5 Big News Stories Overnight - Sunday February 15, 2026

France: Paris Prosecutors Begin Investigation

France 24 reports:

The Paris prosecutor's office on Saturday announced it was setting up a special team of magistrates to analyse evidence that could implicate French nationals in the crimes of the convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

With Epstein's known circle now extending to prominent French figures after the release of documents by the US authorities, the prosecutor's office said it would also thoroughly re-examine the case a former French modelling agency executive Jean-Luc Brunel, a close associate of the American financier, who died in custody in 2022.

The new team will work closely with prosecutors from the national financial crimes unit and police with a view to opening investigations into any suspected crimes involving French nationals, the Paris prosecutor's office told AFP.

Russia: Navalny's Death

Guardian reports:

Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader, was killed by dart frog poison administered by the Russian state two years ago, a multi-intelligence agency inquiry has found, according to a statement released by five countries, the UK, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands.

The US was not one of the intelligence agencies making the claim.

Navalny died in a remote Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence. Samples from his body were secured before his burial and sent to the laboratories of two countries.

The UK, describing the poisoning as barbaric, said it would be reporting Russia to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, as a flagrant violation by Russia of the chemical weapons convention (CWC).

Germany: Zelenskyy Says U.S. Pushes Ukraine Harder for Concessions than Russia

Al Jazeera reports:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed hope for United States-brokered peace talks with Russia next week, but warned that Kyiv was being asked “too often” to make concessions and pressed his allies for “clear security guarantees”.

Zelenskyy’s speech at the annual Munich Security Conference on Saturday came as US President Donald Trump seeks to broker a deal to end Europe’s biggest war since 1945.

Ukraine and Russia, which ⁠invaded its neighbour in February 2022, have engaged in two recent rounds of talks mediated by Washington in Abu Dhabi, UAE, described by the parties as constructive but achieving no breakthroughs.

The three sides are due to sit down in Geneva, Switzerland, again this week.

In his speech, Zelenskyy said he hoped the trilateral talks in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday “will be serious, substantive” and “helpful for all of us”.

“But honestly, sometimes it feels like the sides are talking about completely different things,” Zelenskyy said.

“The Americans often return to the topic of concessions, and too often those concessions are discussed only in the context of Ukraine, not Russia,” he said.

U.S.: Strange Dinner

President Trump posted on Saturday:

Sometimes in life you waste time! T.V. Host Bill Maher asked to have dinner with me through one of his friends, also a friend of mine, and I agreed. He came into the famed Oval Office much different than I thought he would be. He was extremely nervous, had ZERO confidence in himself and, to soothe his nerves, immediately, within seconds, asked for a “Vodka Tonic.” He said to me, “I’ve never felt like this before, I’m actually scared.” In one respect, it was somewhat endearing! Anyway, we had a great dinner, it was quick, easy, and he seemed to be a nice guy and, for his first show after our dinner, he was very respectful about our meeting — But with everything I have done in bringing our Country back from “OBLIVION,” why wouldn’t he be? But then I noticed his show started to devolve into the same old story — Very boring, ANTI TRUMP, no mention of the PERFECT Border, Lowest Crime in 125 years, the Mass Removal of Stone Cold Criminals, the 50,000 DOW, the 7,000 S&P (Both Highest Ever!), Least Number of Murders since 1900, Venezuela, “Midnight Hammer,” Soleimani DEAD, al-Baghdadi DEAD, Lowest Inflation in YEARS (1.2% for last three months!), the Rebuilding of our Military, Eight War Stoppages, and on, and on, and on! In any event, it was a total waste of time for me to have this jerk at the White House and last night, after explaining what a DISASTER Canadian “Leaders” are to deal with, how Canada has “ripped off” the United States for years on TRADE (But not anymore!), I jokingly stated in a TRUTH that, “The first thing China will do is terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup.” Well, he went on and on about the Hockey statement, like “What kind of a person would say such a foolish thing as this,” as though I were being serious when I said it. Fortunately, his Television Ratings are so low that nobody will learn about his various Fake News statements about me. He is no different than Kimmel, Fallon, or Colbert but, I must admit, slightly more talented! Anyway, Bill Maher is a highly overrated LIGHTWEIGHT, and Republicans should stop using him to show how the Left is coming over our way — Our Base, the Greatest of All Time, laughs at your weakness when you do it! Maher asked me if he could come back to the White House again and, with his friend, also asked to come to the wonderful White House Christmas Party, but he didn’t. Regardless, I’d much rather spend my time MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN than wasting it on him. Bill continues to suffer from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS!), and there is nothing that will ever be done to cure him of this very serious disease. Thank you for your attention to this minor matter! President DJT

Iran: Iran Willing to Compromise on Nuclear Deal if Sanctions Relief on Table

Times of Israel cites BBC: 

Iran is ready to consider compromises to reach a nuclear deal with the United States if Washington is willing to discuss lifting sanctions, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC in an interview broadcast on Sunday.

Iran has said it is prepared to discuss curbs on its nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions, but has repeatedly ruled out linking the issue to other questions including its missile arsenal.

“The ball is in America’s court,” he said, “to prove that they want to do a deal.”