Reuters World News - Iran talks, Guthrie, West Bank and Bondi Beach

Episode Date: February 16, 2026

Tehran signals flexibility on its nuclear program – as Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu says any U.S. deal with Iran must include the dismantling of its nuclear infrastructure. Investigators have obtained a DNA sample from a glove that was found near Nancy Guthrie's Arizona home. Israel's cabinet approves further measures to tighten Israel's control over the occupied West Bank. And an alleged Bondi Beach gunman has his first court appearance. Find our recommended read here. Listen to the On Assignment podcast here: What the world can learn from Aussie kids and the social media ban Listen to the Morning Bid podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, I'm Carmel Crimmons in Dublin. It's Monday, February 16th. Today, Iran and the US eye each other warily ahead of Geneva talks. A fresh plea from Savannah Guthrie as the FBI seek a DNA match from a glove found near her mother's home. The alleged Bondi gunman makes his first court appearance. And, in Cuba, fuel shortages are hitting classes. This is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the front line. in 10 minutes, seven days a week. We start with a high-stakes week ahead in the Middle East. Iranian and US officials meet in Geneva on Tuesday for another round of talks on a nuclear deal,

while the US has sent a second aircraft carrier into the region in preparation for possible strikes if an agreement is not met. There were some signs of hope over the weekend from an Iranian diplomat. Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takedakravanchi telling the BBC that Tehran might be flexible on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Arachi, says he'll meet the UN nuclear watchdog chief later today.

But it's not clear that Tehran will accept zero enrichment of uranium. And that appears to be a line in the sand for the US administration. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met with Trump to discuss terms. I said that if a deal used to be reached, it should have several components. There shall be no enrichment capability, not stopping the enrichment process, but dismantle the equipment and the infrastructure that allows you to enrich in the first place. Over in Israel itself, the cabinet has signed off on a new set of measures to tighten its control over the occupied West Bank in a move Palestinians are calling de facto annexation. It comes after a move last week to make it easier for Jewish settlers to purse.

purchased land there. Ultranationalist finance minister Bazal Smotrich saying in announcing that that the government would continue to kill the idea of a Palestinian state. Here's our Jerusalem correspondent Emily Rose with more. We've certainly seen since October 7th, more right-wing politicians in general say that the two-state solution is infiable. It certainly falls in line with a series of policies that have been implemented since this government, since this coalition took office, that indeed expedite the process for Jews to buy land in the West Bank, expand in the West Bank, and build in the West Bank. Members of government said that it would speed up the process of Jewish expansion in the West Bank, and this kind of under very heavy

criticism from international organizations. I think it's important to, remember too, that President Trump not too long ago said that annexation was not on the table. Investors will be weighing the implications of Iran and US negotiations, especially when it comes to oil prices. Markets are closed in the US for the President's Day holiday, but Japan's latest GDP results and the latest intel on US inflation are likely to shape markets early this week. For the latest, I'm joined by Amanda Cooper from our sister podcast MorningBid. That's right. US inflation came in a little bit. bit under expectations last month, which gave a little something to everybody in the markets,

whether that was in stocks or in bonds. We saw everything finish up on a fairly upbeat note at the end of last week. And it's even had a bit of impact on expectations for the Fed. It looks like markets are leaning more towards a likely cut in June rather than in July. And there's even a little possibility of a third cut starting to get priced in for 2026. In addition, with US markets shut, it's leaving investors with other things to look at. We had a pretty pretty grim breed of fourth quarter Japanese GDP, which suddenly makes Prime Minister Sunayatakaichi's plans to spend big and cut some taxes look rather sensible. She aims to revive the economy a little bit. You know, the yen's taken a bit of a knock on the back of it, but there

hasn't been too much repercussion for stocks and bonds, which suggests that people are maybe comfortable with the idea of a big spend, big borrow government. And finally, energy traders are keeping a close eye on talks in Geneva between US and Iranian diplomats over Iran's nuclear enrichment program. It feels like expectations for a deal at this point are low, but I guess never impossible. So the mood is a little bit tense. And, you know, we're seeing the oil price hold fairly steady as people wait for those talks to get underway. Thanks, Amanda. You can get morning bid wherever you get your podcasts. We still have hope. and we still believe

and I wanted to say to whoever has her or knows where she is it's never too late a tearful Savannah Guthrie in a new video post about the hunt for her missing mother Nancy

the TV journalist making a public appeal for anyone who might know her mom's whereabouts to do the right thing the plea coming hours after a DNA sample was obtained from a glove found near Guthrie's Arizona home. It appears to match the pair worn by a masked prowler, seen in doorbell camera footage before she was abducted two weeks ago. Results from the glove could potentially lead to what forensic experts call a hit, as early as Monday. The man

accused of killing 15 people at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Australia's Bondi Beach has appeared in court for the first time. Dressed in prison greens, Navid Akram appeared briefly via video link from a maximum security prison. He sat in silence for most of the proceeding. His lawyer, Ben Archbold, outside the court, saying it's too early to say how he'll plead. I haven't spoken to her about the attack in that regard. All that we're doing at the moment is starting the process.

A former energy minister in Ukraine has been detained as a suspect in a high-profile kickback case. That's according to anti-graphed prosecutors. Ukraine's previous two energy ministers resigned in the fallout over the so-called Midas case, an alleged $100 million kickback scheme at the State Atomic Agency. That scandal has ensnared senior officials and business elites, including a former associate of President Vladimir Zelensky. The scandal also claimed the job of Zelensky's chief of staff. All three have denied wrongdoing. To Cuba now, where the population is struggling to go about their day-to-day lives as a fuel crisis deepens.

The U.S. cut off oil exports from the country's ally Venezuela after President Trump's administration declared Cuba an unusual and extraordinary threat to national security. To save fuel, the government has started cutting back school hours in some areas, shifting students to half-day schedules or reducing the number of days they're in class each week. And for families at schools like the Adelberto Gomez-Nunes primary in Havana, even the simplest routines are being reshaped.

The maestra of us live very long. One mother, Jaima Calderon, says the crisis is touching everything. She wakes up between 3.30 and 4.30 a.m. to prepare for the day before electricity cuts out. Getting her daughter to school now involves long walks and she worries about safety. The school's principal, Victor Suarez, says the school is trying to keep teaching quality intact, despite the situation. For many parents, like Daniel E. Largas, the hardest part comes after the school day. She says transportations severely affected, and once children return home, inconsistent power makes it hard to get homework done or even finish basic chores. The Cuban government has detailed a wide-ranging plan to ration fuel and protect essential services.

Political figures from around the world are set to be ridiculed today at Rose Monday in Germany's traditionally provocative and satirical carnival. Some floats feature caricatures of President Trump, who joins plenty of. of domestic figures being lampooned, including Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Mertz in a sinking boat. Last year's carnival celebrations were overshadowed in Germany by a deadly car ramming, but Mikhail Bonwitz, spokesman for the Mainz Carnival Association, says they hope for an exuberant but peaceful day. And for today's recommended read, we head to outer space.

Astronomers have observed a planetary system that challenges current planet formation theories, with a rocky planet observed beyond the orbits of its gaseous neighbours, unlike anything seen before, and leading scientists to call it an inside-out planetary system. For more on any of the stories from today, check out roiders.com or the Reuters app. Don't forget to follow us on your favourite podcast player. If you're listening on a smart speaker, just ask for the latest news from Reuters seven days a week. We'll be back tomorrow with our daily headline show.