Paragraph 1 There are certain people who manage to sound so calm, so warm, so utterly reasonable, that you almost forget the weight of what they are saying. Barbara O’Neill is one of those people. With her thick grey hair tied back in a loose ponytail, a midnight blue dress, and a soft Australian lullaby of a voice, she looks and sounds like someone’s favourite grandmother, the kind who might offer you a cup of tea and a slice of homemade cake. But the message she carries has been deemed dangerous enough that her own country, Australia, permanently banned her…

Here is the news, in plainer, more human language: according to a person who appears to know what is actually happening, Iran and the United States have not stopped talking. Negotiations are still alive and continuing, despite all the swirling chatter that a deal is just around the corner. The same source flatly rejected reports claiming the two sides are on the verge of an agreement. When asked whether that means a deal might come soon anyway, the source offered no timeline and no promises. They simply confirmed that discussions have not been suspended, while refusing to offer any clues…