Elon Musk expressed regret on Wednesday regarding some of his latest social media remarks directed at President Donald Trump.

“I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,” Musk posted on X.

Their once-strong rapport crumbled in full public view last week as both men exchanged sharp remarks across their personal social media platforms.

Not long ago, Musk stood as one of Trump’s strongest supporters within the administration, jointly heading the Department of Government Efficiency and leading sweeping job cuts in the federal workforce.

However, things turned bitter when Musk condemned Trump’s sweeping tax reduction and domestic agenda package, describing it as a “disgusting abomination” because of its expected harmful effects on the country’s fiscal stability.

Musk escalated his disapproval by reposting old statements made by Trump and other members of the Republican party, all of which highlighted issues around government spending and the national deficit.

Tesla’s stock price (TSLA) edged up after Musk softened his stance on X, showing a 2% increase in premarket activity.

Among Musk’s posts on X last week was a claim that Trump would have lost last year’s presidential election without him and – in the most incendiary missive – that Trump is “in” the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Epstein was a convicted sex offender who died behind bars in 2019 before standing trial for sex trafficking allegations. Musk did not present proof to support his claim that Trump’s name appears in confidential materials linked to Epstein.

It is worth noting that the mere presence of a person’s name in such documents does not imply they have committed any illegal acts.

Meanwhile, Trump posted on his Truth Social account last week that he might revoke government contracts and financial assistance granted to Musk’s businesses.

In a Friday interview, the president remarked that he was “not even thinking about Elon” and had no plans to communicate with Musk “for a while.”

Trump, during a recently released podcast episode, shared that he “was disappointed” in Musk. The president insisted he bore “no hard feelings” towards the tech entrepreneur but admitted he “was really surprised” by Musk’s critique of the tax legislation.

“I don’t know what his problem is, really, I don’t know. I haven’t thought too much about him in the last little while,” Trump said to the podcast host.

A devastating shooting incident took place in Graz on Tuesday, where a young man who once attended the school ended the lives of 10 individuals before taking his own, according to law enforcement officials. The tragedy ranks among the most severe such events in Europe in recent years.

Although lessons have been halted for at least a week, many students still showed up near the school premises on Wednesday morning, evidently unable to stay away from the place that had just witnessed a horrific act of violence.

A small crowd gathered near the high school grounds in Graz the scene where a former pupil carried out the deadly attack standing apart from other sympathizers and members of the press, within an area marked off by authorities.

Like countless other Austrians, they struggled to grasp how such brutal violence something they usually only associated with faraway headlines from America could suddenly erupt in their peaceful Alpine town.

“We’re just speechless this seems to have come from nowhere,” said Simone Saccon, 20, a university student who grew up in Graz. His home is close to the BORG Dreierschützengasse school, and he was among the many standing outside that day.

“It’s something you imagine happens in major cities or in the U.S., but that it would happen here?” he added.

The nation was wrapped in sorrow as the news spread. Black flags were hoisted atop the city’s public trams in Graz, a prosperous urban center and Austria’s second-largest city.

At 10 a.m., rail traffic came to a halt as the entire country paused for a moment of silence in remembrance of those lost.

Police reassured the public that there was no lingering threat, though authorities confirmed the discovery of an undetonated pipe bomb at the shooter’s residence. The 21-year-old perpetrator had left behind what officials described as a “farewell letter” along with a recorded video addressed to his parents, before returning to the very school where he had once been a student but never completed his education.

He then unleashed gunfire with both a handgun and a shotgun, ultimately taking his own life inside one of the school’s bathrooms, as stated by investigators.

According to officials, the contents of the farewell note shed little light on what could have driven this young man who lawfully owned his firearms to commit one of the deadliest school shootings Europe has seen in a decade. Franz Ruf, head of public security at Austria’s Interior Ministry, shared with a television channel that no clear motive could be gleaned from the document.

Thus, the nation was left grappling with unanswered questions a painful reflection mirrored by communities worldwide that have endured similar senseless violence.

“What’s really important now is to talk, to be silent together, to listen,” said Paul Nitsche, 51, a pastor and religion teacher at the school, as he stood in front of the space set aside for grieving students.

The Austrian chancellor, Christian Stocker, canceled his scheduled events to immediately travel to Graz, declaring three days of national mourning, including the observance of silence on Wednesday. Both citizens and leaders found themselves shaken by the scale of the tragedy.

Most of those who died were young students six girls and three boys aged between 14 and 17, according to law enforcement reports. Another victim, a teacher, succumbed to injuries at a hospital afterward.

Pastor Nitsche was alone in an empty classroom between lessons when he first heard the gunfire. His instinct told him to stay hidden and still. “It was as silent as if it was the middle of the night,” he said. “Everyone was playing dead — smart.”

When it seemed the danger had passed, he cautiously stepped into the hallway and caught sight of the attacker trying to force open a locked door by firing at it. Fleeing the scene, he noticed the lifeless body of a female student before dashing away and finally seeing the arrival of heavily armed officers. “So many uniforms can be really comforting,” he said.

Senior representatives from both the United States and China revealed on Tuesday that they had come to an understanding on a “framework” aimed at progressing trade relations. These announcements followed two days of intense discussions in London, intended to ease long-standing economic disputes.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick sounded confident after a day of dialogue, expressing belief that the difficulties involving rare earth resources and magnets “will be resolved” as the arrangement moves into action.

However, the proposal must first secure the approval of top authorities in Washington and Beijing, officials indicated, as the diplomatic talks concluded at Lancaster House in the heart of London.

Both nations had struggled to break a deadlock over export restrictions, and attention was fixed on whether either side would make concessions. American officials had earlier raised concerns that Beijing was deliberately delaying clearances for rare earth shipments.

As the planet’s two economic heavyweights sought to halt their escalating tariff skirmish, with duties presently paused on a temporary basis, the hope for a durable agreement remained central.

“We’re moving as quickly as we can,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told reporters.

“We would very much like to find an agreement that makes sense for both countries,” he added, noting that the relationship was complex.

“We feel positive about engaging with the Chinese,” he maintained.

Speaking separately to reporters, China International Trade Representative Li Chenggang said: “Our communication has been very professional, rational, in-depth and candid.”

Li expressed hope that progress made in London would help to boost trust on both sides.

– Constructive Negotiations –

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had earlier described the closely-monitored talks as fruitful, even though scheduling demands required him to leave London while discussions were ongoing.

Bessent, alongside Lutnick and Greer, led the American delegation but was called back to Washington for Congressional testimony, according to a US official.

China’s negotiating team was headed by Vice Premier He Lifeng, accompanied by Li and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.

No fresh meeting dates have yet been set by either side.

Still, Lutnick remarked that the US restrictions enacted when rare earth shipments “were not coming” could be eased if Beijing advanced with additional license approvals.

Global financial markets were uneasy but saw a modest rise in major US indexes on Tuesday amid optimism over a breakthrough.

This London session followed earlier discussions held in Geneva, where both countries had momentarily agreed to cut tariffs.

This time around, rare earth exports from China essential for items such as smartphones, electric vehicle batteries, and environmentally friendly technology were a central focus.

“In Geneva, we had agreed to lower tariffs on them, and they had agreed to release the magnets and rare earths that we need throughout the economy,” US President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, told CNBC on Monday.

Even though Beijing was releasing some supplies, “it was going a lot slower than some companies believed was optimal,” he added.

Both countries “have developed almost a mirror arsenal of trade and investment weapons that they can aim at each other,” said Emily Benson, head of strategy at Minerva Technology Futures.

As they make use of economic levers in their contest for global influence, she said, expecting a conventional trade pact might not be realistic.

Nonetheless, possibilities exist for reducing friction between the two powers.

A cooling of tensions may include improved Chinese procedures for handling export control permits, Benson noted. She remarked that Beijing might lack enough personnel to handle the volume of applications effectively.

For the US, this might involve loosening certain high-tech export restrictions, she added.

However, caution persisted among analysts, with Thomas Mathews of Capital Economics warning that Washington would likely not “back off completely.” Market uncertainty could linger as a result.

Since returning to office, Trump has imposed a 10 per cent duty on multiple trading partners, threatening higher tariffs on numerous economies.

These levies have dampened commerce, with Chinese figures showing a sharp drop in shipments to the US during May.

The World Bank on Tuesday aligned with other global bodies in reducing its forecast for 2025 global economic growth amid continued trade instability.

China is simultaneously holding discussions with other nations, including Japan and South Korea, in an attempt to form a collective stance in response to Trump’s trade policies.