The declassified materials are believed to point at links between the COVID outbreak and a Chinese laboratory. Biden vowed not to disclose information deemed harmful to national security.

Jeff Woodke, an American aid worker who was held hostage by militants in Niger for more than six years, has been released, along with French journalist Olivier Dubois, who was kidnapped by militants in 2021 in neighboring Mali. Woodke and Dubois appeared together before reporters in Niger's capital Niamey on Monday.

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach wants to help those who suffer from serious side-effects of the COVID-19 vaccines. For those affected, this is a long overdue step.

Myanmar's largest city has been cut off from the world for almost four years. DW spoke with Yangon residents about what life is like under a military regime.

The country has been witnessing a gradual increase in coronavirus infections in recent days. A new variant could be driving the rise but there's no need to panic, experts say.

A recent report points to raccoon dogs as possible transmitters at the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic. DNA samples collected at the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market in China show that several raccoon dogs were present in areas where the SARS-CoV-2 virus was found. FRANCE 24's Science Editor Shirli Sitbon looks at what the data may have revealed and why it has disappeared from data-sharing site GISAID.

Bangladesh's elite counter-terrorism force is committing extrajudicial killings, DW and Netra News reveal in a new investigation. High-ranking officials are approving the executions, according to insiders.

It's now been 20 years since Recep Tayyip Erdogan rose to power in Turkey. Either way you look at it, he has undeniably transformed the country. For his supporters, he has turned Turkey into a regional powerhouse and rolled back secularism often associated with the West. But for critics, he has put the country on a more Islamist, even authoritarian path.

The Songkran Festival has come as "a national relief" as Thailand celebrates a return to normality after three years of COVID-19. Revelers enjoyed water fights and other festivities throughout the country.

China's economy grew faster than expected in the beginning of the year at 4.5 percent, on the back of strong export and infrastructure investment figures. GDP is bouncing back after the country put an end to its so-called "Zero-Covid" policy and as the government has pledged to do more to support business.

Rafael Moreno was a Colombian journalist who regularly exposed corruption and crime in his northern home region of Cordoba. On his Facebook page, Moreno tirelessly denounced embezzlement in public contracts and illegal resource extraction. But he paid the ultimate price for his reporting.

The ECDC said the COVID-19 pandemic had taught "valuable lessons" and stressed that there needs to be better preparation for future health crises.