Conflict

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to prepare to evacuate civilians from the southern Gazan city of Rafah ahead of an expanded offensive against Hamas.

US talk show host Tucker Carlson's interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin began with a rambling lecture on the history of Russia and Ukraine. So was it true?

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas' latest offer, calling it "delusional," and Hamas urged Palestinian armed factions to go on fighting.

The details of the deal - set out by Israel, the US, Qatar and Egypt - have not been released.

The US carried out more strikes against Houthi missiles in Yemen on Sunday, US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement on X.

The Ukrainian government has informed the White House that it plans to fire the country's top military commander, two knowledgeable sources said on Friday.

The US carried out retaliatory airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets in a multi-tiered response after three US troops were killed in Jordan.

Israel has prepared to advance its war on Gaza farther south, close to the Egyptian border, as diplomatic efforts in pursuit of a ceasefire accelerate.

The strikes would take place over a number of days, officials say, and weather conditions will likely dictate when they are launched.

The Houthi movement says it has struck a US merchant ship in the Red Sea.

The new government has been told of a deteriorating security situation, particularly with the rise of mis- and disinformation and new technologies.

Russia says each side got 195 soldiers back, Ukraine says 207 of its military and civilians were returned.

Speaking as he left the White House for fundraisers in Florida, President Joe Biden added: "I don't think we need a wider war in the Middle East."

Winston Peters and Judith Collins will be travelling to Melbourne on Wednesday to hold joint meetings.

Parliament has kicked off for 2024 with a debate over the government's decision to deploy six NZDF personnel to the Red Sea.

French farmers have begun moving hundreds of tractors in an effort to blockade key routes into the French capital, termed the "siege of Paris."

More countries have halted funding to the largest UN agency operating in Gaza, as the crisis deepens over the alleged role of some staff in the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel.