Hamas will free 3 Israelis and 5 Thais in next hostage release

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and Hamas say the militant group will release three Israelis, including two women and an 80-year-old man, along with five Thai nationals in the next hostage release on Thursday. The Israeli hostages are 29-year-old Arbel Yehoud, 20-year-old Agam Berger and Gadi Moses. The names of the Thai nationals were not disclosed Wednesday. The release would keep up the momentum of the fragile ceasefire that began earlier this month and paused the 15-month war in Gaza. Meanwhile, the U.S. Mideast envoy met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who heads to Washington next week to meet with President Donald Trump.

Rwanda-backed rebels try to expand control after capturing east Congo’s largest city

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Rebels backed by Rwanda captured more towns in eastern Congo on Wednesday, as fighters moved beyond the key city of Goma in an apparent attempt to expand their control in the conflict-battered region. The rebels were advancing toward the center of South Kivu province after capturing several of its towns, including Kalungu, Kanyezire and Mukwinja, according to a local civil society leader and an aid worker in the area who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter publicly. The advance further raised fears of prolonged occupation by the rebels, who have said they plan to set up a new administration in Goma.

Passenger plane catches fire at South Korean airport

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A passenger plane has caught fire before takeoff at an airport in South Korea, but all 176 people on board have been safely evacuated. The Transport Ministry says that the Airbus plane operated by South Korean airline Air Busan was preparing to leave for Hong Kong on Tuesday night when its rear parts caught fire at Gimhae International Airport in the southeast. It says that the plane’s 169 passengers, six crewmembers and one engineer were evacuated using an escape slide. The National Fire Agency says that three people suffered minor injuries, likely bruises, during the evacuation.

Australian police link stash of explosives and list of Jewish targets to an antisemitic plot

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian police believe explosives found on Sydney’s outskirts were evidence of a deadly escalation in a campaign of antisemitic arson and graffiti crimes that has been waged in major cities for months. Police found a list of Jewish targets together with a cache of Powergel, an explosive used in the mining industry, in a trailer in the outer suburb of Dural on Jan. 19, New South Wales state Deputy Police Commissioner David Hudson said on Wednesday. Hudson said there were enough explosives to make a large bomb with a blast zone of 130 feet. He said several suspects had been arrested who were not directly related to the explosives.