An agreement between the Palestinian militant group and West Jerusalem to release captives could reportedly be announced on Tuesday A Qatar-mediated deal to release a number of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas may be announced on Tuesday, several outlets have reported, noting that a temporary ceasefire in Gaza is also expected to be reached.

Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan blame each other for the renewed cross-border skirmishes Border guards from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan once again exchanged fire on Friday morning, following an escalation of tensions earlier in the week.

An economic downturn in the region will take hold by year-end, Mario Draghi has warned The European Union will likely plunge into recession by the end of the year, former Italian prime minister and European Central Bank (ECB) president Mario Draghi has told the Financial Times.