Iran demands changes in venue and scope of talks with US, source says
Iran is demanding that talks with the U.S. this week be held in Oman not Turkey, and that the scope be narrowed to two-way negotiations on nuclear issues only, a regional source said on Tuesday, adding new complications to an already delicate diplomatic effort, Reuters reported.
Iran's move to change the venue and agenda for the talks, scheduled for Friday in Istanbul, came amid heightened tensions as the U.S. builds up forces in the Middle East.
Regional players have pushed for resolution of a standoff that has led to mutual threats of air strikes and stirred fears of escalation into a wider war, according to Reuters.
US says it shot down Iranian drone flying towards aircraft carrier
An Iranian drone was shot down as it "aggressively approached" an American aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, a US military spokesman has said, BBC reported.
An F-35C stealth fighter jet which took off from the USS Abraham Lincoln warship shot down the drone "in self-defence" to protect the aircraft carrier and its personnel, US Central Command spokesman Capt Tim Hawkins said.
The ship was approximately 500 miles from the Iranian coast when the drone approached it with "unclear intent".
No US equipment was damaged and no service members were harmed, according to BBC.
Police investigate Mandelson over claims he leaked information to Epstein
The Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal investigation into Peter Mandelson over allegations of misconduct in public office, BBC reported.
It comes after the former Labour minister and US ambassador was accused of passing market-sensitive government information to US financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Emails released by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) appear to show Lord Mandelson forwarded information to Epstein when he was business secretary under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2009, according to BBC.
Beijing criticises Dalai Lama Grammy win as 'manipulation'
China has reacted angrily to an unlikely winner at the Grammys - the Dalai Lama - saying it opposes art awards being used for "anti-China political manipulation".
The Buddhist spiritual leader was recognised in the audiobook category for Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, BBC reported.
The Dalai Lama said he accepted the award with "gratitude and humility".
The 90-year-old has lived in exile from his Tibetan homeland since 1959 and is condemned as a rebel and separatist by Beijing, according to BBC.
