Trump says Israel, Hamas have both signed off on "first phase" of Peace Plan

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.

Trio win Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing metal-organic frameworks

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.

It added that these constructions, metal-organic frameworks, can be used to harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gases or catalyse chemical reactions.

Tariff deal remains elusive after Trump's meeting with Canadian PM

A meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday ended without a concrete agreement to end the punitive U.S. tariffs, local media reported.

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc described the talks as "successful, positive and substantive," but gave no details on why a deal has not been reached.

According to the reports, LeBlanc will remain in Washington to continue negotiations after the prime minister's departure, with discussions focusing on the steel, aluminum and energy sectors.

Israel intercepts 2nd int'l aid flotilla heading to Gaza

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's state-owned Kan TV News reported that on Wednesday morning, the navy seized eight small yachts and a 68-meter cruise ship carrying around 100 activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) within 40 minutes.

According to the statement and the channel, the vessels and the activists were transferred to the Port of Ashdod in southern Israel.

New French PM expected to be appointed within next 48 hours: Lecornu

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.

"It's up to him to conduct the final consultations," Lecornu said.

Iranian FM rejects media reports of contact with U.S. envoy for resuming nuclear talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday denied reports that he had been in contact with U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff on various issues, including the resumption of nuclear negotiations.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting in Tehran, Araghchi responded to a report by the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida daily, which claimed that he had engaged with Witkoff regarding the possible resumption of nuclear negotiations and that Witkoff had sought Iran's support for U.S. President Donald Trump's ceasefire proposal in Gaza, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Araghchi said, "I have not had any contact with Witkoff. The Kuwaiti newspaper's speculation is incorrect, and I deny it. There has been no contact."