The head of Israel's military intelligence has resigned over his role in failing to stop the Hamas attacks on October the seventh. Aharon Haliva is the highest-ranking official to step down over the assault, in which about twelve hundred people were killed and more than two hundred others abducted. He said his department had not lived up to the task it was entrusted with. Also in the programme: we look at the impact of Hindu nationalism with our Newshour's correspondent Jamie Coomarasamy reporting from the city of Mathura, in Uttar Pradesh; and we hear why senior officials in Milan want to ban afterhours ice-cream. (Photo: Maj Gen Aharon Haliva (L), Gaza in December 2024 Credit: IDF)

In a bonus episode from Delhi, James Coomarasamy explores identity and politics in India as the country conducts the world’s biggest election. He’s joined by journalists Divya Arya and Rajesh Joshi.

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa is seeking support for tough measures to tackle gang violence, including plans for armed forces to work alongside police. We hear from Quito on the day of the vote, and ask how one of the safest countries in South America ended up with the region's highest recorded murder rate. Also in the programme: the ultra-orthodox battalion of the Israeli Defence Forces that may face US sanctions; and new plans in France to revitalise the national cuisine.(Photo: People wait in line to vote in a referendum proposed by Ecuador's government in Quito, Ecuador, Credit: Jose Jacome/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Unseasonably warm temperatures in southern Russia and Kazakhstan have triggered fast-melting snow, causing unprecedented high rivers and flooding close to major cities. We speak to residents in Kazakhstan's badly affected areas. Also in the programme: Arizona Supreme Court reinstates near-total abortion ban from 1864; and we hear about the contentious reform adopted by the EU parliament to adopt stricter migration rules and shared responsibility. (Photo: KAZAKHSTAN EMERGENCIES MINISTRY HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The Israeli military has recovered the body of a hostage in Gaza. It accused the Islamic Jihad group of murdering Elad Katzir, who was snatched from a kibbutz in southern Israel during the Hamas attacks in October. His sister blamed the Israeli government for his death, saying it had failed to strike a second ceasefire deal to allow his release. There have also been protests in Israel demanding the release of all the remaining hostages in Gaza. It’s six months since the beginning of the war in Gaza – we speak to our chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet in Jerusalem. Also on the programme: Ecuador sparks international outrage by storming the Mexican Embassy in Quito; and why boxing icon Muhammed Ali's shorts might sell at auction for six million dollars.Picture: People attend protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, calling for the release of the hostages in Gaza. Credit: Hannah McKay/Reteurs)

Aid organisations have stressed the need for an independent investigation into the deadly Israeli drone strike on an aid convoy after the IDF published its first account of the event.Also in the programme: The BBC's analysis of Israel's evacuation warnings in Gaza; we remember the Nirvana singer, Kurt Cobain, thirty years after his death; and will a new currency stabilise Zimbabwe's economy?(Photo: Clothes of members of the NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK) inside their destroyed car in southern Gaza Strip. Credit: EPA).