Tehran’s foreign ministry called the accusations of recruiting criminals ‘baseless and spiteful’ on Sunday, as it summoned Sweden’s temporary charge d’affaires.

‘This was an Israeli proposal. We have every expectation that if Hamas agrees to the proposal then Israel would say yes.’

With a net worth of US$450 million, Hollywood mogul Emanuel has lots of clout in showbiz, but what did he have to say about Benjamin Netanyahu?

The US president said the three-phase proposal, which includes the release of hostages, was the best way to begin winding down the deadly conflict in Gaza.

Despite the discovery of explosives sourced from India being found on an Israel-bound merchant ship, analysts are sceptical that New Delhi is selling weapons meant to be used in Gaza.

The military said on Friday that its troops in central Rafah had uncovered Hamas rocket launchers and tunnels and dismantled a weapons storage city.

The decision comes days after the Israeli bombing of a camp for the displaced in the Gaza Strip sparked international outrage and protests in France.

Both sides also call for an ‘early ceasefire’ in Gaza where Palestinians have been ‘detained and abused’.

Defence experts reviewed debris images from an Israeli air strike that ignited a deadly fire in a camp for displaced Palestinians. They said the bombs used were likely US-made.

Some state agencies are still ‘primarily controlled by the government’, while Indonesia’s score on the global corruption index is below that of OECD nations.

Readers discuss the opposition in Malaysia to the government’s airport deal, China’s cautious attitude towards Russia’s pipeline project, the location of HKU’s new innovation centre, and potential water wastage in Wong Nai Chung.

An image shared by millions in response to an Israeli strike that killed dozens of civilians represents a new form of AI-generated activist imagery.

The covert campaigns used the ChatGPT- maker’s AI tools to try to manipulate public opinion or shape political outcomes.

The move increases pressure on PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces rising public discontent and international criticism amid the war in Gaza.

A 2005 agreement between Israel and Egypt established the corridor as a buffer zone, as part of Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip that year.

Israel said its forces had taken over the 14-kilometre Philadelphi corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border, which it suspects was used for weapons smuggling.

Hamas is unlikely to be defeated before the end of the year, Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi says.

Israel’s army said it took control of the Philadelphi Corridor as the ground offensive against Hamas in the border city of Rafah intensified.

President Xi Jinping’s call to Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi comes as the pair meet in Beijing, with the Chinese leader also pledging greater cooperation on trade and investment, global affairs and new energy.

Israeli tanks mounted raids across Rafah in defiance of the World Court for a second day on Wednesday.

The US presidential hopeful was photographed writing the message as she toured sites near Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.

Despite global outrage over the attack in which 45 people were killed, the White House insisted that it did not believe Israel had launched the major operation that Biden has warned against.

A tent city designated as a civilian evacuation zone was struck, local health authorities said, as Israeli tanks advanced to the heart of Rafah for the first time.

The strike caused widespread outrage, including from some of Israel’s closest allies. PM Benjamin Netanyahu said it was the result of a “tragic mishap”.

Israeli tanks advanced to the centre of Rafah for the first time, witnesses said, three weeks into a ground offensive in the southern Gaza city that has stirred global condemnation.

The three European countries believe their initiative has strong symbolic impact, which is likely to encourage others to follow suit.