Welcome again to World Temporary, the place we’re trying on the lethal fallout of a Mexican cartel chief’s killing, upcoming U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, and Worldwide Felony Courtroom pretrial hearings for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
Retaliatory Assaults
Mexican authorities are speeding to revive order after the killing of a infamous cartel chief by the nation’s particular forces on Sunday sparked one of the crucial widespread eruptions of violence within the nation’s latest historical past. At the very least 62 individuals have been killed up to now—together with 25 members of Mexico’s Nationwide Guard—as cartel members block roads and set hearth to automobiles in retaliation for the dying of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the chief of the Jalisco New Technology Cartel (CJNG).
Welcome again to World Temporary, the place we’re trying on the lethal fallout of a Mexican cartel chief’s killing, upcoming U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, and Worldwide Felony Courtroom pretrial hearings for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
Retaliatory Assaults
Mexican authorities are speeding to revive order after the killing of a infamous cartel chief by the nation’s particular forces on Sunday sparked one of the crucial widespread eruptions of violence within the nation’s latest historical past. At the very least 62 individuals have been killed up to now—together with 25 members of Mexico’s Nationwide Guard—as cartel members block roads and set hearth to automobiles in retaliation for the dying of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the chief of the Jalisco New Technology Cartel (CJNG).
CJNG is taken into account one of many fastest-growing felony networks in Mexico. A breakaway gang of the nation’s highly effective Sinaloa cartel, it’s identified for trafficking fentanyl, cocaine, and different illicit narcotics into america and for finishing up brazen assaults towards Mexican officers. In December 2024, the U.S. State Division provided a reward of as much as $15 million for data that would assist within the arrest of Oseguera Cervantes, and in February 2025, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a overseas terrorist group.
Early Sunday morning, Mexican particular forces tracked down Oseguera Cervantes (often called “El Mencho”) at his hideout within the city of Tapalpa. In accordance with Mexican Protection Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, Oseguera Cervantes was severely injured throughout the try and seize him and finally died from his accidents whereas en path to Mexico Metropolis. His dying marks the highest-profile blow towards cartels because the recapture of former Sinaloa boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán in 2016.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has been underneath mounting strain from the White Home to deal with the nation’s huge cartel community. “Mexico should step up their effort on Cartels and Medication!” U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Reality Social on Monday. He has beforehand imposed tariffs and threatened army intervention if Mexico Metropolis fails to adequately counter fentanyl trafficking throughout the 2 nations’ shared border. Trejo confirmed on Monday that america supplied intelligence help for Sunday’s operation towards Oseguera Cervantes.
On Monday, White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote that Trump’s aims have all the time been very clear. “[T]he United States will guarantee narcoterrorists sending lethal medicine to our homeland are pressured to face the wrath of justice they’ve lengthy deserved,” she posted on X.
However whereas she added that the Trump administration “commends and thanks” Mexico’s army for its operation, native authorities are nonetheless scrambling to quell the fallout. A number of Mexican states canceled faculty on Monday as native governments warned residents to remain inside. Greater than 1,000 individuals had been trapped in a single day on the Guadalajara Zoo as a result of violence. And the U.S. Embassy in Mexico Metropolis warned personnel in eight cities and the state of Michoacán to shelter in place, telling U.S. residents in lots of elements of the nation to do the identical.
“[W]e should stay knowledgeable and calm,” Sheinbaum posted on Sunday. “We work on daily basis for peace, safety, justice, and the well-being of Mexico.”
At the moment’s Most Learn
The World This Week
Tuesday, Feb. 24: The Russia-Ukraine conflict marks its four-year anniversary.
The USA halts assortment of tariffs imposed underneath the Worldwide Emergency Financial Powers Act.
The Caribbean Group begins a four-day leaders’ summit in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
European Union foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas hosts Board of Peace chief Nickolay Mladenov.
Wednesday, Feb. 25: The USA and Mauritius conclude three days of discussions regarding management of the Chagos Islands.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a two-day journey to Israel.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz begins a two-day journey to China.
What We’re Following
Upcoming nuclear talks. U.S. and Iranian officers are set to carry one other spherical of nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday. However as anti-regime protests reemerge throughout Iran and Trump doubles down on his risk of army intervention if no progress is made within the nuclear negotiations, it stays unclear whether or not the 2 nations will strike a deal—or go to conflict.
A senior Iranian official advised Reuters on Sunday that Tehran is ready to make concessions on its nuclear program, together with to doubtlessly ship half of its most extremely enriched uranium overseas, if america agreed to 2 issues: the lifting of U.S. sanctions and recognizing Iran’s proper to counterpoint uranium. The White Home has not commented on this proposal, however oil costs eased on Monday following the information whereas nonetheless remaining at a six-month excessive within the face of attainable U.S. army motion.
On the identical time, the Monetary Instances reported on Sunday that Iran agreed to a virtually $590 million take care of Russia in December to buy 1000’s of superior shoulder-fired missiles. Such an settlement marks Tehran’s most vital effort to rebuild its air defenses since its 12-day conflict with Israel final June, and specialists warn that it might threaten future nuclear talks with america.
Crimes towards humanity. The Worldwide Felony Courtroom (ICC) kicked off 5 days of pretrial hearings on Monday for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who faces three counts of crimes towards humanity for overseeing a lethal anti-drug crackdown. Prosecutors have accused Duterte of ordering police and dying squads to hold out dozens of extrajudicial killings, utilizing monetary rewards or threats of retaliation as motivation.
It’s unclear how many individuals had been killed throughout Duterte’s brutal “conflict on medicine,” which formally started in June 2016. Rights activists place estimates as excessive as 30,000 deaths, although they’ve additionally accused present President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of constant the killings.
Duterte has repeatedly denied the fees. The previous president “stands behind his legacy resolutely, and he maintains his innocence completely,” lead protection lawyer Nick Kaufman advised the three-judge ICC panel on Monday. Duterte, 80, has refused to attend the hearings, saying he’s “previous, drained, and frail,” although judges dominated final month that he’s match to face trial. He’s in custody at The Hague.
The ICC panel now has 60 days to find out whether or not the prosecution’s proof is robust sufficient to warrant placing Duterte on trial.
New tax tips. India revised its 33-year-old tax treaty with France on Monday, scrapping the so-called most favored nation clause. Below that provision, if New Delhi had been to supply higher tax phrases to a different nation, then France would routinely obtain the identical profit. Now, although, Paris will solely obtain the advantages straight written in its contract with New Delhi—offering readability geared toward resolving the 2 nations’ long-running tax disputes.
In accordance with the Indian Finance Ministry, the up to date treaty supplies new dividend tax charges geared toward serving to French firms save hundreds of thousands of {dollars}, and it expands India’s potential to tax particular transactions. The deal additionally improves tips for sharing and gathering tax data between the 2 nations and provides new guidelines meant to stop tax avoidance.
Each nations have lately sought to broaden their bilateral cooperation. Simply final week, French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi upgraded their nations’ protection ties with a brand new deal that features plans to collectively produce Rafale fighter jets and different army plane.
Odds and Ends
The ultimate hockey recreation of the 2026 Olympics might not have had the spice of Heated Rivalry, nevertheless it certain had the drama. The U.S. males’s staff took dwelling the gold on Sunday in a 2-1 win over Canada, its first gold medal since its 1980 “Miracle on Ice” second. Heart Jack Hughes scored the successful objective in time beyond regulation, and his toothless smile drew thunderous applause from followers. However not everybody was thrilled. Shortly after the U.S. victory, an eBay consumer put an autographed rookie buying and selling card of Hughes up on the market for greater than $730,000 with the outline: “I hate you, Jack Hughes. You ruined my day. Go Canada !!!!”
