Ryan Corbett and William McKenty were freed in exchange for an Afghan Taliban member who had been serving a life sentence in California.

In the very last hours of President Joe Biden’s time in office, a prisoner exchange years in the making was finally struck: the Taliban agreed to swap two Americans being held in Afghanistan for one Taliban member serving a life sentence in a US prison.

President Joe Biden, center, with Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and Sec. of State Anthony Blinken, right, speaks at the White House on the announcement of a ceasefire deal in Gaza after more than 15 months of war, Jan. 15, 2025, in Washington. Credit: AP/Evan Vucci

Biden was the first president in 20 years to tell the American people the truth about the war. Even Trump, who signed the Doha Agreement, repeatedly blamed Biden for the withdrawal and downplayed his role in the deal that precipitated it.

A prisoner swap between the United States and Afghanistan’s Taliban freed two Americans in exchange for a Taliban figure imprisoned for life in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges

President Joe Biden spoke on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as U.S. officials race to reach a Gaza hostage and cease-fire deal.

A deal would cap over a year of stop-start talks, and include hostage releases and phased withdrawals Negotiators will meet in Doha on Tuesday seeking to finalise details of a plan to end the war in Gaza after US President Joe Biden said a ceasefire and hostage release deal he has championed was on "the brink" of coming to fruition.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken with US President Joe Biden about the progress in negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal.

Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs said on Wednesday that undersea cables to the Matsu Islands, which lie close to the coast of China, were disconnected due to "natural deterioration" and back-up communications were activated.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel spoke Sunday, their two offices said, as the White House pushes to secure a cease-fire deal prior to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump both took credit for a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal facilitated by Trump's envoy. The deal echoes Biden's earlier proposal and aims for Palestinian statehood alongside Israel.