JERUSALEM/GAZA -- Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement to release the remaining six living hostages held in Gaza included in the first phase of the ongoing ceasefire deal on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Tuesday.

The office said in a statement that the new understanding was achieved following talks in Egypt's capital Cairo. (Gaza Strip-Hamas-Israel)

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WASHINGTON -- The United States and Russia agreed to normalize bilateral ties and begin working on ending the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the State Department said following Tuesday's meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Saudi Arabia.

According to the statement issued, the two sides agreed to "establish a consultation mechanism to address irritants to our bilateral relationship with the objective of taking steps necessary to normalize the operation of our respective diplomatic missions." (US-Russia-Meeting)

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MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin remains ready to hold negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if necessary, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

Russia has been committed to finding a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian conflict from the very beginning, Peskov was quoted by TASS news agency as saying. (Russia-Ukraine-Conflict)

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KINSHASA -- Traffic on Lake Kivu between Bukavu and Goma, two provincial capitals in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), resumed Tuesday after weeks of suspension due to clashes in Goma.

The fighting, which erupted in late January, saw the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels attempt to seize control of Goma on Jan. 26. Local media reported that the armed group captured Bukavu last Sunday, consolidating its hold over both cities. (DRC-M23-Traffic) Enditem

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