With the Bihar Assembly elections drawing closer, leaders of the ruling NDA on Tuesday announced that the BJP and JD(U) will contest an equal number of seats, 101 each. Meanwhile, the opposition Mahagathbandhan is still struggling to finalise its own seat-sharing formula. So, with the alliances taking shape and the election process formally beginning, what are the biggest issues on the minds of the people of Bihar?

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Hamas on Monday handed over all surviving Israeli hostages, a major step toward ending two years of devastating war in Gaza. Israel, on its part, freed two thousand Palestinian detainees and convicted prisoners. These exchanges mark the first phase of the ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump. The next phase calls for an international “Board of Peace”. But major challenges remain: who will govern Gaza, what happens to Hamas, and will Israel withdraw completely? For now, though, the world watches with cautious optimism as the first hostages finally return home.

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Hello, this is your daily dose of news from Onmanorama. Tune in to get updated about the major news stories of the day.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello, this is your daily dose of news from Onmanorama. Tune in to get updated about the major news stories of the day.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello, this is your daily dose of news from Onmanorama. Tune in to get updated about the major news stories of the day.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello, this is your daily dose of news from Onmanorama. Tune in to get updated about the major news stories of the day.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello, this is your daily dose of news from Onmanorama. Tune in to get updated about the major news stories of the day.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.