The Trump administration’s push to expand control over independent federal agencies comes before a sympathetic Supreme Court that could overturn a 90-year-old decision limiting when presidents can fire board members. Lawyers for the administration are defending President Donald Trump’s decision to fire Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter without cause and calling on the court to jettison the unanimous 1935 decision in Humphrey’s Executor. Arguments are taking place on Monday. The court’s six conservative justices already have signaled strong support for the administration’s position, over the objection of their three liberal colleagues, by allowing Slaughter and the board members of other agencies to be removed from their jobs even as their legal challenges continue.

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — As celebrations kicked off marking the first anniversary on Monday of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad’s regime, Syrians are still struggling to heal after the dynasty’s repressive 50-year rule and a 14-year civil war…

Thailand has launched airstrikes along its disputed border with Cambodia. Both countries accuse each other of breaking a ceasefire that halted fighting earlier this year. The conflict follows five days of combat in July that killed dozens. The Thai army reports that more than 50,000 people have left border areas for shelters. Cambodian officials say residents of several villages have been evacuated. The latest clashes have killed at least one Thai soldier and four Cambodian civilians. The U.S.-brokered ceasefire that ended the brief conflict was threatened last month after Thai troops were injured by land mines. Trump said in mid-November he’d stopped a war between them.

Colin Farrell’s had it done — many times. So have Angelina Jolie and Megan Fox. Heck, even Bart Simpson did. Whether it’s Marilyn Monroe’s face, Billy Bob Thornton’s name, a sultry rose or even Bart’s partially inscribed homage to his mother, some tattoos simply have to go for one reason or another. But the process of taking them off is longer, much more costly and a lot more painful than getting them put on. Also, due to some health reasons, some souls who braved the ink needle, should be wary of the laser when having their body art erased or covered up.

President Donald Trump is claiming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “ hasn’t read” a U.S-authored peace proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump was critical of Zelenskyy after U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators completed three days of talks aimed at trying to narrow differences on the U.S. administration’s proposal. In an exchange with reporters on Sunday, Trump suggested the Ukrainian leader is holding up the talks from moving forward. The president told reporters: “Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but I’m not sure that Zelenskyy’s fine with it.”

Shares are mixed in Europe and Asia as investors tread cautiously ahead of an interest rate decision this week by the Federal Reserve. U.S. futures and oil prices rose. Flaring Japan-China tensions also were weighing on sentiment. China reported its trade surplus exceeded $1 trillion so far in 2025, as exports climbed 5.9% in November from a year earlier. On Friday, the U.S. stock market again rose to the brink of an all-time high. The S&P 500 added 0.2% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2%. The Nasdaq composite gained 0.3%. The modest moves capped a quiet week for Wall Street after a spate of scary swings.