After many months of silence, the plight of former Wagga man Timothy Weeks was abruptly thrust back into the international spotlight this week.
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On Tuesday, Afghan president Ashraf Ghani announced Mr Weeks and his American colleague Kevin King would be released in a prisoner exchange.
In a televised address, Mr Ghani said the government would swap three Taliban fighters held in custody for the two academics, who were kidnapped in 2016.
This deal was surely not arrived at lightly given the obvious reservations the US-backed Afghan government would have in releasing the Taliban members.
However, experts in the long-running conflict considered it a potentially significant step in the delicate stop-start peace talks.
Frustratingly, the exchange has yet to eventuate.
One can only imagine what Mr Weeks has endured since he and Mr King were kidnapped in Kabul in 2016.
Two videos, released months apart in 2017, are the only clues to Mr Weeks' existence while a Taliban hostage.
As unimaginably agonising as it must be for Mr Weeks, his family and friends to come so close to a release only for it to stall, the developments of the past week do provide hope.
As we await the next update, I'm sure all of Wagga will be hoping and praying for Mr Weeks' safe release.
All the best for the week ahead, Ross.
