Washington does not seek "needless confrontation" but rather "a genuinely stable equilibrium that works for Americans as well as our allies", said Pete Hegseth. 

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged Asian allies to ramp up military spending to counter China's growing power and prevent its dominance in the region, warning of "rightful alarm" over its rapid military buildup.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth is the headline speaker at Asia's premier defense summit, which began on Friday with top Chinese officials notably absent despite weighty questions over Taiwan and the war in Iran.

The foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan and the US have agreed to jointly build a port in Fiji and signed pacts covering critical minerals and energy security, as they sought to inject fresh energy into their grouping known as the Quad.

US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne ​Mullin said the Trump administration is drawing up plans to stop processing international travelers ‌and cargo at major US airports in "sanctuary cities" that have declined to cooperate with an immigration crackdown.

A gunman opened fire near the White House on Saturday evening, with US Secret Service agents killing the assailant in a shoot-out during which a bystander was also struck, authorities said.

Trump said that Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Aaron Lukas, a former CIA officer and analyst who served on the National Security Council during Trump's first term, would become acting director.

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz came to power six months ago, in the midst of the country's worst economic crisis since the 1980s, marked by acute shortages of fuel and foreign currency and runaway inflation.

Average global temperatures are forecast to reach near-record levels in the next five years, with Arctic temperatures expected to warm faster than other regions, a report by the UN weather agency and the UK’s Met Office said on Thursday.

The United States warned on Saturday it was "more than capable" of resuming its war with Iran after President Donald Trump said any peace deal must adhere to his red lines, including Tehran never being able to develop nuclear weapons.

The United Nations on Friday added Israel and Russia to a UN blacklist of countries suspected of committing sexual violence in conflict zones, a move that prompted Israel's foreign ministry to say it would sever all ties with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

US President Donald Trump will only make a peace deal with Iran if it meets all of his conditions, a White House official told AFP on Friday, as questions swirled about the state of negotiations to end the war.