Israelis and Palestinians rejoice after more hostages and prisoners are freed

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Eight more hostages were freed from the Gaza Strip by Hamas-led militants on Thursday in a sometimes chaotic process that briefly delayed Israel's release of 110 Palestinian prisoners and underscored the fragility of the ceasefire that began earlier this month. ...

Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Congo say they plan to take their fight to the capital

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Rwanda-backed rebels who captured eastern Congo's largest city said Thursday they want to take their fight to the far-off capital, Kinshasa, hours after Congo’s president called for a massive military mobilization to resist the rebellion. The M23 rebels also...

France hands over last military base in Chad

N’DJAMENA, Chad (AP) — France handed over its last military base in Chad to local authorities on Thursday, two months after the former French colony in central Africa broke off its defense cooperation agreement with Paris. Chad has been a key counterterrorism force in the region...

Who are the hostages released as part of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire in Gaza?

JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas-led militants released eight hostages on Thursday after more than 15 months in captivity, including an Israeli soldier, bringing to 15 the number of captives freed since the start of a ceasefire in Gaza more than a week ago. Agam Berger, 20, was among five...

Israel's ban on UN's Palestinian aid agency has come into effect. Here's what that looks like

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel on Thursday formally banned the main United Nations aid agency for Palestinian refugees from operating on its territory despite heavy diplomatic backlash, a move that humanitarian officials warn could have a disastrous impact on aid delivery and jeopardize regional...

A Russian drone strikes an apartment building in Ukraine, killing at least 6

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian drone blasted a hole in an apartment building in northeastern Ukraine during a nighttime attack, killing at least six people and wounding nine others, officials said Thursday. The Shahed drone blew out a wall and surrounding windows in the building in...

Philippine president offers a deal to China: Stop sea aggression and I'll return missiles to US

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. offered on Friday to remove a U.S. missile system from the Philippines if China halts what he called its “aggressive and coercive behavior” in the disputed South China Sea. The U.S. Army installed the Typhon...

Red Cross vehicles arrive at a location in northern Gaza as Hamas is set to free hostages in ceasefire deal

Rwanda-backed rebels take more towns as they expand control after seizing east Congo's largest city

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Rebels backed by Rwanda captured more towns in eastern Congo on Wednesday as they moved beyond the key city of Goma in an apparent attempt to expand their control in the conflict-battered region. The rebels advanced toward the center of South Kivu province after...