Reuters World News - Police arrest King Charles' brother Andrew

Episode Date: February 19, 2026

King Charles' younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations he sent confidential government documents to Jeffrey Epstein. Several backcountry skiers have been confirmed killed in Tuesday’s avalanche in California. Mark Zuckerberg says during a landmark trial that Meta does not allow kids under 13 on its platforms, despite evidence to the contrary. Plus, satellite images show Iran repairing and fortifying sites amid U.S. tensions. 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 Vinell in Wanganui, New Zealand. And I'm Tara Oaks in Liverpool. Today, King Charles's younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, has been arrested, according to the BBC. Harrowing details emerge from the avalanche in California, with rescue now turned to recovery. Mark Zuckerberg pushes back against allegations his social media platforms target children and teenagers. And satellite images show Iran fortifying sites as US tensions bubble. 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, Tara Oaks.

Thanks, Kim. The BBC is reporting that former Prince Andrew has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over his links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Without giving a name, police say they've arrested a man in his 60s on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Andrew turned 66 today. According to newspapers, six unmarked police cars and around eight plain-clothed officers arrived at Andrew's current residence this morning. Earlier this month, police said they were considering allegations that the King's younger brother had passed confidential government documents onto Epstein. Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and says he regrets their friendship.

And the repercussions to those Epstein documents continue on both sides of the Atlantic. New Mexico's Department of Justice says it's investigating an allegation that Epstein ordered the bodies of two foreign girls to be buried outside his remote ranch in the state. The redacted 2019 email containing the allegation was released as part of the Epstein-related documents by the US Department of Justice. The DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the story and the FBI declined to comment. Bill Gates has pulled out of India's AI Impact Summit, just hours before his scheduled keynote address. The cancellation comes after Gates was named in those Epstein documents released by the DOJ, too. Documents indicate Gates met with Epstein repeatedly after the sex offender had already served prison time

to discuss expanding Gates's philanthropic efforts. Gates says that's all they discussed and that it was a mistake to meet him at all. The Microsoft co-founder's cancellation is another blow for India's first major AI summit, which has been marred by management lapses. Invidia's Jensen Huang has also cancelled his appearance. Rescuers are no longer looking for survivors, but only for bodies, after an avalanche in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains on Tuesday. Search crews launched from Truckee as an intense winter storm battered the area with heavy snow and gale force winds. Authorities say at least eight skiers are dead, making it one of the deadliest single avalanches in the US history.

Six people survived, sheltering in place. place and digging for their friends. They were able to locate three decedents at the time when they were waiting for us to get there to help rescue them. That was Nevada County Sheriff Shannon Moon, who says conditions remain dangerous for rescuers. Our reporter Jenna Green is on the ground in Lake Tahoe. The skiers were in a remote and difficult to reach area near Castle Peak. and it's a very popular backcountry recreation area.

In the winter, it's accessed by skis or snowshoes and you stay overnight in huts. The skiers were part of a tour group and it was a three-day trip and when they were caught in the avalanche, they were on their way out heading toward the trailhead. One person is still missing.

Jenna says one question that people are wondering is, why was this group out? skiing in the weather conditions, which had been forecasted as bad days before. Because Tuesday was just vicious. It was gale force winds, zero visibility, white out conditions, and just dumping snow. I mean, we got 60 inches in two days. But I think it's worth pointing out that when this group left on Sunday for their three-day trip, Sunday was a beautiful day. It was 45 degrees. It was sunny. Perhaps when they left, left, it didn't seem as ominous, but at the same time, this storm had been forecasted days in

advance. A South Korean court has ordered life in jail for former president Yun-Sukyol, after finding him guilty on charges of abuse of authority and masterminding an insurrection. The charges stem from his December 24 attempt to impose martial law. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty in the case. Yun denied all the charges. His lawyer says they will discuss. with him whether to appeal. US President Donald Trump will today preside over the first meeting of his Board of Peace, an initiative that has drawn praise from Trump allies, but also criticism from countries worried that it will undermine the United Nations.

Trump first proposed the board as part of his plan to end Israel's war in Gaza. He later made clear the board's remit would be expanded beyond Gaza to tackle other conflicts worldwide with Trump as its chair. Washington's key Western allies, as well as major powers of the global South, have not accepted an offer to join. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg leaving a Los Angeles court after testifying that Facebook and Instagram don't allow users under 13, despite evidence suggesting children are a core demographic. The trial alleges Mehta and YouTube knowingly. profited from hooking kids, even as concerns grew about harms to their mental health. Our tech policy reporter Jodi Godoy was there.

So the plaintiffs in this case brought evidence in the form of internal documents for meta, internal chats and emails. One striking piece of evidence was an Instagram presentation that said, quote, if we want to win big with teens, we must bring them in as tweens. And it made it pretty clear that they were buying the retention. of bringing users onto the service at a younger age. Jody says Zuckerberg replied, saying that's been taken out of context. He was very much pushing back against the framing of the questions.

You know, he was saying, I disagree with you. He was saying you're mischaracterizing what I said. And the way he cast it was that meta has always banned users under the age of 13. But it had at certain points in its history looked at potentially adding services, aimed at those younger users, but it never did so in his telling. I mean, he was pretty unflappable. I've seen him on the stand before. He doesn't tend to raise his voice or get angry.

It did seem he was a bit irritated with some of the questions. Sometimes he looked towards the jury. Sometimes he looked towards the judge a bit, but mostly he was sitting straight on and answering the questions in a straightforward way. The Trump administration, meanwhile, is taking what it sees as its free speech push global. Washington is preparing to launch a new website designed to let people in Europe and elsewhere

access online content banned by their own governments, including material classified as hate speech or extremist propaganda. Critics say it would allow users to bypass European laws, potentially helping right-wing and nationalist ideas gain traction overseas. US Federal Reserve policymakers are divided over what, comes next for interest rates. That's according to the minutes released from last month's central bank meeting. Several members said they'd be open to rate hikes if inflation stays elevated, while others favour cuts if price pressures ease as expected. Markets abetting rates stay put until June. The debate comes as Fed Chair Jerome Powell nears the end of his term, with former Fed

Governor Kevin Wash set to take over in May. For more on the Fed markets or econ news, check out our sister podcast MorningBid. Now to Iran, where new satellite imagery shows the country is fortifying sensitive military and nuclear sites. The new images show Iran has built a concrete shield over one military complex and covered it with soil to hide it from view. At another nuclear facility, its buried tunnel entrances. It comes as President Trump amasses military assets in the Middle East, threatening action unless Iran gives up its nuclear program. That's a request Iran has refused, denying accusations that it's trying to develop an atomic weapon.

After two days of indirect talks in Geneva, a U.S. official says Iran will now submit a written proposal on how to end the standoff. But White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt says she doesn't know how to do. long Trump will give Tehran before acting. But I'm not going to set deadlines on behalf of the president of the United States. And for today's recommended read, big food is shrinking portions and stripping back ingredients as weight loss drugs change how people eat. Hear about all the things the companies like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola are doing,

like smaller pack sizes, reformulated snacks, as well as pushing protein and nutrient-dense products. And even though their snack sales may get a hit, they have a plan. You can read more by following the link in the 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.