Reuters World News - Jesse Jackson, Iran, Ukraine talks, and Lunar New Year

Episode Date: February 17, 2026

*This podcast contains an error. Barack Obama was elected in 2008, not 2018. Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader and U.S. presidential hopeful, has died at 84. The U.S. and Iran are set to hold high-stakes nuclear talks in Geneva – which will also host a separate trilateral meeting on ending the war in Ukraine. New Mexico has approved a comprehensive probe ofJeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch. Reported health difficulties for jailed Pakistani former Prime Minister Imran Khan could lead to political fallout. Plus, the first day of the Year of the Horse. Find our recommended read ⁠here⁠. 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 Kim Vinal in Wanganui, New Zealand. And I'm Carmel Crimmons in Dublin. It's Tuesday, February 17th. Today, US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson has died. The stage is set in Geneva for high-stakes nuclear talks between Iran and the US, as well as trilateral meetings aiming for an end to the war in Ukraine. New Mexico approves a comprehensive probe of Epstein's Zorro Ranch. The Year of the Horse begins.

This is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the front lines in 10 minutes, seven days a week. But first we have some breaking news. For more, here's my colleague Kamelkrimmins. Thanks, Kim. Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson has died at the age of 84. His family said he died peacefully but didn't give a cause. The eloquent Baptist minister was America's most influential black figure in the years between the civil rights crusades. of Martin Luther King Jr. and the election of Barack Obama. On the day King was assassinated, on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Jackson was just a floor below. An impassioned

orator, Jackson ran for president twice, long before Obama's election in 2018. Ultimately, he never held elective office, but remained America's preeminent civil rights figure for decades, continuing his activism later in life, condemning the police killing of George Floyd and other Black Americans in 2020 during the global racial justice movement. It's a big day of diplomatic maneuvering in Geneva today, with the US trying to get a nuclear deal with Iran over the line and to make progress on ending the war in Ukraine. Now, on the Iran front, US envoys Steve Whitkoff and Jared Kushner will meet with Iranian representatives. Speaking on board Air Force One, US President Donald Trump says he'll also be involved

in the talks, albeit indirectly. We could add a deal instead of sending the B2s into knock out their nuclear potential that we had to send the B2s. I hope they're going to be more reasonable. They want to make a deal. Trump's referring to the two aircraft carriers the U.S. is sent to the region to pressure Iran into making a deal. But Tehran has also made its own overtures.

On Monday, it conducted a military drill in the strait of Hormuz, designed to show Iran's power over the vital international waterway and oil export route. Footage from Iranian media, which couldn't be independently verified by Reuters, shows large explosions on land and speedboats firing at sea. Iran has indicated that it is ready to dilute its most highly enriched uranium, a program that the US fears could lead to nuclear weapons, in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions that have crippled its popularity. Staying in Geneva, and after talking Iran, Kushner and Wikov will then pivot to meetings

to try and end the war in Ukraine, taking part in trilateral discussions with Kiev and Moscow. No major shift is expected from Russia or Ukraine, but as Kiev bureau chief Dan Flynn explains, that doesn't mean it's pointless. So the Ukrainians are keen to demonstrate that they are open to achieving a peace deal and they want to show in particular to Donald Trump's administration that they are doing everything in their power to achieve a deal. President Vladimir Zelensky has said as much in his recent public appearances. For example, on the key questioning territory, Zelensky has said that the Ukrainians would consider

a free trade zone in the Donbass region, which is contested with Russia. That's the American proposal, but so far the Russians are refusing to countenance that. they say nothing short of Ukraine giving up that territory and handing it to Russia will bring about peace. So people are tired and frustrated by the war, but there is also resilience. And the penin polls show in Ukraine that I find the majority of the population is still not willing to counter ceding territory to Russia in return for peace. US markets are back open after the President's Day holiday. You can find out the latest on What to Watch on our

sister podcast Morning Bid, available wherever you get your podcasts. Yet another prominent businessman has stepped down over his ties to the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. Tom Pritzker, the billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotel's empire, has resigned as executive chairman of the company. In a statement, Pritzker said he deeply regrets his association with Epstein and Galane Maxwell, saying he exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them and failed to distance himself sooner. Meanwhile, in New Mexico, lawmakers have voted to launch the first full investigation into what went on at Epstein's Zorro Ranch, a sprawling property south of Santa Fe, where he's accused

of trafficking and sexually assaulting girls and women over decades. A bipartisan Truth Commission will hear testimony from survivors and local residents and try to identify who knew what and when. A full report is expected by the end of the year. Authorities in Arizona say family members of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of today's show anchor Savannah Guthrie, have been cleared as suspects in her abduction. The Pima County Sheriff says investigators believe

the 84-year-old was taken against her will from her home near Tucson two weeks ago. To Pakistan now, where jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan health is reportedly deteriorating, potentially raising pressure on the government. Khan, who is serving a 14-year sentence on corruption charges, which he and his party say are politically motivated, remains a potent political force in the country. Reporter Araiba Shahid has more. Khan's lawyers told Supreme Court that he has lost significant vision in his right eye while in

custody, around 85% at one point. Officials say treatments ongoing and reject claims of neglect. a government medical board that examined Khan on Monday said his condition had improved after treatment and his eyesight had recovered to near normal levels. Aribis says if Khan's health does get worse, the political fallout could be serious. That's because despite being in jail, his party won the largest number of seats

and the 2024 general elections. And that was despite major challenges, including restrictions on campaigning and the loss of their party symbol. and they were not able to form government, but they were able to display power. We've seen highway blockades in recent days following the news of Han's health. So if his health worsens, it could reignite protests and increase pressure on the state, but it would likely play out in an environment where political space is tight.

And finally, today is the first day of the Lunar New Year. Hundreds of millions of people crisscrossed China during these holidays to see, family and go-site scene, making it the world's largest annual human migration. The official travel period began earlier this month, with travelers laid in with suitcases trying to snare tickets in Beijing. It is the start of the year of the horse. And in Taiwan, Taipei Zoo is hoping the celebration will spotlight its efforts to protect an endangered species of horse, which is native to Central Asia, and that was once extinct in the wild. Shivalski's horse, and that was once extinct in the wild. Shavalski's horses, smaller and shorter than their domesticated relatives,

had disappeared from the wild by the end of the 60s, but some remained in captivity. Usually considered too wild to be ridden, they were reintroduced in China and Western Mongolia, and now number 850 across the region. One visitor to the zoo, 40-year-old teacher, Joan Kao, says their successful revival is a blessing.

And the idea of horses galloping Ford gives her hope for the future. Shin Yan Kuala. And for today's recommended read, a look back at the life of Oscar winner Robert Duval, who's died aged 95. He was perhaps best known as Tom Hagen, a lawyer for the Corleone family in The Godfather, and made a strong impression,

even in small roles such as his first movie part, as the mysterious recluse Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird. You can read more about his career by following the link in the pod description. For more on any of the stories from today, check out Reuters.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.