Authorities in the Philippines have reached out to parties who may be able to talk with Muslim militants in a bid to secure the freedom of hostages in a southern city where a week of fighting has killed 129 people, officials said.

Nigerian kidnappers have demanded a ransom of 60 million naira (£151,000) for a German archaeologist and his associate who were abducted this week from a remote northern village.

The Taliban has released a video showing an American and an Australian who were kidnapped in August.

Islamic State fighters holding civilians hostage were allowed to leave the northern Syrian city of Manbij in a large convoy after US-backed forces seized the town.

The multinational forces fighting Boko Haram have arrested five leaders of the extremist group and freed dozens of women and children held captive, Cameroon's government said.

Troops have freed 900 hostages held by Nigeria’s Boko Haram extremists, killed more than 100 fighters and arrested 100 others, Cameroon’s government said.

Latest:A hostage situation in northern France has ended.

Helmet-cam footage has been released, appearing to show American and Kurdish forces rescuing dozens of hostages from an Islamic State prison in Iraq.

President Barack Obama is clearing the way for families of US hostages to pay ransom to terror groups without fear of prosecution.

Sydney gunman Man Monis was a self-obsessed fantasist who grew increasingly defiant as he edged closer to launching his deadly attack, an inquest has heard.

Two hostages held by al Qaida and two Americans working with the militant group were killed in US counter-terrorism operations earlier this year, the White House has said.

Militants affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group have posted an online warning that the “countdown has begun” for the group to kill a pair of Japanese hostages.