Jerusalem, Jan 25 (AP): Hamas group on Saturday released four female Israeli soldiers they held captive for 15 months in a planned exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees in Israel.

It's the second exchange since a fragile ceasefire took effect last weekend, halting the fighting in Gaza for at least six weeks during which dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed while more aid flows in.

In return for the four soldiers, Israel should free 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees, including 120 Hamas members serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks. The first exchange took place Sunday with the release of three Israeli hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners.

Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. The ministry doesn't distinguish between combatants and civilians. The war was sparked by Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



New Delhi (PTI): The air quality in the national capital was recorded in the "very poor" category on Sunday morning, with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 386, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Data from the CPCB's Sameer app revealed that 16 monitoring stations in the city reported air quality in the "severe" category, while the remaining stations recorded "very poor" levels.

As per CPCB standards, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 to 100 "satisfactory", 101 to 200 "moderate", 201 to 300 "poor", 301 to 400 "very poor", and 401 to 500 "severe".

The minimum temperature settled at 9.4 degrees Celsius, which is 1.3 degrees above the season's average, while the humidity was recorded at 91 per cent at 8:30 am, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 17 degrees Celsius, with the IMD forecasting a yellow alert for the city due to moderate fog.