Kazakhstan pulls out of hosting Syria talks, surprising Russia.

Kazakhstan has announced that it will no longer host talks aimed at resolving the Syrian conflict, which have been held in the capital, Astana, since 2017. The decision came as a surprise to Russia and other participants at the 20th round of talks. Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry said that the talks have fulfilled their mission, and the initial goals have been fully implemented. No decision has been made regarding the venue for future talks, but they could be held in Moscow, Ankara, Tehran, or even Damascus in the second half of the year.