Newshour

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Aragchi is on his way from Tehran to Geneva, for the second round of nuclear talks with the US which take place on Tuesday. The country’s deputy foreign minister speaks to the BBC about these discussions and says the next steps lie with the US. We get reaction to this interview from a US congressman.
Also in the programme: Nigeria says Russia is recruiting its citizens to fight in the war in Ukraine; and how AI has given a folk singer with motor neurone disease a new voice.
(Photo: Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's deputy Foreign Minister, during an interview with BBC News in Tehran; Credit: BBC)

Iran's deputy foreign minister has told the BBC that Tehran is ready to consider compromises to reach a nuclear deal with the US, if Washington is willing to discuss lifting sanctions. The US has sent two aircraft carrier groups to the Middle East, ratcheting up pressure on Iran to reach an agreement.

Also in the programme: The French navy seizes a large shipment of cocaine in the Pacific; and how Artificial Intelligence has helped create a new voice for a folk singer with motor neurone disease.

(Photo: Iranian protesters and supporters rally against Iran's ruling establishment during a demonstration in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, February 14, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Wa Lone)

Several European countries, including the UK, have blamed the Kremlin for the killing of the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny. They say his murder was likely carried out, using a poison developed from a toxin in a rare frog. We get reaction to these updates from a friend of Navalny’s, alongside on Oscar-winning director who produced a documentary on him.
Also in the programme: Mass rape survivor Gisele Pelicot speaks to the BBC about trauma and healing ahead of her memoir being published; and an an exciting paleontological discovery has been made in Costa Rica.
(Photo: Flowers lay near a portrait of Russian late opposition leader Alexei Navalny in front of the Russian embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia, February 2024. Credit: David Mdzinarishvili, EPA-EFE, REX, Shutterstock).

The US Secretary of State has told the Munich Security Conference that Washington is seeking to "revitalise" its alliance with European countries. Marco Rubio said the US would always be a "child of Europe", insisting that his country wants to preserve that relationship rather than end it. The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said she was "very much reassured" by his remarks, adding that Europe "needs to step up" and take more responsibility for its own security. A day earlier, the leaders of Germany and France had warned of frictions in the transatlantic alliance.

Also in the programme: Newshour's Lyse Doucet speaks to traders at a market in Iran about protests, the dire economy and the possibility of a nuclear deal; and on Valentine's Day - we talk about the science behind a good kiss.

(Credit: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio walks to a meeting of G7 foreign ministers at the Munich Security Conference, Germany, February 14, 2026. Alex Brandon/Pool via Reuters)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has told other world leaders that 'our freedom is not guaranteed' in an era of big power politics. Opening the annual Munich Security Conference, Merz said that Europeans must be ready to make a 'sacrifice'. He also admitted that 'a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States'. We'll speak to a senior German politician and a former member of the first Trump administration.
Also in the programme: a BBC Investigation uncovers devastating side effects of a set of widely used prescription drugs that can trigger impulsive behaviours; and we speak to the Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins about his memoir.
(Picture: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks during the Munich Security Conference on February 13, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen)