Factoring algorithms after number field sieves

From the first line of Wikipedia's GNFS page:

"the general number field sieve (GNFS) is the most efficient classical algorithm known for factoring integers larger than"

The following factorizations of RSA numbers used none other than the GNFS algorithm:

• February 2020: RSA-250
• December 2019: RSA-240
• February 2020: RSA-232
• August 2018: RSA-230
• May 2016: RSA-220

Conclusion: The top researchers in the field are breaking factorization records using none other than GNFS (usually the CADO-NFS implementation). If there was a faster factorization algorithm for arbitrary semi-primes, surely the groups of Zimmerman and Lenstra would be using it, or at least mentioning it somewhere in their papers. GNFS is still the fastest for arbitrary semi-primes. For specific semi-primes like $p^2$ where $p$ is prime, there's faster algorithms such as doing the square root.

A more interesting question might be: What are some recent developments in the field of factoring numbers on classical computers? I might also be interested if there's anything promising out there that's been developed recently and might have a chance at beating GNFS one day. Also if you look at the above references, the authors will tell you of great achievements in improving implementations of the GNFS algorithm (for example the matrix step used to be harder than the sieving itself, but that was sorted out at around the time of factoring RSA-220).