On the day three children were killed in a knife assault in Southport, Lucy Connolly, 41, was sentenced to 31 months in prison for urging "mass deportation now" in a social media post to her 10,000 followers on X.

Lucy Connolly Sentenced For 31 Months

UK’s home secretary Suella Braverman stepped down on Wednesday just six weeks after being appointed to the post, putting the Liz Truss government in further turmoil.&nbsp;

According to reports, Braverman offered to resign after admitting to accidentally leaking national security details.&nbsp;

She is the second Cabinet minister to leave the Liz Truss government after finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng quit over the mini-budget fiasco last week.

Soon after&nbsp;Braverman's resignation, Prime Minister Liz Truss's office named&nbsp;Grant Shapps, the former transport secretary and one of Truss’s most prominent critics, as the next home secretary.

Truss's office said former transport minister Shapps had been appointed interior minister, replacing Suella Braverman who resigned earlier on Wednesday.&nbsp; 
 
Shapps told the Telegraph, "It's a great honour to be appointed as Home Secretary today. I'm looking forward to getting stuck into the role, providing the sort of security the British people need, regardless of what else is happening in Westminster. The Home Office is at the heart of that in so many ways, it's a great office of state, I'm obviously honoured to do that role."&nbsp;

Earlier, Braverman took to Twitter to explain the reason behind her resignation.

“Earlier today, I sent an official document from my personal email to a trusted parliamentary colleague as part of policy engagement, and with the aim of garnering support for government policy on migration.”

“This constitutes a technical infringement of the rules. As you know, the document was a draft Written Ministerial Statement about migration, due for publication imminently. Much of it had already been briefed to MPs. Nevertheless, it is right for me to go.”

“As soon as I realised my mistake, I rapidly reported this on official channels, and informed the Cabinet Secretary. As Home Secretary, I hold myself to the highest standards and my resignation is the right thing to do. The business of government relies upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes.”

“Pretending we haven't made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can't see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics. I have made a mistake; I accept responsibility; I resign.”&nbsp;

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My letter to the Prime Minister. <a href="https://t.co/TaWO1PMOF2">pic.twitter.com/TaWO1PMOF2</a>
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Suella's&nbsp;statement on taking responsibility for her mistakes comes at a time when Truss is facing criticism for her economic decisions that left the markets in panic and has shrugged off hints to demit office.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/liz-truss-says-i-am-not-a-quitter-as-calls-for-her-resignation-grow-in-uk-526823" hreflang="en">Liz Truss says 'I am not a quitter' as calls for her resignation grow in UK</a> 
 
Braverman’s departure would likely threaten the stability of the Conservative government, which has been striving to put up a brave face following mini-budget U-turns and economic turmoil.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-inflation-accelerates-to-40-year-high-amid-rising-food-prices-526733">UK inflation accelerates to 40-year high amid rising food prices</a>

Last week, Braverman, the Indian-origin former minister, stoked a controversy when she said that a trade deal with India would increase migration to the UK when Indians already represented the largest group of visa overstayers.

“I have concerns about having an open borders migration policy with India because I don’t think that’s what people voted for with Brexit,” Braverman had told The Spectator weekly news magazine.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: 

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UK’s home secretary Suella Braverman stepped down on Wednesday just six weeks after being appointed to the post, putting the Liz Truss government in further turmoil.

UK’s home secretary Suella Braverman stepped down on Wednesday just six weeks after being appointed to the post, putting the Liz Truss government in further turmoil. According to reports, Braverman offered to resign after admitting to accidentally leaking national security details. She is the second Cabinet minister to leave the Liz Truss government after finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng quit over the mini-budget fiasco last week. Soon after Braverman's resignation, Prime Minister Liz Truss's office named Grant Shapps, the former transport secretary and one of Truss’s most prominent critics, as the next home secretary. Truss's office said former transport minister Shapps had been appointed interior minister, replacing Suella Braverman who resigned earlier on Wednesday. Shapps told the Telegraph, "It's a great honour to be appointed as Home Secretary today. I'm looking forward to getting stuck into the role, providing the sort of security the British people need, regardless of what else is happening in Westminster. The Home Office is at the heart of that in so many ways, it's a great office of state, I'm obviously honoured to do that role." Earlier, Braverman took to Twitter to explain the reason behind her resignation. “Earlier today, I sent an official document from my personal email to a trusted parliamentary colleague as part of policy engagement, and with the aim of garnering support for government policy on migration.” “This constitutes a technical infringement of the rules. As you know, the document was a draft Written Ministerial Statement about migration, due for publication imminently. Much of it had already been briefed to MPs. Nevertheless, it is right for me to go.” “As soon as I realised my mistake, I rapidly reported this on official channels, and informed the Cabinet Secretary. As Home Secretary, I hold myself to the highest standards and my resignation is the right thing to do. The business of government relies upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes.” “Pretending we haven't made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can't see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics. I have made a mistake; I accept responsibility; I resign.” My letter to the Prime Minister. pic.twitter.com/TaWO1PMOF2 — Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) October 19, 2022 × Suella's statement on taking responsibility for her mistakes comes at a time when Truss is facing criticism for her economic decisions that left the markets in panic and has shrugged off hints to demit office. Also read | Liz Truss says 'I am not a quitter' as calls for her resignation grow in UK Braverman’s departure would likely threaten the stability of the Conservative government, which has been striving to put up a brave face following mini-budget U-turns and economic turmoil. Also read | UK inflation accelerates to 40-year high amid rising food prices Last week, Braverman, the Indian-origin former minister, stoked a controversy when she said that a trade deal with India would increase migration to the UK when Indians already represented the largest group of visa overstayers. “I have concerns about having an open borders migration policy with India because I don’t think that’s what people voted for with Brexit,” Braverman had told The Spectator weekly news magazine. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

UK’s home secretary Suella Braverman steps down, Grant Shapps replaces her

After joining hands with Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, on Friday, reconstituted his cabinet.&nbsp;

Ten Janata Samajwadi Party leaders have been included in the Oli-led cabinet and among which two have been appointed as the state ministers.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-rejects-uk-tabloids-report-claiming-emergence-of-covid-19-nepal-variant-389337" hreflang="en">Nepal rejects UK tabloid's report claiming emergence of COVID-19 'Nepal variant'</a>

President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of offices and secrecy to the new cabinet as the ministers at Shital Niwas, the office of the President.

Special Economic Advisor to PM Moti Lal Dugar told WION that there are currently seven portfolios under Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli which includes Defence Ministry and Home Ministry.&nbsp;

He said the portfolios under the PM will be assigned to other leaders in the coming days.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/covid-19-800000-doses-of-chinese-vaccine-arrive-in-nepal-388808" hreflang="en">COVID-19: 800,000 doses of Chinese vaccine arrive in Nepal</a>

PM Oil appointed UML leader Bishnu Poudel as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Raghubir Mahaseth as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and JSP leader Rajendra Mahato as Deputy Prime Minister and Urban Development Minister.

In the previous government, UML general secretary Ishwor Pokharel was the only deputy prime minister.

Sher Bahadur Tamang has replaced Hridayesh Tripathi as the new Health Minister.&nbsp;

JSP leader Sarad Singh Bhandari has been appointed as the new Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister. Earlier, the ministry was led by CPN-Maoist leader Top Bahadur Rayamajhi.&nbsp;

Anil Kumar Jha has been given charge of Ministry of Water Supply, Laxman Lal Karna has been given charge of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Ministry, Bimal Prasad Shrivastav is in charge of Labour, Employment and Social Security Ministry and Uma Shankar Aragaria has been appointed as Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister.

Similarly, Chanda Chaudhary has become the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen and Ekwal Mia has become the Minister for Youth and Sports.

Chandrakant Chaudhary will be the Minister of State for Energy and Renuka Gurung Women and Children.

Earlier, when the Prime Minister tried to get a vote of confidence, 12 out of 32 JSP MPs voted against him.

The Upendra Yadav faction has said that Mahanta Thakur, Rajendra Mahato, Laxman Lal Karna and Sarvendranath Shukla have been expelled from the party while the Mahanta Thakur faction has also expelled Upendra Yadav from the party.

After joining hands with Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, on Friday, reconstituted his cabinet. Ten Janata Samajwadi Party leaders have been included in the Oli-led cabinet and among which two have been appointed as the state ministers.

After joining hands with Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, on Friday, reconstituted his cabinet. Ten Janata Samajwadi Party leaders have been included in the Oli-led cabinet and among which two have been appointed as the state ministers. Also read | Nepal rejects UK tabloid's report claiming emergence of COVID-19 'Nepal variant' President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of offices and secrecy to the new cabinet as the ministers at Shital Niwas, the office of the President. Special Economic Advisor to PM Moti Lal Dugar told WION that there are currently seven portfolios under Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli which includes Defence Ministry and Home Ministry. He said the portfolios under the PM will be assigned to other leaders in the coming days. Also read | COVID-19: 800,000 doses of Chinese vaccine arrive in Nepal PM Oil appointed UML leader Bishnu Poudel as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Raghubir Mahaseth as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and JSP leader Rajendra Mahato as Deputy Prime Minister and Urban Development Minister. In the previous government, UML general secretary Ishwor Pokharel was the only deputy prime minister. Sher Bahadur Tamang has replaced Hridayesh Tripathi as the new Health Minister. JSP leader Sarad Singh Bhandari has been appointed as the new Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister. Earlier, the ministry was led by CPN-Maoist leader Top Bahadur Rayamajhi. Anil Kumar Jha has been given charge of Ministry of Water Supply, Laxman Lal Karna has been given charge of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Ministry, Bimal Prasad Shrivastav is in charge of Labour, Employment and Social Security Ministry and Uma Shankar Aragaria has been appointed as Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister. Similarly, Chanda Chaudhary has become the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen and Ekwal Mia has become the Minister for Youth and Sports. Chandrakant Chaudhary will be the Minister of State for Energy and Renuka Gurung Women and Children. Earlier, when the Prime Minister tried to get a vote of confidence, 12 out of 32 JSP MPs voted against him. The Upendra Yadav faction has said that Mahanta Thakur, Rajendra Mahato, Laxman Lal Karna and Sarvendranath Shukla have been expelled from the party while the Mahanta Thakur faction has also expelled Upendra Yadav from the party.

Nepal PM reorganises cabinet, appoints three deputy Prime Ministers

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday said that a cabinet minister accused of raping a teenage girl in the 1980s “absolutely rejects” the allegations.

"I had a discussion with the Commissioner last week, about these matters, and I also had a discussion with the secretary of the department of prime minister and cabinet, and the deputy secretary, about these issues and I had a discussion with the individual, as I said, who absolutely rejects these allegations. And so after having spoken to the commissioner and to the secretary and deputy secretary of my department at this stage, there are no matters that require my immediate attention," said Australian PM.&nbsp;

Morrison stood by an unnamed Cabinet minister against calls for him to step down from office over an allegation that he raped a 16-year-old girl more than 30 years ago.

The allegation has created a cloud hanging over the 16 men in Morrison's 22-minister Cabinet and feeds complaints of a culture within Parliament that is toxic for women.

The allegation was contained in an anonymous letter sent to the prime minister's office and to three female lawmakers last week.

"It is the police, in a country where you're governed by the rule of law, that determine the veracity of any allegations of this nature. It is the police. In my office, I do not have the people or others who are trained or competent or authorized to investigate matters of this nature. The police are the ones who do that and the police have had this matter referred to them. The individual involved here has vigorously rejected these allegations and so, it's a matter for the police. And in my discussions with the commissioner, there was nothing immediate that he considered that was necessary for me to take any action on. Now, these are very distressing issues that have been raised, as there are other issues that have been raised in relation to other members in other cases. But the proper place for that to be dealt is by the authorities, which are the police. That's how our country operates and that system protects all Australians," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday said that a cabinet minister accused of raping a teenage girl in the 1980s “absolutely rejects” the allegations.

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday said that a cabinet minister accused of raping a teenage girl in the 1980s “absolutely rejects” the allegations. "I had a discussion with the Commissioner last week, about these matters, and I also had a discussion with the secretary of the department of prime minister and cabinet, and the deputy secretary, about these issues and I had a discussion with the individual, as I said, who absolutely rejects these allegations. And so after having spoken to the commissioner and to the secretary and deputy secretary of my department at this stage, there are no matters that require my immediate attention," said Australian PM. Morrison stood by an unnamed Cabinet minister against calls for him to step down from office over an allegation that he raped a 16-year-old girl more than 30 years ago. The allegation has created a cloud hanging over the 16 men in Morrison's 22-minister Cabinet and feeds complaints of a culture within Parliament that is toxic for women. The allegation was contained in an anonymous letter sent to the prime minister's office and to three female lawmakers last week. "It is the police, in a country where you're governed by the rule of law, that determine the veracity of any allegations of this nature. It is the police. In my office, I do not have the people or others who are trained or competent or authorized to investigate matters of this nature. The police are the ones who do that and the police have had this matter referred to them. The individual involved here has vigorously rejected these allegations and so, it's a matter for the police. And in my discussions with the commissioner, there was nothing immediate that he considered that was necessary for me to take any action on. Now, these are very distressing issues that have been raised, as there are other issues that have been raised in relation to other members in other cases. But the proper place for that to be dealt is by the authorities, which are the police. That's how our country operates and that system protects all Australians," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says cabinet minister ‘absolutely rejects’ rape allegation

Smriti Irani Takes oath as Cabinet Minister and she defeated Rahul Gandhi and won from Amethi

Gravitas: Smriti Irani Takes oath as Cabinet Minister

Nityanand Rai and Rattan Lal take oath as minister. To know more watch the video

Nityanand Rai and Rattan Lal take oath as minister

Anurag Thakur and Suresh Angadi take oath as Cabinet minister. To know more watch the video

Anurag Thakur and Suresh Angadi take oath as Cabinet minister

V Muraleedharan and Som Prakash take oath as cabinet minister. To know more watch the video

V Muraleedharan and Som Prakash take oath as minister

Kishan Reddy and Ramdas Athawale take oath as cabinet minister. To know more watch the video

Kishan Reddy and Ramdas Athawale take oath as cabinet minister

Mansukh Lal Mandaviya and Ashwini Choubey take oath as cabinet minister. To know more watch the video

Mansukh Lal Mandaviya and Ashwini Choubey take oath as minister

Arjun Ram Meghwal and V.K Singh take oath as minister. To know more watch the video

Arjun Ram Meghwal and V.K Singh take oath as minister

Babul Supriyo and Sanjeev Balyan take oath as minister. To know more watch the video

Babul Supriyo and Sanjeev Balyan take oath as minister

RK Singh and Hardeep Singh Puri take oath as cabinet minister. To know more watch the video

RK Singh and Hardeep Singh Puri take oath as cabinet minister

Kiren Rijiju takes oath as cabinet minister. To know more watch the video

Kiren Rijiju takes oath as cabinet minister

Dr Jitendra Singh takes oath as cabinet minister. To know more watch the video

Dr Jitendra Singh takes oath as minister

Santosh Gangwar and Rao Inderjit Singh take oath as cabinet minister. To know more watch the video

Santosh Gangwar and Rao Inderjit Singh take oath as minister

Mukhtar Naqvi and Pralhad Joshi take oath as cabinet minister. To know more watch the video

Mukhtar Naqvi and Pralhad Joshi take oath as minister

Arvind Sawant takes oath as cabinet minister. To Know more watch the video

Arvind Sawant takes oath as cabinet minister

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-president-amit-shah-takes-oath-as-cabinet-minister-222849">BJP chief Amit Shah</a> on Thursday took oath as a Cabinet minister in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/live-updates-prime-minister-narendra-modi-swearing-in-ceremony-222770">Narendra Modi government</a>. This is the first time that Shah is entering the government.

Known as an astute strategist whose non-political interests range from playing chess and watching cricket to stage performances and listening to classical music, 55-year-old Shah is often hailed as the BJP's most successful president for crafting its way to power states after states.

The record tally that he delivered for the BJP in the Lok Sabha 2019 elections is already being seen by many as something that would be difficult to repeat.

A man with avowed aim of having the BJP rule from "panchayat to Parliament", Shah has built his party into a formidable army that has been forever marching on since he took charge as its president in July 2014.

Watch: Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah take oath as Union ministers

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Political pundits say Shah has used a skilful mix of ideological firmness, unlimited political imagination and realpolitik flexibility to keep the BJP ahead of the game.

He fought the Lok Sabha election this year for the first time from Gandhinagar seat in Gujarat, and defeated Congress's J Chavda by a record five lakh votes.

Having risen through the ranks since starting at the booth level for the party in Gujarat at the age of 14 years, Shah is a firm believer in the prerequisite of a strong ground-level organisational machinery for poll successes.

For the 2019 elections, he deployed over 7,000 leaders for nearly 500 poll committee across the country, with special focus on 120 seats that the BJP had lost in 2014, and brought in 3,000 "full-timers" across parliamentary seats.

Seen as a Modi confidant, Shah also brought about cohesion between the government and the party, with the party leaders promoting the government's work and the ministers being used for the party work.

BJP chief Amit Shah on Thursday took oath as a Cabinet minister in the Narendra Modi government. This is the first time that Shah is entering the government. Known as an astute strategist whose non-political interests range from playing chess and watching cricket to stage performances and listening to classical music, 55-year-old Shah is often hailed as the BJP's most successful president for crafting its way to power states after states.

BJP chief Amit Shah on Thursday took oath as a Cabinet minister in the Narendra Modi government. This is the first time that Shah is entering the government. Known as an astute strategist whose non-political interests range from playing chess and watching cricket to stage performances and listening to classical music, 55-year-old Shah is often hailed as the BJP's most successful president for crafting its way to power states after states. The record tally that he delivered for the BJP in the Lok Sabha 2019 elections is already being seen by many as something that would be difficult to repeat. A man with avowed aim of having the BJP rule from "panchayat to Parliament", Shah has built his party into a formidable army that has been forever marching on since he took charge as its president in July 2014. Watch: Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah take oath as Union ministers × Political pundits say Shah has used a skilful mix of ideological firmness, unlimited political imagination and realpolitik flexibility to keep the BJP ahead of the game. He fought the Lok Sabha election this year for the first time from Gandhinagar seat in Gujarat, and defeated Congress's J Chavda by a record five lakh votes. Having risen through the ranks since starting at the booth level for the party in Gujarat at the age of 14 years, Shah is a firm believer in the prerequisite of a strong ground-level organisational machinery for poll successes. For the 2019 elections, he deployed over 7,000 leaders for nearly 500 poll committee across the country, with special focus on 120 seats that the BJP had lost in 2014, and brought in 3,000 "full-timers" across parliamentary seats. Seen as a Modi confidant, Shah also brought about cohesion between the government and the party, with the party leaders promoting the government's work and the ministers being used for the party work.

Amit Shah: BJP's 'Chanakya' now enters government

A politician with an uncanny knack for sensing which way the wind is blowing, Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan has a rare distinction of serving as a minister in the cabinets of six prime ministers.

Paswan Thursday took oath as Cabinet minister.&nbsp;

The septuagenarian had started off as a member of the Bihar legislative assembly in the 1960s and shot to fame in the 1977 post-Emergency Lok Sabha polls when he won Hajipur seat by over four lakh votes, then a record margin.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/live-updates-prime-minister-narendra-modi-swearing-in-ceremony-222770">Live: Narendra Modi takes oath as PM again along with the council of ministers</a>

Another emphatic victory in 1989 earned him his first stint in the cabinet of V P Singh, who appointed him as labour minister.

Less than a decade later, he was back as railway minister in successive governments headed by H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujaral which together lasted for a couple of years.

The Janata Dal faction, with which he was associated in the 1990s, sided with the BJP-led NDA and Paswan was made the minister for communications, and later coal in the government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Later, he floated his own party with a view to exploring the possibilities as the foremost Dalit leader in Bihar after Babu Jagjivan Ram.

The Gujarat riots of 2002 saw him quit the NDA in protest and gravitate towards the Congress-led UPA, which came to power two years later. He was appointed the minister for chemicals and fertilizers and steel under Manmohan Singh.

His relations with the Congress got strained during the UPA-2 when he was denied a ministerial berth following his party's debacle in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Paswan himself was defeated at his own citadel of Hajipur.

Ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls the BJP, which was looking for allies in Bihar so they could help it make up for the loss of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), welcomed him with open arms and offered him seven seats to contest. The LJP won six, including Paswan, his son Chirag and brother Ram Chandra.

As the minister for food and public distribution and consumer affairs under Narendra Modi, Paswan made his mark as a stout votary of the government whenever it came under attack on issues of social justice. He handled efficiently the pulses and sugar sector crisis besides bringing reforms in the Public Distribution System.

He did not contest the recent Lok Sabha polls. His younger brother and Bihar minister Pashupati Kumar Paras won from Hajipur. Paswan is now set to enter the Rajya Sabha, most likely from Bihar.&nbsp;

A politician with an uncanny knack for sensing which way the wind is blowing, Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan has a rare distinction of serving as a minister in the cabinets of six prime ministers.

A politician with an uncanny knack for sensing which way the wind is blowing, Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan has a rare distinction of serving as a minister in the cabinets of six prime ministers. Paswan Thursday took oath as Cabinet minister. The septuagenarian had started off as a member of the Bihar legislative assembly in the 1960s and shot to fame in the 1977 post-Emergency Lok Sabha polls when he won Hajipur seat by over four lakh votes, then a record margin. Live: Narendra Modi takes oath as PM again along with the council of ministers Another emphatic victory in 1989 earned him his first stint in the cabinet of V P Singh, who appointed him as labour minister. Less than a decade later, he was back as railway minister in successive governments headed by H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujaral which together lasted for a couple of years. The Janata Dal faction, with which he was associated in the 1990s, sided with the BJP-led NDA and Paswan was made the minister for communications, and later coal in the government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Later, he floated his own party with a view to exploring the possibilities as the foremost Dalit leader in Bihar after Babu Jagjivan Ram. The Gujarat riots of 2002 saw him quit the NDA in protest and gravitate towards the Congress-led UPA, which came to power two years later. He was appointed the minister for chemicals and fertilizers and steel under Manmohan Singh. His relations with the Congress got strained during the UPA-2 when he was denied a ministerial berth following his party's debacle in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Paswan himself was defeated at his own citadel of Hajipur. Ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls the BJP, which was looking for allies in Bihar so they could help it make up for the loss of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), welcomed him with open arms and offered him seven seats to contest. The LJP won six, including Paswan, his son Chirag and brother Ram Chandra. As the minister for food and public distribution and consumer affairs under Narendra Modi, Paswan made his mark as a stout votary of the government whenever it came under attack on issues of social justice. He handled efficiently the pulses and sugar sector crisis besides bringing reforms in the Public Distribution System. He did not contest the recent Lok Sabha polls. His younger brother and Bihar minister Pashupati Kumar Paras won from Hajipur. Paswan is now set to enter the Rajya Sabha, most likely from Bihar.

Ram Vilas Paswan: Master political craftsman who has worked under six prime ministers

Known for his administrative prowess and innovative approach in addressing issues, Nitin Jairam Gadkari has been instrumental in pushing infrastructure development and reviving projects stuck for many years.

The 62-year-old senior BJP leader, often dubbed as one of the high performing ministers during the first term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, is expected to be entrusted with key responsibilities in the second term too.

Gadkari Thursday was sworn in as a Cabinet minister but his portfolio is yet to be announced.

He won the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat with a margin of around 2.13 lakh votes by defeating his former party man and now Congress member Nana Patole.

Whether its reviving stuck highway projects worth Rs 3.85 lakh crore or starting cargo shipments on Ganga river, Gadkari has been at the forefront of infrastructure development. Some of the key projects are Eastern Peripheral Expressway and Delhi-Meerut Expressway and Zojila tunnel.

In May 2014, he took charge of the Road Transport, Highways and Shipping ministries. He was also given charge of Water Resoruces, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Ministry from September 3, 2017.

He was also at the helm of Rural Development, and Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water and Sanitation ministries from June 4 till November 9, 2014.

Born in 1957 into a middle-class agricultural family in Nagpur, he came to the spotlight for giving his city a new face and was also known as 'flyover man' for building a series of flyovers in Mumbai during his stint as PWD minister in Maharashtra.

Not just during the first term of Modi government, Gadkari had played a pivotal role in the successful implementation of the Mumbai-Pune expressway.

Elected to the Lok Sabha for the second straight term, he had a long inning in Maharashtra politics and was also the youngest BJP president.

In 2014, he was first elected to the Lower House from Nagpur, a traditional Congress stronghold, after defeating seven-time winner Vilas Mutthemwar by a margin of about 3 lakh votes.

He was a member of Maharashtra Legislative Council from 1989 to 2014 and during this time, he served as PWD Minister (1995-1999) and as Maharashtra Legislative Council leader (1999 - 2005).

Gadkari entered politics as a student leader of ABVP and later joined the Janta Yuva Morcha, youth wing of the BJP. The imposition of emergency by Indira Gandhi in June 1975 was a turning point in his life, following which he decided to dedicate his life to social work rather than practising law.

Gadkari studied LLB, MCom and also holds a diploma in business management. He has also penned books, including India Aspires (English), Bhavishya Ka Bharat (Hindi) and The Path of Progress (English).

Among others, he played a leading role in the formation of Laxmanrao Mankar Memorial Trust and took up the work of starting of Ekal Vidyalayas in different parts of Vidarbha region.

Gadkari was also instrumental in setting up the Institute of Village Enterprise Development of Handicraft Artists (VEDHA India), which is working with the bamboo workers from the bamboo producing areas.&nbsp;

Known for his administrative prowess and innovative approach in addressing issues, Nitin Jairam Gadkari has been instrumental in pushing infrastructure development and reviving projects stuck for many years.

Known for his administrative prowess and innovative approach in addressing issues, Nitin Jairam Gadkari has been instrumental in pushing infrastructure development and reviving projects stuck for many years. The 62-year-old senior BJP leader, often dubbed as one of the high performing ministers during the first term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, is expected to be entrusted with key responsibilities in the second term too. Gadkari Thursday was sworn in as a Cabinet minister but his portfolio is yet to be announced. He won the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat with a margin of around 2.13 lakh votes by defeating his former party man and now Congress member Nana Patole. Whether its reviving stuck highway projects worth Rs 3.85 lakh crore or starting cargo shipments on Ganga river, Gadkari has been at the forefront of infrastructure development. Some of the key projects are Eastern Peripheral Expressway and Delhi-Meerut Expressway and Zojila tunnel. In May 2014, he took charge of the Road Transport, Highways and Shipping ministries. He was also given charge of Water Resoruces, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Ministry from September 3, 2017. He was also at the helm of Rural Development, and Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water and Sanitation ministries from June 4 till November 9, 2014. Born in 1957 into a middle-class agricultural family in Nagpur, he came to the spotlight for giving his city a new face and was also known as 'flyover man' for building a series of flyovers in Mumbai during his stint as PWD minister in Maharashtra. Not just during the first term of Modi government, Gadkari had played a pivotal role in the successful implementation of the Mumbai-Pune expressway. Elected to the Lok Sabha for the second straight term, he had a long inning in Maharashtra politics and was also the youngest BJP president. In 2014, he was first elected to the Lower House from Nagpur, a traditional Congress stronghold, after defeating seven-time winner Vilas Mutthemwar by a margin of about 3 lakh votes. He was a member of Maharashtra Legislative Council from 1989 to 2014 and during this time, he served as PWD Minister (1995-1999) and as Maharashtra Legislative Council leader (1999 - 2005). Gadkari entered politics as a student leader of ABVP and later joined the Janta Yuva Morcha, youth wing of the BJP. The imposition of emergency by Indira Gandhi in June 1975 was a turning point in his life, following which he decided to dedicate his life to social work rather than practising law. Gadkari studied LLB, MCom and also holds a diploma in business management. He has also penned books, including India Aspires (English), Bhavishya Ka Bharat (Hindi) and The Path of Progress (English). Among others, he played a leading role in the formation of Laxmanrao Mankar Memorial Trust and took up the work of starting of Ekal Vidyalayas in different parts of Vidarbha region. Gadkari was also instrumental in setting up the Institute of Village Enterprise Development of Handicraft Artists (VEDHA India), which is working with the bamboo workers from the bamboo producing areas.

Known for his performance, Nitin Gadkari likely to have key ministry in Modi 2.0 government

BJP president Amit Shah took oath as a Cabinet minister as part of the Narendra Modi-led Council of Ministers on Thursday evening. Shah, a first-time Lok Sabha MP, defeated Congress's J Chavda from Gandhinagar in Gujarat by a record margin of five lakh votes.

A confirmation on the inclusion of Shah in the Union government came through a tweet by Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani, who put out a message congratulating the 55-year-old leader.

"Had a courtesy meeting with our mentor Amit Shah and gave my best wishes to him on his inclusion as a strong member of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's council of ministers," Vaghani tweeted.

This is the first time that Shah is part of Modi government at the Centre. He has served as the Home minister in Gujarat when Modi was the chief minister.

Meanwhile, speculation is rife over who would succeed Shah as BJP president, with the names of J P Nadda being seen as a possible choice. Some other names are also being talked about for the post including Bhupender Yadav.

BJP president Amit Shah took oath as a Cabinet minister as part of the Narendra Modi-led Council of Ministers on Thursday evening. Shah, a first-time Lok Sabha MP, defeated Congress's J Chavda from Gandhinagar in Gujarat by a record margin of five lakh votes.

BJP president Amit Shah took oath as a Cabinet minister as part of the Narendra Modi-led Council of Ministers on Thursday evening. Shah, a first-time Lok Sabha MP, defeated Congress's J Chavda from Gandhinagar in Gujarat by a record margin of five lakh votes. A confirmation on the inclusion of Shah in the Union government came through a tweet by Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani, who put out a message congratulating the 55-year-old leader. "Had a courtesy meeting with our mentor Amit Shah and gave my best wishes to him on his inclusion as a strong member of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's council of ministers," Vaghani tweeted. This is the first time that Shah is part of Modi government at the Centre. He has served as the Home minister in Gujarat when Modi was the chief minister. Meanwhile, speculation is rife over who would succeed Shah as BJP president, with the names of J P Nadda being seen as a possible choice. Some other names are also being talked about for the post including Bhupender Yadav.

BJP president Amit Shah takes oath as Cabinet minister

UP Minister OP Rajbhar has said the BJP lost the recent Uttar Pradesh bypolls because Yogi Aditynath, and not Keshav Prasad Maurya, was made chief minister.&nbsp

Rajbhar is a cabinet minister in Adityanath's government, and chief of the &nbspSuheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party.&nbsp

"The BJP contested assembly polls with Keshav Prasad Maurya (an OBC) as its face but later Yogi Adityanath was made chief minister. Backwards supported the BJP in the hope that Maurya will become CM. The result of this anger reflected in the defeat of the BJP in bypolls", PTI quoted Rajbhar as saying.&nbsp

When asked whether Yogi Adityanath was responsible for the BJP's defeat, Rajbhahr said, "Government is responsible. The BJP should introspect about reasons of its defeat. It's up to the BJP whom to make CM. It's up to the party to make Yogi or Keshav as CM."&nbsp

The BJP lost the Kairana and the Noorpur assembly seats in the recent polls.

Tabassum Hasan of the Rashtriya Lok Dal won the Kairana seat by a margin of 44,618 votes, while Naeemul Hasan of the SP bagged the Noorpur Assembly seat by a margin of 5,662 votes.

The winning RLD candidate in Kairana was backed by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, and the Bahujan Samaj Party.&nbsp

In Noorpur, the main opposition parties supported the SP nominee.

Against this united opposition, the BJP's all-out efforts to stop a chain of losses in bypolls in the state since 2014 proved futile even though Chief Minister Adityanath led from the front.&nbsp

(With inputs from PTI)

 
&nbsp

OP Rajbhar is a cabinet minister in Adityanath's government, and chief of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party

UP Minister OP Rajbhar has said the BJP lost the recent Uttar Pradesh bypolls because Yogi Aditynath, and not Keshav Prasad Maurya, was made chief minister. Rajbhar is a cabinet minister in Adityanath's government, and chief of the &nbspSuheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party. "The BJP contested assembly polls with Keshav Prasad Maurya (an OBC) as its face but later Yogi Adityanath was made chief minister. Backwards supported the BJP in the hope that Maurya will become CM. The result of this anger reflected in the defeat of the BJP in bypolls", PTI quoted Rajbhar as saying. When asked whether Yogi Adityanath was responsible for the BJP's defeat, Rajbhahr said, "Government is responsible. The BJP should introspect about reasons of its defeat. It's up to the BJP whom to make CM. It's up to the party to make Yogi or Keshav as CM." The BJP lost the Kairana and the Noorpur assembly seats in the recent polls. Tabassum Hasan of the Rashtriya Lok Dal won the Kairana seat by a margin of 44,618 votes, while Naeemul Hasan of the SP bagged the Noorpur Assembly seat by a margin of 5,662 votes. The winning RLD candidate in Kairana was backed by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, and the Bahujan Samaj Party. In Noorpur, the main opposition parties supported the SP nominee. Against this united opposition, the BJP's all-out efforts to stop a chain of losses in bypolls in the state since 2014 proved futile even though Chief Minister Adityanath led from the front. (With inputs from PTI)

BJP lost bypolls because Keshav Prasad Maurya was not made CM: UP Minister

Israel&#39;s minister of internal security on Saturday accused Facebook and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, of not doing enough to prevent incitement against Israel and said the social network was &quot;sabotaging&quot; Israeli police work. 
 
Israel has in the past said Facebook is used to encourage attacks and the government is drafting legislation to enable it to order Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other social media to remove online postings it deems incite terrorism. 
 
But the comments made by Gilad Erdan, a cabinet minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#39;s Right-wing coalition that oversees law enforcement, were particularly biting. 
 
He said Zuckerberg was responsible for Facebook policy and called on &quot;the citizens of Israel to flood him in every possible place with the demand to monitor the platform he established and from which he earns billions&quot;. 
 
A spokesman for Facebook in Israel said the company was not commenting on the minister&#39;s assertions. 
 
During an interview on Channel 2 television, Erdan said, &quot;Facebook today, which brought an amazing, positive revolution to the world, sadly, we see this since the rise of Daesh (Islamic State) and the wave of terror, it has simply become a monster.&quot; 
 
&quot;Facebook today sabotages, it should be known, sabotages the work of the Israeli police, because when the Israeli police approach them, and it is regarding a resident of Judea and Samaria, Facebook does not cooperate,&quot; he said, referring to the area of the West Bank. 
 
&quot;It also sets a very high bar for removing inciteful content and posts,&quot; Erdan said. 
 
Since October, Palestinians have killed 34 Israelis and two visiting US citizens in a wave of street attacks, mostly stabbings. Israeli forces have shot dead at least 201 Palestinians, 137 of whom Israel has said were assailants. Others were killed in clashes and protests. 
 
Palestinian leaders say assailants have acted out of desperation over the collapse of peace talks in 2014 and Israeli settlement expansion in occupied territory that Palestinians seek for an independent state. Most countries view the settlements as illegal. Israel disputes this. 
 
Israel says incitement in the Palestinian media and personal problems at home have been important factors that have spurred assailants, often teenagers, to launch attacks. 
 
Tensions over Jewish access to a contested Jerusalem holy site, revered by Muslims as Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) and Jews as Temple Mount, have also fuelled the violence. 
 
(Reuters)

Gilad Erdam blamed Mark Zuckerberg for Facebook policy and called on Israeli citizens to demand monitoring of the social network

Israel's minister of internal security on Saturday accused Facebook and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, of not doing enough to prevent incitement against Israel and said the social network was "sabotaging" Israeli police work. Israel has in the past said Facebook is used to encourage attacks and the government is drafting legislation to enable it to order Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other social media to remove online postings it deems incite terrorism. But the comments made by Gilad Erdan, a cabinet minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Right-wing coalition that oversees law enforcement, were particularly biting. He said Zuckerberg was responsible for Facebook policy and called on "the citizens of Israel to flood him in every possible place with the demand to monitor the platform he established and from which he earns billions". A spokesman for Facebook in Israel said the company was not commenting on the minister's assertions. During an interview on Channel 2 television, Erdan said, "Facebook today, which brought an amazing, positive revolution to the world, sadly, we see this since the rise of Daesh (Islamic State) and the wave of terror, it has simply become a monster." "Facebook today sabotages, it should be known, sabotages the work of the Israeli police, because when the Israeli police approach them, and it is regarding a resident of Judea and Samaria, Facebook does not cooperate," he said, referring to the area of the West Bank. "It also sets a very high bar for removing inciteful content and posts," Erdan said. Since October, Palestinians have killed 34 Israelis and two visiting US citizens in a wave of street attacks, mostly stabbings. Israeli forces have shot dead at least 201 Palestinians, 137 of whom Israel has said were assailants. Others were killed in clashes and protests. Palestinian leaders say assailants have acted out of desperation over the collapse of peace talks in 2014 and Israeli settlement expansion in occupied territory that Palestinians seek for an independent state. Most countries view the settlements as illegal. Israel disputes this. Israel says incitement in the Palestinian media and personal problems at home have been important factors that have spurred assailants, often teenagers, to launch attacks. Tensions over Jewish access to a contested Jerusalem holy site, revered by Muslims as Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) and Jews as Temple Mount, have also fuelled the violence. (Reuters)

Israel minister terms Facebook 'monster' for hindering security

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