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Lead: Global markets saw a sharp reallocation on Monday as gold and silver prices retreated from last week’s peaks while the UK’s FTSE 100 closed at a record high. Spot gold suffered its steepest one‑day fall since 1983, dropping more than 9% in a single session, and silver plunged as much as 27% before a … Read more

Ed Martin has been removed from his role leading the Justice Department’s so-called “weaponization” working group, two people familiar with the discussions told NBC News. The change leaves the group’s leadership unclear even as it continues to review past prosecutions of President Donald Trump and allies. A Justice Department spokesman confirmed Martin remains employed by … Read more

Lead Israel reopened the Rafah crossing with Egypt on Monday, allowing sick and wounded Palestinians to travel out of Gaza after the Gazan side had been largely closed since May 2024. The move follows the return of the last Israeli hostage and the arrival of supervisors from the European Union Border Assistance Mission, and comes … Read more

Early on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, a swarm of 21 earthquakes struck southeast of San Ramon, with the largest registering magnitude 4.2 just after 7 a.m. The shaking was felt across the East Bay — including Oakland, Richmond, San Leandro and Hayward — and residents in parts of San Francisco reported windows rattling. There were … Read more

February 2, 2026 — Two fresh leaks surfaced today outlining several design and hardware choices for Apple’s anticipated iPhone Fold, including button placement, camera layout and a hole‑punch front camera. The details come from a Weibo post by leaker Instant Digital and were summarized by 9to5Mac; they follow an earlier report that the Fold may … Read more

Feb. 2, 2026 Lead: Mike McCarthy has begun assembling his initial Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff, confirming that Frank Cignetti Jr. will join the group and that Scott Tolzein has been interviewed for the offensive coordinator vacancy. The moves were reported Feb. 2 as McCarthy continues to staff his office following his hiring as head coach. … Read more

Lead: Global crude benchmarks fell this week after reports of resumed diplomatic engagement between U.S. and Iranian officials reduced near-term conflict risk in the Middle East. Traders pared energy positions as the prospect of easing tensions lowered the premium previously priced into oil. At the same time, at least one major integrated oil company was … Read more

Iceflake, the studio now handling Cities: Skylines 2 after Paradox and longtime developer Colossal Order parted ways in November, posted a City Corner developer diary late last week outlining its immediate priorities. The studio says its first major patch will emphasize visual and user interface improvements to make information clearer and new cities easier to … Read more

Feb. 2, 2026 — A known Weibo leaker using the handle Instant Digital published a set of design details today for Apple’s long-rumored first foldable iPhone. The report, picked up by MacRumors, describes relocated volume controls on the top-right edge, a single punch-hole front camera that yields a smaller Dynamic Island, an all-black camera plateau … Read more

Lead: In the closing stretch of the 2025 NFL season, Sam Darnold emerged as an unlikely engine of the Seattle Seahawks’ title push. After signing in the offseason, Darnold finished fifth in the league with 4,048 passing yards, tied for ninth with 25 touchdown passes and posted a 99.1 passer rating; his best performance came … Read more

Lead: On Feb. 2, 2026, days after the F.B.I. executed a search of a Fulton County, Ga., election center, President Donald J. Trump spoke by phone with members of the Atlanta field office who had worked on the inquiry. The director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was on site for the search and later placed … Read more

Lead: Elon Musk publicly praised Moltbook — a newly launched platform that describes itself as a social network for autonomous AI agents —calling it an early sign of a profound shift in AI capability. The site debuted in late January 2026 and has quickly drawn attention across the tech community and social media from users … Read more

Lead Google has published a new app called “Desktop Camera” on the Google Play Store, surfacing late last week and drawing attention over the weekend. The listing presents a minimalist camera interface tailored for large-screen use, and the Play Store description reads, “Never miss a moment with the Desktop Camera.” The app is currently marked … Read more

Lead Early Monday, a magnitude-4.2 earthquake struck near San Ramon at 7:01 a.m., following a magnitude-3.8 event at 6:27 a.m., part of a cluster of more than 30 tremors the U.S. Geological Survey recorded in the area. The 4.2 event was centered beneath the East Bay and registered a depth of about 9.4 kilometers. There … Read more

Lead On Monday, 2 February 2026, Ukrainian authorities reported a renewed wave of Russian strikes targeting transport and logistics infrastructure across multiple regions, including Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia. The strikes have focused heavily on railway lines and facilities, prompting the national rail operator to advise passengers in the east to use buses on high‑risk routes. Separately, … Read more