The Artemis II astronauts are more than halfway to the moon. The three Americans and one Canadian will reach their destination Monday, performing a lunar flyby and then coming straight back home. They are the first moonbound crew in more than half a century, picking up where NASA's Apollo program left off. On the downside, their toilet is on the blink again. Until it is fixed, Mission Control has instructed the astronauts to break out more of the backup urine collection bags. The toilet malfunctioned following Wednesday's liftoff and has been hit and miss ever since.

U.S. President Donald Trump has again warned Tehran over his Monday deadline to open the crucial Strait of Hormuz and allow ship traffic to flow again, and Iran has responded by threatening to open “the gates of hell.” The U.S. military meanwhile searched a remote area in Iran for a second day Saturday after a warplane was shot down and a pilot went missing. Israel confirmed striking a petrochemical complex in Iran, and state media there said at least five people are dead. Meanwhile, Iran's top diplomat signaled willingness for talks as Pakistan said efforts were “right on track.”

The Trump administration is arguing that a judge’s order to halt construction of a $400 million ballroom creates a security risk for the president. It is asking a federal appeals court to pause the ruling. In an emergency motion filed Friday, National Park Service lawyers say that order to suspend construction of the new facility was “threatening grave national-security harms to the White House, the President and his family, and the President’s staff.” U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington last week ordered that unless Congress approves the project, which has included demolishing the East Wing of the White House, it must be put on pause.

The Trump administration has revoked the green cards or U.S. visas of at least four Iranian nationals connected to the current or former Iranian government, including two who have been detained by immigration authorities and are to be deported. The arrests came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined they were no longer eligible for either lawful permanent resident status, or to enter the United States. In a statement the State Department said the niece and grand-niece of former Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike near the Baghdad airport in 2020, had been arrested late Friday by immigration agents

Iran shooting down two American military jets marks an exceedingly rare assault for the U.S. that hasn't happened in more than 20 years. It shows the Islamic Republic has a continued ability to hit back despite President Donald Trump asserting the country has been “completely decimated.” The last time a U.S. warplane was shot down in combat was during the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. Experts suggest a shoulder-fired missile likely was used. Some analysts say the attacks reflect how Iran is “weak but still lethal."

President Donald Trump claims that the United States has, in his words, “completely decimated” Iran. But the situation appears more complex, especially with two U.S. warplanes just having gone down in separate incidents during the war. Trump has struggled to respond to Iran's actions such as effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz that's disrupted global oil supplies. His go-it-alone approach has faced criticism from traditional American allies reluctant to support a war they didn't endorse. At home, some Republicans emphasize the importance of maintaining strong international relationships and are taking issue with Trump's unilateral strategy.

Gladys Khoza has regained her sight after a cataract surgery marathon in South Africa. She is one of 133 people who had free surgeries last month. Patients in South Africa's public health system can wait years for the simple, 15-20-minute procedure. Some had been waiting since 2019. Cataracts are the leading cause of curable blindness. The surgeries replace the clouded lens with an artificial one. Dr. Tebogo Fakude, one of the volunteer doctors, says restoring sight is “beautiful.” The Health Department uses these surgical marathons to reduce backlogs and improve access to care.

The artist formerly and possibly again known as Kanye West reveled in support from one of his musical idols, Lauryn Hill, as he staged a sold-out Southern California concert meant to mark a comeback from years of controversy. Eleven months after releasing a song titled “Heil Hitler” and just over two months after publishing an apology letter for his antisemitism, Ye let his two decades of hits — and 70,000 screaming fans — speak the loudest on Friday night at SoFi Stadium. Hill joined Ye on a stage for the first time ever for an energetic rendition of his 2004 hit “All Falls Down,” which originally sampled her voice.