Axios

The inaugural meeting of the Trump-led Board of Peace included a $10 billion pledge from Trump and $7 billion in additional pledges for relief and reconstruction in Gaza.

Why it matters: The package of steps announced on Thursday, which also included plans to deploy thousands of soldiers and police for new security organizations in the enclave, appears to be the most ambitious U.S.-led security and humanitarian effort in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in at least a decade.

The global political elite reeled on Thursday after authorities arrested former Prince Andrew over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and sentenced ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison for insurrection.

Why it matters: Dominoes keep falling for global leaders from the Epstein files and other hot-button situations while critics call for more accountability in the U.S.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, was released Thursday after being arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, authorities said.

Why it matters: The second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II now becomes the most prominent associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to face criminal consequences for his dealings with the disgraced financier.

More than two dozen countries gathered Thursday for President Trump's first Board of Peace summit.

The big picture: Thursday's meeting offered the first concrete look at which countries will help shape Gaza's future — with more potentially joining.

President Trump on Thursday commemorated peace in the Middle East, while the U.S. inches closer to a potential strike on Iran that could ignite a major war.

Why it matters: The threats to Iran challenge Trump's branding as a global peacemaker.

President Trump said Thursday that he would decide in the next 10 or 15 days whether to continue diplomacy with Iran or order a military strike.

Why it matters: U.S. and Israeli officials tell Axios a military operation against Iran would likely be a massive, weeks-long campaign — and could begin within days.

A Border Patrol agent slipping on ice in Minneapolis wasn't just a meme. It became a symbol of how viral videos are reshaping public perceptions of ICE and Border Patrol.

Why it matters: The clips — agents falling on frozen pavement, failing to catch suspects and retreating in vehicles with flat tires as crowds jeer — are being used online to question the training, preparedness and legitimacy of federal immigration enforcement amid a mass deportation plan.

Oil prices jumped to their highest levels since last summer amid growing signs the U.S. is preparing a military strike against Iran.

Why it matters: The market sees risks to both Iranian exports but also a conflict that could threaten other supplies from the oil-producing region.

Four years after Russia's invasion, Europe has quietly replaced the United States as the engine of Ukraine's survival.

Why it matters: President Trump and his allies have long insisted that Europe — not Washington — should shoulder the cost of the continent's largest land war since World War II.

President Trump convened his top advisers on Wednesday for a meeting on the crisis with Iran, two U.S. officials tell Axios.

• Trump was briefed on the nuclear talks held earlier this week in Geneva and the group discussed next steps.

Why it matters: The Trump administration is closer to a major war in the Middle East than most Americans realize.

Four Democratic U.S. senators made an unannounced trip to Odesa, Ukraine, marking the first congressional visit to the Black Sea port since the war began nearly four years ago.

Why it matters: Led by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the lawmakers used the trip to get on-the-ground briefings on the war and to call for Congress to pass new sanctions on Russia.

A war between the United States and Iran is looming — and there are several factors suggesting President Trump might push the button soon.

The big picture: Trump has been trying to strike a nuclear deal with Iran since he retook the White House last year. But after abandoning a previous round of talks and ordering strikes last June, Trump may be about to repeat that pattern on a larger scale.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres is calling for new talks on moving away from fossil fuels that would bring energy producers to the table.

Why it matters: It's fresh evidence officials hope to adapt the UN climate process to move far beyond pledges and find new avenues to spur on-the-ground steps.

The Vatican has declined to join President Trump's Board of Peace, citing "certain critical issues."

Why it matters: The Catholic Church, which has emerged as an increasingly vocal bulwark of resistance to Washington, is echoing skepticism shared by other European countries about Trump's new international body.

Most Americans say race doesn't drive their daily decisions, even as the country feels more divided than ever, a new national survey finds.

Why it matters: Politics and social media amplify racial division. But in daily life — at work, in friendships and in families — Americans report far more interracial contact, and far less race-based decision-making, than the national mood suggests.

The Trump administration is closer to a major war in the Middle East than most Americans realize. It could begin very soon.

Why it matters: A U.S. military operation in Iran would likely be a massive, weeks-long campaign that would look more like full-fledged war than last month's pinpoint operation in Venezuela, sources say.

This year's Winter Olympics are doubling as a proving ground for how artificial intelligence can help athletes train, organizers shuffle events, and fans experience a centuries-old celebration of what humans can physically do.

Why it matters: The same technology reshaping the world is also transforming an event that brings the world together.