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US President Donald Trump hailed his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa after unprecedented talks at the White House Monday, saying Sharaa's "rough" past as a jihadist would help him rebuild the war-torn country.

Stock markets charged higher Monday as investors cheered prospects that the US government shutdown could be nearing an end, after lawmakers reached a deal likely to break the record 40-day impasse.

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa met President Donald Trump at the White House for unprecedented talks Monday, capping a dramatic turnaround for a former jihadist who once had a $10 million US bounty on his head.

The US Supreme Court on Monday heard the case of a devout Rastafarian who is seeking damages after his knee-length dreadlocks were forcibly shorn while he was in prison in Louisiana.

US mediator Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks Monday on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, as Washington intensified its efforts to ensure the fragile truce endures.

A Chinese woman facing a long jail term for her role in a multibillion-dollar Bitcoin scam lived in luxury as she evaded the authorities for years, a UK court heard Monday.

The longest-ever US government shutdown appeared headed Monday to an eventual resolution, after several Democratic senators broke ranks to join Republicans in advancing a compromise deal -- sparking intra-party backlash.

US President Donald Trump threatened Monday to dock pay of air traffic controllers he accused of shirking their "patriotic" duty, while their union decried being used as "political pawns" during the government shutdown.

The US health regulatory agency on Monday said it would direct manufacturers to remove a bold warning on many hormone therapies used to alleviate menopausal symptoms, saying the risks have been exaggerated.

One of the UK's under-fire water companies apologised Monday after plastic pellets washed up en masse on beaches in southern England, conceding it was "highly likely" behind the recent pollution.

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa met US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday for unprecedented talks, just days after Washington removed him from a terrorism blacklist.

The longest government shutdown in American history appeared headed on Monday to an eventual resolution, after several Democratic senators broke ranks to join Republicans in advancing a compromise deal -- and sparking intra-party backlash.

France's former president Nicholas Sarkozy vowed on Monday that the truth would win out after he was released from prison under judicial supervision ahead of an appeal trial over Libyan funding.

Croatian Ivan Juric has been sacked as coach of Atalanta after back-to-back Serie A defeats left them in the bottom half of the table, the club announced on Monday.

Stock markets charged higher Monday as investors cheered prospects that the US government shutdown could be nearing an end, after lawmakers reached a deal likely to break the record 40-day impasse.

US President Donald Trump has threatened the BBC with a billion-dollar lawsuit, US sources said, as the broadcaster apologised Monday for editing a speech that gave the impression he urged "violent action" just before the 2021 assault on the US Capitol.

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso on Monday called for "maximum commitment" from his side as the Azzurri's bid to qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup is no longer in their hands.

A car explosion in the bustling heart of the Indian capital on Monday killed at least eight people and injured another 19, officials said.

Canada has lost its measles elimination status, health officials said Monday, a major setback caused by a year-long resurgence of the disease largely among unvaccinated groups.

The UN's climate conference opened in the Brazilian Amazon on Monday with pleas for the world to keep up the fight against global warming, even as the United States turns its back.

Fatima gripped her newborn tightly against her chest as the Tuareg woman queued beneath the scorching Mauritanian afternoon sun to register herself and her child as refugees.

The US Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear a case challenging the constitutional right to same-sex marriage.

Taylor Fritz got his bid for a first ATP Finals crown off to the best possible start with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-4 win over home favourite Lorenzo Musetti in Turin on Monday.

Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is a doubt for their World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein after pulling a leg muscle playing for Real Madrid, the Spanish club said on Monday.

Erik Bulatov, a pillar of Russia's contemporary art scene known for works mocking Soviet propaganda, has died in Paris at the age of 92, the Russian Academy of Fine Arts told AFP Monday.

Taylor Fritz got his bid for a first ATP Finals crown off to the best possible start with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-4 win in the Jimmy Connors group over home favourite Lorenzo Musetti in Turin on Monday.

US forces have killed six more people in strikes on alleged drug-running boats, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday, bringing the campaign's total number of deaths -- which critics describe as illegal executions -- to 76.

Stock markets posted strong gains Monday as investors cheered prospects that the US government shutdown could be nearing an end, after reports said lawmakers had reached a deal to break the record 40-day impasse.

Nicolas Sarkozy on Monday was freed from prison, a 20-day experience the former president called a "nightmare", as a judge ordered his release pending an appeal decision over Libyan funding.

With a spear in hand and red hair rising like fire, the mischievous forest guardian from Brazil's Indigenous folklore, Curupira, is the mascot of this year's UN climate conference in the Amazon.

"Sixteen killed." "Seven killed." "Thirty-one killed." "People are eating cowhide to survive." "The bombs are getting closer." "They're shooting people trying to run away."

McLaren's Lando Norris took a 24-point lead in Formula One's drivers championship after winning Sunday's Sao Paulo Grand Prix in a race which dished up plenty of drama.