In a major escalation of Mexico’s security offensive, elite Mexican military and federal forces have successfully neutralized Hugo Cesar Macias Urena, the key cartel lieutenant who assumed operational command of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) after the death of its leader, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera. This targeted operation struck at the heart of the cartel’s command structure, removing its trusted right‑hand strategist and financial logistics chief. WATCH 

The European Union is facing one of its most consequential decisions of the Ukraine war: whether to use frozen Russian central bank assets to help finance Ukraine’s future. Around 210 billion euros in Russian assets, frozen after Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022, are now at the center of a fierce debate inside Europe.