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Talks between the U.S. and Iranian teams reached the 15-hour mark on Saturday and were likely to continue on Sunday, according to The New York Times. IRNA, Iran's state news agency, and two senior Iranian officials apparently confirmed the negotiations had hit a deadlock. "The Strait of Hormuz remains a sticking point in the talks, with the U.S. demanding an immediate opening of the chokepoint and Iran doubling down on its stance that the economically vital passageway will re-open only after a final peace deal is reached, according to the two officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity," The Times reported.The American delegation has not yet commented on the status of the ongoing negotiations. More than a month since the war started, the historic high-level talks were the first between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) spoke out on Saturday against special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner taking part in Middle East diplomatic efforts amid the ongoing Iran war, The Hill reported. Witkoff and Kushner were among diplomats and leaders meeting for trilateral talks discussing how to end the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In a conversation with Rev. Al Sharpton, Kelly described his concerns about the ongoing war. "You can’t send the two real estate developers to negotiate a peace with another region," Kelly said at the National Action Network Convention in New York City.Kelly also criticized Trump for lacking a plan and not consulting allies about the military attack, arguing Trump had "alienated our allies.""There is one person responsible for closing the Strait of Hormuz. It’s Donald Trump," Kelly said. "What Donald Trump taught the Iranians is they now have a strategic asset that they can exploit for decades to our detriment."Sharpton asked Kelly what Trump should try to do next to restore relationships with international allies. "You’ve got to build this, these relationships back up with our allies in the region and with NATO, and then you got to get the Iranians to the table and have a serious discussion," Kelly said. Both Witkoff and Kushner have led negotiation efforts throughout Trump's second administration. Both men have been involved in key conversations around the Russia-Ukraine war, ceasefire in Gaza and Iran's nuclear program.They joined the U.S. delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, which was meeting Saturday with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, for the first in-person discussion since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Negotiations were slated to try to ease the growing tensions between the countries and prepare for an end to the conflict after a two-week ceasefire was reached this week, although it has shown signs of unraveling.

Having received assurances from Singapore over refined fuels, diesel supply will surely be next on the prime minister’s agendaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese isn’t coming back from Singapore with a shipload of diesel in his checked baggage. That doesn’t mean his whistle-stop visit wasn’t a success, or that it won’t be seen in future as a pivotal moment if fuel stocks continue to be choked by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.The government never expected that the quick whip to Singapore, with just one full day on the ground, would elicit a new supply of petrol or diesel. Singapore already supplies 55% of Australia’s unleaded, 22% of jet fuel and 15% of diesel. Continue reading...

Vaianu, forecast to bring heavy rain and winds of up to 130 kmh (80 mph), is expected to hit on SundayThousands of New Zealanders were ordered to evacuate their homes on Saturday as the country’s North Island braced for Cyclone Vaianu, which authorities warned could cause coastal flooding and landslides.Vaianu, forecast to bring heavy rain and winds of up to 130 km/h (80 mp/h), was expected to hit on Sunday, then pass west of the remote Chatham Islands on Monday, the country’s weather forecaster said. Continue reading...

Vice President JD Vance was under fire on Thursday after a number of voices called for his excommunication from the Catholic Church. Vance has described himself as a devout Catholic and has a new book coming out about his faith journey. But critics of the vice president have demanded Pope Leo punish Vance and take a stand after the Church leader called President Donald Trump's threat to wipe out the Iranian civilization "truly unacceptable."The internet shared their thoughts on what they believe the pope should do. "The Chicago pope must excommunicate the heretic JD Vance," Elizabeth Lopatto, editor at The Verge, wrote on Bluesky. "Excommunicate JD Vance. Place Washington D.C. under interdict. The whole diocese of Arlington, too, for good measure - that’s where half the Supreme Court goes to mass," Molly Conger, host of the "Weird Little Guys" podcast on Cool Zone Media, wrote on Bluesky."Petition for the Pope to personally excommunicate JD Vance over this nonsense," writer Kathryn Brightbill wrote via Bluesky."Pope Leo I'm gonna level with you it's time to either excommunicate JD Vance or shut up," Jack Kennedy, Ph.D. candidate at Hertie School in Berlin, Germany, and editorial fellow at The Bulletin, wrote on Bluesky."Excommunicate JD Vance," Aparna Nair, writer, teacher and disability advocate, wrote on Bluesky, adding a vulgar acronym to emphasize her point."Come on Pope Leo, excommunicate his a--!" astrophysicist Alfredo Carpineti posted on Bluesky. "I want him to have to beg for forgiveness like Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV in the snow for three days."

MAGA influencers were raging at each other over a supposed Department of Justice investigation examining whether foreign money plays a role in their social media content, according to a report published on Thursday. The growing divide over Iran and President Donald Trump's decisions has pitted conservative influencers against each other, The Bulwark's Will Sommer reported. "But so far, those influencers largely aren’t blaming the president for their divisions," Sommer wrote. "Instead, they are pointing to a new culprit: The reason conservatives are at each other’s throats, they argue, is that they’re being paid by foreign sources to, essentially, bicker," Sommer explained. "But the enthusiasm for a Justice Department probe is notable not just because it suggests influencers believe the MAGA civil war now requires federal intervention. It sticks out because many of these influencers calling for a DOJ probe have taken foreign money themselves."It turns out plenty of MAGA influencers have already had "pay-to-post arrangements" involving foreign entities. "Just a few weeks ago, country music sensation Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of FBI director Kash Patel, claimed she had uncovered a wide-ranging foreign influence network to make people think she’s a Mossad operative," Sommer reported. "And who could forget Laura Loomer’s nickname for Carlson: 'Tucker Qatarlson'?"It's unlikely there was an actual probe happening, despite hopeful wishes from several conservative social media personalities, including Catturd and Rob Smith. "Of course, the idea of a Trump Justice Department investigating foreign influence is laughable, given the foreign financial entanglements and conflicts already rife in the administration," Sommer wrote. "Recently booted Attorney General Pam Bondi scaled back Foreign Agents Registration Act enforcement early in her tenure at DOJ, signaling the administration’s stance on policing foreign influence in our politics."

An interview on MS NOW with a Florida man caused alarm on social media after he urged Donald Trump to “push the button” and kill everyone in Iran.Speaking on the street in front of a Starbucks in Boca Raton, Dale Hershman told MS NOW’s Alex Tabet that he wants Trump’s war to continue and that the president has not gone far enough as far as he is concerned."The ceasefire isn't an end of a war to me, I hope it falls apart, the job's not done,” he stated. “I think we should finish the job.”“So you hope that the war continues in Iran?” Tabet asked.“I hope it continues to completion; it could be over in a week, Donald Trump said,” he replied. "So it can be; it's just a push of a button.”“And what does completion mean for you? What is the goal that you're hoping to be achieved?” the MS NOW reporter pressed. “Completion means we've destroyed Iran to the point where they cannot harm other people. The well-being of their own citizens is of no concern at all to me,” Hershman said.After the clip ended, Tabet told host Anna Cabrera, “And Anna, later on in that interview, I asked about what's happening in Lebanon. He asked, or he called for the annexation and the absorption of southern Lebanon into Israel.”Tabet added the caveat, ”Now, of the three interviews that we've conducted so far this morning, that man was perhaps the most extreme. But the man who we interviewed right after him, the first words that he said when I when I said I was going to ask about the war in Iran, the first words that he said was ‘kill them all,’ Anna.”Not long after the interview was broadcast, there was stunned outrage on X.Journalist Leslie Abravanel wrote, “To anyone anywhere in the world who just saw that vile @MSNOW interview with a neighbor of mine in Boca Raton, Florida, who said he has no concern for the well-being of Iranian citizens and hopes 'they kill them all,' please know that this Jewess is appalled, disgusted, and completely embarrassed by such grotesque, ghoulish rhetoric. This is not my brand of Judaism or Americana. This is purely hateful Trumpism and extremist behavior. But you see what we are dealing with here?”“What is wrong with our politicians! I just saw a reporter interviewing Israeli Americans about the war, and unanimous responses were ‘kill them all’! This is why we shouldn't get involved in Middle East affairs. Especially when we don't understand their world,” lamented viewer Andrew Miller. - YouTube youtu.be

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) accused Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) of not following the teachings of Jesus Christ because he had supported President Donald Trump after a threat to destroy Iran's entire civilization in one night.During an interview with CNN on Thursday, Greene called Trump's apocalyptic threat "insanity.""I really hope to see people in leadership in Washington, D.C., get back on track and care about regular Americans," Greene said. "I think I'm one of the few honest Republicans willing to talk about it. Everyone else is just afraid to speak out against the president because they're terrified of having an ugly Truth Social post dropped on them or a primary challenge.""They're cowards. And I really have to call out the speaker, Mike Johnson, who calls himself a Christian," she added. "I don't know how he can stand by those words. That's what was so offensive to me. Any Christian serving in Congress or serving in the Senate and serving in the administration really needs to take pause and ask themselves, as a Christian, do you really support the president calling for the annihilation, calling to wipe out an entire civilization of people? And I don't think you should because that's not what Jesus said and that's not what Christianity is all about."