Reuters World News - Mexico, Ukraine anniversary, Mandelson and snowstorm

Episode Date: February 24, 2026

Tourists remain stranded in Mexico after cartel violence in the wake of the killing of drug kingpin “El Mencho”. Ukraine marks four years since Russia’s invasion. Britain’s former ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, is released on bail after his arrest over his ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Plus, the East Coast beds in as a powerful blizzard hits.  Listen to On Assignment on Ukraine here. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. Find the Recommended Read ⁠here⁠. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, I'm Kim Vinal in Wanganui, 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 US. And we look at any chances for peace after four years of fighting in Ukraine. This is Reuters' World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the front lines in 10 minutes, seven days a week. In Huchitaan Oaxqua, 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, Nemiso Aseguera, known as El Mencho, has triggered a wave.

of violence across Mexico. On Monday, Mexican president, Claudia Shinebaum, said that roadblocks set up by cartel loyalists are now cleared. But tourists remain stranded after airlines canceled flights across the country. Ryan Davis was vacationing in Puerto Bayata. We were supposed to leave yesterday. And, you know, when we woke up and we heard the initial things, We thought there's always a lot of fireworks in Porta Veritas. Her first thought was they were fireworks, and it wasn't until the text started coming in that we realized what was happening.

Reporter Laura Godistina in Monterey says it's unclear where the 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 Bayarta. Obviously, the World Cup is coming to Mexico, and it will be in Guadalajara,

which is in Halisco, the home of the new generation, Halisco, 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, you know, 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 Mentiono's Haida Tenhalisco, where he was then killed.

Britain's former ambassador to the US has been released on bail after being arrested over ties to Geoffrey 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 Atia 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. Washington is building up one of its largest military deployments in the Middle East. And President Trump is warning Iran there will be serious consequences if nuclear talks collapse with the next round set for Geneva on Thursday. Iran has threatened to strike American bases if it is attacked, even as both sides insist, diplomacy is still possible.

New York resident Jonathan Chapman tries to free his car from a mountain of snow after more than 15 inches fell on the city. It's hard work. I've already done it several times already this winter. It's getting a bit of a pain. Other places in the northeast saw more than a foot of snow. That brought travel to a near standstill for millions, as the treacherous conditions closed roads, shut train services,

and forced the cancellation of thousands of flights. New York City mayor, Zoran Mamdani, says conditions remain dangerous and people should continue to stay home. I know that this is a city full of people who do not like to sit still. And yet as the snow continues to fall and conditions remain dangerous, I am asking you to do just that. Tuesday marks the four-year anniversary of the Russian-engines. invasion of Ukraine. For Ukrainians like Lyudmila, an end to the war can't come soon enough.

Our crew caught up with her as she was charging her phone in a humanitarian aid tent. She says this last year has been the hardest for her personally, noting the blackouts, the brutal cold and frequent attacks. Reuters might call it white says four years in, there are positive signs for peace in that talks are happening between Russia and Ukraine brokered by the US. But major issues remain, and Ukraine has questions. Are there going to be foreign troops in Ukraine monitoring and helping to impose the rules of any ceasefire?

The Russians say, no, we won't accept that. Ukrainians say, well, you may have to. What's going to happen to the Zapparizia nuclear power plant, the biggest in Europe, which is a contested plant. What's going to happen to Zelensky, President Volodymy Zelensky, where the Russians want him out of power. They don't like him because he's stood up to them fairly successfully. 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 a time-lapse photographs of Volodymy Zelensky. So when he came to power in 2019, when he was first elected, he was a young, bushy-tailed, bright, kind of 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 exhausted, who is grizzled, who frequently loses his voice because he is having to cajole people to support. 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 return to 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 rollercoaster 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 Deronc. The U.S. Embassy and State Department had warned on social media that violent radical leftism was on the rise following Deronk's death in a fight with alleged hard-left activists last week.

Prosecutors in Los Angeles say they are still deciding whether to seek the death penalty for Nick Reiner, who's pleaded not guilty to murdering his parents. Prosecutors alleged Reiner killed his famous director father Rob Reiner and his wife, Michelle, inside their home last December.

Ryna remains in jail without bail, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for late April. To Markets Now, and a group of US Senate Democrats have introduced legislation that would require President Trump's administration to fully refund all of the revenue with interest collected from tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court. And on our sister markets podcast MorningBid, they're looking at the rise and fall of Novo Nordisk shares. You can also take a deep dive into the economics of weight loss drugs on our Econ World podcast with Carmel Crimmons. There's a link to that as well in the pod description. And for today's recommended read, how mountains of Italian food fed athletes at the Winter Olympic Games.

That fuel included about 1,800 metres of pizza and Italian. ton of granipidano cheese per day. You can read more about the winter body diet by following the link in the pod description. For more on any of the stories from today, check out Reuters.com or the Reuters app. Don't forget to follow us on your favourite podcast player. If you're listening on a smart speaker, just ask for the latest news from Reuters seven days a week. We'll be back tomorrow with our daily headline show.