…Iran ready to negotiate with U.S as protests rage, deaths mount
Iran says it is keeping diplomatic channels open with the United States and is prepared to negotiate, even as nationwide protests stretch into a third week and security forces intensify a deadly crackdown.
Donald Trump, the United States president, said Tehran had reached out for talks while his administration weighs how to respond to the violence unfolding across Iranian cities.
“Iran wants to negotiate, yes. We might meet with them,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “A meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what is happening before the meeting.”
Read also: Iran ready to negotiate with U.S as protests rage, deaths mount
Abbas Araqchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said Tehran was “prepared for war” but remained open to dialogue with Washington based on “mutual respect and interests”. He added that the situation inside the country was “under total control” following a surge in violence over the weekend.
Zuckerberg names ex-Trump advisor as Meta president
Meta has appointed banker Dina Powell McCormick as president and vice chairman, elevating a former Trump administration official as the company accelerates its artificial intelligence expansion.
Powell McCormick, who previously served on Meta’s board, will join the company’s management team as it scales what founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg described as “the massive physical and financial model that will power the next decade of computing”.
Venezuela says over 100 political prisoners released; Pope meets Machado
The Venezuelan government says at least 116 political prisoners have been released after being detained during the presidency of Nicolas Maduro.
Venezuela’s Ministry of Penitentiary Services said on Monday that the prisoners were freed “in the past few hours”, following a similar release days earlier. Officials said those released had been detained for acts linked to “disrupting the constitutional order and undermining the stability of the nation”.
Read also: Trump moves to block courts from seizing Venezuelan oil revenue in US accounts – Reuters
Separately, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo XIV met with Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado, as international pressure mounts over human rights and political repression in the country.
Fed chair Powell hits out at ‘unprecedented’ justice department probe
Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell says federal prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into him, calling the move “unprecedented” and warning it threatens the independence of the US central bank.
Powell disclosed that the justice department served the Fed with subpoenas and threatened a criminal indictment over testimony he gave to a Senate committee on renovations to Federal Reserve buildings.
He said he believed the investigation stemmed from Donald Trump’s anger over the Fed’s refusal to cut interest rates despite repeated public pressure from the president. Trump said he did not “know anything” about the probe.
“This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions, or whether monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation,” Powell said.
Read also: Social media ban in Australia: Why it matters to the world and Nigerians
Meta blocks 550,000 accounts under Australia’s social media ban
Meta says it blocked about 550,000 accounts in the early days of Australia’s landmark social media ban for children.
The new law, which came into effect in December, requires major platforms including Facebook and Instagram to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from holding accounts.
The legislation has drawn global attention, with supporters arguing it protects children from harmful content and algorithms, while critics warn of enforcement challenges and unintended consequences.
Meta says it supports stronger protections for young users but continues to push for alternative safety measures.
