U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy expressed optimism this week about brokering an agreement to halt the Israel-Hamas war and return more of the hostages captured in the attack that ignited it.

C-O-N-G-R-A-T-U-L-A-T-I-O-N-S, Faizan Zaki! The 13-year-old from Allen, Texas, won the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee Thursday night. Zaki, who has competed in the annual contest four times, came in second last year.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned the killing of Mohammed Sinwar in a speech as the U.S. seeks a temporary ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.