All four people who were held hostage at a synagogue in the US state of Texas have been safely released, more than 10 hours after a gunman disrupted a religious service and began a tense standoff with police.

The United States has approved the release of five more prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay military facility, although this does not mean they will be leaving the controversial prison anytime soon.

More than 160 people were killed and 5,000 arrested in Kazakhstan after the riots that shook Central Asia’s largest country over the past week.

The former head of Kazakhstan’s domestic intelligence agency has been detained on suspicion of high treason after he was fired amid violent protests.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that insulting Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) does not count as an expression of artistic freedom but is a “violation of religious freedom”, according to state news agency TASS.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated a new coronavirus strain detected in South Africa as a “variant of concern”, prompting countries around the world to impose travel restrictions amid fears over its potential spread.

Russia emphasized the importance of an inclusive government and humanitarian aid for Afghanistan in talks with Taliban officials Wednesday.

Delegates from the Taliban and the United States have held “candid and professional” talks in the Qatari capital,

Canadians returned Liberal Prime Minister Just…

The United States said on Monday it had completed the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan following a chaotic airlift nearly 20 years after it had invaded the country in the wake of the Sept 11, 2001, attacks.