US Republicans have appointed New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a Trump loyalist, to the third-ranking post in the House of Representatives.

Violent clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinians have spread across much of the occupied West Bank, following days of hostility in Gaza.

Local and regional restrictions to tackle the Indian Covid variant cannot be ruled out, the government has said, as it expressed concern over the speed of the variant's spread in England.

Israel has deployed tanks and troops to its border with Gaza, as it mulls whether to launch a ground operation in the territory after days of violence.

President Joe Biden has hailed a "great day for America" as US officials said vaccinated people can go mask-less in most indoor and outdoor settings.

Hamas militants have launched dozens of rockets at Israel after Israeli air strikes killed senior commanders and felled a multi-storey building in Gaza.

The deadly exchange of fire between Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli military has escalated significantly, with the UN fearing a "full-scale war".

US Republicans are to vote on whether to oust one of their leaders, Liz Cheney, over her repeated criticism of former President Donald Trump.

Israel has declared a state of emergency in the central city of Lod after rioting by Israeli Arabs, as conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants intensified.