Paris hostages freed, gunman arrested

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Afghanistan as a "state sponsor of wrongful detention" in a release on Monday. He urged the Taliban to release Americans "unjustly detained," accusing the group of using "terrorist tactics" and "hostage diplomacy" to seek policy concessions from the US.

The embassy said that the form is only for those who are stranded in Qatar as tourists or Hayya A1 visa holders.

Major Gulf carriers, including Emirates and Etihad, have resumed limited flight operations as of Saturday, following regional airspace closures. Services are gradually restoring, with some restricted to "relief corridors" for stranded passengers.

"Malaysia Airlines confirms that all services to London and Paris continue to operate as scheduled. To ensure the highest safety standards, our flights are utilising alternative routes to avoid affected regions. While this may result in slightly longer flight times, the safety of our passengers and crew remains our absolute priority," the airline said.

Former British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson was arrested by the British Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office, following developments linked to his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein