Iran Response

UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the US and Israeli airstrikes against Iran and called for an immediate return to negotiations “to pull the region, and our world, back from the brink.”

The UN chief told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Saturday that everything possible must be done to prevent further escalation.

“The alternative,” he warned, “is a potentially wider conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability.”

Guterres also condemned Iran’s retaliatory strikes for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Speaking to reporters before the meeting, Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, said it was “hypocritical” to condemn the airstrikes. He argued that Iran is responsible for the actions of its allies in the Middle East and for its nuclear and missile programs, and that Israel and the United States acted "to prevent an irreversible and immediate threat."

With the leader of Iran probably dead, much of the world is on tenterhooks as to how many more bombs will drop and if there will be some change in the Iranian government. 

Minsinfo in Mexico

The Mexican government denounced on Wednesday a disinformation campaign that followed the death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, during which between 200 and 500 posts containing false information were disseminated to exaggerate the wave of violence unleashed by the criminal group and to create fear. Between 20 and 30 of these posts garnered over 100,000 views.

During the presidential press conference, a video was presented, supported in part by data from a study conducted by the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM)—a private university—which revealed that between 35 and 40 percent of the content disseminated, mostly on Sunday following the operation that killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (alias "El Mencho") was taken out of context; more than a quarter contained misleading information; and approximately another quarter was fabricated or manipulated using artificial intelligence.

The wave of violence that followed the military action was real. The government acknowledged more than 70 deaths, including criminals, security forces, and others, and more than 250 roadblocks in 20 states. Both Mexican authorities and many diplomatic missions, beginning with the United States, issued calls for their citizens to stay home.

Among the most widely viewed and panic-inducing misinformation were images of the Guadalajara airport supposedly taken over by gunmen, showing stampedes of passengers, a burning plane at the airport, or claims that organized crime had taken American tourists hostage on highways and in hotels. 

El Mencho Killing

The leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” died after a confrontation with the military in western Mexico, effectively decapitating the country's most powerful cartel and giving the government its best result to date in the fight against drug trafficking.

The operation unleashed a wave of violent retribution in at least 13 of Mexico's 32 states, with stores, bank branches, and vehicles set ablaze, as well as road blockades. Authorities in the states of Jalisco, Michoacán, and Guanajuato reported at least 14 deaths, including seven members of the National Guard, and 45 arrests.

The government reported in the statement that the capture and death of the CJNG leader was achieved after military intelligence work, and within the framework of coordination and cooperation with US authorities, who provided "complementary information" for the operation.

On her social media account, President Claudia Sheinbaum congratulated the military forces and the Security Cabinet for the action, and confirmed that, as a result of the operation, various blockades and other reactions were registered, but she did not offer details. 

Peru President

José Balcázar, a left-wing legislator, became Peru's new president on Wednesday after Congress elected him to serve as interim head of state for the remainder of the current term, hours after the removal of José Jerí.

Balcázar, 83, a member of the Peru Libre party, assumed the presidency at a time of profound political volatility and public distrust. He will serve in an interim capacity until the winner of the April 12 general election, or a potential runoff scheduled for June, takes office on July 28.

The Peruvian Congress voted on Tuesday to remove Jerí after four months in office, following a scandal involving secret meetings with a Chinese businessman. Balcázar was not among the legislators who voted to keep Jerí in office.

His election as interim president came after Congress announced that four candidates had officially registered for Wednesday's vote. Balcázar is a lawyer and former judge whose political career has been marred by legal investigations and controversies.

Elected to Congress in 2021, Balcázar has held influential positions, including leading the special commission tasked with selecting justices for the Constitutional Court and serving on senior committees related to justice and education.

Balcázar has faced both ethical and legal scrutiny. He is under investigation by the public prosecutor's office for alleged influence peddling and was permanently expelled from the Lambayeque Bar Association in 2024 for alleged embezzlement. More notoriously, he has previously made comments in favor of legalizing child marriages for girls as young as 14. Balcázar will be the 8th President Peru has had in the last decade. With lingering poverty, instability and political mistrust it is unlikely that the future of the nation will be smooth.

Argentina Strike

Argentina's main labor confederation, the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), announced Monday that it will call a general strike without protests on the day the Chamber of Deputies debates the labor reform bill proposed by the government of President Javier Milei.

Jorge Sola, general secretary of the CGT and the Insurance Workers' Union, confirmed the action in a statement to AP. The strike was decided at a virtual meeting of the CGT's leadership, which was also attended by other union leaders. The labor reform bill, which could be debated in the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday, February 19, or Wednesday, February 25, aims to modernize labor relations, reduce employment costs, and limit the power of unions. The bill received preliminary approval in the Senate last Thursday. All this comes as civil unrest grows in response to the government's new labor laws, strongly reversing restrictions. Among other things, the implementation of a 12-hour workday has caused backlash from the public toward the controversial Milei administration.

RUNIT

A new sports league has sprung up. Originally from Australia, the RUNIT League is a platform for “professional sports running.” The game consists of two players, typically large men, running full speed at one another and colliding. One player, the “runner”, carries a rugby ball in hand and faces off against the “defender.” Each player switches off after each collision, though it is not clear the exact purpose of the ball in the sport. Winners are declared by judges scoring who executed each crash better according to a set of criteria. Of course, players also win if their opponent is unfit to continue the fight. 

This brings the conversation to the most controversial element of this new sport, the damage to players. Compilation videos have been posted online of players getting knocked out brutally by the contact, sometimes both players at the same time. There is no protective equipment used (something the official website touts proudly as a testament to the pure masculinity of the sport), so the damage done to the athletes is severe indeed. It seems like there is very little skill involved in this activity, rather a contest of masses than minds. It brings to mind the failed “slap-fighting” events that UFC founder Dana White tried to make popular several years back. Only this time the damage is even more extreme. Time will tell if this violent game breaks out into the mainstream, but until then the promoters will have to subsist off sketchier sponsorships like Kik and Stake.

El Paso

The sudden and surprising closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday—initially announced as a 10-day closure but lasting only a few hours—was due to the Pentagon's plans to test a laser to shoot down drones used by drug traffickers along the border, according to three people familiar with the situation who were granted anonymity to avoid sharing sensitive details.

This caused friction with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which wanted to ensure the safety of commercial flights, and the two agencies attempted to coordinate, according to two of the people.

Despite a meeting scheduled for later this month to discuss the matter, the Pentagon wanted to proceed with the laser test, prompting the FAA to close the airspace over the city on the southern border of the United States. It was unclear whether the laser was ultimately deployed.

The restrictions were only in place for a couple of hours in the city of nearly 700,000, but it's rare for an entire airport to close, even for a short time. Before the order was lifted, stranded travelers with luggage lined up at airline ticket counters and car rental counters.

Normal flights resumed in the morning after seven arrivals and seven departures were canceled. Some medical evacuation flights also had to be diverted.

Portugal Election

Center-left Socialist candidate António José Seguro is the strong favorite to defeat far-right populist André Ventura in the second round of Portugal's presidential election on Sunday, in a vote that will test the extent of support for Ventura's audacious political style.

Recent opinion polls indicate that Seguro will receive twice as many votes as Ventura in the runoff between the two top candidates, compared to the first round of voting last month, when none of the 11 contenders secured the more than 50% of the vote needed for victory.

However, reaching the second round is already a significant achievement for Ventura and his Chega (Enough) party, which has rapidly grown into a significant force in Portuguese politics amid a broader shift to the right in Europe.

In Portugal, the president is largely a symbolic figure with no executive power. Traditionally, the head of state stands above political conflict, mediating disputes and defusing tensions. However, the president is an influential voice and possesses some powerful tools, including the power to veto legislation passed by parliament, although the veto can be overridden. The head of state also possesses what is known in Portuguese political jargon as the "atomic bomb," the power to dissolve parliament and call early elections.

US-Iran

Iran and the United States held indirect talks in Oman on Friday, negotiations that appeared to be back at square one regarding how to approach discussions about Tehran's nuclear program. But for the first time, the U.S. brought its top military commander in the Middle East to the table.

The presence of Navy Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, at the talks in Muscat, the Omani capital, served as a reminder that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other warships are now off the coast of Iran in the Arabian Sea.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to reach an agreement on its nuclear program after sending the aircraft carrier to the region following a crackdown on protests in the country, in which thousands of people were killed and tens of thousands more were arrested.

The Arab nations of the Persian Gulf fear that an attack could trigger a regional war that would also draw them in. Although the prospects for a peaceful negotiation look slim, it is up to the governments of the two opposed nations to forge a path forward. 

Trump and Petro

U.S. President Donald Trump held talks with Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House on Tuesday, just weeks after threatening military action against the South American country and accusing its leader of flooding the United States with cocaine.

The meeting, which focused on regional security cooperation and anti-drug trafficking efforts, came after Trump claimed that Petro—who has been critical of Trump and the U.S. operation to capture then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro—has become more willing to work with his administration to stem the flow of illegal drugs from Colombia.

Historically, Bogotá has been an ally of Washington. For the past 30 years, the United States has worked closely with Colombia, the world's largest producer of cocaine, to arrest drug traffickers, repel rebel groups, and foster economic development in rural areas. Colombia is also designated by the U.S. as a major non-NATO ally.

But relations between the leaders have become strained due to the buildup of U.S. forces in the region to conduct unprecedented deadly military strikes targeting vessels suspected of drug smuggling in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific. At least 126 people have died in 36 known attacks.

Trump and Petro have been at loggerheads over a number of issues, and have each heaped personal attacks on the other. The meeting between the two leaders was cordial, but the future of relations between the two nations remains unclear, especially with Colombian elections coming up in March.