10 Things Global News - 26th February 2026
Succinct, unbiased news from around the world
US And Iran Resume Nuclear Talks In Geneva
US Weighs Strike Strategy As Israel Option Emerges
CIA Posts Farsi Guidance For Iranians To Contact It
Former US Pilot Arrested For Training Chinese Military
Kim Signals US Ties Depend On Nuclear Recognition
Missing Epstein Files Linked To Trump Allegation
Cartel Feuds Turn Culiacán Into A War Zone
PLO Rejects Hamas Disarmament Demand
Rubio Pushes Anti-Gang Coordination Amid Cuba Concerns
Orban Deploys Troops To Guard Energy Sites
Iran and the United States resumed nuclear negotiations in Geneva, with Tehran presenting a proposal allowing limited enrichment while Washington maintained a major military buildup in the Middle East. Iranian officials said they sought a “fair and just agreement in the shortest possible time”, while US negotiators pushed for enrichment limits below weapons-grade levels and conversion of the programme to civilian use.
The talks come amid rising tensions, with the US president warning Iran was rebuilding its nuclear programme and pursuing missiles capable of reaching distant targets. However, international inspectors said most nuclear facilities remain intact but buried, and confirmed there was no evidence of an active plan to build a bomb. The UN nuclear watchdog’s presence at the talks highlighted efforts to define inspection terms under any agreement.
Both sides indicated diplomacy remains possible, but disagreements over enrichment rights, sanctions relief and missile restrictions leave uncertainty over whether negotiations can prevent escalation into conflict.
Sources: Washington Post, The Guardian
Senior advisers to the US president privately preferred Israel to strike Iran first, calculating that Iranian retaliation would strengthen domestic support for subsequent American military action. Officials believed the political case for war would be easier if the United States or an ally were attacked first, reflecting concern about public resistance to casualties and the optics of initiating conflict.
The discussions came amid a major US military buildup in the Middle East, including aircraft carrier strike groups, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft. Officials warned that any regime-scale attack could trigger widespread retaliation against American assets in the region and risk casualties. Military options under consideration included limited strikes to force concessions or broader attacks targeting nuclear and missile infrastructure.
Despite ongoing diplomatic talks, officials said the likeliest outcome could involve joint US-Israel military action, underscoring uncertainty over whether negotiations would prevent escalation.
Sources: Politico, The Express US
The CIA posted new Farsi-language instructions on social media for Iranians who want to securely contact the agency, as US-Iran tensions rose ahead of nuclear talks in Geneva. The messages appeared on X, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram and YouTube, and described ways to reach out without being identified.
The agency urged potential contacts to protect themselves and avoid using work computers or their phones. It recommended using a new, disposable device if possible, being aware of surroundings, and using a trusted VPN not headquartered in Russia, Iran or China, or the Tor Network. It also asked people who make contact to provide their locations, names, job titles, and access to information or skills of interest.
The outreach came as the United States amassed military forces in the Middle East and the president threatened action if negotiations fail.
Sources: Reuters, CNBC
A former US Air Force fighter pilot was arrested after allegedly training Chinese military personnel without authorisation, in a case officials said highlights efforts to exploit American military expertise. Gerald Brown, 65, was arrested in Indiana after returning from China, where prosecutors said he had travelled to provide combat aircraft training to pilots in the Chinese Air Force.
Investigators said Brown, who had a 24-year Air Force career commanding sensitive units responsible for nuclear weapons delivery systems, began negotiating a training contract in 2023 and travelled to China in December that year. He allegedly provided combat aircraft instruction without obtaining the required licence from the US State Department.
Officials said the case demonstrated how foreign governments seek to modernise their military capabilities using former US personnel, warning that those providing unauthorised defence services to foreign militaries would face prosecution.
Sources: Japan Times, Times of India
North Korea’s leader said his country could improve relations with the United States if Washington recognised it as a nuclear weapons state, signalling conditional openness to diplomacy while reaffirming its nuclear ambitions. Speaking at a ruling party congress, he said relations would depend entirely on whether the United States withdrew its hostile policy and respected North Korea’s current nuclear status.
At the same time, he declared his intention to expand the country’s nuclear arsenal and strengthen its position as a nuclear-armed state. He said North Korea was prepared for either peaceful coexistence or permanent confrontation, depending on Washington’s approach, while insisting denuclearisation was no longer under consideration.
The remarks came as North Korea deepened ties with Russia and China and sought to strengthen its international position. Analysts said the comments indicated willingness for dialogue with Washington, but only on terms that accept North Korea’s nuclear capabilities as permanent.
Sources: New York Times, BBC
The Justice Department released thousands of documents from its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, but key records tied to an allegation involving Donald Trump are missing.
The files refer to a woman who told federal investigators in 2019 that she had been sexually assaulted by Epstein when she was a minor and also made an allegation against Trump. Investigators conducted four interviews with her and prepared summaries, but only one interview summary was released, and it did not mention Trump. The other interview summaries and related notes were not included in the public release.
The Justice Department said some material may have been withheld because it was privileged, duplicate, or part of an ongoing investigation, and said it was reviewing whether documents were improperly excluded.
Trump has denied wrongdoing, and officials previously said some claims in the files were unfounded and false.
Sources: New York Times, NBC News
Mexico’s cartel violence is surging in Culiacán, where paramedics described constant fear as rival Sinaloa cartel factions fight for control. The split followed a betrayal between leaders’ camps, and the removal of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, now in prison in the US, has brought mayhem across Sinaloa.
The government has sent thousands of troops to the state and set up checkpoints, yet a local reporter said homicides have continued at an average of five or six a day. Victims have included a 16-year-old boy shot dead at close range, and bodies have been left with signs accusing victims of betrayal and warning rivals.
The killing of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera in custody after a firefight in Jalisco was followed by attacks that included burned vehicles and flaming roadblocks across 20 states, forcing flight cancellations in Guadalajara and prompting Americans in five states to shelter in place.
Sources: BBC, CNN
The Palestine Liberation Organization said it does not regard Hamas as a terrorist organisation and rejected demands that the group disarm as part of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire.
PLO Secretary General Azzam al-Ahmed said talk of disarming Hamas was “unacceptable” and that Hamas should have a role in governing postwar Gaza. He also said Hamas would be allowed to run in Palestinian Authority municipal elections in April, describing those polls as about “providing services, not political work”.
Meanwhile, progress in the ceasefire’s second phase has stalled over sequencing. Israel has been pushing for Hamas to disarm first, with Israeli officials briefing that Washington will set a 60-day deadline.
A plan discussed in Israeli media envisages a phased handover of weapons, but analysts said Hamas would be likely to reject it without a guarantee of an Israeli withdrawal.
Sources: The Guardian, Times of Israel
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met CARICOM leaders in Saint Kitts and Nevis and called for greater cooperation to tackle drug-trafficking gangs. He said many groups were heavily armed and that the U.S. recognised some weaponry was being bought from the United States, adding Washington was working to stop that flow.
Regional leaders also raised Cuba. The Trump administration is blocking off oil shipments to the island, but the U.S. Treasury said it would allow the sale of Venezuelan oil for use in Cuba as long as transactions do not support the military or government. The U.S. has pledged $9 million in humanitarian assistance delivered by the Catholic Church.
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness warned a prolonged crisis in Cuba would affect migration, security and economic security across the Caribbean basin. Host Prime Minister Terrance Drew said CARICOM should be a conduit for dialogue.
Sources: Reuters, Washington Post
Hungary’s prime minister accused Ukraine of preparing actions aimed at disrupting Hungary’s energy system and ordered troops to protect key sites. He said soldiers and equipment would be deployed near key energy facilities, with additional police patrolling designated power plants, distribution stations and control centres. A flight ban was also imposed in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county on the border with Ukraine.
The move escalated a dispute over the Druzhba pipeline, a main route for delivering Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. Shipments through the pipeline have been cut off since 27 January, with Ukraine saying it was closed after Russian strikes, while Hungary has accused Kyiv of delaying the reopening.
Earlier this week, Hungary vetoed a €90bn EU loan to Ukraine. The European Commission said non-Russian crude oil is being transported through the Adria pipeline and it has sufficient capacity to cover Hungarian and Slovakian requirements.
Sources: Politico Europe, BBC
On this day …..
On this day in 1993, a truck bomb exploded beneath the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York.
The blast killed six people and injured more than 1,000, causing significant structural damage. Investigators later determined the attack was carried out by Islamist militants seeking to topple one tower into the other.
Although the plot failed to achieve that aim, it exposed vulnerabilities in U.S. domestic security and prompted expanded counterterrorism efforts.
The bombing foreshadowed the larger attacks of 11 September 2001.
How did this earlier warning reshape American security thinking and, given the clear warning, why did the later attacks still succeed?