First Thing: Islamabad prepares to host US-Iran talks as Trump casts doubt on ceasefire | US news

Good morning.

As Pakistan prepares to host talks between Iran and the United States, an already fragile ceasefire in the conflict has become even more strained, with Donald Trump accusing Tehran of doing a “very bad job” of keeping promises on the Strait of Hormuz and Israel attacking Lebanon, where Iran claims it is violating the ceasefire.

The two-week ceasefire agreement brokered by Pakistan included the two sides agreeing to meet in Islamabad this weekend to negotiate a permanent peace. However, while Iran and Pakistan claimed that the ceasefire included Lebanon, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that there was “no ceasefire in Lebanon” and that Israel would continue to “hit Hezbollah with full force.”

• What will happen to the Strait of Hormuz? The agreement also included Iran’s near-complete lifting of a blockade on the strait that had caused the worst-ever disruption to global energy supplies. Trump posted on Truth Social late Thursday that Iran was being “dishonorable” by not allowing oil to pass through the strait. “This is not the agreement between us!” Trump wrote.

• This is an evolving story. Follow our live blog here.

Melania Trump says she ‘never’ had a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein

In a prepared statement Thursday, Melania Trump denied having an affair with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. The First Lady said, “I am not a victim of Epstein. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump.”

• Why did he make this speech? The first lady’s surprise speech created confusion about why she chose to speak now or whether she knew her husband was planning to draw attention to an issue she had urged the public to move away from.

• What did he want? In a final twist, Melania called on Congress to hold a public hearing for Epstein’s survivors to help uncover the truth; That call was quickly endorsed by Democrat Ro Khanna and Republicans Majorie Taylor Greene and Nancy Mace.

Artemis II crew with Complete the record breaking mission

NASA’s Orion capsule, containing four Artemis II astronauts, is scheduled to float slowly toward the Pacific Ocean under three giant parachutes on Friday. PT’s scheduled landing off the coast of San Diego at 5:07 p.m. (5 p.m. Saturday) will mark the end of a historic 10-day lunar expedition.

• what is it for What does the mission mean for the future of human exploration in space? “We’re in the golden age of space travel right now,” Commander Reid Wiseman said at a news conference Thursday. “There is unlimited potential here.”

In other news…

• US public lands will ultimately ‘pay the price’ for Trump administration’s plan to overhaul the US Forest Serviceunion leaders said.

• Donald Trump released a sensational video showing the murder of a woman in Florida. in an apparent effort to shift the national debate back to immigration crackdown.

• A museum director at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington announces his departure He takes over the Guggenheim Museum in New York, becoming the fourth Smithsonian director to leave in the past two years.

Status of the day: Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano has produced 3.6 million cubic feet (2.75 million cubic meters) of lava so far in its latest eruption

The eruption Thursday of Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, led to the closure of Hawaiian volcanoes national park on the Big Island. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), lava fountains began gushing from the volcano around 11:00 a.m. local time and rose as high as 200 meters (656 ft).

Culture Pick: Conclusion review – Keanu Reeves shines in Jonah Hill’s Hollywood satire

Keanu Reeves stars as a good-guy, megastar actor hiding a complicated drug addiction in this tongue-in-cheek, insider-laden comedy written and directed by Jonah Hill. While it’s not always funny, most of the time Outcome follows Reeves’ character as he tries to uncover who’s blackmailing him with a video showing him in a dangerous situation.

Don’t miss this: From Wall Street to Y’all Street

Once a bankers-only destination, the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area has seen a boom in its financial sector workforce over the past decade as “Y’all Street” lobbyists tried to steal New York’s financial crown. The Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE), which is expected to become operational later this year, announced, “Welcome to the real bull market.”

Climate control: Meet the man He was bitten 200 times by snakes

As the climate crisis increasingly brings snakes and humans into conflict, 58-year-old Tim Friede subjected himself to 200 intentional snake bites in the hope of developing an immunity that could one day lead to a universal antidote. His sacrifices could help create a broad new antidote that could prevent some of the 138,000 deaths and 400,000 disfigurements and disabilities caused by snake bites each year.

Latest Thing: Justin Bieber’s return to Coachella

At this year’s sold-out Coachella, Justin Bieber will have his biggest live stage appearance since cutting short his 2022 tour due to health concerns. The annual music festival will host approximately 125,000 music lovers a day over two weekends and feature Bieber’s co-stars Sabrina Carpenter and Karol G on seven stages.

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