Venezuela interim leader Rodriguez vows to 'monitor' amnesty law

(The Center Square) – Five years into Operation Lone Star, apprehensions of illegal border crossers are ongoing in Texas border communities and throughout south Texas. The greatest number of apprehensions are occurring in the Rio Grande Valley and Coastal Bend regions of Texas where an OLS Task Force is operating in full force led by Goliad County Sheriff Roy Boyd.

A new report by the Texas Department of Public Safety Border Security Operation’s Center obtained by The Center Square details how many people are being apprehended and how much drugs are being seized in south Texas counties.

Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021 as the border crisis escalated. Under the Biden administration, Texas was inundated with the bulk of illegal border crossers along the southwest border — roughly two million or more a year including those who evaded capture. Under the Trump administration, illegal crossings have dropped by more than 95%, but they are still ongoing. 

The report breaks down apprehensions with a map of where illegal crossings occurred as well as quantities of drugs that were seized. It covers the U.S. Customs and Border Protection sectors of Big Bend, Del Rio, El Paso, Laredo and Rio Grande Valley and a joint task force region in the Coastal Bend.

In the Big Bend Sector, the majority of illegal entries occurred in Brewster and Terrell counties. The sector saw record high illegal crossings during the Biden administration and a record drop under the Trump administration, The Center Square reported. Last month, 186 illegal border crossers were apprehended and 1,200 pounds of marijuana was seized in the sector, according to the data. 

In the Del Rio Sector, nearly 1,000 illegal border crossers were apprehended in Val Verde, Kinney, Maverick, Zavala, Dimmit, Kerr, Gillespie and Sutton counties. The data indicates that illegal foreign nationals are still making it into the interior of Texas as gotaways – those who illegally enter between ports of entry and evade capture. They are being apprehended in rural areas roughly 100 miles from the border in Kerr, Gillespie and Sutton counties, for example, according to the data. If OLS operations weren’t ongoing, they’d still be living illegally in Texas, authorities argue.

The greatest volume of drugs seized in the sector was of meth (337 pounds) and cocaine (273 pounds), according to the data.

In the Laredo Sector, 1,200 apprehensions were reported. The majority were near Laredo in Webb and Zapata counties, followed by La Salle County. Large quantities of meth and cocaine were also seized in the sector, comparable to the volume seized in the Del Rio Sector. 

In the Rio Grande Valley Sector, nearly the entire border in Starr, Hidalgo and Cameron counties is red on the map, signifying apprehensions. Apprehensions were also made in Brooks, Kenedy and Willacy counties. 

Apprehensions in this sector also include those made in the Coastal Bend region where the OLS Task Force is operating. The majority of apprehensions in this region occurred in Goliad and Lavaca counties, according to the data. Apprehensions are also being made in neighboring Task Force member counties as illegal border crossers attempt to head north to Houston along Highway 59 or attempt to go around it and get apprehended in Atascosa, Bee, Calhoun, Fayette, Jackson, Jim Wells, Karnes, Live Oak, Nueces, Refugio and San Patricio counties, according to the data. 

More than 1,700 were apprehended in these counties in March. More than 4,000 pounds of meth, nearly 900 pounds of marijuana and more than 500 pounds of cocaine were also seized in these counties, according to the data. 

From March 2025 to March 2026 a motion-detection camera system DPS uses along the border detected nearly 23,000 illegal border crossers. It also led to the seizure of more than 6,200 pounds of marijuana and nearly 2,000 pounds of meth, according to the data. 

Texas DPS has been using the system for many years. In 2014, the system helped law enforcement apprehend more than 29,300 illegal border crossers and seize 88,400 pounds of drugs, DPS said. At the time, Texas was experiencing a border crisis under the Obama administration. No comparable Operation Lone Star or federal enforcement actions existed. Yet Texas was combatting the same threats posed by Mexican cartels, Texas sheriffs argue.

“Mexican cartels continue to pose the most significant organized crime threat to Texas. In fact, seven of the eight cartels currently have command and control networks operating in the state, moving drugs and people into the United States, and transporting cash, weapons and stolen vehicles back to Mexico,” DPS said 12 years ago.

“Every day, sheriff’s deputies, police officers, Border Patrol agents and state law enforcement officers in the Texas border region risk their lives to protect Texas and the entire nation from Mexican cartels and transnational crime,” former DPS Director Steve McCraw said at the time. “This innovative use of technology has proven to be a force multiplier in detecting the smuggling attempts along the border, which is critical to interdicting criminal activity occurring between the ports of entry.”

Since then, other force multipliers have been put in place through OLS: equine, canine, brush, marine and air teams, an OLS Task Force, expanded federal partnerships, and record funding allocated by the Texas legislature, The Center Square has reported.

South Africa's second-largest party, the Democratic Alliance, elected Cape Town's mayor Sunday to lead it into the 2029 national polls, stepping up a drive to take votes away from the faltering ANC.

The election of Geordin Hill-Lewis, 39, as DA leader marks a reset for the centre-right and pro-businees party that entered the multi-party coalition government in 2024.

"I stand before you as your newly elected leader with one promise -- however long I have the privilege of serving in this job, I will be dedicated to the mission of building a stronger South Africa for everyone," he told a party congress.

Hill-Lewis has run Cape Town -- a booming international tourist destination -- since 2021. The city is the capital of the Western Cape, the only of nine provinces run by the DA.

"Our mission is to build the DA into the biggest party in South Africa," Hill-Lewis told the party congress on Saturday.

The DA was brought into the coalition government after the African National Congress (ANC) -- which led the fight against apartheid -- lost its majority for the first time in three decades in power.

The party of Nelson Mandela won 62 percent of votes in the first all-race election in 1994 but managed only 40 percent at the 2024 poll, undermined by corruption scandals and complaints of bad governance.

The DA took 22 percent in 2024 and recent polling by the Ipsos market researcher showed a similar level of support ahead of local government polls due between November and January.

The ANC remained the most-supported party with 38 percent, according to a survey of 3,600 people released last month.

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(The Center Square) – After two weeks of recess, Congress returns Monday facing a still-shuttered Homeland Security department and a massive legislative to-do list.

Government shutdown and ICE & CBP funding:

By Monday, the Department of Homeland Security will have operated 55 days without core funding – the longest government shutdown by far in U.S. history. 

Democrats are demanding that any annual Homeland Security appropriations bill – which funds ICE, Border Patrol, TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, and other agencies – include a laundry list of restrictions on immigration enforcement.

After weeks of failed negotiations, Republican leaders have determined the only way to reopen DHS without folding to Democrats’ demands is to strip ICE and CBP funding from the Homeland Security bill. 

Such legislation has already passed the Senate and only needs the House’s approval to reach the president’s desk.

Republicans then plan to use a party-line budget reconciliation bill to shower the immigration enforcement agencies with cash, not only for the current fiscal year but for years ahead. 

Unlike other struggling DHS agencies, ICE and CBP have remained unaffected by the shutdown of DHS. Republicans’ previous reconciliation bill, the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” gave each agency an over $70 billion funding boost, separate from their annual appropriations money that Republicans are trying to push through.

Using budget reconciliation as a vehicle to provide annual appropriations funding is an unconventional and risky maneuver.

President Donald Trump wants the legislation on his desk by June 1, and Republicans will need to craft and pass a budget resolution – the blueprint for the reconciliation bill – before they can pass the bill itself.

Senate Republican leaders are huddling over the weekend and could drop the text of the budget resolution as soon as next week.

Funding the U.S. government for fiscal year 2027:

Besides passing the hybrid Homeland Security bill to end the DHS shutdown and ensure that it is funded for the rest of fiscal year 2026, House lawmakers are jumping into fiscal year 2027 funding negotiations.

Less than six months before the next fiscal year begins and federal agencies need a funding refresh, the White House sent Congress its $2.1 trillion budget request. 

Lawmakers will use it as a general starting point for negotiations, though they almost always make significant changes. The House Budget Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday to consider the president’s proposal.

The House Appropriations Committees, meanwhile, will hold around a dozen hearings throughout next week to hear input from federal agencies themselves.

Officials from the U.S. departments of Energy, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security are all scheduled to appear before the committee and present their own budget requests.

Iran War Powers Resolutions:

While these hearings occur, House and Senate Democratic leaders plan to again force votes on resolutions that would halt the Trump administration’s ongoing military activities in Iran, which Congress never authorized. 

Republicans in both the House and Senate already voted down separate War Powers Resolutions in early March. 

Democrats, however, are hoping that the drawn-out conflict's impacts on gas prices and the stock market will ultimately persuade enough Republicans at this point to join them in curbing Trump’s power.

FISA Section 702: 

Congress must also renew a powerful surveillance tool of the National Security Agency that expires April 20. 

But lawmakers across the political spectrum are fiercely divided over whether they should reform Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to better protect American privacy rights. 

On paper, FISA Section 702 allows federal intelligence agencies to conduct warrantless electronic surveillance on foreign nationals of suspicion. 

In practice, however, the electronic data of American citizens – including emails, text messages, and phone calls – are routinely collected as well. 

Not only can intelligence agencies store that data for up to five years, but intelligence agents can and do routinely search that data without obtaining a warrant, known as “backdoor searches.” 

Some lawmakers, particularly Republicans, are concerned this violates Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights. 

House Republican leadership, however, has already planned a vote Wednesday to extend Section 702 without implementing any reforms or privacy protections. 

SAVE America Act:

Republicans are also fighting for passage of their voter-ID bill in the Senate, which will resume its marathon debate on the legislation dubbed the SAVE America Act.

The most avid supporters of the House-passed legislation – which among other things would require Americans to present proof of citizenship in person when registering to vote – argue that the bill is crucial for congressional Republicans to maintain their majority in the midterm elections. 

Though Trump has urged Republican Senate leaders to abolish the filibuster so that the bill can pass with only a majority vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., says there isn’t enough support in the caucus for such a drastic action.

Iran and the United States failed to strike a deal Sunday to end the war in the Middle East, but there was no immediate return to hostilities and the region clung to hope that a fragile truce would hold.   

US Vice President JD Vance left Pakistan after the talks -- the highest-level meeting between the two sides since the 1979 Islamic revolution -- and warned that Washington had made Tehran its "final and best offer" for a deal.

"We leave here with a very simple proposal," he said. "We'll see if the Iranians accept it."

Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said his negotiating team "put forward constructive initiatives but ultimately the other side was unable to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations".

The failure of the talks will raise concerns that a return to fighting could drive world energy prices higher and further damage shipping and oil and gas facilities in the Gulf. 

But Saudi Arabia's energy ministry said Sunday its key east-west oil pipeline was back in service after it was damaged in earlier strikes, and Qatar's transport ministry said it was lifting some restrictions on Gulf shipping. 

Pakistan, which hosted the talks and whose leadership had ushered the rival sides to the table, said it would keep facilitating dialogue and urged both countries to continue respecting the temporary truce.

"It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to ceasefire," Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said.

- Uranium stockpile -

US news website Axios quoted an unnamed source briefed on the negotiations as saying that disagreements included "Iran's demand to control the Strait of Hormuz and refusal to give up on its enriched uranium stockpile".

UK health minister Wes Streeting, speaking for the British government, told Sky News that the failure of the talks was disappointing but "that doesn't mean there isn't merit in continuing to try".  

The United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, sparking retaliation from Tehran that has plunged the Middle East into conflict and shaken the global economy. 

Iran and the US had entered the talks mediated by Pakistan with maximalist positions, with Washington piling pressure by saying it had sent minesweeping ships through the vital Strait of Hormuz maritime route.

Signs of strain in the negotiations appeared when Iranian media accused the United States of making "excessive demands" over the strait, through which one-fifth of the world's oil transited before its effective closure by Iran during the war.

US President Donald Trump had also insisted several hours into the talks on Saturday that the United States had already triumphed on the battlefield by killing Iranian leaders and destroying key military infrastructure.

"Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me. The reason is because we've won," Trump said.

- Leverage -

The high-stakes 21-hour meeting had unfolded in Islamabad with both sides exhibiting intense mistrust. 

Iran was in the middle of negotiations in February with Trump's real-estate friend Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner when the US and Israel attacked. 

Both Kushner and Witkoff were part of Vance's team in Pakistan.  

The first salvos of the war killed Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Iranian demands for any agreement to end the war include unfreezing sanctioned Iranian assets and ending Israel's war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The opening of the Strait of Hormuz has also presented a friction point.

Iran throughout the war exercised global economic leverage by asserting control of the maritime route, sending oil prices soaring and piling political pressure on Trump as US fuel costs rose.

The US military said Saturday that two Navy warships transited through the strait to begin clearing it of mines and ensure it is a "safe pathway" for tankers.

The Iranian military denied that any American warships had entered the waterway and threatened to respond if they do so.

The Revolutionary Guards' Naval Command said Iranian promises of safe passage during a two-week ceasefire applied only to "civilian vessels under specific conditions".

- Lebanon violence -

A complicating factor has been Israel's assertion that the ceasefire does not affect Lebanon, where the Israeli military has launched strikes and a ground invasion in response to rocket fire from Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed movement. 

Lebanese authorities said Israeli strikes on the country's south on Saturday killed 18 people, bringing the death toll from Israel's operations since the war broke out past 2,000.

Israel and Lebanon will hold their own talks next week in Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that he wanted a peace deal with Lebanon that "will last for generations".

But Israel has ruled out a ceasefire with Hezbollah, signalling it will instead seek to pressure the historically weak central government in Beirut.

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Ukraine and Russia accused each other on Sunday of violating a truce in place for Orthodox Easter thousands of times, as the war dragged on into its fifth year.

Both sides had agreed to observe the ceasefire for the religious holiday, with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordering the truce more than a week after Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a halt to hostilities.

But as with a similar agreement last year, only relative calm reigned along the 1,200-kilometre (745-mile) front line.

"As of 7:00 a.m. on 12 April, 2,299 ceasefire violations were recorded. Specifically: 28 enemy assault actions, 479 enemy shellings, 747 strikes by attack drones... and 1,045 strikes by FPV drones," the Ukrainian military's general staff said in a post on Facebook.

In turn, Russia's defence ministry accused Kyiv of nearly 2,000 breaches of its own.

"A total of 1,971 ceasefire violations by units of the Ukrainian armed forces were recorded between 4:00 pm Moscow time on April 12 and 8:00 am on April 12," the ministry said on the state-pushed MAX application. 

The Russian ministry claimed Kyiv had fired 258 times using artillery or tanks, carried out 1,329 FPV drone strikes, and dropped "various types of munitions" on 375 occasions, notably via drones.

Moscow also accused the Ukrainian military of launching "three nighttime attacks" against Russian positions and also "four attempts to advance" along the front line, while claiming to have thwarted each.

- 'Holiday joy' -

However, in a sign that the truce had some effect, the Ukrainian army stressed that it had recorded no long-range Shahed drone attacks, guided aerial bombings or missile strikes.

Ukraine has had to deal with near-nightly barrages of hundreds of Russian drones, prompting retaliation from Kyiv. 

In northeastern Ukraine's Kharkiv region, Lieutenant Colonel Vasyl Kobziak told AFP on Sunday morning that things were "rather calm" in his sector.

While the 32-year-old officer said the truce had not been "fully" observed, the lull had allowed his soldiers of the 33rd Mechanised Brigade to attend an Easter Sunday mass outside in the freezing forest chill.

"Our comrades have the chance, as you can see, to have their Easter baskets blessed and to feel the warmth and joy of this holiday," he told AFP, referring to the religious tradition of priests blessing food and eggs.

The truce had been due to last for 32 hours, from 4:00 pm (1300 GMT) on Saturday until the end of the day on Sunday, according to the Kremlin.

In Russia's Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, Governor Alexander Khinshtein also accused Kyiv of breaking the ceasefire by attacking a gas station in the town of Lgov with a drone, injuring three people, including a baby.

In his evening address on Saturday, Zelensky called for a longer ceasefire, insisting the ball was in Moscow's court. 

A similar truce was announced in Ukraine for Orthodox Easter last year, only for both sides to accuse each other of numerous violations.

- Frontline freeze -

Recent months have seen several rounds of US-brokered negotiations fail to bring the warring parties closer to an agreement to stop the fighting, triggered by Russia's February 2022 invasion.

The process has stalled further since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East, with Washington's attention having shifted towards Iran.

But even before the Iran war, progress towards a peace deal in Ukraine had been slow, due to differences over the issue of territory.

Ukraine has proposed freezing the conflict along the current front lines. 

But Russia has rejected this, saying it wants the whole of the Donetsk region despite it being partly controlled by Ukraine -- a demand Kyiv says is unacceptable. 

The war has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and forced millions to flee their homes, making it Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.

Russia has paid a high price in manpower for its relatively small territorial gains. 

Kyiv recently managed to push back in the southeast and Russian advances have been slowing since late 2025, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Moscow occupies just over 19 percent of Ukraine, most of which was seized during the first weeks of the conflict.

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A stampede at an historical fortress in Haiti has killed at least 30 people, a government minister told AFP on Sunday, with the crush reportedly involving several young visitors.

"The Minister of Culture and Communication has confirmed the deaths of 30 people at the Citadelle Henri on Saturday, April 11, 2026," culture minister Emmanuel Menard told AFP in a written message.

"The injured are currently receiving the necessary medical care, and a rescue team is searching for any missing persons," Menard said, without giving an exact figure of those injured.

Citadelle Henri, also known as Citadelle Laferriere, is a 19th-century fortress and popular tourist spot.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site was closed to visitors "until further notice," Menard said.

Haiti's prime minister's office expressed "deep sadness" in a government statement posted on Facebook, adding that the crush occurred during "a tourist activity bringing together many young people."

Jean Henry Petit, head of the civil protection office in Northern Haiti, told local newspaper Le Nouvelliste that the toll could rise due to the large number of people reported missing.

Several dozen people were also injured and taken to hospital, the outlet reported.

Initial reports said visitors, mostly young people, were crammed against a single entrance and a scuffle broke out between those trying to leave and enter the site.

Other local media reports said the gathering took place after being advertised on TikTok.

AFP was not able to immediately confirm the reports.

The government urged citizens to "be calm and cautious" while it investigates.

"All competent authorities are fully mobilized and placed on maximum alert to provide, without delay, the necessary assistance, care and support," it added in its statement.

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© Agence France-Presse

Legendary Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle, whose voice defined Bollywood music through the 1970s and 80s, died Sunday in Mumbai aged 92, her family said.

Two-time Grammy nominee Bhosle breathed her last at the Breach Candy hospital where she was admitted with complaints of "extreme exhaustion" and chest infection.

"My mother passed away today (Sunday). Her last rites will be held tomorrow at Shivaji Park in Mumbai," her son Anand Bhosle told reporters.

Bhosle recorded more than 12,000 songs in multiple Indian languages over a seven‑decade career.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "deeply saddened" by her death.

"Her extraordinary musical journey, spanning decades, enriched our cultural heritage and touched countless hearts across the world," he said in a post on X.

"She will continue to inspire generations and her songs will forever echo in people's lives."

Born on September 8, 1933 to a musical family, Bhosle began singing as a child alongside her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar, after their father's death. 

Often compared to Mangeshkar -- revered as "India's nightingale" who died in 2022 -- Bhosle forged her own path, embracing genres from pop to folk.

Her early life was marked by struggle, including a turbulent marriage at 16. 

She went on to become one of Indian cinema's most versatile and celebrated voices, receiving the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2001 and earning two Grammy nominations.

Bhosle continued collaborating with global artists well into her later years, including a recent feature on British virtual band Gorillaz's album The Mountain ("Parvat").

Beyond music, she nurtured her passion for food, launching her "Asha's" restaurant chain in Dubai and Britain.

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Benin was voting for a new president on Sunday, with Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni a shoo-in after overseeing a decade of economic growth in the west African country despite jihadist attacks in the north.

Nearly eight million voters are eligible to cast ballots to choose a successor to Patrice Talon, who is stepping down after two five-year terms and has endorsed Wadagni as his successor.

Turnout will be a crucial factor after a lacklustre campaign hit by voter apathy.

"We must vote to ensure a high turnout," said Yvan Glidja, a man in his 30s who turned up early at a school-turned-polling station in the commercial capital Cotonou to vote for Wadagni.

Backed by the two main ruling parties, Wadagni is being challenged by Paul Hounkpe, an opposition figure whose campaign has been very low-key and who needed help from majority lawmakers to secure the required parliamentary endorsements to get on the ballot. 

"There can't be any real enthusiasm; for that, you would need debate and each side would have to believe in its chances," said Rufin Godjo, a political analyst. 

The main opposition The Democrats party is not fielding a candidate as its leader, Renaud Agbodjo, failed to secure the required number of parliamentary endorsements needed to contest the vote.

"I won't go and vote, this election is not inclusive. You cannot talk about genuine democratic competition when some key political players are barred," said Arnold Dessouassi, a 39-year-old teacher. 

The ruling majority blames The Democrats' exclusion on internal divisions. Several senior figures in the party joined Wadagni's campaign.

"The disgruntled haven't disappeared. Tensions and frustration remain high; their electoral hopes have been slaughtered," said Godjo, speaking of voters. 

The European Union, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have all sent substantial delegations to monitor the vote.

"We hope a maximum of Beninese will come out to make their choice today", Nana Akufo-Addo, a former Ghanaian president heading the ECOWAS delegation, told AFP. 

- Golden decade -

Benin's next elections will only take place in 2033, as a constitutional reform passed last year has extended the presidential term from five to seven years and synchronised all elections to take place then. 

A key question for many is the next president's approach to civil liberties after the authoritarian turn taken by Talon, whose rule saw many opponents being handed heavy sentences for various crimes.

Hounkpe meanwhile has promised to release "political prisoners". 

The country has seen burgeoning growth during the Talon decade: GDP has doubled, growth has surpassed six percent each year, tourism has expanded and numerous infrastructure projects have been completed. 

As the architect of this development from his 10 years at the finance ministry, Wadagni embodies continuity. 

- Major challenges -

But major challenges remain, including a huge gap between the haves and the have-nots.

"The next phase of the country's development will be the eradication of extreme poverty. That is one of his priorities," said one of Wadagni's close associates. 

The poverty rate is estimated at more than 30 percent and many Beninese complain that the benefits of the economic growth over the past decade have not trickled down to them.

Benin's economic growth will also depend on ushering in security and stabilising the country.

Benin's north is plagued by increasingly deadly jihadist violence, carried out mainly by Al-Qaeda's Sahel branch, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM).

Very active in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, JNIM has recruited and conducted deadly raids against the army in this less-developed part of Benin.

If he is elected on Sunday, Wadagni is expected to be able to count on the loyalty of the army, which played a decisive role in repelling an attempted coup against Talon in December. 

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The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- Key Saudi pipeline back -

Saudi Arabia's energy ministry said that its key east-west oil pipeline and other facilities had been restored following attacks by Iran on infrastructure across the Gulf.

Citing an energy ministry statement, the official Saudi Press Agency reported that the attacks had led to a "loss of approximately 700,000 barrels per day of pumping capacity through the east-west pipeline" and work was under way to restore full production capacity at the kingdom's Khurais oil field.

- Tehran downplays no-deal finish -

Iran's foreign ministry said no one had held any expectation that talks with the United States could have reached an agreement within one session after the negotiations in Islamabad stalled. 

"Naturally, from the beginning we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session. No one had such an expectation," ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said, according to state broadcaster IRIB.

- Talks' end 'disappointing' Australia -

"The priority now must be to continue the ceasefire and return to negotiations," Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement, adding it was "disappointing that the Islamabad talks between the United States and Iran have ended without agreement".

- Pakistan urges US, Iran -

Pakistan's foreign minister insisted that Washington and Tehran must uphold a ceasefire agreement, after marathon talks between the two sides to end the war in the Middle East ended without a deal.

"It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to ceasefire," said Ishaq Dar, whose government hosted the talks and acted as a mediator. 

- Vance leaves without deal -

US Vice President JD Vance departed Pakistan aboard Air Force Two soon after saying that talks with Iran failed to reach an agreement after he put forward a "final and best offer".

"The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon," he told reporters in Islamabad, on the main sticking point for talks moving ahead. 

- Iran calls US 'unreasonable' -

"The Iranian delegation negotiated continuously and intensively for 21 hours in order to protect the national interests of the Iranian people; despite various initiatives from the Iranian delegation, the unreasonable demands of the American side prevented the progress of the negotiations. Thus the negotiations ended," Iranian state broadcaster IRIB said. 

- Iran says talks hinged on avoiding 'excessive demands' -

The success of peace talks between the United States and Iran depended on Washington avoiding "excessive" and "unlawful" demands, the Iranian foreign ministry's spokesman said early on Sunday after marathon talks in Islamabad.

"The success of this diplomatic process depends on the seriousness and good faith of the opposing side, refraining from excessive demands and unlawful requests, and the acceptance of Iran's legitimate rights and interests," Esmaeil Baqaei wrote on X.

- Iran and US spar over strait -

Iran denied Washington's claims that two US Navy warships crossed the Strait of Hormuz to clear the strategic waterway of mines, with Tehran warning that military ships attempting the passage "will be dealt with severely".

US Central Command's claim that mine detection operations were already underway was echoed by President Donald Trump, who told reporters Saturday "we have mine sweepers out there. We're sweeping the strait".  

A fifth of the world's crude oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

- Trump says Iran deal 'makes no difference' -

Trump told reporters Saturday it "makes no difference" if a peace deal comes out of the trilateral US-Iran talks in Pakistan, insisting the United States has already won the war. 

The 79-year-old Republican's comments came as Vice President JD Vance was leading the US delegation in Islamabad, with discussions heading into a second day.

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A childhood dream of making video games is becoming a reality this week for Imagine Dragons' singer Dan Reynolds, as his company's debut title "Last Flag" is released Tuesday.

Games had been a passion of Reynolds and his brother and band manager Mac long before the group became a global name.

Now the pair have used some time away from music to build a team-based shooter inspired by the games of Capture the Flag they played in the woods as young Boy Scouts.

"Last Flag" is "not a passion project, (we've) been working on it now for five-plus years," Reynolds told journalists during a virtual news conference.

Their roughly 30-strong studio, Night Street Games, has been working on "Last Flag" since its 2020 founding.

The game sorts players into two teams of five who can battle online, competing to hide their own flag and snatch the opposing team's banner.

"I grew up in a family of eight boys and one girl, and we were all nerdy kids," 38-year-old Dan Reynolds remembered.

Creating their own game had been "this dream that we talked about all the time" as they learned skills such as programming and 3D modelling.

But when Imagine Dragons "just blew up" while they were at university, Dan, a fan of "Starcraft" and "League of Legends", went with the flow, enlisting Mac along the way as manager.

Tracks such as "Believer", "Thunder" and "Radioactive" have made the band one of the most popular pop rock groups worldwide.

It has sold 74 million albums and racked up 160 billion streams, according to record label Warner Music Group.

The band's ride has been "just incredible", Dan said.

"But we talked all the time during that about 'what if?'" the brothers had gone through with their gaming dream, he added.

When the time finally came, they devised a brightly coloured world filled with seventies stylings.

"Last Flag" bears visual similarities to the genre juggernaut "Fortnite", but the Reynolds say their title stands out from the pack with a focus on playing the objective -- not simply eliminating opponents.

Several high-value productions in the team shooter genre have fallen flat in recent years, with titles such as "Concord" or "Highguard" quickly taken offline after failing to win a loyal player base.

"Even though there's a ton of competition, I think we've seen even recently that a new game... can break through if it provides something different," Mac Reynolds said.

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