NEWSMAKERS OF THE WEEK
BORIS JOHNSON, A CHEERLEADER FOR BRITAIN’S EXIT FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION, RESIGNED, ADDING TO THE CRISIS OVER BREXIT. IT ALSO PUTS A QUESTION MARK ON PRIME MINISTER THERESA MAY'S LEADERSHIP, WHERE SHE MAY HAVE TO QUIT HERSELF.
BORIS JOHNSON
Foreign secretary Boris Johnson resigned, hours after Brexit minister David Davis quit, amid a growing political crisis over the UK’s strategy to leave the European Union. Mr Johnson, the poster boy in the Cabinet for pro- Brexit ministers, did not arrive at the Foreign Office near Downing Street on Monday morning. In private, Johnson had reportedly criticised May’s plan for retaining strong economic ties to the EU even after Brexit, referring to the plan as ‘ polishing a turd’. His replacement will be announced shortly.
MICHAEL ONDAATJE
Sri Lanka- born Canadian literary icon Michael Ondaatje's ‘ The English Patient’ has won the special one- off Golden Man Booker Prize to mark the 50th anniversary of the prestigious literary award. ‘ The English Patient’ is a tale of love and conflict during World War II. “Not for a second do I believe this is the best book on the list or any other list that could have been put together of Booker novels,” Ondaatje said at the awards ceremony at London's Southbank.
DADA J. P. VASWANI
Spiritual leader Dada J. P. Vaswani, passed away on Thursday in Pune ahead of his 100th birthday. He was born in 1918 in Pakistan’s Hyderabad city in a Sindhi family. He was a promoter of vegetarianism, protector of animal rights, humanitarian, philosopher, educator, orator and nonsectarian spiritual leader. His thesis ‘ The scattering of XRays by Solids’ was examined by Nobel laureate C. V. Raman.
KATHI MAHESH
Tollywood actor and film critic Kathi Mahesh has been externed from Hyderabad for six months for his remarks on Lord Rama and Sita during a debate on a local Telugu news channnel. Writing on his media handle he said, “Unfortunately the state has overruled the Constitution. Both the judgement and punishment is delivered and implemented without deliberation or defence. Again an outcaste is exiled. Once again it is proved that all may be equal before law, but not before a feudal state.” He is presently in AP.
SHASHI THAROOR
Defending his “Hindu Pakistan” remarks, former Union minister and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor asserted on Thursday that the BJPRSS idea of a “Hindu rashtra” was the “mirror image of Pakistan,” as the Congress asked its leaders to choose their words carefully. A livid BJP asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi to apologise over his colleague’s remarks that it said were an “attack on Indian democracy and Hindus”.