Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor-Johnston.
The United States and Iran have not confirmed when peace talks will resume ahead of a cease-fire
“deadline this week, but there are signs that Islamabad is preparing to host the second”
round of negotiations. Betsy Joel's reports Pakistan has been serving as a mediator between the two sides. There are some hints that the next round of talks might take place soon. Here this weekend, administrators in both Islamabad and its sister city, Raul Pindi, denied reports that commercial activity and transport were being curtailed.
Then, on Sunday, they announced on social media the suspension of public transport until further notice. Another clue that preparations are underway is restricted movement in and out of Islamabad's red zone. A high security sector that houses government buildings and most embassies.
Pakistan has also not confirmed dates for talks, but says it is continuing to mediate between the two sides. For NPR News, I'm Betsy Joel's and Islamabad. No ships are crossing the straight of Hormuz as the standoff between the U.S. and Iran continues.
“Neither side appears ready to back down, but as the BBC's Frank Gardner reports, some”
comments indicate a willingness to negotiate.
The straight of Hormuz is double-shot. It was never really fully open even on Friday, the
market's got very excited by a simply a statement saying it is fully open. It wasn't. For start, the U.S. naval blockade was still in place, which meant that all ships, calling at Iranian ports, would be turned back and indeed they have turned back, at least 23 vessels so far.
But even on the Iranian side, Iran was saying, yes, it's open, but the ships have got become a new way that we have designated, and they've got to be searched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard's Navy, and possibly even a toll. The BBC's Frank Gardner reporting, while straight will be looking for a lot of reassurances from big companies this week, and PR's Maria Aspen reports that conflict in the Middle East
has left many investors on edge. It's the height of earnings season when big companies reveal their results for the last three months. Tell investors how they're feeling about the broader economy. So far, things have been looking pretty rosy, despite weeks of uncertainty over the war
in Iran. JP Morgan Chase and other big banks say their customers are feeling fine and continuing to spend money. And by the end of last week, the benchmark S&P 500 and the tech heavy NASDAQ had hit new highs.
But this week will bring many more corporate report cards and a fuller picture of how corporate America is doing. The struggling insurance giant United Health Group is due to face investors, as is United Airlines and Elon Musk's Tesla, Maria Aspen and PR News. This is NPR News in Washington.
Crowds gathered in Hilamba and Gola to celebrate mass with Pope Leo, as he continues his trip across Africa, the tour comes after the pope's appeals for an end to the conflict in the Middle East, which prompted criticism from the White House. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, the pont of said remarks he made earlier in the week about peace or not aimed at President Trump.
The talk that I gave at the permitting for peace, a couple of days ago, was prepared two weeks ago. Well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting. And yet as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not my interest at all.
Angola is the third leg of the pope's visit to Africa, and PR's Michael Coloki has more on what's being called a landmark tour. Upon his arrival to the South and African nation, the pont of met with Angola's president Zhao Lorenzo, in an address to government officials, Pope Leo made references to Angola's former civil war, which began shortly after the country gained independence from Portugal
in 1975, and went on until 2002.
More than half a million people are believed to have been killed during the fighting.
In his speech, the pope offered words of encouragement to the Angolaan people, saying that they hold, quote, "ajoy that not even the most adverse circumstances have been able to extinguish." Pope Leo's fourth and final leg of his African visit will take him to equatorial Guinea, a country where more than 70% of the population identify as Catholic.
For NPR News, our Michael Coloki in Nairobi. Hi, I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News, in Washington. What happens when our political party becomes the prism through which we see every other aspect of our identities?
“What we're living through, I think, is really the two parties taking opposite sides on”
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