US and Russia meet without Ukraine

Plus, White House says Musk has no authority to make decisions.

Get full access to Reuters.com for just $1/week. Subscribe now. Daily Briefing Daily Briefing By Kate Turton Hello, in the latest from Europe, the Saudis host a meeting on Ukraine without Ukraine or Europeans, and our special report on the Russia-linked propaganda campaign pushing to undercut German support for Ukraine. Elsewhere, the White House says Musk is not a DOGE employee and he has no authority to make decisions, while a plane flips upside down on landing at Toronto airport. Plus, scenes from Carnival in Venice. Today's Top News   Riyadh talks follow Trump's call with Putin. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool  Ukraine peace talks US and Russian officials met for the highest-level talks to date between the two former Cold War foes on ending the war in Ukraine. Ukraine, which is not attending, says no peace deal can be made on its behalf. Follow our live updates. Deputy Foreign Policy Editor Humeyra Pamuk is on the ground for a rare rainy day in Riyadh and tells the daily Reuters World News podcast the latest from the talks - and how they might be a chance to reset wider Russia-US relations. Listen now. In other news Israel will begin negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, including an exchange of the remaining Israeli hostages with Palestinian detainees, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said, adding that Israel demanded a complete demilitarisation of the enclave. A Delta Air Lines regional jet flipped upside down upon landing at Canada's Toronto Pearson Airport in windy weather following a snowstorm, injuring 18 of the 80 people on board, officials said. Billionaire Elon Musk's role in the Trump administration is as a White House employee and senior adviser to the president, and is not an employee of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and has no decision-making authority, the White House said in a court filing. US Food and Drug Administration employees reviewing Elon Musk's brain implant company Neuralink were fired over the weekend as part of a broader purge of the federal workforce, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter. An Argentine judge was assigned to investigate President Javier Milei's role in promoting a cryptocurrency that crashed, the latest shockwave from a scandal that has threatened to slow the libertarian leader's momentum. The 23-year-old Syrian refugee believed to have killed a teenager and injured five other people in a weekend stabbing rampage in the Austrian town of Villach became radicalized quickly by using TikTok. Three children were executed by the Rwanda-backed M23 after they donned weapons and uniforms abandoned by the Congolese army, the UN human rights office said, voicing alarm at the incident and other violations since the rebels arrived there. Business & Markets   Australia's central bank cut rates for the first time in more than four years but warned it was too early to declare victory over inflation and was cautious about the prospects of further easing. British pay growth accelerated in late 2024, according to data that suggested the jobs market was holding up and underscored why the Bank of England has been cautious about cutting interest rates despite a weak overall economy. European shares hit record highs as defence stocks soared on expectations of a spending bump and as investors switched more cash into non-US markets to avoid the inflationary pressures of trade tariffs. China's political, economic and social environment is "very conducive" to the development of the private economy and policies will be implemented to help ease difficulties faced by private firms, the country's state planner told state broadcaster CCTV. Johnson & Johnson faces a critical test over its $10 billion proposal to end litigation alleging that its baby powder caused ovarian cancer, as it tries to convince a judge to sign off on its third attempt to resolve thousands of lawsuits through a subsidiary's bankruptcy. Anglo American said it will sell its nickel business to a unit of Hong Kong-listed MMG Ltd for up to $500 million, as a broader restructuring aimed at refocusing its operations on copper and iron ore mining is well under way. Russia-linked propaganda campaign aims to undercut German support for Ukraine   The "Alley of Angels" exhibit – "Engel Allee" in German – in Frankfurt last year. REUTERS/Mari Saito Behind a traveling photo exhibit in Germany about the suffering of children in the Russia-Ukraine war is a network connected to Moscow. It comes as officials in Berlin report an increase in Russian-sponsored interference ahead of German elections. Read our special report And Finally... A boat carries "Pantegana", the big rat, as revellers row during the masquerade parade. February 16. REUTERS/Claudia Greco The Carnival of Venice, which traces its origins to the Middle Ages, is an annual festival which attracts approximately 3 million visitors annually. We bring you scenes from this year's celebrations. Read more Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters' website Reuters Daily Briefing is sent 5 days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here. Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement © 2025 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036