Kristi Noem says that more officers are being deployed amid protests in several cities

In response to the news overnight that Donald Trump’s justice department has launched a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, the Senate banking committee’s top Democrat – Elizabeth Warren – has warned that her colleagues should not move forward with the president’s nominee for the role when Powell’s term expires at in May of this year.

Warren accused the president of wanting to “install another sock puppet to complete his corrupt takeover of America’s central bank”.

Trump is abusing the authorities of the Department of Justice like a wannabe dictator so the Fed serves his interests, along with his billionaire friends.

This Committee and the Senate should not move forward with any Trump nominee for the Fed, including Fed Chair.

Abbas Araghchi warns adversaries against ‘miscalculation’ as Trump mulls military response to protest crackdown

• ‘The streets are full of blood’: Iranian protests gather momentum as regime cracks down

• Iranian student killed during protests was shot in head ‘from close range’

• Analysis: Unpredictable Trump weighs up Iranian pleas for help against calls for restraint

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, has said communication lines with the US remain open, as the Trump administration continues to weigh the option of military strikes.

“This channel of communication between our foreign minister (Abbas Araghchi) and the special envoy of the president of the United States is open,” Baghaei said, in apparent reference to Steve Witkoff.

Always opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs, maintains that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected under international law, and opposes the use or threat of use of force in international relations.