A U.S. man who had been detained in Afghanistan by the ruling Taliban group for over two years has been released, the U.S. State Department confirmed Thursday.

A spokesperson for the State Department expressed optimism that the end of the war in Ukraine could be imminent, saying on Thursday that Ukraine and Russia are “just a breath away from a full ceasefire” after three years of conflict.

Following the most intense Israeli airstrikes in Gaza since the ceasefire ended, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel’s military operations, labeling it “a terror state that feeds on blood.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a two-month ultimatum to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, demanding a decision on whether to engage in talks with the U.S. to curb its nuclear ambitions or face unspecified consequences.

US Central Command confirmed ongoing operations against Iran-backed Houthi terrorists, targeting multiple Houthi strongholds locations in Yemen, as Trump warns that the terrorist organization will be “completely annihilated.”

Protesters clashed with police in Hungary’s capital, Budapest, and several were detained late Tuesday after Hungary’s rightwing government coalition introduced a law that will ban a yearly Pride march in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees with the United States that Iran should not get weapons that could destroy Israel, despite Moscow’s military cooperation with Tehran, the White House suggested Tuesday.

Moscow and Washington confirmed late Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to a limited ceasefire against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as part of efforts to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump says he plans to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday and discuss ending the war in Ukraine, which is believed to have killed and injured some 1 million people.

The United States faces a setback in attempts to build new relations with Russia after Moscow and Beijing called for an end to the “unlawful sanctions” imposed on Iran.