Top World News

Feb 24, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump wants to project a certain image on the global stage, and some world leaders have learned how to use that to their advantage, according to one expert. Trump wants to appear as a ruthless leader on par with strongmen like Russia's Vladimir Putin or China's Xi Jinping, according to Fiona Hill, Trump's Russia advisor during the first administration. Hill said during an interview on the "The Court of History" podcast on Monday that Trump's desire to be seen in this light gives world leaders a psychological advantage when they interact with the U.S. president, because they have turned that desire for adoration into currency. "Putin, I think, understands it perfectly," Hill said. "Because if you look at Putin, he rations out his access to him for Trump. He kind of dangles things out of there, plays just hard to get all the time because he knows that Trump, more than anything else, wants his adulation and respect, and Putin's just not going to give that because that's currency. That's extraordinarily valuable."Hill recalled being on phone calls between Trump and Putin and noticing that the Russian leader had "so much of an advantage" against Trump. It also appears that "he knows this" as well, Hill said. "He is not that ruthless," she continued, referring to Trump. "He wants to be treated as if he is, but he's just not that ruthless. And that's why he is intimidated by Putin, because he wants everybody else to think of the United States in that same manner. He doesn't want to be benign and benevolent. If he can't be respected, he wants to be feared. He doesn't want to be made fun of or to become a meme."

Feb 24, 2026 - World

Ahead of the 2026 Winter Paralympics, a choir from northern Italy performed inside a Milan church as part of an effort encouraging inclusion and unity in communities beyond the competition

Feb 24, 2026 - World

Maria Dolores Aguirre’s family corner store has lived off tourism that has flowed into her charming cobblestoned town of Tapalpa, tucked away in the mountains of Jalisco state

Feb 24, 2026 - World

China has opposed the ‘smearing of its nuclear policy’ while insisting Beijing would not ‘engage in any nuclear arms race’The US has accused China of dramatically expanding its nuclear arsenal, while doubling down on claims that Beijing had conducted secret nuclear tests.Washington said the lapsing of New Start – the last treaty between top nuclear powers the US and Russia – earlier this month presented the possibility of striking a “better agreement” that included Beijing. Continue reading...

Feb 24, 2026 - World

Killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader sparks wave of violence across western MexicoAnalysis: Mexico faces uphill battle to appease kingpin TrumpWho was El Mencho?Mexican authorities tracked down and killed “El Mencho”, one of the world’s most wanted drug traffickers, by following a romantic partner to his safe house near a picturesque mountain town, the country’s defence secretary has revealed.In a press conference, officials provided the first details about the operation that led to the death of the leader of Mexico’s most powerful organised crime group, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Continue reading...