Plus, all the news from the Winter Olympics.

Add Reuters to Your Google Preferred Sources

 

Daily Briefing

Daily Briefing

By Jennifer O'Mahony

Iran and the United States begin negotiations in Oman over Tehran's nuclear program, a top Russian general is shot in Moscow, and Toyota names chief financial officer Kenta Kon as its next chief executive.

Plus, the Winter Olympics opening ceremony is held at San Siro stadium, combining elements from the co-hosts Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo to reflect city and mountain life.

Today's Top News

 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meets with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi in Muscat, Oman. Iranian Foreign Ministry/WANA

  • Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff were due to meet in Muscat to discuss Tehran's nuclear program, along with Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Washington's push to widen the agenda to Iran's ballistic missiles and support for armed groups in the region has placed the talks under further pressure.
  • Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, deputy head of Russia's GRU military intelligence, was hospitalized after being shot in Moscow. Several senior Russian officers have been assassinated since the start of the war in Ukraine, with Moscow blaming the attacks on Kyiv. 
  • Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi received Trump's 'total endorsement' ahead of a snap election on Sunday. With polls suggesting a big win for her conservative party, here are some key developments to watch. Takaichi's handbag, pen and even her choice of snacks have sparked an unlikely youth-led craze.
  • The fallout from last week’s Epstein files release continues to sweep Europe. A former French culture minister is urged to resign as president of the Arab World Institute, Norway’s former prime minister is under police investigation for corruption, and the World Economic Forum is investigating its CEO, all over their alleged ties.
  • The United States called for a new arms control agreement after the treaty that set caps on Russian and US strategic nuclear weapons deployments expired.
  • A suicide bomber killed at least 31 people and wounded nearly 170 more during Friday prayers in a Shi'ite Muslim mosque in Pakistan's capital Islamabad. Bombings are rarer in the heavily guarded capital.
  • Authorities in southern Spain evacuated residential areas amid fears a major river could overflow after Storm Leonardo swept over the Iberian Peninsula. The state weather agency warned that Storm Marta would hit the peninsula on Saturday. Over 7,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in the Andalusia region so far.
 

Business & Markets

 

Toyota’s incoming CEO Kenta Kon attends a press conference in Tokyo, Japan. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

  • Toyota named Kenta Kon, a former secretary of Chairman Akio Toyoda, as its next chief executive. Kon became chief financial officer in July 2025 and he had taken on an expanded role within Toyota’s push into wider mobility solutions. Read more about what we know about Kon.
  • Global markets retreated as a stock rout on Wall Street went global, with volatility gripping precious metals and cryptocurrencies while AI fears weighed on equities.
  • Compounding company Hims & Hers stunned the pharmaceutical industry with the announcement of a  $49-a-month weight-loss pill. Hims announced plans to offer a discounted compounded version of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, which had itself been losing ground to Eli Lilly's weight-loss drugs. Amina Niasse has more on the Reuters World News podcast.
  • Intel and AMD notified Chinese customers of supply shortages for server central processing units. Intel warned of delivery lead times of up to six months, this Reuters exclusive reports.
  • Automaker Stellantis announced 22.2 billion euros ($26.5 billion) of charges as it scales back its electric-vehicle ambitions. The company's Milan-listed shares plunged as much as 25%, the lowest since Stellantis was created by the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot maker PSA in 2021.
  • The European Central Bank will work to open access to euro liquidity to more countries, in a move aimed at bolstering the international role of the single currency. 
  • Australian shareholders applauded mining giant Rio Tinto's decision to end merger talks with rival Glencore.
 

The Week Ahead

  • Japan heads to the polls on Sunday, where Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is looking for a stronger mandate to deliver on her promises of more spending.
  • The NFL’s Super Bowl will take place in San Francisco on Sunday. The halftime show will be headlined by Grammy winner Bad Bunny.
  • The January US non-farm payrolls report, now due on Wednesday, is expected to show an increase of 70,000 jobs, according to a Reuters poll.
  • Friday sees the release of the US January consumer price index, one of the most closely watched measures for assessing inflation trends.
  • On Thursday, Bangladesh will go to the polls. It will be the first election in decades where ousted premier Sheikh Hasina won’t be on the ballot.
  • Here's all you need to know about what's coming up in financial markets.
 

Trump targets UN and ICC officials with terrorist‑grade sanctions 

 

REUTERS/Illustration/John Emerson; Source photos: REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw and Jia Haocheng

Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur for Palestine, now sits on the US Treasury Department’s Specially Designated Nationals list alongside individuals described as suspected al Qaeda terrorists, Mexican drug traffickers and North Korean arms dealers.

Albanese was caught in a broader executive order issued by US President Donald Trump that sanctioned International Criminal Court judges and prosecutors, and aimed at heading off any future attempts to hold him or his officials accountable for US military action overseas.

Our special report found deep divisions within the US government over the scope and timing of the sanctions against Albanese and the ICC, as the Trump administration’s hostility towards the court and the UN signals a broader retreat from international human rights diplomacy and institutions.

Read our special report