Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks End Without Breakthrough; Iran Security Official Reportedly Fires on Crowd
Geneva, Switzerland - Talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States aimed at ending the war in Ukraine concluded without a breakthrough, according to BBC World. The meetings, held in Geneva, lasted late into Tuesday but only for two hours on Wednesday. Meanwhile, in Iran, a security official reportedly fired on a crowd of mourners at a cemetery in Abdanan, as reported by BBC World.
The trilateral talks in Geneva, which included Russian, American, and Ukrainian representatives, were described as "difficult" by both the chief Russian negotiator and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to BBC World. Despite US envoy Steve Witkoff expressing optimism, the talks yielded no significant progress. Following the main talks, Kremlin negotiator Vladimir Medinsky held a closed-door meeting with the Ukrainian side. No details from that meeting were released.
In Iran, the incident in Abdanan occurred as people gathered to commemorate those killed during the government's crackdown on protesters last month, as reported by BBC World. The events, held on the 40th day after someone's death, have been held in several cities across the country. Verified video also showed people shouting anti-government chants at events in Tehran, Mashhad, and Abdanan.
In other news, UK inflation fell to 3% in January, down from 3.4% in December, driven by lower food, fuel, and airfare prices, according to BBC Business. Economists noted the decrease raised the likelihood the Bank of England would cut interest rates at its March monetary policy meeting. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) stated the "marked" fall took inflation to its lowest rate since March 2025. ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said, "Inflation fell markedly in January to its lowest annual rate since March last year, driven partly by a decrease in petrol prices."
Also, according to BBC Business, one of Donald Trump's most senior economic advisors, Kevin Hassett, called for economists to be "disciplined" for a Federal Reserve study. The study argued that US firms and consumers have borne the brunt of the president's tariffs. Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, called the report "an embarrassment" and "the worst paper I've ever seen in the history of the Federal Reserve system." The study found that last year, 90% of the cost of increased tariffs was paid for by US companies and shoppers.
Finally, a plan to increase the youth minimum wage could be delayed, according to BBC Business. Ministers are considering slowing down plans to pay adults of all ages the same minimum wage. Labour committed in their election manifesto to remove "discretionary age bands" and increase the wages of 18 to 20-year-olds so they are paid the same as those over 21. However, government sources have confirmed ministers are interested in delaying that rise, though are unlikely to reverse the commitment entirely. Some business leaders say minimum wage increases are making it too expensive for them to hire young people, but unions say it is unfair that the young can be paid less for doing the same job as older people.
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