Ayaka Yoshida wanted to make menstrual products available in public restrooms. Instead, she received thousands of death threats. In a country where discussing periods is still taboo, is Japan ready for this conversation?

Japanese politician faces death threats over sanitary products push

Japanese politician Ayaka Yoshida has received 8,000 death threats after advocating for free sanitary pads in public toilets, comparing them to toilet paper in necessity. For four days, she faced threats every minute, sparking debates on menstrual care and gender equality in Japan.

Japanese politician receives death threats over call for sanitary napkins at public toilets

A former Cambodian opposition politician has been shot and killed in Bangkok, according to reports. The incident has raised concerns about political violence and the safety of exiled political figures.

Former Cambodian Opposition politician shot dead in Bangkok: Reports

Mukhtar Ansari, a convicted criminal who later became a politician, passed away of a heart attack on Thursday (March 28),&nbsp;after he was admitted to Rani Durgavati Medical College in Uttar Pradesh's Banda district because of his health condition.

He was rushed to the hospital in an unconscious state after he complained of vomiting.

The 63-year-old, Ansari who was lodged in a jail in UP's Banda, died around 8.25 pm.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mukhtar-ansari-jailed-mafia-don-turned-politician-sentenced-to-life-imprisonment-699695">Mukhtar Ansari, jailed mafia don-turned-politician, sentenced to life imprisonment</a>

Prohibition orders under CrPC Section 144 were&nbsp;put in place across Uttar Pradesh shortly after his death, according to police on Thursday.

<h2>Who was&nbsp;Mukhtar Ansari?</h2>

The five-time MLA from Mau in eastern Uttar Pradesh was involved in 52 criminal cases in Uttar Pradesh and other states, as well as the property business. As a candidate for the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP), he ran for office twice. His most recent assembly election campaign was in&nbsp;2017.&nbsp;

A court in northern India's Varanasi sentenced jailed mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari to life imprisonment for cheating, forgery of documents, criminal conspiracy, and violating the Arms Act to obtain a double-barrel gun license in 1986.

<h2>Mukhtar Ansari: Cases and convictions</h2>

Mukhtar Ansari faces nearly five dozen criminal cases.

In December last year, he was sentenced to five-and-a-half years of imprisonment in a case related to threatening a witness in VHP treasurer’s kidnapping&nbsp;in 1997.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-gangster-turned-politician-mukhtar-ansari-jailed-for-10-years-in-murder-case-587277">Indian mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari jailed for 10 years in 2007 Gangster Act case</a>

In April 2023, he was awarded 10 years in jail in a Gangsters Act case while his brother and co-accused, Afzal Ansari, was also given four-year imprisonment after which he lost his Lok Sabha membership.

Later, the Supreme Court suspended Afzal’s sentence, allowing him to return to Parliament.&nbsp;

In September 2022, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court sentenced Mukhtar to seven years in jail for threatening a jailer and pointing a pistol at him.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Mukhtar Ansari, a convicted criminal who later became a politician, passed away of a heart attack on Thursday (March 28), after he was admitted to Rani Durgavati Medical College in Uttar Pradesh's Banda district because of his health condition.

Mukhtar Ansari, a convicted criminal who later became a politician, passed away of a heart attack on Thursday (March 28), after he was admitted to Rani Durgavati Medical College in Uttar Pradesh's Banda district because of his health condition. He was rushed to the hospital in an unconscious state after he complained of vomiting. The 63-year-old, Ansari who was lodged in a jail in UP's Banda, died around 8.25 pm. Also read: Mukhtar Ansari, jailed mafia don-turned-politician, sentenced to life imprisonment Prohibition orders under CrPC Section 144 were put in place across Uttar Pradesh shortly after his death, according to police on Thursday. Who was Mukhtar Ansari? The five-time MLA from Mau in eastern Uttar Pradesh was involved in 52 criminal cases in Uttar Pradesh and other states, as well as the property business. As a candidate for the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP), he ran for office twice. His most recent assembly election campaign was in 2017. A court in northern India's Varanasi sentenced jailed mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari to life imprisonment for cheating, forgery of documents, criminal conspiracy, and violating the Arms Act to obtain a double-barrel gun license in 1986. Mukhtar Ansari: Cases and convictions Mukhtar Ansari faces nearly five dozen criminal cases. In December last year, he was sentenced to five-and-a-half years of imprisonment in a case related to threatening a witness in VHP treasurer’s kidnapping in 1997. Also read | Indian mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari jailed for 10 years in 2007 Gangster Act case In April 2023, he was awarded 10 years in jail in a Gangsters Act case while his brother and co-accused, Afzal Ansari, was also given four-year imprisonment after which he lost his Lok Sabha membership. Later, the Supreme Court suspended Afzal’s sentence, allowing him to return to Parliament. In September 2022, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court sentenced Mukhtar to seven years in jail for threatening a jailer and pointing a pistol at him. (With inputs from agencies)

India: Jailed gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest at 63

Jailed gangster turned politician Mukhtar Ansari has died suffering a cardiac arrest in Uttar Pradesh's band after the confirmation of Ansari's death authorities imposed Section 144 across Uttar Pradesh. Watch in for more details!

Gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest, section 144 imposed across Uttar Pradesh

In the United Kingdom, Azhar Ali, Labour's by-election candidate for Rochdale, has issued an apology over his claims that Israel allowed the October 7 attack to happen and had been warned about it.&nbsp;

In a local party meeting, Ali allegedly said that Israel had "allowed" the attack by Hamas militants which killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took around 250 others hostage.&nbsp;

In retaliation, Israel waged war launching incessant strikes in the Gaza Strip to kill Hamas gunmen.&nbsp;

The secret recording of what Ali said was obtained by Mail and was published on Sunday.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-pm-rishi-sunak-says-he-is-totally-up-for-the-fight-to-win-uk-general-elections-689237">PM Rishi Sunak says he is ‘totally up for the fight’ to win UK general elections</a>&nbsp;

As quoted, Ali said: "The Egyptians are saying that they warned Israel 10 days earlier... Americans warned them a day before [that] there's something happening."&nbsp;

"They deliberately took the security off, they allowed... that massacre that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want," he added.&nbsp;

Reports also claimed that the Labour councillor also said that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has "lost the confidence of the parliamentary party".&nbsp;

He said: "A lot of the MPs I've spoken to, non-Muslim MPs, feel that on this issue, he's lost the confidence of the parliamentary party."&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/were-going-to-do-it-netanyahu-confirms-israeli-troops-will-launch-ground-offensive-in-rafah-689208">'We’re going to do it': Netanyahu confirms Israeli troops will launch ground offensive in Rafah</a>

Now, the Labour Party has issued a statement on behalf of Ali. As reported in local reports, in the statement issued on Sunday morning, Ali said: "I apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community for my comments which were deeply offensive, ignorant, and false."&nbsp;

"Hamas' horrific terror attack was the responsibility of Hamas alone, and they are still holding hostages who must be released. October 7th was the greatest loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust, and Jews in the UK and across the world are living in fear of rising antisemitism. I will urgently apologise to Jewish leaders for my inexcusable comments," he said.&nbsp;

"The Labour Party has changed unrecognisably under Keir Starmer's leadership, he has my full support in delivering the change Britain needs," he added.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;UK's Defence Secretary orders review of army's inclusion policy, receives backlash

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The comments led to major outrage. Labour's national campaign coordinator, Pat McFadden, told Sky News that Ali's comments were "completely wrong".&nbsp;

The shadow frontbencher said: "He's issued a complete apology and retraction and I hope he learns a good lesson from it because he should never have said something like that in the first place."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In the United Kingdom, Azhar Ali, Labour's by-election candidate for Rochdale, has issued an apology over his claims that Israel allowed the October 7 attack to happen and had been warned about it.

In the United Kingdom, Azhar Ali, Labour's by-election candidate for Rochdale, has issued an apology over his claims that Israel allowed the October 7 attack to happen and had been warned about it. In a local party meeting, Ali allegedly said that Israel had "allowed" the attack by Hamas militants which killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took around 250 others hostage. In retaliation, Israel waged war launching incessant strikes in the Gaza Strip to kill Hamas gunmen. The secret recording of what Ali said was obtained by Mail and was published on Sunday. Also read: PM Rishi Sunak says he is ‘totally up for the fight’ to win UK general elections As quoted, Ali said: "The Egyptians are saying that they warned Israel 10 days earlier... Americans warned them a day before [that] there's something happening." "They deliberately took the security off, they allowed... that massacre that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want," he added. Reports also claimed that the Labour councillor also said that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has "lost the confidence of the parliamentary party". He said: "A lot of the MPs I've spoken to, non-Muslim MPs, feel that on this issue, he's lost the confidence of the parliamentary party." Also read: 'We’re going to do it': Netanyahu confirms Israeli troops will launch ground offensive in Rafah Now, the Labour Party has issued a statement on behalf of Ali. As reported in local reports, in the statement issued on Sunday morning, Ali said: "I apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community for my comments which were deeply offensive, ignorant, and false." "Hamas' horrific terror attack was the responsibility of Hamas alone, and they are still holding hostages who must be released. October 7th was the greatest loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust, and Jews in the UK and across the world are living in fear of rising antisemitism. I will urgently apologise to Jewish leaders for my inexcusable comments," he said. "The Labour Party has changed unrecognisably under Keir Starmer's leadership, he has my full support in delivering the change Britain needs," he added. Watch: UK's Defence Secretary orders review of army's inclusion policy, receives backlash × The comments led to major outrage. Labour's national campaign coordinator, Pat McFadden, told Sky News that Ali's comments were "completely wrong". The shadow frontbencher said: "He's issued a complete apology and retraction and I hope he learns a good lesson from it because he should never have said something like that in the first place." (With inputs from agencies)

UK politician apologises for claiming Israel ‘allowed’ October 7 attack

The first elected official in Greece to openly declare he is gay, Stefanos Kasselakis last month achieved one of the biggest upsets in Greek political history by winning the leadership of Syriza, the left-wing main opposition party.

Greek Politician Stefanos Kasselakis discloses surrogacy plans, testing taboo

Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a veteran apartheid-era South African politician and Zulu prince, died at 95, the country's president announced on Saturday. He stated, "I am deeply saddened to announce the passing of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the Prince of KwaPhindangene, Traditional Prime Minister to the Zulu Monarch and Nation, and the Founder and President Emeritus of the Inkatha Freedom Party.

Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a veteran apartheid-era South African politician and Zulu prince, died at 95, the country's president announced on Saturday. He stated, "I am deeply saddened to announce the passing of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the Prince of KwaPhindangene, Traditional Prime Minister to the Zulu Monarch and Nation, and the Founder and President Emeritus of the Inkatha Freedom Party." The Zulu chief was a controversial figure who had a seat in South Africa's National Assembly. He had a long political career, during which he led a movement that underwent deadly clashes with the African National Congress. Here's everything you need to know about Mangosuthu Buthelezi. Mangosuthu Buthelezi education & early political career Mangosuthu Buthelezi was born on 27 August,1928 in Mahlabatini, South Africa. He came from a line of Zulu chiefs. Buthelezi attended the South African Native College and was a member of ANC's Youth League. He completed his degree from the University of Natal. He started his career at South Africa's Department of Native Affairs in 1951. In 1953, he assumed his role as the hereditary chief of the Bulthelezi clan of Zulus. However, the South African government did not recognise his chieftainship until 1957. In 1970, he became the chief executive officer of the newly formed Zulu Territorial Authority. Two years later, he became the chief executive councillor of the KwaZulu Legislative Assembly. In 1976, he became the chief minister of the KwaZulu Bantustan, a collection of 11 scattered Zulu exclaves located within the Natal province. ALSO READ | India offers support to Morocco after devastating earthquake, over 2000 deaths Mangosuthu Buthelezi controversies Mangosuthu Buthelezi had an unusual combination of strategies to achieve his personal political goals. In 1975, the former ANC member founded Inkatha, a movement he converted to the Inkatha Freedom Party in 1990, an outfit based on an ideology of Zulu nationalism. However, he had a pro-capitalist stance, contrary to the socialist ideals embraced by other black liberation groups. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Inkatha had a strong following in KwaZulu-Natal and Transvaal Provinces. However, the violent clashes between Inkatha and the ANC during this period are considered one of the deadliest in South African history and hurt Buthelezi's political career. Later, ANC leader Nelson Mandela appointed him Minister of Home Affairs in a coalition government. Even when Mandela left office, he retained his seat in the National Assembly. Mangosuthu Buthelezi cause of death The family statement does not mention Buthelezi's cause of death. He died after a few weeks of being released from the hospital, following months of treatment for a complication that arose from a medical procedure for back pain management. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Who was Mangosuthu Buthelezi? South African apartheid-era politician and Zulu prince who died at 95

South Africa's veteran politician Buthelezi has now died at the age of 95. He had a procedure for back pain in the month of July and he was later readmitted to a hospital when the pain did not subside

South Africa's veteran politician Buthelezi passes away

Jai Parkash, a renowned Hindu leader and minority member of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, resigned on Friday, becoming the latest politician to quit the former prime minister's party in the aftermath of the May 9 attack on military installations and government buildings.

Following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party chairman, Imran Khan, on May 9, violent protests erupted in various locations across the nation, resulting in the destruction of several government-owned properties, reports news agency PTI.

Imran Khan supporters stormed the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, while the Corps Commander House in Lahore was set on fire.

In the 2018 general election, Jai Parkash was elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of the PTI party on a reserved seat for minorities.

<h2>Reasons for Jai Parkash's resignation</h2>

In a statement to the media on Friday, the PTI minority wing president strongly criticised the May 9 protests, saying, "Pakistan exists because of the army, and we exist because of Pakistan."

"I had no intention to leave the party till May 8," he was quoted as saying by Samaa TV, adding that he was quitting without any pressure.

On Monday, PTI's former Sindh governor Imran Ismail said that Jai Parkash was abducted from his home by "40 masked men."

Jai Parkash's resignation is the latest in a string of prominent PTI lawmakers to quit.

Mubeen Khilji, a provincial minister in the PTI administration, resigned from the former prime minister's party earlier on Friday.&nbsp;Khilji stated at a news conference that he was leaving the PTI due to the May 9 violence.

"We wanted peaceful protests," he remarked, criticising the destruction that followed Imran Khan's imprisonment.

Police have confirmed 10 deaths in the violent skirmishes, however Imran Khan's party claimed 40 of its workers were killed in firing by security forces.

On Monday, the senior military brass committed to bring the arsonists who assaulted the civil and military institutions to justice through prosecution under strict Pakistani laws such as the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act.

Over 7,000 PTI workers have been detained across Pakistan, with 4,000 of them from Punjab state.

Imran Khan, a 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, was ousted from office in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he said was part of a US-led conspiracy to destabilise him due to his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China, and Afghanistan.

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
&nbsp;

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Jai Parkash, a renowned Hindu leader and minority member of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, resigned on Friday, becoming the latest politician to quit the former prime minister's party in the aftermath of the May 9 attack on military installations and government buildings.

Jai Parkash, a renowned Hindu leader and minority member of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, resigned on Friday, becoming the latest politician to quit the former prime minister's party in the aftermath of the May 9 attack on military installations and government buildings. Following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party chairman, Imran Khan, on May 9, violent protests erupted in various locations across the nation, resulting in the destruction of several government-owned properties, reports news agency PTI. Imran Khan supporters stormed the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, while the Corps Commander House in Lahore was set on fire. In the 2018 general election, Jai Parkash was elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of the PTI party on a reserved seat for minorities. Reasons for Jai Parkash's resignation In a statement to the media on Friday, the PTI minority wing president strongly criticised the May 9 protests, saying, "Pakistan exists because of the army, and we exist because of Pakistan." "I had no intention to leave the party till May 8," he was quoted as saying by Samaa TV, adding that he was quitting without any pressure. On Monday, PTI's former Sindh governor Imran Ismail said that Jai Parkash was abducted from his home by "40 masked men." Jai Parkash's resignation is the latest in a string of prominent PTI lawmakers to quit. Mubeen Khilji, a provincial minister in the PTI administration, resigned from the former prime minister's party earlier on Friday. Khilji stated at a news conference that he was leaving the PTI due to the May 9 violence. "We wanted peaceful protests," he remarked, criticising the destruction that followed Imran Khan's imprisonment. Police have confirmed 10 deaths in the violent skirmishes, however Imran Khan's party claimed 40 of its workers were killed in firing by security forces. On Monday, the senior military brass committed to bring the arsonists who assaulted the civil and military institutions to justice through prosecution under strict Pakistani laws such as the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act. Over 7,000 PTI workers have been detained across Pakistan, with 4,000 of them from Punjab state. Imran Khan, a 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, was ousted from office in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he said was part of a US-led conspiracy to destabilise him due to his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China, and Afghanistan. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Popular Hindu leader of Imran Khan's PTI quits party, slams violent protests

Imran Khan, former prime minister of Pakistan, has been arrested. The former premier was arrested on Tuesday (May 9) outside Islamabad High Court. The cricketer-turned-politician has been a prominent figure in Pakistan for decades and his ascent to power has been chronicled world over. The Oxford-educated former cricketer already had immeasurable fame in Pakistan as the only captain of the country's cricket team who led it to a World Cup victory in 1992. After his foray into politics, he remained one of the notable figures whose crowing glory was winning the country's prime ministerial office.

Let's take a look at Imran Khan's political journey so far.

<h2>Imran Khan's entry into Pakistan's politics</h2>

After his retirement from Cricket, Imran Khan formed his own party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 1996. He became a vocal critic of the Pakistani regime and spoke out against the government's mismanagement and corruption.

In its first-ever electoral test in national elections in 1997, PTI won less than one per cent of votes and failed to win any seat in Pakistan's National Assembly.

In the 2002 elections, the party won one&nbsp;seat which was filled by Imran Khan himself.

In October 2007, Imran Khan resigned from the assembly to protest General Pervez Musharraf's candidacy in the presidential elections. Later that year, Khan was briefly imprisoned as part of a crackdown on critics of Musharraf. PTI condemned the state of emergency declared by Musharraf and boycotted the 2008 elections.

<h2>Imran Khan's political ascent</h2>

Imran Khan held a series of successful rallies that drew in thousands of people just months before the 2013 legislative elections. During a campaign rally, Imran Khan fell from a platform and injured his head and back. Hours later, he addressed his supporters in a televised speech which he gave from the hospital bed.

The elections produced PTI's highest total&nbsp;till that time, but the number of seats won was still not enough. He made accusations of vote rigging.

IN 2014, Imran Khan held many rallies for months to pressure the then-PM Nawaz Sharif to step down. Suspicions of corruption against Sharif were amplified when his family was named in Panama Papers. Nawaz Sharif was subsequently disqualified by the court from the prime ministerial office.

In 2018, Khan's party contested elections, raising the issues of corruption and poverty. PTI won enough seats to forge a coalition with independents. He was appointed prime minister on August 18.

<h2>Removal from office</h2>

Imran Khan faced criticism from his opponents for his close relationship with the military establishment. In 2020, Khan's political opponents formed a coalition by the name of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). The coalition accused Imran Khan of being a puppet of the military.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/former-pak-pm-imran-khan-arrested-in-corruption-case-590594">Imran Khan: Former Pak PM arrested outside Islamabad High Court in corruption case</a>

In March 2022, PDM held a vote of confidence. Some important allies of PTI left its coalition. There were defections from within PTI's own ranks. The vote was held. On April 10, Imran Khan was removed as PM. He became the first PM in the history of Pakistan to be removed by a No Confidence Vote.

<h2>PTI's 'comeback' and 'assassination attempt' on Imran</h2>

Even when it was ousted from the helm, PTI registered a surprise landslide victory in Pakistan Punjab's assembly elections in July 2022. Khan attempted to ride the wave by organising rallies.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-khan-arrest-did-he-see-it-coming-anti-army-rants-in-past-days-may-have-led-to-pak-rangers-move-590657">Imran Khan arrest: Did he see it coming? Anti-army rants in past days may have led to Pak Rangers move</a>

In November 2022, when he was heading a protest convoy from Lahore to Islamabad, Imran Khan was shot in the leg apparently in an assassination attempt.

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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Imran Khan, former prime minister of Pakistan, has been arrested. The former premier was arrested on Tuesday (May 9) outside Islamabad High Court. The cricketer-turned-politician has been a prominent figure in Pakistan for decades and his ascent to power has been chronicled world over.

Imran Khan, former prime minister of Pakistan, has been arrested. The former premier was arrested on Tuesday (May 9) outside Islamabad High Court. The cricketer-turned-politician has been a prominent figure in Pakistan for decades and his ascent to power has been chronicled world over. The Oxford-educated former cricketer already had immeasurable fame in Pakistan as the only captain of the country's cricket team who led it to a World Cup victory in 1992. After his foray into politics, he remained one of the notable figures whose crowing glory was winning the country's prime ministerial office. Let's take a look at Imran Khan's political journey so far. Imran Khan's entry into Pakistan's politics After his retirement from Cricket, Imran Khan formed his own party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 1996. He became a vocal critic of the Pakistani regime and spoke out against the government's mismanagement and corruption. In its first-ever electoral test in national elections in 1997, PTI won less than one per cent of votes and failed to win any seat in Pakistan's National Assembly. In the 2002 elections, the party won one seat which was filled by Imran Khan himself. In October 2007, Imran Khan resigned from the assembly to protest General Pervez Musharraf's candidacy in the presidential elections. Later that year, Khan was briefly imprisoned as part of a crackdown on critics of Musharraf. PTI condemned the state of emergency declared by Musharraf and boycotted the 2008 elections. Imran Khan's political ascent Imran Khan held a series of successful rallies that drew in thousands of people just months before the 2013 legislative elections. During a campaign rally, Imran Khan fell from a platform and injured his head and back. Hours later, he addressed his supporters in a televised speech which he gave from the hospital bed. The elections produced PTI's highest total till that time, but the number of seats won was still not enough. He made accusations of vote rigging. IN 2014, Imran Khan held many rallies for months to pressure the then-PM Nawaz Sharif to step down. Suspicions of corruption against Sharif were amplified when his family was named in Panama Papers. Nawaz Sharif was subsequently disqualified by the court from the prime ministerial office. In 2018, Khan's party contested elections, raising the issues of corruption and poverty. PTI won enough seats to forge a coalition with independents. He was appointed prime minister on August 18. Removal from office Imran Khan faced criticism from his opponents for his close relationship with the military establishment. In 2020, Khan's political opponents formed a coalition by the name of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). The coalition accused Imran Khan of being a puppet of the military. Also Read | Imran Khan: Former Pak PM arrested outside Islamabad High Court in corruption case In March 2022, PDM held a vote of confidence. Some important allies of PTI left its coalition. There were defections from within PTI's own ranks. The vote was held. On April 10, Imran Khan was removed as PM. He became the first PM in the history of Pakistan to be removed by a No Confidence Vote. PTI's 'comeback' and 'assassination attempt' on Imran Even when it was ousted from the helm, PTI registered a surprise landslide victory in Pakistan Punjab's assembly elections in July 2022. Khan attempted to ride the wave by organising rallies. Also Read | Imran Khan arrest: Did he see it coming? Anti-army rants in past days may have led to Pak Rangers move In November 2022, when he was heading a protest convoy from Lahore to Islamabad, Imran Khan was shot in the leg apparently in an assassination attempt. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Imran Khan arrested: A look at cricketer-turned-politician's political life so far

Who is Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva? What is his story? Why did Obama call Lula the most popular politician on earth? Priyanka Sharma brings you the story of the man who may become Brazil's next President.

Gravitas Plus: The story of Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, the man who may become Brazil's next President

Veteran actor and politician Vijayakanth, popularly known as 'Captain', underwent an amputation and had his toes removed in the right leg. According to a statement issued by his party, this medical procedure was carried out on the recommendation of Doctors, owing to blood circulation issues caused by Diabetes. His party, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam(DMDK) assured that the leader was keeping well, and his health condition was being monitored by doctors.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/india-led-un-sanctions-panel-puts-travel-ban-on-taliban-members-over-failure-on-women-rights-490320" hreflang="en">India-led UN sanctions panel puts travel ban on Taliban members over failure on women rights</a>

The statement issued by his party also urged the public and party cadres to not pay heed to rumours doing the rounds on social media. It added that Vijayakanth was likely to be discharged from the hospital within two days. Tweeting about the senior actor, whom he called a friend, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wished Vijayakanth a speedy recovery.

Once a leading hero in Tamil cinema, Vijayakanth floated his political outfit in 2005 and witnessed a significant and encouraging run in his political foray. However, after a lacklustre election performance in the 2016 State Assembly polls, his party's significance in the state's electoral landscape started to gradually diminish. In recent years, the actor has not been playing an active role in politics or cinema, owing to his health condition and has also been making minimal public appearances. His wife Premalatha and brother-in-law Sudheesh are currently at the helm of the party.

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Veteran actor and politician Vijayakanth, popularly known as 'Captain', underwent an amputation and had his toes removed in the right leg. According to a statement issued by his party, this medical procedure was carried out on the recommendation of Doctors, owing to blood circulation issues caused by Diabetes.

Veteran actor and politician Vijayakanth, popularly known as 'Captain', underwent an amputation and had his toes removed in the right leg. According to a statement issued by his party, this medical procedure was carried out on the recommendation of Doctors, owing to blood circulation issues caused by Diabetes. His party, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam(DMDK) assured that the leader was keeping well, and his health condition was being monitored by doctors. Also read | India-led UN sanctions panel puts travel ban on Taliban members over failure on women rights The statement issued by his party also urged the public and party cadres to not pay heed to rumours doing the rounds on social media. It added that Vijayakanth was likely to be discharged from the hospital within two days. Tweeting about the senior actor, whom he called a friend, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wished Vijayakanth a speedy recovery. Once a leading hero in Tamil cinema, Vijayakanth floated his political outfit in 2005 and witnessed a significant and encouraging run in his political foray. However, after a lacklustre election performance in the 2016 State Assembly polls, his party's significance in the state's electoral landscape started to gradually diminish. In recent years, the actor has not been playing an active role in politics or cinema, owing to his health condition and has also been making minimal public appearances. His wife Premalatha and brother-in-law Sudheesh are currently at the helm of the party. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Indian actor & politician Vijayakanth undergoes amputation

A Ukrainian politician’s wife has been caught in Hungary by authorities with $28 million and €1.3 million in cash stashed in suitcases, according to Ukrainian media outlets. &nbsp;

The husband of the woman is former Ukrainian Member of Parliament Igor Kotvitsky. The 52-year-old politician was once one of the wealthiest MPs of the country. &nbsp;

The woman, Anastasia Kotvitska, had taken the cash through a refugee border crossing into the European Union while fleeing the war-torn country. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-looking-to-use-biological-chemical-weapons-in-ukraine-says-biden-464442">Putin looking to use biological, chemical weapons in Ukraine, claims Biden</a>

A photograph of six suitcases, which were full of cash, has also been shared. &nbsp;

The amount was declared by Hungarian authorities as per law. &nbsp;

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She knew precisely where to flee to. The wife of former Ukrainian MP Ihor Kotvitskyi declared 28 millionUSD and 1.3 million euros when entering Hungary. Kotvitskyi has faced allegations of corruption in the past. Confiscation of the money and redistribution would be a good start. <a href="https://t.co/Eu1SSPErl6">pic.twitter.com/Eu1SSPErl6</a>
— ThaiMythbuster (@thaimythbuster) <a href="https://twitter.com/thaimythbuster/status/1505999838185680897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The authorities have also registered a criminal case against Kotvitska for failing to declare the large sum of money, the reports said. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/any-compromises-to-be-agreed-with-russia-to-end-war-will-need-referendum-says-ukrainian-president-zelensky-464448" hreflang="en">Any compromises to be agreed with Russia to end war will need referendum, says Ukrainian President Zelensky</a>

Kotvitsky said his wife had left the country to give birth and denied reports that she was carrying huge amount of money, as per The Times report. &nbsp;

Before closing social media account, Kotvitsky said, “All my money is in Ukrainian banks, I did not take anything out.” &nbsp;&nbsp;

Kotvitska did not declare cash when she left Ukraine at the Vilok border crossing but the money was found at the entry in Hungary, Obozrevatel newspaper reported. She then declared that she brought the money into Hungary. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The development has raised several eyebrows and triggered angry reactions. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A Ukrainian politician’s wife has been caught in Hungary by authorities with $28 million and €1.3 million in cash stashed in suitcases, according to Ukrainian media outlets.

A Ukrainian politician’s wife has been caught in Hungary by authorities with $28 million and €1.3 million in cash stashed in suitcases, according to Ukrainian media outlets. The husband of the woman is former Ukrainian Member of Parliament Igor Kotvitsky. The 52-year-old politician was once one of the wealthiest MPs of the country. The woman, Anastasia Kotvitska, had taken the cash through a refugee border crossing into the European Union while fleeing the war-torn country. Also Read: Putin looking to use biological, chemical weapons in Ukraine, claims Biden A photograph of six suitcases, which were full of cash, has also been shared. The amount was declared by Hungarian authorities as per law. She knew precisely where to flee to. The wife of former Ukrainian MP Ihor Kotvitskyi declared 28 millionUSD and 1.3 million euros when entering Hungary. Kotvitskyi has faced allegations of corruption in the past. Confiscation of the money and redistribution would be a good start. pic.twitter.com/Eu1SSPErl6 — ThaiMythbuster (@thaimythbuster) March 21, 2022 × The authorities have also registered a criminal case against Kotvitska for failing to declare the large sum of money, the reports said. Also Read: Any compromises to be agreed with Russia to end war will need referendum, says Ukrainian President Zelensky Kotvitsky said his wife had left the country to give birth and denied reports that she was carrying huge amount of money, as per The Times report. Before closing social media account, Kotvitsky said, “All my money is in Ukrainian banks, I did not take anything out.” Kotvitska did not declare cash when she left Ukraine at the Vilok border crossing but the money was found at the entry in Hungary, Obozrevatel newspaper reported. She then declared that she brought the money into Hungary. The development has raised several eyebrows and triggered angry reactions. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukrainian politician’s wife nabbed with $28 mn, €1.3 mn cash stashed in suitcases in Hungary

Mickey Levy of the centrist Yesh Atid, the party led by coalition architect Yair Lapid, was on Sunday elected as the speaker of the 120-seat legislative body.&nbsp;

Levy, a legislator from Yair Lapid's centrist Yesh Atid party, has been voted as the new speaker of Israel's parliament on Sunday.&nbsp;

He received 67 votes and his rival, Shas lawmaker Yaakov Margi, got 52 votes.&nbsp;

Between 2013 and 2014, Mickey Levy was the Deputy Minister of Finance.

He was a police officer before entering politics.&nbsp;

Levy was born in Jerusalem, but his parents are from Cizire, Turkey, a Kurdish town.&nbsp;

In an old interview, Levy had stated that he is proud to be a Kurd and that his family arrived in what is now Israel long before Saladin Ayubi, the famed Muslim Kurdish commander.

According to his biography on the Parliament website, he also worked as a police attaché at the Israeli Embassy in Washington and then owned a bus company.

Mickey Levy of the centrist Yesh Atid, the party led by coalition architect Yair Lapid, was on Sunday elected as the speaker of the 120-seat legislative body. Levy, a legislator from Yair Lapid's centrist Yesh Atid party, has been voted as the new speaker of Israel's parliament on Sunday.

Mickey Levy of the centrist Yesh Atid, the party led by coalition architect Yair Lapid, was on Sunday elected as the speaker of the 120-seat legislative body. Levy, a legislator from Yair Lapid's centrist Yesh Atid party, has been voted as the new speaker of Israel's parliament on Sunday. He received 67 votes and his rival, Shas lawmaker Yaakov Margi, got 52 votes. Between 2013 and 2014, Mickey Levy was the Deputy Minister of Finance. He was a police officer before entering politics. Levy was born in Jerusalem, but his parents are from Cizire, Turkey, a Kurdish town. In an old interview, Levy had stated that he is proud to be a Kurd and that his family arrived in what is now Israel long before Saladin Ayubi, the famed Muslim Kurdish commander. According to his biography on the Parliament website, he also worked as a police attaché at the Israeli Embassy in Washington and then owned a bus company.

Israel's new speaker Mickey Levy: The police officer turned politician

Hinting at the possibility of Israel signing more peace accords with other nations, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, said, "There is a lot of talk about different countries. I would guesstimate Oman, who also has a young leader interested in peaceful relations with Israel."&nbsp;

Speaking at the WION Global summit in Dubai on Wednesday, she said there have been "incredible overtures" and "'under the radar cooperation'' in the context of normalisation with Indonesia, which has one of the largest Muslim population in the world. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The countries doing under the radar normalisation with Israel will be the countries who will be going for official normalisation in a year or so, according to the politician. "About 200 Israeli companies were trading with UAE under the radar for years before official normalisation of ties,” added Hassan-Nahoum.&nbsp;

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Speaking at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WIONGlobalSummit?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WIONGlobalSummit</a> in Dubai, Israeli politician <a href="https://twitter.com/FleurHassanN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FleurHassanN</a> shed light on what Abraham Accords meant for Israelis on the ground<a href="https://t.co/vHVsUAkxzx">https://t.co/vHVsUAkxzx</a>
— WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1374745318919712776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Israel also wants normalisation of ties with Saudi Arabia. "There is a desire to begin under the radar engagement with Saudi Arabia in the form of exchange in innovation through Bahrain," she revealed.&nbsp; 
The deputy mayor expressed hope that these initiatives will continue to accelerate and said Israel has always been ready for peace with all the neighbours, including Palestinians with open hands.&nbsp;

"Israel wants peace and is always ready to make painful compromises to get it. Every parent has to send their sons to army at the age of 18. I am sending my son in six months. No parent would want to if there is a choice." &nbsp;&nbsp;

According to Hassan-Nahoum, there is only one way forward, which is peace and co-existence. &nbsp;Israel looks to bring peace to the whole region and wants a peaceful Palestine, she added. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Hinting at the possibility of Israel signing more peace accords with other nations, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, said, "There is a lot of talk about different countries.

Hinting at the possibility of Israel signing more peace accords with other nations, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, said, "There is a lot of talk about different countries. I would guesstimate Oman, who also has a young leader interested in peaceful relations with Israel." Speaking at the WION Global summit in Dubai on Wednesday, she said there have been "incredible overtures" and "'under the radar cooperation'' in the context of normalisation with Indonesia, which has one of the largest Muslim population in the world. The countries doing under the radar normalisation with Israel will be the countries who will be going for official normalisation in a year or so, according to the politician. "About 200 Israeli companies were trading with UAE under the radar for years before official normalisation of ties,” added Hassan-Nahoum. Speaking at #WIONGlobalSummit in Dubai, Israeli politician @FleurHassanN shed light on what Abraham Accords meant for Israelis on the groundhttps://t.co/vHVsUAkxzx — WION (@WIONews) March 24, 2021 × Israel also wants normalisation of ties with Saudi Arabia. "There is a desire to begin under the radar engagement with Saudi Arabia in the form of exchange in innovation through Bahrain," she revealed. The deputy mayor expressed hope that these initiatives will continue to accelerate and said Israel has always been ready for peace with all the neighbours, including Palestinians with open hands. "Israel wants peace and is always ready to make painful compromises to get it. Every parent has to send their sons to army at the age of 18. I am sending my son in six months. No parent would want to if there is a choice." According to Hassan-Nahoum, there is only one way forward, which is peace and co-existence. Israel looks to bring peace to the whole region and wants a peaceful Palestine, she added.

Israeli politician hints at peace accords with Oman, Indonesia at WION Global Summit

High profile people who are in self-quarantine post coming in contact with singer Kanika Kapoor

A phone call on the afternoon of June 26, 2019, changed the life of Indian origin Australian Deepak Raj Gupta. Deepak was the runner-up in the 2016 Gungahlin constituency elections. After the winner, Meegan Fitzharris, who is also from the Labour Party resigned, Deepak was nominated to the Parliament.

Deepak created ripples across the India media when he took the oath of his office holding Bhagwat Gita in his hand. A soon as the video surfaced it went viral on the internet.&nbsp;

In an exclusive conversation with WION, Deepak mentions that he sought special permission from the Chief Justice for the same. In Australia, one can only take an oath in the assembly either in the name of the Queen or the Bible.

"Considering I am a Hindu and I come from India and also represent a lot of people in my constituency who are from the same sect. It was something unique as it had never happened before. Being a Hindu I thought it would be good if I could take oath on Bhagwat Gita. This is the reason the Chief Justice allowed me to take oath on Gita," Deepak added.

Brought up in a middle-class family in Chandigarh, Deepak used to wash cars and work in restaurants to supports his studies when he migrated to Australia in 1989; however, he was granted PR in the year 1991.

On being asked about the challenges for migrants, Indians in particular while moving to a different country; he said, "It is a struggle coming from your own country to a different country. I would advise people who are planning to shift anywhere in the world should first do their homework well about what they are going to face. As people may give you a rosy picture but it is not the same."

Deepak further added that it is hard to settle in a very different environment. One should have a proper skill set to settle in a different nation it would then be easy to find a job and work in a profession that one knows best.

"People with higher degrees come here and then they do not fit into the system and that becomes a cause of frustration for them," said Deepak.

However, the Indian origin MLA also believes that there are a lot of benefits for the country where people have migrated to. They bring in a lot of skills, their culture and heritage to the new country and they also contribute to the economy.

"I am proud to say that Indians in Australia is a very progressive community. They bring a lot of skills, they are a part of the economy they are part of the business system that is good for any country to have those skilled migrants," Deepak added.

At the same time, Deepak also mentioned that people should understand if they have come to a new country and they are calling it home then they will have to follow the rules of the land.

"You just can't say that this is my belief and I want you to change all the system for it. That is not possible," he concluded.

Deepak is an active leader of the Australian-Indian community, who also has awards like excellence in community service awards and Community Advocate Award by the Government of ACT in his kitty.

A phone call on the afternoon of June 26, 2019, changed the life of Indian origin Australian Deepak Raj Gupta. Deepak was the runner-up in the 2016 Gungahlin constituency elections.

A phone call on the afternoon of June 26, 2019, changed the life of Indian origin Australian Deepak Raj Gupta. Deepak was the runner-up in the 2016 Gungahlin constituency elections. After the winner, Meegan Fitzharris, who is also from the Labour Party resigned, Deepak was nominated to the Parliament. Deepak created ripples across the India media when he took the oath of his office holding Bhagwat Gita in his hand. A soon as the video surfaced it went viral on the internet. In an exclusive conversation with WION, Deepak mentions that he sought special permission from the Chief Justice for the same. In Australia, one can only take an oath in the assembly either in the name of the Queen or the Bible. "Considering I am a Hindu and I come from India and also represent a lot of people in my constituency who are from the same sect. It was something unique as it had never happened before. Being a Hindu I thought it would be good if I could take oath on Bhagwat Gita. This is the reason the Chief Justice allowed me to take oath on Gita," Deepak added. Brought up in a middle-class family in Chandigarh, Deepak used to wash cars and work in restaurants to supports his studies when he migrated to Australia in 1989; however, he was granted PR in the year 1991. On being asked about the challenges for migrants, Indians in particular while moving to a different country; he said, "It is a struggle coming from your own country to a different country. I would advise people who are planning to shift anywhere in the world should first do their homework well about what they are going to face. As people may give you a rosy picture but it is not the same." Deepak further added that it is hard to settle in a very different environment. One should have a proper skill set to settle in a different nation it would then be easy to find a job and work in a profession that one knows best. "People with higher degrees come here and then they do not fit into the system and that becomes a cause of frustration for them," said Deepak. However, the Indian origin MLA also believes that there are a lot of benefits for the country where people have migrated to. They bring in a lot of skills, their culture and heritage to the new country and they also contribute to the economy. "I am proud to say that Indians in Australia is a very progressive community. They bring a lot of skills, they are a part of the economy they are part of the business system that is good for any country to have those skilled migrants," Deepak added. At the same time, Deepak also mentioned that people should understand if they have come to a new country and they are calling it home then they will have to follow the rules of the land. "You just can't say that this is my belief and I want you to change all the system for it. That is not possible," he concluded. Deepak is an active leader of the Australian-Indian community, who also has awards like excellence in community service awards and Community Advocate Award by the Government of ACT in his kitty.

Once washed cars, India born Deepak Raj Gupta takes oath as MLA in Australia with Bhagwad Gita in hand

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order on a plea seeking annulment of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/devendra-fadnavis-birthday-maharashtra-chief-minister-office-team-donates-1-day-salary-to-chief-minister-relief-fund-237736">Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis</a>'s election to the state Assembly.

The plea alleged that Fadnavis had suppressed information about two pending criminal cases against him while filing nomination from Nagpur's South West Assembly constituency in 2009 and 2014.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose reserved the order after hearing arguments from the parties in the case.

The Bombay High Court had earlier dismissed the plea of one Satish Ukey seeking annulment of Fadanavis's election. Ukey later approached the apex court challenging the high court order.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order on a plea seeking annulment of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's election to the state Assembly. The plea alleged that Fadnavis had suppressed information about two pending criminal cases against him while filing nomination from Nagpur's South West Assembly constituency in 2009 and 2014.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order on a plea seeking annulment of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's election to the state Assembly. The plea alleged that Fadnavis had suppressed information about two pending criminal cases against him while filing nomination from Nagpur's South West Assembly constituency in 2009 and 2014. A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose reserved the order after hearing arguments from the parties in the case. The Bombay High Court had earlier dismissed the plea of one Satish Ukey seeking annulment of Fadanavis's election. Ukey later approached the apex court challenging the high court order.

Supreme Court reserves order on plea against Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis

Though the prosecution "tried", it failed to prove any "politician-police" nexus in the alleged fake <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sohrabuddin-sheikh-fake-encounter-case-proof-not-satisfactory-says-cbi-court-all-22-accused-acquitted-185624">encounter case of Sohrabuddin Shaikh</a>, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Tulsiram Prajapati, a special CBI court had said while acquitting all the 22 accused on December 21.

Special CBI Judge S J Sharma had acquitted all the accused due to insufficient evidence while expressing sorrow over the loss of three lives.

"I have no hesitation to conclude that the evidence which has been laid and adduced and discussed and appreciated vividly, though the prosecution has tried, it failed to prove any politician-police nexus," he said.

The remarks were part of the 358-page judgement. Copy of the full judgement was only made available on Monday.

The court stated that the CBI probed the alleged fake encounter killings with a 'pre-conceived and premeditated' theory to implicate political leaders. 
Of the 22 accused who were acquitted, 21 were junior-level police officials from Gujarat and Rajasthan police.

The court has noted in its judgement that it was incumbent on part of the prosecution to procure sanction from appropriate authority to prosecute the 21 accused as they were all government servants.

"The 21 accused were certainly acting in the discharge of their official duties. The 21 accused were doubtlessly public servants when the alleged offence is alleged to have been committed," the judgement said."

In such circumstances, it was necessary for the investigation agency to obtain the sanction of competent authority before filing charge sheet. In absence of the sanction, the accused are entitled for acquittal," the court said.

According to the CBI, the police officials were part of teams which abducted and killed Shaikh, his wife and Prajapati in staged encounters.

The court said there was nothing to show that service weapons of the accused policemen were used in the killings.

The three victims who were returning to Sangli in Maharashtra from Hyderabad in a bus were taken into custody by a police team on the intervening night of November 22-23, 2005. The couple was taken in one vehicle and Prajapati in another.

The CBI had said Shaikh was killed on November 26, 2005, allegedly by a joint team of Gujarat and Rajasthan police, and Kausar Bi three days later. 
Prajapati, who was lodged in Udaipur Central Jail, was killed in an encounter on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border on December 27, 2006, the investigation agency had alleged.

The court also noted that the prosecution had failed to prove that Prajapati was killed in a fake and staged encounter.

"No doubt that Tulsiram Prajapati suffered a homicidal death," the court said.

It added that statements of witnesses on Prajapati escaping from the custody of Rajasthan police in December 2006 appeared "cogent and convincing". 
The court noted the evidence showed that there was an incident of cross firing between Prajapati and a police team.

The CBI had charged 38 persons, including BJP chief Amit Shah, who was the then Gujarat home minister, Gulabchand Kataria, the then Rajasthan home minister, and senior IPS officers like D G Vanzara and P C Pande in the case.

The prosecution examined 210 witnesses, of which 92 turned hostile.

Shah was arrested in the case in July 2010, but released on bail by the Gujarat High Court in October that year. He was discharged by the CBI court in December 2014.

The December 21 verdict was Judge Sharma's last judgement of his career. He is set to retire on December 31.

Though the prosecution "tried", it failed to prove any "politician-police" nexus in the alleged fake encounter case of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Tulsiram Prajapati, a special CBI court had said while acquitting all the 22 accused on December 21.

Though the prosecution "tried", it failed to prove any "politician-police" nexus in the alleged fake encounter case of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Tulsiram Prajapati, a special CBI court had said while acquitting all the 22 accused on December 21. Special CBI Judge S J Sharma had acquitted all the accused due to insufficient evidence while expressing sorrow over the loss of three lives. "I have no hesitation to conclude that the evidence which has been laid and adduced and discussed and appreciated vividly, though the prosecution has tried, it failed to prove any politician-police nexus," he said. The remarks were part of the 358-page judgement. Copy of the full judgement was only made available on Monday. The court stated that the CBI probed the alleged fake encounter killings with a 'pre-conceived and premeditated' theory to implicate political leaders. Of the 22 accused who were acquitted, 21 were junior-level police officials from Gujarat and Rajasthan police. The court has noted in its judgement that it was incumbent on part of the prosecution to procure sanction from appropriate authority to prosecute the 21 accused as they were all government servants. "The 21 accused were certainly acting in the discharge of their official duties. The 21 accused were doubtlessly public servants when the alleged offence is alleged to have been committed," the judgement said." In such circumstances, it was necessary for the investigation agency to obtain the sanction of competent authority before filing charge sheet. In absence of the sanction, the accused are entitled for acquittal," the court said. According to the CBI, the police officials were part of teams which abducted and killed Shaikh, his wife and Prajapati in staged encounters. The court said there was nothing to show that service weapons of the accused policemen were used in the killings. The three victims who were returning to Sangli in Maharashtra from Hyderabad in a bus were taken into custody by a police team on the intervening night of November 22-23, 2005. The couple was taken in one vehicle and Prajapati in another. The CBI had said Shaikh was killed on November 26, 2005, allegedly by a joint team of Gujarat and Rajasthan police, and Kausar Bi three days later. Prajapati, who was lodged in Udaipur Central Jail, was killed in an encounter on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border on December 27, 2006, the investigation agency had alleged. The court also noted that the prosecution had failed to prove that Prajapati was killed in a fake and staged encounter. "No doubt that Tulsiram Prajapati suffered a homicidal death," the court said. It added that statements of witnesses on Prajapati escaping from the custody of Rajasthan police in December 2006 appeared "cogent and convincing". The court noted the evidence showed that there was an incident of cross firing between Prajapati and a police team. The CBI had charged 38 persons, including BJP chief Amit Shah, who was the then Gujarat home minister, Gulabchand Kataria, the then Rajasthan home minister, and senior IPS officers like D G Vanzara and P C Pande in the case. The prosecution examined 210 witnesses, of which 92 turned hostile. Shah was arrested in the case in July 2010, but released on bail by the Gujarat High Court in October that year. He was discharged by the CBI court in December 2014. The December 21 verdict was Judge Sharma's last judgement of his career. He is set to retire on December 31.

Sohrabuddin case: Court says prosecution failed to prove politician-police nexus

Pakistan&#39;s former cricketer and politician&nbsp;Imran Khan celebrates his pre-arrest bail approved by an Anti-Terrorism Court Tuesday.&nbsp;

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan took to Twitter to announce Pakistan&#39;s Supreme Court&#39;s decision.&nbsp;

In a Bollywood style, Imran Khan used Shah Rukh Khan&#39;s dialogue from the movie &quot;My Name is Khan&quot; that released in 2010 and said, &quot;My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist&quot; and also added, &quot;SC has pronounced me Sadiq and Ameen and I am coming after them crooks!&quot;

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My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist. Moreover, the SC has pronounced me Sadiq and Ameen and I am coming after them crooks!
&mdash; Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/948142557829230592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The&nbsp;Anti-Terrorism Court approved on Tuesday, Imran Khan&#39;s pre-arrest bail pleas regarding four cases pertaining to violence during the 2014 sit-in.

Khan has been accused in four cases, including that of the&nbsp;attack on the state television building, Parliament and the then Islamabad SSP Operations Asmatullah Junejo.

Khan took to Twitter to announce Supreme Court's approval of his pre-arrest bail

Pakistan's former cricketer and politician Imran Khan celebrates his pre-arrest bail approved by an Anti-Terrorism Court Tuesday. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan took to Twitter to announce Pakistan's Supreme Court's decision. In a Bollywood style, Imran Khan used Shah Rukh Khan's dialogue from the movie "My Name is Khan" that released in 2010 and said, "My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist" and also added, "SC has pronounced me Sadiq and Ameen and I am coming after them crooks!" My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist. Moreover, the SC has pronounced me Sadiq and Ameen and I am coming after them crooks! — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 2, 2018 × The Anti-Terrorism Court approved on Tuesday, Imran Khan's pre-arrest bail pleas regarding four cases pertaining to violence during the 2014 sit-in. Khan has been accused in four cases, including that of the attack on the state television building, Parliament and the then Islamabad SSP Operations Asmatullah Junejo.

Pakistan's Imran Khan channels SRK, says 'My Name is Khan and I Am Not A Terrorist'

Grace is the word for Sonia Gandhi. Good or bad, in&nbsp;success or in failure, Sonia Gandhi would be remembered as a graceful politician. A person who guarded her privacy with fierce intensity and also worked tirelessly to ensure that the role of Nehru-Gandhi family remains intact within the Congress and in public memory. She implemented seminal legislations like MNREGA, Right to Information and food which catered to the poorest and empowered the middle class. On the other hand, she willingly accommodated all the little dynasties within and outside her party like a social network, meshing political with personal.

Her approach towards secularism and economy remained Nehruvian but still allowed Manmohan Singh to go ahead with radical steps like Nuclear deal with America where Congress had to work hard to ensure that the government doesn&rsquo;t fall. She balanced her social commitment with a neo-liberal economic approach of Manmohan Singh who opened Indian economy to the world.

The beauty of Sonia Gandhi lies in her contradictions which she wore very gracefully. After taking over the reign of the Congress&nbsp;she behaved like dowagers, ensuring that top position remains warm for her son Rahul. It did not mean that she did not accommodate the others. She did. Not only she shared power unlike Indira Gandhi but also allowed them to exercise it. The best example is her Political Secretary Ahmad Patel who virtually ran the party for her.

She remained committed to environmental causes like Indira Gandhi. Her focus remained on poor, marginal labourer, farmers and tribals. Many laws enacted during her tenure earned her the wrath of the powerful industrial lobby which eventually sided with Narendra Modi. She almost got labelled as anti-industry and Manmohan Singh had to face the brunt of it. In fact, the downside of her legacy is the institution of the Prime Minister got weak in her tenure. The emergence and assertion of Rahul Gandhi and her own National Advisory Council became the tool by the Opposition to ram Manmohan Singh as an ineffective politician. No one tried to break this image which ultimately harmed Gandhi&rsquo;s more than Manmohan Singh.

It still remains a mystery as to how she allowed Congress to commit hara-kiri by mishandling Telangana issue. Today Congress remains pariah in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The burden of carrying Raja into the ministry despite Manmohan Singh will fall on Sonia&rsquo;s shoulder and not on Manmohan Singh. She was consensus maker but failed to understand the power of d&eacute;tente when the face of the enemy changed. She brought Congress to power twice but failed to build the party apparatus which got tuned to riding to power on sympathy surge.

At a personal level, Sonia&rsquo;s cold fury would be missed by many. It remained her style.

Another of her big achievement was that she ended the isolation of the Congress Party. She broke the paradigm of the 70s. She understood that Congress will not be able to match BJP&rsquo;s Hindutva either in soft or hard form, therefore, she built alliances with regional parties who also felt threatened.

She builds bridges across parties including DMK, which allowed her to form the first Congress government after 1996. She managed a galaxy of leaders like Pranab Mukherji to Natwar Singh to Madhav Rao Scindhia to Sharad Pawar during her tenure. Later the very gravitas at the top and inherited squabble between them damaged the Congress. Sonia failed to control them.

She also failed to see the hardening of the Hindu sentiment against the Congress and the cultured surrounding of Sonia came to be perceived as elitist. Perhaps her political nuance became dated. Modi was an outsider and she immediately became a quintessential insider.

She also belonged to a different era. Even today, she does not have a twitter account nor she is on Facebook. Despite being in public, Sonia Gandhi&rsquo;s influence on 10 years of UPA continues to remain hidden. Most of her correspondence with important functionaries are in public domain. It would be of great interest how she shaped policy in conversations. But all said and done, in her beauty and ugliness, in her great achievement and failure, she remained a graceful politician. Grace defines her.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

She also belonged to a different era. Even today, she does not have a twitter account or Facebook account. Good or bad, in success or in failure, Sonia Gandhi would be remembered as a graceful politician

Grace is the word for Sonia Gandhi. Good or bad, in success or in failure, Sonia Gandhi would be remembered as a graceful politician. A person who guarded her privacy with fierce intensity and also worked tirelessly to ensure that the role of Nehru-Gandhi family remains intact within the Congress and in public memory. She implemented seminal legislations like MNREGA, Right to Information and food which catered to the poorest and empowered the middle class. On the other hand, she willingly accommodated all the little dynasties within and outside her party like a social network, meshing political with personal. Her approach towards secularism and economy remained Nehruvian but still allowed Manmohan Singh to go ahead with radical steps like Nuclear deal with America where Congress had to work hard to ensure that the government doesn’t fall. She balanced her social commitment with a neo-liberal economic approach of Manmohan Singh who opened Indian economy to the world. The beauty of Sonia Gandhi lies in her contradictions which she wore very gracefully. After taking over the reign of the Congress she behaved like dowagers, ensuring that top position remains warm for her son Rahul. It did not mean that she did not accommodate the others. She did. Not only she shared power unlike Indira Gandhi but also allowed them to exercise it. The best example is her Political Secretary Ahmad Patel who virtually ran the party for her. She remained committed to environmental causes like Indira Gandhi. Her focus remained on poor, marginal labourer, farmers and tribals. Many laws enacted during her tenure earned her the wrath of the powerful industrial lobby which eventually sided with Narendra Modi. She almost got labelled as anti-industry and Manmohan Singh had to face the brunt of it. In fact, the downside of her legacy is the institution of the Prime Minister got weak in her tenure. The emergence and assertion of Rahul Gandhi and her own National Advisory Council became the tool by the Opposition to ram Manmohan Singh as an ineffective politician. No one tried to break this image which ultimately harmed Gandhi’s more than Manmohan Singh. It still remains a mystery as to how she allowed Congress to commit hara-kiri by mishandling Telangana issue. Today Congress remains pariah in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The burden of carrying Raja into the ministry despite Manmohan Singh will fall on Sonia’s shoulder and not on Manmohan Singh. She was consensus maker but failed to understand the power of détente when the face of the enemy changed. She brought Congress to power twice but failed to build the party apparatus which got tuned to riding to power on sympathy surge. At a personal level, Sonia’s cold fury would be missed by many. It remained her style. Another of her big achievement was that she ended the isolation of the Congress Party. She broke the paradigm of the 70s. She understood that Congress will not be able to match BJP’s Hindutva either in soft or hard form, therefore, she built alliances with regional parties who also felt threatened. She builds bridges across parties including DMK, which allowed her to form the first Congress government after 1996. She managed a galaxy of leaders like Pranab Mukherji to Natwar Singh to Madhav Rao Scindhia to Sharad Pawar during her tenure. Later the very gravitas at the top and inherited squabble between them damaged the Congress. Sonia failed to control them. She also failed to see the hardening of the Hindu sentiment against the Congress and the cultured surrounding of Sonia came to be perceived as elitist. Perhaps her political nuance became dated. Modi was an outsider and she immediately became a quintessential insider. She also belonged to a different era. Even today, she does not have a twitter account nor she is on Facebook. Despite being in public, Sonia Gandhi’s influence on 10 years of UPA continues to remain hidden. Most of her correspondence with important functionaries are in public domain. It would be of great interest how she shaped policy in conversations. But all said and done, in her beauty and ugliness, in her great achievement and failure, she remained a graceful politician. Grace defines her. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: An era ends, Sonia Gandhi, a graceful politician

A Bangladeshi politician spoke on Tuesday of his horror to learn that his son was among the suspects who murdered foreigners at a Dhaka cafe, and said many educated young men from wealthy families were going missing. 
 
Imtiaz Khan Babul said his 22-year-old son Rohan Imtiaz, who was killed when commandos stormed the cafe on Saturday, had been a top-scoring student whose behaviour gave no hint he was radicalised before he disappeared last December. 
 
&quot;I was stunned and speechless to learn that my son had done such a heinous thing,&quot; Babul told AFP. 
 
&quot;I don`t know what changed him. There was nothing that would suggest that he was getting radicalised. He hardly read any religious books.&quot; 
 
Babul, an official with the ruling Awami League party, said had not seen his son since December when he was travelling with his wife to India, leaving the couple&#39;s three children in Dhaka. 
 
In the months that followed Rohan&#39;s disappearance, Babul lobbied senior party officials to help find his only son and even scoured the city&#39;s morgues. As he searched, he met other families who had suffered the same fate. 
 
&quot;I met so many parents whose boys had gone missing,&quot; he said. &quot;Even yesterday, one of them was saying that I was lucky that I got the body of my boy. Some of them are not so lucky.&quot; 
 
Babul said he believed his son may have been &quot;brainwashed&quot; on the Internet. 
 
Bangladesh&#39;s home minister has said the men behind Friday night&#39;s attack at an upmarket cafe, in which 20 hostages were killed, were highly educated and from wealthy families. 
 
Security forces shot dead six men when they stormed the cafe, bringing the all-night siege to an end, while one suspected attacker was taken alive and is being questioned. 
 
Police initially identified all six as suspected attackers, but on Tuesday they said they were looking into whether one was a kitchen worker being held hostage. 
 
Relatives of Saiful Islam Chowkider raised the alarm after recognising the 39-year-old among the pictures of suspected attackers that police released after the siege. 
 
&quot;We protested. We said he was never a militant. He was hardworking man and one of the best pizza and pasta makers in Bangladesh,&quot; Chowkider&#39;s cousin Solaiman told AFP. 
 
&quot;We went to the military, but they would not hand over the body, they said he was a suspect.&quot; 
 
Witnesses say the perpetrators of the attack, which the Islamic State group has claimed, spared the lives of Muslims. 
 
The mostly foreign victims included nine Italians, seven Japanese, a US citizen and a 19-year-old Indian student. Bangladesh&#39;s foreign minister met diplomats on Tuesday following the attack, the worst by far targeting the international community in Dhaka. 
 
Hundreds of foreign firms operate out of Bangladesh and its clothes manufacturing industry is the lifeblood of the economy, accounting for more than 80 per cent of exports.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve raised our worries during the meeting. We discussed how to deal with the situation and ensure security for the diplomatic community and the foreign community here,&quot; one foreign diplomat told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. 
 
The diplomat said they also discussed foreign cooperation in the fight against Islamist extremism in Bangladesh. 
 
The government says homegrown extremists are responsible for the deaths of some 80 secular activists, foreigners and religious minorities murdered over the last three years. 
 
It has repeatedly denied international jihadist networks have a presence in the country, even though IS and a South Asian branch of Al-Qaeda have claimed a number of attacks. 
 
The government has said all the suspected attackers were members of the Jamaeytul Mujahdeen Bangladesh (JMB), a banned local Islamist group. 
 
Among them were a graduate of Bangladesh&#39;s leading private university and an 18-year-old student at an elite school. 
 
Another was a former madrasa student from the northern district of Bogra, which is seen as a hotbed of Islamist radicalism. 
 
Police on Tuesday identified a fifth attacker as Shafiqul Islam Uzzal, a 26-year-old from Bogra who had been working as a kindergarten teacher in Dhaka. 
 
Earlier, the bodies of the Japanese victims arrived on a government plane in Tokyo. All seven had worked with the government-run Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Bangladesh. 
 
Authorities said a plane carrying the bodies of the nine Italian victims had flown out of Dhaka early on Tuesday, while the body of the Indian victim was repatriated on Monday. 
 
(AFP)

Imtiaz Khan Babul added that many educated young men from wealthy families are going 'missing'

A Bangladeshi politician spoke on Tuesday of his horror to learn that his son was among the suspects who murdered foreigners at a Dhaka cafe, and said many educated young men from wealthy families were going missing. Imtiaz Khan Babul said his 22-year-old son Rohan Imtiaz, who was killed when commandos stormed the cafe on Saturday, had been a top-scoring student whose behaviour gave no hint he was radicalised before he disappeared last December. "I was stunned and speechless to learn that my son had done such a heinous thing," Babul told AFP. "I don`t know what changed him. There was nothing that would suggest that he was getting radicalised. He hardly read any religious books." Babul, an official with the ruling Awami League party, said had not seen his son since December when he was travelling with his wife to India, leaving the couple's three children in Dhaka. In the months that followed Rohan's disappearance, Babul lobbied senior party officials to help find his only son and even scoured the city's morgues. As he searched, he met other families who had suffered the same fate. "I met so many parents whose boys had gone missing," he said. "Even yesterday, one of them was saying that I was lucky that I got the body of my boy. Some of them are not so lucky." Babul said he believed his son may have been "brainwashed" on the Internet. Bangladesh's home minister has said the men behind Friday night's attack at an upmarket cafe, in which 20 hostages were killed, were highly educated and from wealthy families. Security forces shot dead six men when they stormed the cafe, bringing the all-night siege to an end, while one suspected attacker was taken alive and is being questioned. Police initially identified all six as suspected attackers, but on Tuesday they said they were looking into whether one was a kitchen worker being held hostage. Relatives of Saiful Islam Chowkider raised the alarm after recognising the 39-year-old among the pictures of suspected attackers that police released after the siege. "We protested. We said he was never a militant. He was hardworking man and one of the best pizza and pasta makers in Bangladesh," Chowkider's cousin Solaiman told AFP. "We went to the military, but they would not hand over the body, they said he was a suspect." Witnesses say the perpetrators of the attack, which the Islamic State group has claimed, spared the lives of Muslims. The mostly foreign victims included nine Italians, seven Japanese, a US citizen and a 19-year-old Indian student. Bangladesh's foreign minister met diplomats on Tuesday following the attack, the worst by far targeting the international community in Dhaka. Hundreds of foreign firms operate out of Bangladesh and its clothes manufacturing industry is the lifeblood of the economy, accounting for more than 80 per cent of exports. "We've raised our worries during the meeting. We discussed how to deal with the situation and ensure security for the diplomatic community and the foreign community here," one foreign diplomat told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. The diplomat said they also discussed foreign cooperation in the fight against Islamist extremism in Bangladesh. The government says homegrown extremists are responsible for the deaths of some 80 secular activists, foreigners and religious minorities murdered over the last three years. It has repeatedly denied international jihadist networks have a presence in the country, even though IS and a South Asian branch of Al-Qaeda have claimed a number of attacks. The government has said all the suspected attackers were members of the Jamaeytul Mujahdeen Bangladesh (JMB), a banned local Islamist group. Among them were a graduate of Bangladesh's leading private university and an 18-year-old student at an elite school. Another was a former madrasa student from the northern district of Bogra, which is seen as a hotbed of Islamist radicalism. Police on Tuesday identified a fifth attacker as Shafiqul Islam Uzzal, a 26-year-old from Bogra who had been working as a kindergarten teacher in Dhaka. Earlier, the bodies of the Japanese victims arrived on a government plane in Tokyo. All seven had worked with the government-run Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Bangladesh. Authorities said a plane carrying the bodies of the nine Italian victims had flown out of Dhaka early on Tuesday, while the body of the Indian victim was repatriated on Monday. (AFP)

'I was stunned and speechless,' says politician whose son took part in attack

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