Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hi, I'm Kim Vinnell in Whanganui, New Zealand. It's Tuesday, February 24th. Today, tourists shelter in place in Mexico due to cartel violence. Another arrest in the UK over ties to Jeffrey Epstein. A record-breaking blizzard hits the northeast of the U.S. And we look at any chances for peace after four years of fighting in Ukraine.
Chapter 2: What caused the recent cartel violence affecting tourists in Mexico?
This is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the front lines in 10 minutes, seven days a week. In Huchitan, Oaxaca, a school bus lies charred outside a school. Soldiers and security forces are nearby, following coordinated cartel attacks across the country.
The death of the infamous cartel boss, Nemicio Ezequiel, known as El Mencho, has triggered a wave of violence across Mexico. On Monday, Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum said that roadblocks set up by cartel loyalists are now cleared. But tourists remain stranded after airlines cancelled flights across the country. Ryan Davis was vacationing in Puerto Vallarta.
My friend was supposed to leave yesterday. And, you know, when we woke up and we heard the initial things, we thought there was always a lot of fireworks in Puerto Vallarta. So our first thought was they were fireworks. And it wasn't until the text started coming in that we realized what was happening.
Reporter Laura Godestina in Monterey says it's unclear whether Mexico can open another front in its war against cartels, as it's already cracking down on the Sinaloa cartel. And there are big questions about what this all will mean for tourism.
A number of international tourists are still stranded in cities like Puerto Vallarta. Obviously, the World Cup is coming to Mexico and it will be in Guadalajara, which is in Jalisco, the home of the new generation Jalisco cartel. But it really remains too soon to tell. While there were short term impacts, things have mostly settled down and we will see where this goes.
We still have a few months before the World Cup and it is worth reiterating there has been widespread tourism in Mexico despite flare-ups in the security crisis now for years upon years.
Mexican authorities say it was a tip about a romantic liaison that led them to El Mencho's hideout in Jalisco, where he was then killed. Britain's former ambassador to the US has been released on bail after being arrested over ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Peter Mandelson was taken into custody Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. There was no immediate response from Mandelson's lawyers. In the US, CBS News says longevity expert Dr. Peter Attia has stepped aside as a contributor after his emails with Epstein became public.
The United States is pulling staff from its embassy in Beirut as tensions with Iran raise fears of war. Washington says non-essential personnel and family members are being evacuated, although the embassy will still operate with core staff. The move comes as the USS Gerald R. Ford, an American aircraft carrier, arrives at a NATO base in Greece.
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Chapter 3: How has the death of El Mencho impacted Mexico's security situation?
As for how Ukraine has changed in the past four years, Mike says one way to gauge that is by looking at the face of the country's leader.
The way I and some of my colleagues look at it is if you want to see how Ukraine has changed, then look at the time-lapse photographs of Volodymyr Zelensky. When he came to power in 2019, when he was first elected, he was a young, bushy-tailed, bright, almost boyish, impish leader, and people couldn't quite believe that he had become the president.
now when you see him there is a man who is uh exhausted um who is grizzled who frequently loses his voice because he is having to cajole people to support ukraine the whole time he has the stress of seeing his country pummeled crushed, many parts of it left in ruins. So I think that that kind of reflects how people are feeling.
For more on how four years of war has impacted daily lives in Ukraine, listen to our most recent On Assignment podcast. There's a link in the show notes.
We are in Ukraine's capital to hear from a Ukrainian journalist who's returned to Kyiv from abroad, despite a freezing winter and almost daily bombardments, to tell the story of the war. I felt desperate, to be honest, because first of all, I couldn't help my family. Second of all, I didn't know how exactly I can help the country. This feeling just like was killing me.
So I was really desperate and angry, obviously. We find out how US President Donald Trump's return to the White House and a 12-month political roller coaster has affected those on the ground.
Before I even arrive at the Oval Office, I will have the disastrous war between Russia and Ukraine settled. It will be settled quickly.
And we ask whether there is any hope that this war will end soon.
France has banned U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner from meeting with French government officials after he failed to show up at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Kushner had been summoned over American comments on the killing of French far-right activist Quentin Deronque. The U.S.
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