The Trump administration on Wednesday designated eight drug cartels — including MS-13 and the Sinaloa Cartel— as global terrorist organizations.
The big picture: The move comes after President Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office vowing to crack down on cartels for a "campaign of violence and terror."
Why it matters: The smear marks a new low in the deteriorating U.S.-Ukraine relationship. It comes as the Trump administration is negotiating a deal with the Kremlin to end Russia's war in Ukraine without Kyiv's participation in the talks.
Zoo Atlanta officials say they've started talks with China to bring back giant pandas to the city.
Driving the news: Zoo officials announced Wednesday that they were "engaging in dialogue" with China and would begin preliminary design work on a giant panda complex to prepare for the big ole goofy creatures' future — but yet to be determined — return.
President Trump's media group on Wednesday sued a Brazilian Supreme Court justice, alleging that he censored right-wing voices on social media platforms.
Why it matters: The lawsuit came just hours after charges against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally, were sent to Brazil's highest court.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired back at President Trump on Wednesday and claimed he "lives in a disinformation space" created by the Kremlin.
Why it matters: The Trump administration's abrupt shift in U.S. policy toward Russia coupled with his verbal attack on his Ukrainian counterpart have increased the tension between Washington and Kyiv to its highest point in years.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was charged Tuesday over an alleged coup plot to overturn his 2022 election loss and accused of being involved in plans to kill his rival, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The big picture: Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet's office made the allegations in announcing the charges against 34 people — including the 69-year-old populist leader, who's denied any wrongdoing in the case and accused investigators of political persecution.
President Trump sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday, after U.S. officials met for talks with Russia, from which Ukraine was excluded.
Why it matters: Trump's comments — falsely suggesting Ukraine started the war and that Zelensky is deeply unpopular with his own people — will supercharge fears among Ukraine and U.S. allies that the Trump administration is siding with Moscow ahead of possible peace talks.
Senior U.S. and Russian officials met on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia for more than four hours to discuss ending the war in Ukraine and preparing for a Trump-Putin summit.
Why it matters: The meeting is another significant step in improving U.S.-Russia relations since last week's phone call between President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Israel and Hamas reached an agreement with Qatari and Egyptian mediators to expedite the release of six living hostages as part of the first phase of the hostage and ceasefire in Gaza deal, according to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office and a statement from Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya.
Why it matters: Three Israeli hostages will now be released one week earlier than expected. The move suggests both Hamas and Israel are concerned the ceasefire agreement will collapse before day 42 of the agreement at the end of next week and want to be sure they get what they consider the most important parts of the agreement.
A Delta Air Lines plane from Minneapolis crashed while landing at Toronto's Pearson International Airport Monday, but officials said all 80 people on board were evacuated from the aircraft that flipped during snowy conditions.
The big picture: There were no fatalities from the crash that involved Delta Connection flight 4819, operated by regional subsidiary Endeavor Air, but "18 customers" were taken to local hospitals, per a Delta statement on what the airline called a "single-aircraft accident."
Pope Francis is being treated in the hospital for a "polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract," the Vatican said Monday.
The big picture: The 88-year-old pontiff was admitted to Rome's Agostino Gemelli Hospital Friday "for an ongoing bout of bronchitis" and tests revealed "a complex clinical picture" that "has led to a further change in therapy," per Vatican statements.
