Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cast the announcement that the fragile ceasefire in Gaza would advance to its second phase as largely symbolic, raising questions about how its more challenging elements will be carried out.

Speaking late Wednesday with the parents of the last Israeli hostage whose remains are still in Gaza, Netanyahu said the governing committee of Palestinians announced as part of the second phase was merely a "declarative move," rather than the sign of progress described by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

In 2025, Vietnam marked a pivotal moment in its economic trajectory. Amid persistent global uncertainties, the country recorded GDP growth of 8.02%. Vietnam's economic scale also reached a new threshold, with GDP estimated at approximately USD 514 billion and GDP per capita surpassing USD 5,000, officially elevating the country into the upper-middle-income category. Notably, Vietnam led ASEAN in growth momentum, reinforcing Vietnam's rising profile as a resilient and increasingly attractive destination for long-term global capital.

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Build up Nepal manufactures interlocking compressed earth bricks (eco-bricks) that replace coal-fired bricks and cut construction emissions by 75%. Its decentralized, market-driven model empowers local communities—especially marginalized groups—to establish micro-enterprises that produce affordable, climate-resilient housing using locally sourced materials.

To date, the organization has produced over 3.3 million eco-bricks and supported the construction of more than 12,000 resilient homes, creating nearly 2,000 green jobs, housing 58,000 people, and avoiding 110,000 tons of CO₂ emissions in the process. By reducing the cost of housing by up to 40%, the project enables vulnerable families to access safe, sustainable homes while promoting economic independence.

An astronaut in need of doctors' care departed the International Space Station with three crewmates on Wednesday in NASA's first medical evacuation.

The four returning astronauts — from the U.S., Russia and Japan — are aiming for an early Thursday morning splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego with SpaceX. The decision cuts short their mission by over a month.

Coco Gauff and Venus Williams could meet in the second round of the Australian Open, another potential chapter in a tennis tale that started with a 15-year-old on her Grand Slam debut beating a seven-time major winner at Wimbledon.

Gauff thanked Williams for being such an inspiration for her career after that win at the All England Club in 2019, saying "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her."

The United States said that it is moving into the next phase of a Gaza ceasefire plan that involves disarming Hamas, rebuilding the war-ravaged territory and establishing the group of Palestinian experts that will administer daily affairs in Gaza under American supervision.

President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff said in a post on X Wednesday that the deal that the Republican president helped broker was entering its second phase following two years of war between Israel and Hamas, including the establishment of a technocratic government in Gaza.

Sadio Mané again got the better of his former teammate Mohamed Salah by firing Senegal into the final of the Africa Cup of Nations with a 1-0 victory over Egypt on Wednesday.

Salah's wait for an Africa Cup title goes on — Egypt lost the 2021 final on penalties to Senegal, when then-Liverpool teammate Mané and his country claimed their first.

Syria's military said it would open a corridor Thursday for civilians to evacuate an area of Aleppo province that has seen a military buildup following intense clashes between government and Kurdish-led forces in Aleppo city.

The army's announcement late Wednesday — which said civilians would be able to evacuate through the "humanitarian corridor" from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday — appeared to signal plans for an offensive in the towns of Deir Hafer and Maskana and surrounding areas, about 60 kilometers (40 miles) east of Aleppo city.

Human Rights Watch on Thursday criticized the Syrian government for what it says is the lack of accountability on perpetrators of sectarian violence and killings on all sides in clashes between government-backed armed Bedouin clans and Druze militias in a southern province in July that killed hundreds of civilians.

In its report, the rights group said it documented 86 "apparently unlawful killings" of civilians in Sweida province, of which 67 were Druze and 19 were Bedouin.

Russia on Thursday ordered a British diplomat to leave the country over allegations of spying, charges that were dismissed as "baseless" by the U.K.

Russia's Federal Security Service, known by its Russian acronym FSB, alleged the member of embassy staff had worked for British intelligence. It did not provide evidence.