Morocco evacuates over 108,000 as floods engulf northern city
Moroccan authorities have evacuated more than 108,000 residents from four northern provinces amid weeks of heavy rains and dam overflows that have turned vast swathes of the northwest plains into disaster zones. The historic city of Ksar el-Kebir, home to about 120,000 people, stands largely deserted, with 85 percent of its population forced......
Melania Trump confirms ongoing talks with Putin's team on Ukrainian children
First Lady Melania Trump confirmed on Wednesday that she maintains contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin's team to secure the return of more Ukrainian children from Russia. "I'm working on it, and we're in the process," she told reporters at the White House. "I hope we'll have success very soon." Fifteen......
Gold prices fall after Trump-Xi call eases global tensions
Gold prices dropped sharply on Thursday after briefly surpassing $5,000 per ounce, as a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping calmed international tensions and diminished demand for the metal as a safe-haven asset. This decline caps a wildly volatile period in the precious metals market. Gold started......
EU ambassadors approve 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine
EU ambassadors reached agreement Wednesday on the legal framework for a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine. The deal, finalized in a closed-door Brussels meeting, clears a major hurdle for fund transfers starting in April. This marks the bloc's largest single financial commitment to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February......
Iran seeks to reshape nuclear talks amid Gulf provocations
Iran has upended upcoming multilateral nuclear negotiations while launching military provocations in the Persian Gulf. Analysts describe the moves as a coordinated bid to redefine dynamics ahead of direct talks with the United States. On February 3, Tehran demanded shifting Friday's meeting from Istanbul to Oman and narrowing it to strictly......
Xi holds calls with Putin and Trump ahead of nuclear treaty expiry
Chinese President Xi Jinping launched a diplomatic double play Wednesday, holding a video call with Russian President Vladimir Putin before speaking by phone with US President Donald Trump. The outreach came one day before the New START arms control treaty between Washington and Moscow expires on Thursday. The talks precede a potential first......
Oil prices rise amid US-Iran tensions and US-India trade deal
Oil prices rebounded Tuesday after Monday's volatile session as traders assessed a historic US-India trade agreement potentially reshaping global energy flows and squeezing Russian oil revenues. Brent crude futures climbed nearly 2 percent, recovering from a 4 percent drop the previous day, while West Texas Intermediate edged toward $64......
Russia reaffirms offer to process Iran's enriched uranium
Russia has reiterated its role as potential mediator in the escalating dispute over Iran's nuclear program. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed Wednesday that Moscow's proposal to export Iran's enriched uranium stockpile remains active. "Russia has proposed to export Iran's enriched uranium reserves......
BBVA joins European bank consortium for euro stablecoin
BBVA has abandoned its individual stablecoin project to join Qivalis, a consortium of 12 major European banks developing an euro-pegged stablecoin. Announced Wednesday, the Spanish bank's entry unites some of Europe's largest financial institutions under a single regulatory framework to challenge dollar-dominated digital currencies. The......
France and Morocco prepare major bilateral treaty
France plans to elevate its ties with Morocco through a landmark bilateral treaty, mirroring pacts it holds with key European capitals. This move follows President Emmanuel Macron's recent state visit and signals a strong commitment to the Maghreb and Europe alike. The agreement marks a promising new phase in Franco-Moroccan relations,......
Musk becomes first person worth $800 billion after SpaceX-xAI merger
Elon Musk has shattered wealth records, becoming the first individual ever to surpass $800 billion in net worth following the merger of his aerospace giant SpaceX with AI venture xAI. Forbes pegs Musk's fortune at about $852 billion post-deal, adding roughly $84 billion to his already staggering tally. Announced February 2, 2026, the......
Volvo CEO predicts EVs cheaper than gas cars by 2030
Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson forecasts that electric vehicles will "very likely" cost less than gasoline-powered cars within five years. Speaking at a press event in Gothenburg, Sweden, this week, he highlighted his company's already profitable EV lineup and upcoming manufacturing advances set to drive costs even lower. "I......
Cathie Wood urges investors to swap gold for Bitcoin
Cathie Wood, CEO of ARK Invest, is advising investors to abandon gold in favor of Bitcoin. She argues that the precious metal has reached extreme valuation levels not seen since the Great Depression. In a recent podcast appearance, Wood stated that as an aggressive investor, she would "consider switching from gold to Bitcoin right now."......
Ukraine and Russia begin second round of US-mediated talks amid airstrikes
Delegations from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States gathered in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday for a second round of trilateral peace negotiations. The talks unfolded against the backdrop of Russia's largest aerial assault on Ukraine this year, which struck just 24 hours earlier. Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's national security and defense......
U.S. visa freeze faces legal challenge over nationality-based restrictions
A sweeping suspension of immigrant visa processing by the United States has triggered a major legal battle that could reshape the limits of executive power over immigration. The policy, introduced in January 2026, halted immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America, affecting......