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.

The numbers of pilgrims are expected to rise further over the next two days as they continue to arrive from abroad ahead of the formal rituals that mark the beginning of the haj on Monday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for authorities to "spare no effort" in treating the injured and conducting search and rescue operations, while ordering a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident and strict accountability in accordance with the law.

"The policies and practices of the Israeli government, including a further entrenchment of Israeli control, are undermining stability and prospects for a two-state solution," read a joint statement from several countries, including Britain, France, Germany and Australia.

The WHO raised its risk assessment for the outbreak in Congo to "very high" from "high", with the health body saying late detection, the absence of a vaccine or virus-specific therapeutics, widespread armed violence and high mobility among the population make the country vulnerable.

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.

The disagreements between Iran and the US remained "deep and extensive", according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Indonesia has accepted a United States proposal to develop a maintenance hub for Hercules military aircraft, a plan that has been met with a wary response from lawmakers and analysts, who warn against arrangements that could blur sovereignty boundaries.

The fast-warming tropical Pacific is pointing to a major event but a crucial weakening of trade winds -- capable of turbocharging or throttling the phenomenon -- has yet to materialise.

Trump said the move was based on his relationship with Poland's president Karol Nawrocki, a nationalist ally whom he said he was "proud to endorse" in elections that Nawrocki won last year.

Indonesia confirmed on Thursday the release of its nine citizens from illegal custody after joining a chorus of international pressure over Israel’s “inhumane treatment” of activists taken from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

Turkish foreign ministry sources said 422 activists, among them 85 Turkish nationals, were flown from southern Israel on three planes chartered by Ankara.

More than 430 activists from countries around the world were in custody in Israel after they were detained at sea while making the latest in a string of attempts to break the blockade of the Palestinian territory.

Bolivians began demonstrating and erecting roadblocks three weeks ago to demand salary increases, stable fuel supplies and measures to mitigate the worst economic crisis in 40 years.

The Philippine government on Thursday ordered police to arrest a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court over his role in ex-president Rodrigo Duterte's deadly drug crackdown.

Israel's far-right national security minister posted a video on Wednesday showing detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla kneeling with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground, sparking international condemnation.

Israeli forces have started detaining people involved in the flotilla to send humanitarian aid to Gaza, including a total of nine Indonesian citizens, as confirmed by the Foreign Ministry.

A programme and menu reported by TASS showed guests would be offered an array of cold "zakuski" hors d'oeuvres, prawn soup, beef in bean sauce, Fuzhou noodles, pumpkin pastries, fruits. 

The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from Turkey last week in the latest attempt by activists to breach Israel's blockade of the Palestinian territory, after Israeli forces intercepted a previous convoy last month.

President Xi Jinping hailed China and Russia's "unyielding" ties in talks with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, as the pair met to underscore their alliance days after Donald Trump's visit to the Asian superpower economy.

Trump told reporters at the White House that he had been just "an hour away" from relaunching Washington's attacks on Iran before postponing the order, after weeks of a fragile ceasefire and talks to end the war, which began on February 28.

Indonesia and nine other countries have condemned Israel’s interception of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla as a “blatant” breach of international law, while demanding the immediate release of activists detained during the humanitarian mission, including five Indonesians.

The police are investigating the shooting incident, caused by two teenage gunmen opening fire at the mosque and which led to the killing of a security guard and two other men, as a hate crime.

The letter of intent signed in Washington mentioned respecting each country's territorial integrity, the need for a mechanism ifIndonesia agreed to airspace access, and respect for local laws, Sjafrie told a hearing with the House of Representatives Commission I overseeing defense.

Indonesian journalists, volunteers among those taken hostage after vessels lost contact.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack against Iran after Tehran sent a peace proposal to Washington, and that there was now a "very good chance" of reaching a deal limiting Iran's nuclear program.