An Israeli group campaigning for the return of all hostages held in Gaza on Thursday demanded that the government delay implementing the next stages of the truce if Hamas fails to return the remaining captives' bodies.

In a statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged the Israeli government to "immediately halt the implementation of any further stages of the agreement as long as Hamas continues to blatantly violate its obligations regarding the return of all hostages and the remains of the victims".

Talks scheduled on Friday between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. leader Donald Trump will focus on the possible delivery of American long-range Tomahawk missiles for Kyiv, a senior Ukrainian official has told AFP.

"The main topic of discussion is Tomahawks. Of course, there is also the issue of Patriots," the source said, referring to U.S. air defense batteries, adding that the Ukrainian leader would arrive in Washington on Thursday ahead of the talks.

A Norwegian court has sentenced a former security guard for the U.S. embassy in Oslo to three years and seven months in prison for spying for Russia and Iran, according to the ruling released Thursday.

The 28-year-old man was convicted of providing floor plans and information about activities at the US embassy between March and November 2024, in exchange for payments of 10,000 euros ($11,700) from Russian intelligence and 0.17 bitcoin from Iranian intelligence.

Beijing said on Thursday the United States's latest moves to expand export controls and levy new port fees on Chinese ships have been "profoundly detrimental" to trade talks between the two superpowers.

Commerce ministry spokeswoman He Yongqian said the U.S. moved ahead with the measures while "disregarding China's sincerity in consultations", causing "severe damage to China's interests... (and) a profoundly detrimental impact".

A drone attack hit the prosecutor's office in the Mexican city of Tijuana on the U.S. border, authorities said on Wednesday, without identifying the suspected assailants.

Baja California state prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade told reporters that the attack with three explosive-laden drones caused some damage but resulted in no casualties.

Pope Leo XIV will carry a message of peace to Lebanon and the Christians of the Middle East when he visits next month, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi told AFP on Wednesday.

The Vatican said last week that Pope Leo will travel to Turkey and Lebanon in a six-day trip beginning late November, his first since becoming head of the Catholic Church.

Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa will ask Russia to hand over former ruler Bashar al-Assad during his first visit to Moscow on Wednesday, a government official said.

Senior Ukrainian officials visiting the United States said Wednesday that they met with representatives of U.S. weapon manufacturers, including Raytheon, which produces Tomahawk missiles that Washington could provide to Kyiv.

Israel was expected to allow Gaza's sole border crossing to the outside world to reopen Wednesday to allow aid into the devastated territory as part of a U.S.-backed ceasefire deal.

Israeli public broadcaster KAN said the reopening was imminent despite questions over Hamas's ongoing transfer of the remains of deceased hostages, under a swap deal spearheaded by U.S. President Donald Trump after two years of war.

The bodies of 45 Palestinians that had been in Israeli custody were handed over to a Gaza hospital Tuesday, the Nasser Medical Centre said.

Under a ceasefire deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, Israel was to turn over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli returned.