WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Truth Social on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first phase of his peace plan.

"This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed-upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace," Trump wrote. (US-Trump-Gaza Peace)

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STOCKHOLM -- Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi were awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday for developing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced.

"The Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry 2025 have created molecular constructions with large spaces through which gases and other chemicals can flow," the academy said in a statement. (Sweden-Nobel-Chemistry)

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JERUSALEM -- An international aid flotilla on its way to Gaza was intercepted by the Israeli navy in the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

This marked the second recent attempt by a civilian aid flotilla to break the naval blockade of Gaza, following Israel's interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) last week. That mission involved over 470 volunteers from more than 40 countries. (Israel-Aid Flotilla-Interception)

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PARIS -- Outgoing French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Wednesday night that President Emmanuel Macron is expected to appoint a new prime minister within the next 48 hours.

"I feel that a path forward is possible," Lecornu told TV channel France 2, adding that the current situation allows the president to proceed with the appointment. (France-Lecornu-New PM) Enditem