career has been called “contemptible” and a counterintelligence failure. While sentencing details are pending, Rocha’s guilty plea concludes a rapid turn in a spy case that has shocked American authorities.

• Kenya and Haiti signed an agreement to deploy around 1,000 Kenyan police officers to Haiti to combat surging gang violence there last Saturday (March 2), after Kenya’s earlier plan was blocked by a court ruling that the government lacked authority for overseas police deployments without an agreement in place. Haiti has faced a crisis of gang violence, with nearly 5,000 deaths reported last year, and the UN warned the situation has reached a “critical point”. While the deployment aims to restore order, many Kenyans oppose it, arguing security challenges need addressing at home first. Meanwhile, Haiti’s political situation remains unstable amid unrest demanding the resignation of unelected Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who just left for Kenya. In his absence, Haiti’s capital plunged into further chaos as a prominent gang leader declared coordinated attacks to oust Henry’s government.

South America: 

• Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro joined tens of thousands of supporters rallying on Sao Paulo’s Paulista Avenue last Tuesday (Feb 27), as he faces an investigation into alleged coup plots after his failed 2022 re-election bid. Dressed in Brazil’s yellow and green, Bolsonaro sang the national anthem and dismissed the probe into himself and allies as politically motivated by his election victor, current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. While still commanding significant backing, Bolsonaro must contend with accusations from police that he sought unlawful means to retain power upon losing last October’s vote. The competing camps signal enduring rifts within Brazil’s polarised political climate.

• At least 23 people died in central Venezuela after a wall of earth collapsed last Tuesday (Feb 27), at an illegally operated gold mine where more than 200 people were reportedly at work. A video of the incident at  open-pit mine known as Bulla Loca in the jungles of the state of Bolivar, was published by Deputy Minister of Civil Protection Carlos Perez Ampueda published a video of the incident on X, and referred to “a massive” toll, though he provided no numbers.

• Notorious Colombian warlord Salvatore Mancuso was extradited back to his home country after serving a 12-year drug trafficking sentence in the United States last Tuesday (Feb 27). Mancuso, once a leader of the brutal United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia paramilitary group, admitted to over 1,500 murders and disappearances during Colombia’s armed conflict in the 1990s and 2000s. While in U.S. custody, he provided some information about potential political ties to wartime atrocities before his surprise 2008 extradition halted investigations. Now in Colombian custody, human rights groups hope the 59-year-old will further cooperate and shed light on unsolved crimes to aid victims’ families and the nation’s transitional justice process stemming from the 2016 peace deal. However, concerns remain about Mancuso’s safety if he reveals too much about the establishment’s alleged paramilitary links.

• Brazilian legislators joined over 200 parliamentarians from 13 countries in signing an open letter calling for an arms embargo on Israel amid its relentless bombardment of Gaza that has killed over 30,000 Palestinians since October, most of them civilians on Saturday (March 2). The Brazilian lawmakers accused Israel of potential genocide and defying international law by continuing its assault and planning an invasion of Rafah, the last refuge for 1.5 million displaced Gazans. Citing the recent International Court of Justice ruling that Israel may be committing genocide, the letter stated “Our bombs and bullets must not be used to kill, maim, and dispossess Palestinians.” It pledged “immediate and coordinated action” in respective legislatures to halt military aid to Israel. With major suppliers like the U.S., Germany and others facing pressure, Brazil’s representatives took a firm stance that their country can no longer be complicit in arming potential war crimes in Gaza.

• Startling new revelation regarding the assassination of the late Ecuadorian Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was given on Tuesday (Feb 27). According to prosecutor Ana Hidalgo, police had arrested six Colombians suspected of doing the deed, who were later found dead while awaiting trial in El Litoral prison. Moreover, the suspects are believed to be hired by members of the Los Lobos gang currently serving time in Latacunga jail.  Given that Villavicencio was running on a ticket of eliminating gang violence from Ecuador, which he had labelled a narco state, there is a particular irony to his manner of death. 

Asia Pacific: 

• The United Nations Office for the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) issued a statement on the current judicial system of the Taliban de facto government last Wednesday (Feb 28). The report notes tha OHCHR was appalled by the fairly regular presence of public executions and public flogging, calling them “a form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment” and “arbitrary in nature,” strongly condemning violations of international law. The Taliban’s Deputy Information Minister Zabihullah Mujahid has responded by calling the report “yet another propaganda effort against the Islamic Emirate” on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

• Pakistan’s National Assembly held its inaugural sitting after February’s controversial election last Thursday (Mar 1). The session was marked by chaos, as legislators from the PTI party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, ousted by military backed parliamentary action in 2022, chanted slogans of their leader as well denouncing the election results, calling them a “fake mandate” referring to allegations of rigging that clouded the recent elections.

• The Arakhan Army (AA), an Ethnic Armed Organisation operating in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, officially took over the 9th Central Military Training School in  Minbya Township in Rakhine state last Tuesday (Feb 27). The AA has had control of most of Minbya Township since early February, but this last junta stronghold was only taken over after 10 days of fighting staring on Saturday (Feb 17). In addition to taking control over the entire township, the AA has also retrieved a large haul of weapons and ammunition from the training school. This, in addition to the AA inflicting naval defeats on Myanmar’s navy for the first time since the country’s independence, is likely to strain the morale of fighters for the Burmese military, which has implemented a conscription law in order to continue its battle for survival.

• Data released by Statistics Korea last Wednesday (Feb 28) shows that South Korea’s fertility rate, already the world’s lowest, has fallen yet again. In spite of US$270 billion in incentives by the Korean government, fertility has still fallen to 0.72, well below the replacement rate. The lack of well paid jobs, skyrocketing living costs, and cultural expectations that working mothers have to juggle job and household commitments have all contributed to the low birth rate. If current trends continue, the declining birth rate could lead to massive negative effects on the Korean economy. As such, political parties have begun addressing the issue in their campaigns ahead of elections coming in April.

• The government of India’s National Capital Territory (NCT) in Delhi has accused Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena of stalling the government’s solar policy last Wednesday (Feb 28). The policy, which aimed to give Delhi residents free electricity through the construction of solar panels, has reportedly been delayed in attempt “to stop the policy from getting notified before the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha polls” which would prevent the government from starting any new projects, comes into force according to Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. This conflict is part of a larger trend where the elected state governments coming from parties opposed to the ruling BJP find themselves in conflict with their state governors, who are appointed by the national government and expected to serve a purely custodial role. Notably, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who has had a particularly contentious relationship with his state’s governor, has called the recent conflicts as meddling with the purpose of undermining democracy.

Europe: 

• After French President Emmanuel Macron endorsed the deployment of troops to Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has cautioned the West about the potential risk of nuclear war. Putin, in his state of the nation address on Thursday (Feb 29), escalated the situation by stating that he would use nuclear weapons if Western powers positioned soldiers within striking distance of Russia. This type of rhetoric has traditionally been associated with Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin ally who served as president from 2008-2012 and later assumed a top security role in 2020. Throughout the Ukraine conflict, Medvedev frequently warned of nuclear action and utilised social media to convey insults and threats to Western leaders and nations. 

• Putin, who has previously highlighted the risks of a direct NATO-Russia confrontation, issued a particularly explicit warning about nuclear weapons on Thursday, (Feb 29). This caution from Putin follows French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal on Monday for European NATO members to deploy ground troops to Ukraine. While the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and some others rejected this proposition, Putin reminded Western leaders of historical instances, such as the unsuccessful invasions by Germany’s Adolf Hitler and France’s Napoleon Bonaparte.

• Widespread strikes in Greece, marking the anniversary of the country’s deadliest rail crash, significantly disrupted transportation services as tens of thousands of people protested. The strike, which began at midnight on (Feb 28), affected trains, ferries, taxis, and the metro. Commemorating the collision that occurred a year ago, resulting in 57 fatalities, striking transport workers not only demanded justice but also called for pay raises. The protests extended across the country, with approximately 30,000 people taking to the streets, including over 20,000 in Athens and 10,000 in Thessaloniki.

• Dutch mob boss Ridouan Taghi, along with 16 accomplices, were found guilty of six murders in a mass trial called Marengo in the Netherlands. While Taghi was acquitted on Tuesday (Feb 27) for one of the killings, he received a life sentence for the remaining cases, marking the conclusion of this long-standing legal saga. Arrested in Dubai in 2019 and subsequently extradited, the now 46-year-old has been held under maximum security in the Netherlands.The trial took place in the heavily fortified Amsterdam court known as De Bunker, where security was maintained by drones and commandos. This groundbreaking legal proceeding represents the first in Dutch criminal history where everyone involved, including law enforcement and the forensics team, has remained anonymous, making it the largest trial in the country’s history. Taghi, in collaboration with Irish, Italian, and Bosnian drug traffickers, was identified as part of a “super-cartel” overseeing the trafficking of cocaine to Europe. 

• Russia announced it would enforce a six-month restriction on petrol exports, citing a surge in local demand. The decision, approved by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, is scheduled to take effect on March 1, as disclosed by the state news agency Tass on (Feb 27). This measure, designed to prevent shortages and price spikes in the domestic market, reflects a similar constraint implemented the previous year. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, advocating for the export limitation in a letter dated February 21, highlighted the imminent seasonal increase in fuel demand within the domestic market. Novak, as quoted by the Russian media outlet RBC, emphasised the necessity to implement measures to stabilise prices in the domestic market and counteract excessive demand for petroleum products. The ban does not apply to member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), including Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia..

Middle East: 

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled his vision for Gaza following the ongoing conflict last Monday (Feb 26), which would include indefinite Israeli control over security, while allowing Palestinians with no ties to hostile groups to administer civilian affairs. The plan makes no mention of a role for the US-backed Palestinian Authority, which Netanyahu has ruled out despite international pressure. With the death toll surpassing 29,500 in Gaza, the humanitarian disaster worsens as the war stretches past four months since violence erupted in October 2022. Netanyahu meanwhile continues to insist on dismantling Hamas and returning hostages before ending military operations, warning the offensive could drag on for many more months.

• Officials cautioned against President Biden’s optimism that an Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal could be reached by next week as stated in BBC reports last Tuesday (Feb 27). An Israeli official said they were “surprised” by Biden’s timeline and wording, while Hamas and Qatar mediators said no agreement has been made yet. Qatar hinted negotiations could stretch beyond Biden’s proposed Wednesday (Mar 6) target to the start of Ramadan on Sunday (Mar 10). Despite progress in talks, disagreements reportedly remain over prisoner exchanges and troop withdrawals. Closing a deal before the Islamic month of Ramadan remains the goal, but officials stress reaching an agreement that halts fighting and secures hostage releases takes priority over meeting a strict timeline. With Gaza’s civilian death toll nearing 30,000, even a temporary ceasefire deal could bring desperately needed relief.

• Accounts emerged depicting daily life for residents of Gaza struggling to survive amidst the ongoing conflict with Israel that erupted in October 2022 as stated in BBC reports last Wednesday (Feb 28). From scrambling to make bread to serving soup for the displaced, Gazans described the anxiety, terror, and deprivation that define existence in the territory. With more than 29,800 Palestinians killed so far, those interviewed try to eke out an existence amidst bombings, food shortages, lack of electricity and water, spreading disease, and loss of homes and loved ones. Their stories reveal Gazan resilience but also desperation after over four months of war and blockade that has ravaged the area.

• Gaza’s health ministry reported that over 30,000 people have been killed and 70,000 injured since Israel’s war with Hamas began in October as stated in BBC reports last Thursday (Feb 29). Israel estimates about 10,000 Hamas fighters are among the dead. The staggering death toll comes as Israel faces mounting pressure to halt its bombing campaign, even from the US, its key ally. However, Israel has pledged to continue military operations in Gaza’s Rafah area if the over 100 Israelis being held hostage there are not returned by Ramadan, fueling fears of further bloodshed. The war has created a dire humanitarian crisis, with most of Gaza’s population displaced and facing catastrophic levels of deprivation. Hopes for a ceasefire-for-hostages deal have risen and fallen as high-stakes negotiations continue.

• Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy responded to CNN’s investigation into the Tuesday (Jan 16) airstrike that killed half of the Abu Jibba family last Friday (1 Mar). While acknowledging civilian casualties, Levy shifted blame to Hamas, claiming they deliberately embed fighters near civilians. However, survivors contradicted the IDF’s claim that they had warned civilians to evacuate days prior, stating they received no warning before the bombing. Levy justified the lack of warning by stating that soldiers were under attack, but survivors said there were no militants present when the blast occurred. The discrepancies between the IDF and survivor accounts over the lack of advance warning and presence of militants raise questions about the proportionality and necessity of the attack that killed multiple civilians.

Africa: 

• Ghana’s parliament voted to pass a controversial bill restricting LGBTQ rights last Wednesday (Feb 28). The bill would among other things, criminalise gender affirming surgery, homosexual intercourse, showing public romantic affection with people of the same sex,. Or those who have undergone gender reassignment surgery. Although homosexuality is already illegal under Ghanaian law, the new bill would make Ghana’s policies some of the harshest in Africa on the issue. Although the bill has support from religious leaders from Christian, Muslim, and Traditional Religious communities, it has also been condemned by activists as violating human rights. Human Rights groups have already petitioned the supreme court to have the bill undergo judicial review.

• A national dialogue convened by Senegalese President Macky Sall has reached a compromise last Wednesday (Feb 28), to resolve the electoral crisis caused in early February by the blocking of several opposition candidates by the Constitutional Council and the president’s indefinite postponement of elections. Under the new compromise, elections would be held in early June, and the reevaluation of the blocked candidates. However, as Macky Sall has stated his intention to step down on April 2, when his term ends, it’s unclear who will helm the country in the remaining 2 months prior to the elections.

• The United Nations began a phased withdrawal of peacekeepers from the Democratic Republic of Congo last Friday (Mar 1), ending it’s 25 year presence in a country long known for violence and instability. This comes as a result of government demands to end the UN’s presence, which the DRC claims has failed to protect civilians, in spite of concerns that the lack of a UN presence could worsen the violence due to the creation of a security vacuum. The evacuation, along with the accusations preceding it have highlighted the less than successful nature of the UN in its original mandate of promoting global peace.  

• The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed concerns regarding the present conflict in Sudan, which dates back to April last year, in a statement last Friday (Mar 1). Among other things, Mr Türk noted attacks on humanitarian workers and looting of aid supplies, the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, and “an insidious disregard for human life” in reference to the 14 thousand killed and 25 million lacking safe access to food.

• South African opposition party the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) released their manifesto in a rally last Saturday (Mar 2). The manifesto includes multiple tax cuts as well as cuts to government funding, a shift to a more free market based model of economic management, and a focus on local communities. Party leader Pieter Groenewadd also took the opportunity to criticise the ruling African National Congress (ANC), which has run the country ever since the end of Apartheid, for mismanagement of the country. This comes on the heels of one of the most pivotal elections in South African history, as the ANC is facing historically low levels of support, and opposition parties like FF+ are also accused of white supremacy, with many South Africans unsure on who to vote for.