The two countries outlined a joint initiative "for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East region", after a visit from senior Pakistani officials to Beijing.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned the economic shocks of the war in the Middle East would be felt for months and encouraged citizens to take public transport in a rare address to the nation on Wednesday.

A China-born accused scam boss was extradited from Cambodia, Chinese state media said Wednesday, linking him to an alleged kingpin indicted by the US for running a multibillion-dollar cyberscam network from the Southeast Asian nation.

A Malaysian court on Tuesday ordered jailed former prime minister Najib Razak to pay US$1.3 billion to a former unit of scandal-tainted state fund 1MDB, state media reported.

The two peacekeepers with the UNIFIL force were killed on Monday near Bani Hayyan in south Lebanon and two other soldiers were wounded. Another Indonesian soldier was killed overnight Sunday into Monday when a projectile exploded near one of the group's positions.

"I think there's no doubt, unfortunately, after this conflict is concluded, we are going to have to reexamine that relationship. We're going to have to reexamine the value of NATO in that alliance for our country," Rubio said to host Sean Hannity on Fox News.

Indonesia and Japan reaffirmed their shared commitment to playing a greater role in maintaining global peace and stability, as President Prabowo Subianto and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reiterated the need to de-escalate the war in the Middle East.

Two other Indonesian UNIFIL were killed in southern Lebanon on Monday, one day after another peacekeeper died in an explosion amid the intensifying Israeli ground invasion.

The vessels included the corvette Gromkiy, the submarine Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and the ocean tug Andrey Stepanov, according to the Russian embassy in Jakarta.  

The critical waterway has effectively been shut since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28.

Vatican second-in-command Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and its top diplomat, Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, met with ambassador Yaron Sideman and "regrets were expressed regarding this incident, concerning which clarifications were provided," the Vatican said.

Australia in December banned under-16s from a raft of the world's most popular social media sites, citing the need to protect young minds from "predatory algorithms" filled with sex and violence.

"The safety of peacekeeping troops must be the top priority. All parties to the conflict are urged to respect international humanitarian law and ensure the security of peacekeeping personnel," Defense Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Rico Ricardo Sirait said in a statement.

After more than a year in office, President Prabowo Subianto made his maiden official visit to Japan, one of Indonesia’s largest investors and strategic partners, amid the war in the Middle East that has impacted both countries in the energy and economic sectors.

Jakarta has condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon that killed three Indonesian peacekeepers, as the border area became another flashpoint in Israel’s war.

Police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from entering the church, citing security concerns as Israel enforces a ban on gatherings in synagogues, churches and mosques during the ongoing war with Iran, which has brought missile strikes near holy sites.

"I want to see more certainty in what the objectives of the war are and I want to see a de-escalation," Albanese said, responding to a question about his view on how Trump was prosecuting the war. 

Another peacekeeper was critically injured, it said in a statement early on Monday.

Air China restarted direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang on Monday after a six-year hiatus, another sign isolated North Korea is gradually opening up following the resumption of train services between the capitals.

Pakistan said on Sunday it was preparing to host "meaningful talks" to end the conflict over Iran in coming days even though Tehran said it is ready to respond if the United States moves in with soldiers on the ground.

A Russian tanker full of crude oil has entered Cuban waters and was expected to reach port on Monday, possibly granting a lifeline to Cuba as US President Donald Trump appeared to relax a de facto oil blockade on the Caribbean island.

Pope Leo said on Sunday that God rejects the prayers of leaders who start wars and have "hands full of blood", in unusually forceful remarks as the Iran war entered its second month.

Organizers said "at least 8 million people gathered today at more than 3,300 events across all 50 states," from big cities and small towns. US authorities provided no national crowd estimate.

Two sailboats carrying humanitarian aid to crisis-hit Cuba reached Havana on Saturday after disappearing during a longer-than-expected journey from Mexico that triggered a search-and-rescue operation.

The Ford, America's newest and the world's largest carrier, was operating in the Red Sea in support of Operation Epic Fury when a non-combat fire broke out in its main laundry room on March 12, injuring three sailors.

US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran's retaliatory response in the Gulf have sent global oil prices soaring, with Iran maintaining a hold on the vital waterway.

The Philippines and China have resumed high-level talks this week over the disputed South China Sea, exploring preliminary steps toward oil and gas cooperation while addressing energy and fertilizer supply issues amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, the Philippine foreign ministry said.