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A violent crackdown on a wave of protests in Iran has killed at least 648 people, a rights group said on Monday, as Iranian authorities sought to regain control of the streets with mass nationwide rallies.

The dollar mostly fell and gold hit a record high on Monday as investors digested news that the US Justice Department is probing the Federal Reserve, raising fears over the central bank's independence against President Donald Trump's push for lower rates.

Cuba's leader on Monday reacted defiantly to President Donald Trump's threats to "make a deal" or pay the price in the aftermath of key ally Nicolas Maduro's ouster in a US military raid.

Homosexual behaviour in primates has a deep evolutionary basis and is more likely to occur in species that live in harsh environments, are hunted by predators or live in more complex societies, scientists said Monday.

Venezuela said Monday it had freed dozens more political prisoners as rights groups questioned the numbers and family members clamored for speedier releases after the US military ouster of long-term autocrat Nicolas Maduro.

Some 15,000 nurses went on strike Monday in New York city at three large private hospital groups over pay and conditions.

New Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior said Monday he would love to be at the club for six years or longer as he prepares for a blockbuster League Cup semi-final against Arsenal.

Meta on Monday appointed banker Dina Powell McCormick as president and vice chairman, tapping a former member of the Trump administration to help steer the technology giant's massive AI infrastructure expansion.

Reza Pahlavi, who as a boy was groomed to be the next shah of imperial Iran but has spent nearly five decades in exile, has emerged as a rallying figure in the protests shaking the Islamic republic.

Venezuela said Monday it had freed dozens more political prisoners as rights groups questioned the numbers and family members clamored for speedier releases after the US military ouster of long-term autocrat Nicolas Maduro.

Kenya's former New York marathon champion Albert Korir was provisionally suspended on Monday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug in the latest hit to the reputation of the country's running programme.

US prosecutors have opened an inquiry into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, prompting a rare rebuke from the central bank chief against escalating pressure from Donald Trump's administration as the president pushes for lower interest rates.

The Russian captain of a cargo ship which hit a tanker in the North Sea off the UK coast triggering a huge fire was in court Monday for his trial charged with manslaughter for the death of a crew member.

Michael Carrick is in pole position to be named as Manchester United's interim manager until the end of the season, according to media reports on Monday.

Iranian authorities on Monday sought to regain control of the streets with mass nationwide rallies in the wake of protests on a scale unprecedented in recent years, as alarm grew over a deadly crackdown.

Saood Variawa led a South African one-two in the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia on Monday ahead of Toyota team-mate Henk Lategan.

The co-owner of a Swiss bar which went up in flames during New Year celebrations has been placed in preventive detention for three months, a regional court said on Monday.

Heathrow Airport said Monday it welcomed more than 84 million travellers last year, a record high amount for the London hub which is set to undergo a major expansion.

Georgia's former prime minister Irakli Garibashvili was jailed for five years Monday on money laundering charges, the prosecutor's office said, the latest in a sweeping shake-up of the country's ruling party as critics accuse it of drifting into Moscow's orbit.

Three days after Sergiy Smolyak was ripped apart in a Russian drone attack, his granddaughter -- wearing a pink winter snowsuit -- sat in silence before his open coffin in a golden-domed cathedral in Kyiv.

A French historian has been banned from travelling to Israel after he criticised Israeli military operations in the besieged Gaza Strip, he said on Monday.

India and Germany are looking to boost defence industry cooperation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday after hosting Chancellor Friedrich Merz in his home state of Gujarat.

Rolland Courbis, a former French player and coach often called in to rescue teams from relegation who became an outspoken media pundit, has died aged 72, his employer RMC said on Monday.

UK media regulator Ofcom on Monday launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk's X over its AI chatbot Grok's image creation feature that has been used to produce sexualised deepfakes.

The Confederation of African Football said Monday it had opened an investigation and warned of possible disciplinary action after "potentially unacceptable behaviour" as players clashed on the pitch at the end of the Cup of Nations quarter-final between Algeria and Nigeria.

US prosecutors have opened an inquiry threatening a "criminal indictment" against the Federal Reserve, its chairman Jerome Powell revealed, denouncing new "threats and ongoing pressure" from the administration of President Donald Trump.

The dollar weakened and gold hit a record high Monday as investors digested news that the US Justice Department is probing the Federal Reserve, raising fears over the central bank's independence against President Donald Trump's push for lower rates.

Iran's foreign minister said on Monday the Islamic republic is ready for both war and talks after repeated threats from US President Donald Trump to intervene militarily over a crackdown on protests that activists fear has killed hundreds.

India and Germany are looking to boost defence industry cooperation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday after hosting Chancellor Friedrich Merz in his home state of Gujarat.

Barham Salih has known torture and the wrenching loss of exile. Four decades after his own ordeal, he has taken the helm of the UN refugee agency as it grapples with a funding shortfall and ever-rising needs.

US prosecutors have opened an inquiry threatening a "criminal indictment" against the Federal Reserve, its chairman Jerome Powell revealed Sunday, denouncing new "threats and ongoing pressure" from the administration of President Donald Trump.

Myanmar's military deliberately targeted the Rohingya minority in a bid to destroy the community, Gambia's Justice Minister Dawda Jallow told the International Court of Justice Monday at the start of a genocide hearing.

Ai, a "genius" chimpanzee who could recognise more than 100 Chinese characters and the English alphabet, has died aged 49, Japanese researchers said.

President Donald Trump said Sunday the United States would take Greenland "one way or the other," warning that Russia and China would "take over" if Washington didn't act.

Asian equities gained Monday, and precious metals set new records as investors digested news that the US Justice Department is probing the Federal Reserve, raising fears over US central bank independence.

Myanmar's main pro-military party on Monday claimed victory in the parliamentary seat of sidelined democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi in elections being derided as a ploy to prolong junta rule.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Sunday that US prosecutors have opened a probe into his comments to lawmakers and threatened an indictment, a move he said is part of President Donald Trump's pressure campaign on monetary policy decisions.

Trailblazing former world number three Milos Raonic announced his retirement from tennis on Monday, ending a career that earned him eight ATP titles.

Australia's parliament will reopen two weeks early to crack down on hate crimes and gun ownership following the mass shooting at Bondi Beach, the government said Monday.