Conservative businessman Nasry Asfura hastaken office as president of Honduras after winning a razor-thin election that his opponent still disputes. Asfura, who was endorsed by Donald Trump ahead of the vote, has pledged to shrink the state, boost investment, and crack down hard on crime in the gang-wracked Central American nation. Will he emulate the controversial but popular strongman approach of his neighbor, and fellow Trump-pal, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele? Asfura has also said he will reopen relations with Taiwan, a move sure to anger Beijing. China considers the self-governing island to be part of its own territory, and had convinced Asfura’s left-wing predecessor to cut ties with Taiwan.
US President Donald Trump threatened Iran again this morning, saying he would strike the Islamic Republic in an attack “far worse” than last June if Tehran doesn’t make a deal on its nuclear weapons. The warning comes after the Iranian government violently quelled protests, and as the US deploys more military assets to the Middle East. But Trump’s remarks today appear to undermine his message last summer that the US had “obliterated” Iran’s capacity to develop a nuclear weapon. Nearby Gulf states are growing anxious about a potential conflict, especially if a US strike sparks retaliatory Iranian attacks. Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE – no close friends of Iran – said they won’t allow Washington to use their airspace or territory to attack Iran.
On Tuesday, the US announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers will accompany the US delegation to Italy for the Winter Olympics to “vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations.” The news has not been well-received by Italy, after fatal shootings of protesters during ICE’s deployment in Minnesota, with Milan’s mayor saying they are “not welcome in Milan.” But Homeland Security Investigations, a unit within ICE that focuses on cross-border crimes, has in the past sent its officers overseas to assist with security. The news that ICE is going international comes as they face increasing criticism at home after two fatal shootings in Minnesota. New polling finds that the majority of Americans disapprove of ICE’s tactics as being “too forceful.” Trump, for his part, said on Tuesday his administration will “de-escalate a little bit” in Minneapolis.
Microsoft, Europol, and industry partners took coordinated action to disrupt Tycoon 2FA, a major phishing‑as‑a‑service operation designed to bypass multifactor authentication. Active since 2023, the service fueled large‑scale online impersonation, enabling fraud, data theft, and disruptions across sectors, including healthcare and education. Acting under a US court order, the coalition seized hundreds of domains powering Tycoon 2FA’s infrastructure — underscoring the need for global, public‑private cooperation that is essential to counter industrialized cybercrime and protect digital trust. Read the full blog here.
As missiles fly and oil prices soar, the Iran war is exposing another major resource vulnerability in the Middle East: water. Fresh water has been a scarce commodity in a region defined by a dry climate and low rainfall, but attacks on the region’s desalination plants, which convert seawater into drinking water, threaten to open a new front.
Two weeks into his war against Iran, the US president is now calling on other countries to send forces to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Mexicans participate in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record, where organisers aim to break the mark for the world's largest football (soccer) lesson as part of efforts to promote the country ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, at Zocalo square in Mexico City, Mexico, March 15, 2026.
9,500: The number of people in Mexico City who participated in a soccer training session on Sunday, smashing a Guinness World Record as part of a campaign ahead of the World Cup in June.