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[00:00:08] Hello, this is your Daily Dose of News from Onmanorama. I am your host Deepa Soman and these are the major news stories of Sunday, February 23, 2025. Former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Marlena was chosen as the leader of opposition in the Delhi Assembly at a meeting of AAP MLAs on Sunday. She will be the first woman to hold the post in Delhi. Atishi's name was nominated in a meeting attended by AAP Supremo Arvind Kajriwal and the party's 22 MLAs.
[00:00:37] The first session of the Delhi Assembly will begin on February 24. In the three-day session, the ruling BJP government has said that pending CAG reports against the performance of the previous AAP government will be tabled in the House. Pope Francis, who has been hospitalised for over a week, experienced an asthma-like respiratory crisis of prolonged intensity, which required the administration of high-flow oxygen.
[00:01:02] But the GAN News reported on Sunday, the Pope reportedly had a peaceful ninth night at Rome's Gemili Hospital, where he is being treated for double pneumonia. The condition of the Holy Father continues to be critical. Therefore, the Pope is not out of danger, said the news outlet. US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was trying to get money back for the billions of dollars sent to support Ukraine's war against Russia.
[00:01:28] His comments came as Washington and Kyiv negotiated a mineral resources deal Trump wanted as compensation for the wartime aid his predecessor, Joe Biden, gave Ukraine. It was the latest twist in a whirlwind in the first month since he took office, during which he appended US foreign policy by making diplomatic overtures towards the Kremlin over the heads of Ukraine and Europe.
[00:01:52] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that freeing Palestinian prisoners under the Gaza ceasefire deal will be delayed until Hamas ends its humiliating ceremonies while releasing Israeli hostages. Since the ceasefire came into effect on January 19, Hamas has released 25 Israeli hostages in allegedly rehearsed handovers, with massed militants parading the captives on stage and forcing them to wave at gassins gathered to watch.
[00:02:20] In their seven-scheduled prisoner hostage swap, Hamas released six Israeli captives on Saturday, while Israel delayed releasing Palestinian prisoners. The Palestinian militant group called the move a blatant violation of the truce deal. Fort-time Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has once again sparked debate within his party, asserting that the Congress in Kerala suffers from a leadership vacuum. Citing independent opinion polls, he said he is at the top of leadership stakes in the state.
[00:02:50] Tharoor stated that if the party wishes to leverage his leadership, he is willing, but if not, he has other commitments. Speaking on a podcast for an English daily, Tharoor's comments came amid the ongoing political storm over his praise for the LDF government's economic management in Kerala. Addressing speculations about his political future, he remarked that while the party might assume he has no alternatives, he has his books, global speaking engagements and other responsibilities.
[00:03:19] That brings us to the end of this episode. Thanks for listening to Daily News Dose, hosted by me, Deepa Soman and produced by Kannan V. Follow on Manuruma.com for detailed updates of the latest news and be sure to come back tomorrow.