From Gaza to defence: Five key takeaways from Indian PM Modi’s Israel visit
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has wrapped up a two-day visit to Israel, which was marked by a welcoming embrace from his counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, and a conspicuous silence about Israel’s genocidal war in occupied Palestinian territory. During the visit, which began on Wednesday, the two leaders lauded their strong friendship, which they said has deepened bilateral ties, and signed agreements on a range of issues, including innovation and agriculture. “You are a great friend of Israel, … Narendra. You are more than a friend. You are a brother,” Netanyahu told Modi when both leaders addressed the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Netanyahu showed Modi around Yad Vashem, a memorial in Jerusalem to the victims of the Holocaust, and hosted a dinner after they had spoken to the Knesset, where Modi was conferred with the parliament’s highest honour. This was the second ever visit by an Indian prime minister to Israel after Modi’s first visit in 2017. That time, he also did not visit Palestine despite India’s long history of supporting the Palestinian cause. While India opposed the creation of Israel in 1948 and formalised diplomatic relations only in 1992, relations between the two countries have improved since then, flourishing particularly since Modi became India’s prime minister in 2014. Since then, their ties have blossomed, anchored in defence and the shared nationalistic leanings of their leaders. Here are five key takeaways from Modi’s trip to Israel: Netanyahu greets Modi during a special session of the Knesset on February 25, 2026 [Ronen Zvulun/Reuters] Full support for Israel, silence on Gaza genocide Wednesday was the first time an Indian leader had addressed the Knesset. Modi received a standing ovation after declaring: “India stands with Israel firmly, with full conviction, in this moment and beyond.” Advertisement Modi told the Israeli parliament that he carries “the deepest condolences of the people of India for every life lost and for every family whose world was shattered in the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7” in 2023. “We feel your pain. We share your grief. India stands with Israel firmly, with full conviction, in this moment and beyond,” he said. “No cause can justify the murder of civilians. Nothing can justify terrorism.” The Indian prime minister referred to the Mumbai attacks in 2008, which New Delhi has blamed on neighbouring Pakistan, saying: “Like you, we have a consistent and uncompromising policy of zero tolerance for terrorism with no double standards.” Modi also threw his weight behind United States President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, stating that India “supports all efforts that contribute to durable peace and regional stability”. While Modi said he backed “dialogue, peace and stability in the region”, he skipped any mention of the continuing genocide in Gaza, where the Israeli army has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians since October 2023. Anwar Alam, a senior fellow at the Policy Perspective Foundation, a think tank in New Delhi, said the timing of Modi’s visit is “too poor and has grossly compromised India’s historical pro-Palestine stand”. Alam argued that while New Delhi, a leader of the anticolonial nonalignment movement, can continue to maintain ties with Tel Aviv, “India cannot allow itself to display such insensitivity to Palestinian sufferings and stand with the coloniser.” Modi signs the guestbook at Yad Vashem as Netanyahu and Dani Dayan, chairman of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum, watch on February 26, 2026 [Ilia Yefimovich/AFP] Modi emphasises ‘civilisational ties’ with Israel One reason Modi, unlike previous Indian leaders, has displayed such warmth towards the Israeli prime minister is the Indian Hindu right’s enthusiasm for the ideology of Zionism, analysts said. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has roots in a philosophy, Hindutva, which ultimately seeks to transform India into a Hindu nation and a natural homeland for Hindus anywhere in the world – similar to Israel’s view of itself as a Jewish homeland. During his speech to the Knesset, therefore, Modi doubled down on what he called the “civilisational ties” between the two nations. He started his address to the Knesset by announcing himself as “a representative of one ancient civilisation addressing another”. “We are both ancient civilisations, and it is perhaps no surprise that our civilisational traditions also reveal philosophical parallels,” he said, quoting the Israeli “principle of ‘tikkun olam’ about healing the world”. Advertisement “In India, there is great admiration for Israel’s resolve, courage and achievements,” Modi said. “Long before we related to each other as modern states, we were linked by ties that go back more than 2,000 years.” Modi mused about “returning to a land to which I have always felt drawn”. “After all, I was born on the same day that India formally recognised Israel – September 17, 1950.” While India formally recognised Israel in 1950, two years after its formation, it only established diplomatic relations with it in 1992. Modi disembarks as he arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on February 25, 2026 [Shir Torem/Reuters] Deepening defence ties These days, India is Israel’s largest weapons buyer, pumping billions of dollars into Israel’s defence industry each year. In 2024 as Israel waged its war on Gaza, Indian weapons firms sold Israel rockets and explosives, according to an Al Jazeera investigation. On Thursday, Modi held talks with Netanyahu focused on further boosting ties in the areas of defence and security along with trade, technology and agriculture. “We have decided to establish the Critical and Emerging Technologies Partnership. This will give new momentum to cooperation in areas such as AI, quantum, and critical minerals,” Modi said. The two countries are also currently negotiating a free trade agreement. Elevating strategic ties India and Israel are reportedly inching closer to an alliance, along with other global powers, to boost security cooperation. Before Modi’s visit, Netanyahu pitched a “hexagon of alliances” that he said would include India, Greece, Cyprus and other unnamed Arab, African and Asian states to collectively stand against what he called “radical” Shia and Sunni Muslim “axes” of adversaries in
Trump U-turn: Is Venezuelan oil really available to Cuba again?
After months of a crippling oil blockade on Cuba imposed by the United States, the fuel-starved country may now see some relief after the US government said it would begin authorising companies to resell Venezuelan oil, even as tensions between the two reach a head. On Wednesday, the US Department of the Treasury said it would allow the resale of Venezuelan oil for “commercial and humanitarian use” in Cuba as the small island nation faces one of its worst fuel crises in decades. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Venezuela is the largest provider of oil to Cuba. However, since US forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January and imprisoned him to face drugs and weapons charges in a New York court, the Donald Trump administration has taken control of Caracas’s oil and halted exports to Havana. Washington has long had frosty relations with Cuba, but Trump’s administration is specifically seeking regime change there by the end of 2026, US media has reported. The US’s policy shift this week, however, comes after Caribbean leaders sounded the alarm about the dire situation in Cuba, an island nation of 10.9 million people. At a regional meeting of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries on Wednesday, attended by US Secretary of State and Cuban-American Marco Rubio, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness called on Washington to ease the pressure. “Today, many Cubans are facing serious economic hardship, energy shortages, and growing humanitarian challenges,” Holness said. Cuba is not a CARICOM member but shares close ties. Advertisement “We are sensitive to their struggles. But we must also recognise that a prolonged crisis in Cuba will not remain there. It can impact migration, security and economic stability across the Caribbean, including Jamaica,” he added. A man carries pork rinds to sell as Cubans brace for fuel scarcity measures after the US tightened its oil supply blockade, in Havana, Cuba, February 6, 2026 [Norlys Perez/Reuters] What’s the situation in Cuba now? Cuba’s state-dominated economy was already struggling under a US embargo which has been in place since 1962, dating back to Havana’s alliance with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Since then, sanctions on Cuba have eased and tightened under various US administrations. The long-running sanctions have severely weakened Cuba, causing the country to become highly dependent on imports, and high inflation routinely leads to food and energy shortages. Mass emigration of Cuba’s skilled labour force, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, has added to the country’s difficulties. With Trump’s latest oil embargo, the US has added a severe energy crisis to the mix. Widespread power blackouts of up to 20 hours at a time are now being reported across Cuba, impacting hospitals, businesses and households alike. Surgeries have been suspended, schools have cancelled classes, and waste trucks are parked as rubbish piles up in the streets. Four United Nations special rapporteurs warned in early February that the situation is contributing to a severe public health problem in the country and said it could lead to a “severe humanitarian” crisis. Cuba has lost 90 percent of its fuel supply, and despite shutting beach resorts and restricting aviation fuel sales, the country could experience a total blackout as early as late February, according to Ignacio Seni, a risk analyst writing for the US-based intelligence firm Crisis 24. The Mexican government dispatched humanitarian aid to the people of Cuba on board two ships of the Mexican Navy, Veracruz, Mexico, February 9, 2026 [Mexico Ministry of Foreign Affairs via Anadolu Agency] Why has the US blocked oil deliveries to Cuba? Cuba produces crude oil but does not have the capacity to refine enough to meet domestic demand. Venezuela was providing as much as 50 percent of Cuba’s oil before the US government took control of its oil industry at the start of this year, about 35,000 barrels per day. Under a special barter agreement in place since 2000, Cuba provides support for education, healthcare, and security services in return for discounted Venezuelan fuel. Indeed, about 30 members of Maduro’s security detail who were killed in the operation to abduct him in January were from Cuba. Advertisement Then, days after Maduro was abducted, Trump turned his aim at Cuba itself, warning Havana to “make a deal before it is too late”. He did not, however, give details about what type of deal he wanted. On January 29, Trump issued an executive order imposing new trade tariffs on any countries selling oil to Cuba because of what he called the “policies, practices and actions” of the Cuban government, which, he said, pose an “extraordinary threat” to the US. Trump also claimed, without evidence, that Havana funds “terrorism”. Besides Venezuela, Cuba was also sourcing oil from Mexico, Russia and Algeria, but all oil imports into the country ceased. Trump’s order, therefore, effectively amounted to a blockade. The US has also reportedly seized fuel tankers in open waters transferring oil to Cuba, according to a New York Times investigation into ship movements in the Caribbean Sea published last week. The US began building up its naval presence in the area in September last year as it prepared to attack Maduro, and its troops continue to patrol the waters. In mid-February, one tanker loaded with Colombian oil was intercepted by the US Coast Guard as it came within 70 miles of Cuba, the Times reported. The vehicle, called the Ocean Mariner, was previously used to covertly transport oil between Venezuela and Iran. Before Maduro’s capture, US forces also struck multiple Venezuelan boats in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean that the US claimed – without evidence – were trafficking drugs. How have Cuba and others reacted to the US blockade? Cuban authorities under President Miguel Diaz-Canel have accused the US of imposing collective punishment on the country. On Wednesday, it also accused the US of links to armed men who entered the country’s waters on a Florida-tagged speedboat. Four Americans of Cuban origin were killed in the altercation, and two were injured. In the past,
Israel kills more journalists than any nation on record: Media watchdog
Israel is responsible for 84 of 129 journalist killings in 2025 tracked by the Committee to Protect Journalists. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 3 mins info Published On 25 Feb 202625 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Israel killed at least 84 media workers and journalists in 2025 – far more than any other country in what was the deadliest year on record for the news media. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released the findings on Wednesday in its annual report and pointed to “a persistent culture of impunity for attacks on the press” by Israel’s military. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list A total of 129 media workers were killed in 2025, the highest figure since the watchdog group began keeping records in 1992. Israel was responsible for more than two-thirds of the death toll. Most of the media workers Israel killed were Palestinian, but Israeli air strikes also killed 31 staff in Yemeni newspaper offices, the CPJ said. Israel was overwhelmingly responsible for targeted killings, which the CPJ classifies as “murder”, carrying out 38 of 47 deadly incidents recorded globally by the organisation. “Israel has now killed more journalists than any other government since CPJ began collecting records in 1992,” it said in a statement. It cautioned that the true number of journalists targeted and killed by Israel could be much higher because some of the killings could be potentially concealed by press restrictions and humanitarian difficulties that complicate conducting investigations during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. “With much contemporaneous evidence now destroyed, the true number of Palestinian journalists in Gaza who were deliberately targeted by Israel may never be known,” the CPJ said. ‘Deadly smears’ The rights group listed five Al Jazeera journalists as having been “murdered” in Israeli attacks, including Anas al-Sharif and three others killed by an Israeli strike on a journalist tent in Gaza City. It also named slain Al Jazeera Mubasher correspondent Hossam Shabat as among those targeted. Advertisement In total since the start of the war, Israel has killed nearly 300 journalists and media workers, according to Shireen.ps, a monitoring website named after veteran Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank in 2022. Israel has acknowledged killing some journalists while accusing them of having ties to armed groups – claims rejected by their employers and criticised by the CPJ as “deadly smears”. Outside Gaza and Yemen, the most attacks that killed journalists in 2025 occurred in Sudan, which is in the throes of a civil war, and Mexico, which has been swept by violence linked to organised crime. Nine journalists were killed in Sudan and six in Mexico. Four Ukrainian journalists were also killed by Russian military attacks, the CPJ report said. Adblock test (Why?)
Demonstrators in frog costumes protest Trump’s State of the Union
NewsFeed As Trump delivered his State of the Union address, demonstrators dressed in frog costumes took to the streets outside the White House to protest the administration and what some called a “fascist regime.” Trump’s speech came as his approval rates have drastically slid. Published On 25 Feb 202625 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
US issues new sanctions as it dials up pressure on Iran
Washington penalties target oil vessels as Trump administration intensifies ‘maximum pressure’ campaign against Tehran. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 2 mins info Published On 25 Feb 202625 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo The United States has issued a new wave of sanctions against Iran, targeting ships that it said are selling Iranian oil to help fund the country’s ballistic missile programme. The penalties on Wednesday come a day after President Donald Trump renewed his threats against Iran in his State of the Union address. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “Iran exploits financial systems to sell illicit oil, launder the proceeds, procure components for its nuclear and conventional weapons programs, and support its terrorist proxies,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in a statement. “Under President Trump’s strong leadership, Treasury will continue to put maximum pressure on Iran to target the regime’s weapons capabilities and support for terrorism, which it has prioritised over the lives of the Iranian people.” While the US describes the Iranian oil trade as “illicit”, Iran, which is selling its own petroleum products, describes the crackdown on its energy sector as piracy. The US has been intensifying sanctions against Iran as it amasses military assets – including two aircraft carriers and large fleets of fighter jets – in the region in apparent preparation for war. Wednesday’s penalties targeted 12 vessels, as well as several companies and individuals that the US said are involved in Iran’s oil sales and weapons acquisition. The new sanctions will freeze targeted assets of the designated firms and individuals in the US and make it mostly illegal for American citizens to engage in financial transactions with them. Advertisement Washington has been piling such sanctions on the Iranian economy since Trump nixed the multilateral nuclear deal with Tehran in 2018 during his first term. That agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), saw Iran scale back its nuclear programme in exchange for the release of international sanctions. After returning to the White House in 2025, Trump reignited his economic maximum pressure campaign against Tehran with the goal of choking off Iran’s oil exports. Still, the two countries have been engaging in diplomacy to avert the looming conflict. US and Iranian negotiators are set to meet in Geneva on Thursday for their third round of negotiations this year. Adblock test (Why?)
Donald Trump heckled during State of the Union
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Donald Trump has sparked uproar during his State of the Union address after asking lawmakers to prove loyalty to the US.
Iran’s FM says deal with US ‘within reach’ if diplomacy ‘given priority’
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s remarks in advance of Geneva talks come as a second US aircraft carrier heads towards the Middle East. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 3 mins info Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi has said that a deal with the United States to avert conflict is “within reach”, in advance of talks between the two countries in Geneva, Switzerland. Araghchi said that the “historic opportunity to strike an unprecedented agreement” would depend on whether “diplomacy is given priority”, in a possible reference to US President Donald Trump’s ongoing threats to use military force against Iran. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list In a statement shared on social media on Tuesday, Iran’s top diplomat added that his country remained “crystal clear” that it would “under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon“, while also recognising the right of Iran’s people to the benefits of “peaceful nuclear technology”. Indirect talks scheduled for Thursday in Geneva will be the third round of discussions between Washington and Tehran, mediated by Oman, which has said it hopes to see “a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalising the deal”. Delivering his State of the Union address in Washington, DC, later on Tuesday evening, Trump again struck a belligerent tone towards Tehran. While saying that he preferred diplomacy, he accused Iran of developing missiles that could “soon reach the United States of America”. “My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror, which they are, by far, to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen,” Trump said. Trump said that after the US attack on Iran’s nuclear sites in June 2025, “they were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons programme, in particular, nuclear weapons – yet they continue”. Advertisement “They’re starting it all over. We wiped it out, and they want to start all over again, and are at this moment, again, pursuing their sinister ambitions. We are in negotiations with them. They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words: ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon’,” he added. ‘Strong fortress’ Araghchi has been leading the negotiations on behalf of Iran, while White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have been representing the US. Following the most recent talks in Geneva, Trump said that Tehran had 10 to 15 days to make a “meaningful deal”, while again referring to the possible threat of military intervention amid a huge US military build-up near Iran. The talks on Thursday will take place as the US Navy has docked its largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, at a NATO base on the Greek island of Crete, on its way towards the Middle East, where the US has been increasing its military presence in recent weeks. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has also been conducting military drills in the south of the country, saying that it has built “a strong fortress” in the area. Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said that “the public mood in Iran is a mixture of different sentiments, and oscillation between fear of the war, in terms of the military build-up by the Americans in the region, and hope for diplomacy”. Asadi said the talks were taking place alongside “public dissatisfaction”, as seen with the “massive protests” that took place across Iran in December, “initially driven by the economic hardship“. “Right now, we also hear sounds echoing of dissatisfaction in political and social spheres, over the past three days at least, in some major universities in the capital and across the country,” he added. The US has acknowledged that it caused a shortage of US dollars in Iran, contributing to severe economic consequences, including the collapse of one of Iran’s largest banks in the lead-up to December’s street protests. Adblock test (Why?)
Tokyo protests as China blocks ‘dual-use’ exports to 20 Japanese companies
China’s Commerce Ministry says the move against Japanese firms will prevent the remilitarisation of Japan. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 4 mins info Japan has strongly protested China’s move to restrict the export of “dual-use” items to 20 Japanese business entities that Beijing says could be used for military purposes, in the latest twist in a months-long diplomatic row between the two countries. Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Sato Kei said at a news conference that the move by China’s Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday was “deplorable” and would “not be tolerated” by Tokyo. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Companies affected by China’s export ban on dual-use items, or items that can be used for civilian or military purposes, include Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ shipbuilding group, aerospace and marine machinery subsidiaries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Japan’s National Defense Academy, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Beijing said restricting the export of dual-use items to the Japanese firms was necessary to “safeguard national security and interests and fulfil international obligations such as non-proliferation”, adding that the companies were involved in “enhancing Japan’s military strength”. China’s Commerce Ministry said on Tuesday that it would also add another 20 entities to its export restrictions watchlist, including Japanese automaker Subaru, petroleum company ENEOS Corporation, and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation. Chinese exporters must submit a risk assessment report for each company to ensure “dual-use items will not be used for any purpose that would enhance Japan’s military strength”, according to a statement on the Commerce Ministry’s website. Advertisement China has imposed similar restrictions on the US and Taiwan as a form of political protest, particularly over Washington’s ongoing unofficial support for the self-governed island. Beijing claims democratic Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out using force for “reunification”. Tokyo and Beijing have a historically acrimonious relationship, but diplomatic ties took a turn for the worse in November, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told legislators that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, which could necessitate military action. Japan has had a pacifist constitution which restricts its use of force, but an attack on Taiwan could legally allow Tokyo to activate its army, the Self-Defence Forces, Takaichi said. Takaichi’s remarks were some of the most explicit regarding whether Japan could become involved in a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, and have been accompanied by a push to expand Japan’s military capability. Beijing reacted with fury to Takaichi’s remarks, discouraging Chinese citizens from visiting Japan, leading to a major drop in tourism revenue from Chinese visitors. In January, Beijing also imposed Japanese export restrictions on rare earths like gallium, germanium, graphite and rare earth magnets that could be used for defence purposes, according to the US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank. The CSIS said at the time that “these retaliatory measures underscore rising tensions between Beijing and Tokyo and serve as a pointed warning from China to countries that take explicit positions on cross-strait relations”. Tokyo does not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but several of its outlying islands, including Okinawa, are geographically closer to Taiwan than mainland Japan. Taiwan is also enormously popular with the Japanese public. Adblock test (Why?)
With ‘El Mencho’ killed, what’s next for Mexico and the Jalisco cartel?
The killing of Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion, or CJNG), has triggered a wave of violence across several Mexican states, including Jalisco. Cervantes, better known as “El Mencho”, was killed in an operation by Mexico’s army on Sunday. Recommended Stories list of 2 itemsend of list But what is the Jalisco cartel, and what happens next after the killing of one of the most powerful drug lords in the country? What happened in Mexico on Sunday? Shortly after news of El Mencho‘s killing spread, suspected cartel members launched coordinated reprisals across multiple states. Attackers torched convenience stores and petrol stations, dragged trucks onto major highways and erected flaming roadblocks, known locally as narcobloqueos, paralysing cities and cutting off key routes. “Panic spread among many people,” Miguel Alfonso Meza, director of Defensorx, a Mexican civil organisation dedicated to strategic litigation and the defence of human rights, told Al Jazeera. “I heard from several relatives who had panic attacks; they were calling in tears, desperate, because they didn’t know what was going to happen,” he added. The violence appeared intended to project strength and demonstrate the cartel’s reach following the loss of its leader. In Jalisco alone, more than 25 National Guard members were killed. “That makes it one of the bloodiest days, with some of the greatest losses for the federal government,” Meza said. “It is also the first time we’ve seen coordinated attacks across more than 20 states at once. Advertisement “I call it a terrorist attack,” he added, “in the sense that groups are labelled ‘terrorist’ when they use violence to instil fear in the population. And that is exactly what we experienced.” What is the Jalisco New Generation Cartel? The Jalisco cartel is one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organisations. Founded in about 2009-2010, the group emerged from the remnants of the Milenio cartel and quickly grew into a dominant force in the country’s drug trade. It built a reputation for ruthlessness and violence unlike any since the fall of the old Zetas cartel. Los Zetas were one of Mexico’s most feared criminal groups, founded by former elite soldiers who deserted and brought military tactics into organised crime. They became notorious for using extreme brutality and for expanding beyond drug trafficking into kidnapping, extortion and fuel theft. What does the cartel do? The United States Department of State has described the cartel as one of Mexico’s most powerful drug trafficking organisations, with significant cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine distribution networks, and in recent years a major role in fentanyl trafficking into the US. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid linked to thousands of deaths in the US. Beyond drug trafficking, the group profits from extortion, migrant smuggling, and oil and mineral theft. It operates across much of Mexico and has built international trafficking routes stretching through Latin America to the US and parts of Asia. The cartel has also been linked to a series of high-profile attacks against security forces and public officials. In 2015, gunmen shot down a Mexican military helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade during an operation to capture its leader. In June 2020, the group attempted to assassinate then public security secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch in Mexico City. He survived. Two bodyguards and a civilian were killed. How does it operate? Analysts say the cartel’s growth has been driven as much by strategy as by brutality. “The CJNG has normalised the worst horrors of the Mexican drug wars, bodies hanging from lampposts, decapitated heads on the side of the road,” Chris Dalby, senior analyst at Dyami Security Intelligence, told Al Jazeera. But he argues the violence is not random. It is deliberate and performative, designed to dominate rivals quickly and discourage resistance. “That was an aberration a generation ago. The CJNG made it almost daily news. And that’s because of the way El Mencho trained his cartel. Advertisement “He trained them almost like Genghis Khan in their approach to conquest,” Dalby said, referring to the feared Mongol warrior. “They would wipe out opposition and use that as a warning: If you oppose us, this is what will happen to you.” That approach helped the cartel grow quickly across multiple states, but it also meant constant confrontation. Much of its influence rests on mobility, intimidation and strategic alliances rather than deeply rooted territorial control. Smoke billows from burning vehicles in Puerto Vallarta amid a wave of violence, with torched vehicles and gunmen blocking highways in more than half a dozen states [Reuters] What is next for Mexico after the killing of ‘El Mencho’? The death of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera is one of the most significant blows to a Mexican criminal organisation. While experts note the CJNG may now be in a “weaker position”, many warn that “decapitating” the cartel without dismantling its resources is a mistake. Critics argue that instead of long-term “financial strangulation”, the government has returned to a strategy that previously failed during the presidency of Felipe Calderon (2006-2012). Under Calderon, a hardline military offensive targeted cartel leaders in an effort to dismantle organised crime. But while several senior drug kingpins were captured or killed, the crackdown led to violent fragmentation. Hundreds of thousands were killed or disappeared in the years that followed, yet criminal groups ultimately adapted and continued to expand. When the current governing party, Morena, came to power in 2018 under former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, it promised a different approach. Obrador’s slogan, “abrazos, no balazos” (“hugs, not bullets”), signalled a move away from high-profile kingpin takedowns towards social programmes and addressing root causes of violence. Former Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador [FILE: Quetzalli Nicte-Ha/Reuters] Critics now question whether that strategy has eroded amid sustained US pressure on President Claudia Sheinbaum to curb drug trafficking, particularly fentanyl, with Washington repeatedly urging tougher action against major cartels. In Sunday’s operation, the Mexican government stated it was carried out by Mexican special forces with intelligence support from the US.
US women’s ice hockey team declines Trump’s State of the Union invitation
Olympics gold medal-winning team has politely turned down a request from President Donald Trump to attend his address in the capital. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 2 mins info Published On 24 Feb 202624 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share The women’s ice hockey team of the United States has declined an invitation to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, US media reported, after he joked he would be “impeached” if he did not ask them to attend. NBC cited a statement from the women’s team on Monday, saying players would be “unable to participate” in the State of the Union address. Recommended Stories list of 2 itemsend of list “We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal-winning US Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,” the statement said. “Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate.” Both Republicans and Democrats traditionally bring guests to watch the president’s annual address to Congress, and Trump invited the US men’s ice hockey team after they won Olympic gold on Sunday. Team USA’s women’s team won gold for the first time since 2018 when they beat the Canadians 2-1 on Thursday. In a video shared online, Trump can be heard on speakerphone in a call with the men’s team, inviting them to the address before saying, “We’re gonna have to bring the women’s team, you do know that”, to which the players laugh. “I do believe I would probably be impeached, OK?” the president added. It is not clear if the men’s team have formally accepted Trump’s invitation, but they can be heard cheering and saying, “We’re in.” The AFP news agency has contacted the team for comment. Security fencing surrounds the US Capitol in advance of the US president’s State of the Union address, in Washington, DC [Kylie Cooper/Reuters] Adblock test (Why?)