Starmer apologises to Epstein victims for believing Mandelson's 'lies'
Sir Keir Starmer has apologised to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein for believing Lord Mandelson's "lies" and appointing him as the UK's ambassador to the US, BBC reported.
The prime minister began a planned speech on funding to improve local communities by addressing the growing anger over how he had dealt with the issue.
While he acknowledged it had been publicly known for some time that Lord Mandelson knew Epstein, he said: "None of us knew the depths and the darkness of that relationship."
US and Iran talks to begin as fears of direct conflict continue
Senior US and Iranian officials are expected to meet in Oman later for direct talks amid a crisis that has raised fears of a military confrontation between the two countries, BBC reported.
The discussions come after a US military build-up in the Middle East in response to Iran's violent repression of nationwide anti-government protests last month, that human rights groups say killed many thousands of people.
Uncertainty over the location and scope had threatened to derail the talks, which are part of a diplomatic effort by regional mediators to de-escalate tensions, according to BBC.
US launches plan to tackle China's critical minerals dominance
The US has launched an effort to form a trade zone for critical minerals that are key to making everything from smartphones to weapons as it tries to break China's dominance of the industry, BBC reported.
On Wednesday, the State Department hosted the first Critical Minerals Ministerial event - which was attended by countries and organisations including the UK, European Union, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Delegates discussed the availability of and access to minerals crucial to the manufacture of things like computer chips and electric vehicle batteries, according to BBC.
US must be prudent when supplying arms to Taiwan, Xi tells Trump
China's leader Xi Jinping called Taiwan "the most important issue" in China-US relations during a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, BBC reported.
Xi had told Trump to be "prudent" when supplying weapons to the island, state media reported, adding that he "attaches great importance" to ties with Washington and hoped both sides will find ways to resolve their differences.
Trump cast the call as "excellent" and "long and thorough".
