Hamas on Monday handed over all 20 surviving hostages to Israel in a major step towards ending two years of devastating war in Gaza. As part of the agreement, Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank were awaiting the release of nearly 2,000 people from Israeli jails.
Furthermore, US President Donald Trump arrived to a hero’s welcome in Israel. Trump spoke at Israel’s Knesset calling the release of hostages “a great day”. Trump is scheduled to fly to Egypt from Israel for a summit aimed at building conditions for a lasting peace in Gaza.
JD(U), BJP on equal footing in Bihar, Chirag Paswan gains big
Shifting focus, with the Bihar Assembly elections less than a month away, the ruling NDA on Sunday released its seat-sharing formula.
For the first time in 20 years, JD(U) and BJP will contest an equal number of seats. Of Bihar’s 243 assembly seats, JD(U) and BJP will contest 101 seats each.
Importantly, the incumbent Nitish Kumar is once again the undisputed choice for Chief Minister.
In a big surprise, Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vikas) will contest an impressive 29 seats.
However, in a major setback for the Mahagathbandhan - a Delhi court framed charges against RJD’s Lalu Prasad Yadav, his son Tejashwi and wife Rabri Devi in the IRCTC scam case. Lalu and his family have pleaded not guilty and said they would face the court trial.
Durgapur gangrape: Mamata faces backlash over remarks on women’s safety
In other news - West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks over the alleged gang rape of a medical student at Durgapur has triggered a major controversy.
She declared that girl children should not be allowed to come outside at night as “they have to protect themselves”. Adding that private colleges should also take responsibility for the security of students.
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