Major Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” was killed Sunday during a military operation in Jalisco state, Mexico’s Defense Department announced, delivering one of the most significant blows to organized crime in recent years.

Anti-government protests have erupted at multiple Iranian universities, marking the largest campus demonstrations since January’s deadly nationwide crackdown, as nuclear negotiations with the United States proceed under the shadow of possible military action.

Hungary and Slovakia threaten to cut electricity supplies to Ukraine unless it resumes Russian oil shipments by Monday, as the Hungarian government moves to block a planned 90-billion-euro ($106-billion) European Union loan to the war-torn country in an escalating energy standoff.

Senior European intelligence officials see little chance of ending Russia’s war in Ukraine this year, despite President Donald J. Trump’s claim that U.S.-brokered negotiations have brought a peace deal “reasonably close.”

British police raided two properties linked to former Prince Andrew on Thursday and detained the 66-year-old royal on suspicion of misconduct in public office, escalating scrutiny over his past association with the late U.S. financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The United Kingdom will not allow the Pentagon to use British-controlled bases to launch potential military strikes against Iran, according to a report by The Times of London.

President Donald Trump is weighing an initial, limited military strike on Iran aimed at forcing Tehran to meet U.S. demands for a comprehensive nuclear agreement, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Iran has issued a formal aviation warning ahead of what it described as “extensive missile launches,” closing broad sections of its southern airspace on Thursday amid mounting regional tensions.

The United States is assembling its most significant concentration of air power in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq War, positioning advanced fighter jets, aircraft carriers, and support assets amid rising tensions with Iran.

The United States military has helped avert a potentially catastrophic mass escape of thousands of Islamic State (ISIS) militants from detention facilities in northeastern Syria as instability deepened in the region, officials said.

Peru faced political upheaval Wednesday as lawmakers moved to install a new head of state after Congress voted to remove interim President José Jerí from office amid mounting scandals.

The United States is withdrawing all of its roughly 1,000 troops from Syria, ending a decade-long military campaign against the Islamic State, according to a Wall Street Journal exclusive citing American officials.

Satellite imagery reviewed by analysts indicates Iran has advanced fortification work at several sensitive military and nuclear-linked sites, including the Parchin military complex and the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center, according to a Reuters report. The developments come as Washington seeks a negotiated nuclear agreement with Tehran while warning that military options remain on the table if diplomacy fails.

A military confrontation between the United States and Iran could erupt within days and develop into a sustained, multi-week campaign, according to multiple sources cited Wednesday, even as diplomatic talks continue between Washington and Tehran.

Tensions over oil deliveries to Central and Eastern Europe escalated Tuesday after Croatia cautioned against supplying Russian crude to Hungary and Slovakia amid a widening dispute over halted pipeline flows.