
Rubio skips Ukraine talks; Musk to scale back political role after Tesla slump
In this episode of Global News Today, presented by Tom Burges Watson, we look at the faltering peace talks between the US, Ukraine, and European officials aimed at ending Russia's war in Ukraine. The talks were downgraded after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio abruptly canceled his trip to London. His absence prompted the cancellation of a broader meeting involving foreign ministers from Ukraine, the UK, France, and Germany – though lower-level negotiations are still underway. We'll also bring you the latest from Elon Musk, who says he'll significantly scale back his work with the Trump administration in May to refocus on Tesla, after the company reported a 71 percent drop in first-quarter profits.
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Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Trump has no plans to call Musk, White House says after feud
WASHINGTON: The White House squashed speculation that Donald Trump and Elon Musk would patch up their stunning public feud, saying the US president had no plans to call his billionaire former aide Friday. Trump lobbed fresh insults at the South African-born Musk a day after the fiery implosion of their unlikely political marriage, saying the tech tycoon had 'lost his mind.' In a telling symbol of how their relationship had deteriorated, the president was even considering selling or giving away a Tesla he had bought to show support for Musk amid protests against the company. The row exploded on Thursday when Trump said he was 'very disappointed' by Musk and threatened to end his government contracts, after his ex-aide criticized the president's flagship budget bill as an 'abomination.' Reports had emerged that Musk and Trump would speak by phone on Friday in a bid to patch up the damaging public row, but the White House scotched such speculation. 'The president does not intend to speak to Musk today,' a senior White House official told AFP on condition of anonymity when asked if the feuding pair planned to speak. Trump told broadcaster ABC in a phone call earlier Friday that he was 'not particularly interested' in talking to Musk. 'You mean the man who has lost his mind?' ABC quoted Trump as saying. Trump, who once called Musk a 'genius,' branded him 'crazy' on social media on Thursday. The row could have major political and economic fallout, as shares in Musk's Tesla car company seesaw and the SpaceX boss vowed that he would end a critical US spaceship program. The White House called a special meeting on Thursday to discuss how to handle the crisis with Musk, a government source told AFP on condition of anonymity. Trump meanwhile may ditch the red Tesla that he bought from Musk's firm at the height of their relationship. The electric vehicle was still parked on the White House grounds on Friday. 'He's thinking about it, yes,' the senior White House official told AFP when asked if Trump would sell or give away the Tesla. Trump and Musk had posed inside the car at a bizarre event in March, when the US president turned the White House into a pop-up Tesla showroom after protests against Musk's government role tanked the firm shares. Speculation had long swirled that a relationship between two big egos like the president and the tycoon could not last long — but the speed of the meltdown took Washington by surprise. Trump said in a televised Oval Office diatribe on Thursday that he was 'very disappointed' after his former top donor criticized his 'big, beautiful' spending bill before Congress. The pair then hurled insults at each other on social media — with Musk even posting, without proof, that Trump was referenced in government documents on disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Musk ‘very welcome' in Europe after Trump bust-up: Official
Elon Musk is 'very welcome' in Europe, a spokesperson for the European Commission quipped Friday, following the tech billionaire's spectacular public falling-out with US President Donald Trump. The Trump-Musk political marriage blew up on Thursday as the president declared himself 'very disappointed' in criticisms from his former aide and top donor -- before the pair hurled insults at each other on social media. At the commission's daily briefing, spokesperson Paula Pinho was asked whether Musk had reached out to the European Union with a view to relocating his businesses, or setting up new ones. 'He's very welcome,' she replied with a smile. The commission's spokesperson for tech matters, Thomas Regnier, followed up by stressing -- straight-faced -- that 'everyone is very welcome indeed to start and to scale in the EU.' 'That is precisely the objective of Choose Europe,' he said, referencing an EU initiative in favor of start-ups and expanding businesses. Musk has been a frequent critic of the 27-nation EU -- attacking its digital laws as censorship and berating its leaders, while cheering on the ascendant far-right in Germany and elsewhere. The tycoon's row with Trump saw the president threaten to strip him of government contracts estimated at $18 billion -- with Musk vowing in response to end a critical US spaceship program. Explaining the rift, Trump said Musk had gone 'crazy' about a plan to end electric vehicle subsidies in the new US spending bill -- as the bust-up sent shares in Musk's Tesla car company plunging.


Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Feuding Trump and Musk are now not expected to speak on Friday
US President Donald Trump and his one-time close ally billionaire Elon Musk were now not expected to talk on Friday, despite efforts by White House aides to get a truce after a huge public clash the previous day. A White House official told Reuters that no call was planned for Friday. A White House official had said earlier that the two men would speak on Friday. A call could ease the feuding after an extraordinary day of hostilities - largely conducted over social media - that marked a stark end to a close alliance. Shares in Musk's Tesla closed down over 14 percent on Thursday, losing about $150 billion in market value in the largest single-day decline in value in the electric vehicle maker's history. In pre-market trading on Friday they pared some of those losses, rising as much as 5 percent after the early news that the two men were scheduled to speak. Musk had bankrolled a large part of Trump's presidential campaign and was then brought as one of the president's most visible advisers, heading up a sweeping and controversial effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. The verbal punches erupted on Thursday after Trump criticized Musk in the Oval Office and the pair then traded barbs on their social media platforms: Trump's Truth Social and Musk's X. The falling-out had begun brewing days ago when Musk, who left his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency a week ago, denounced Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending bill.