Rahul Shivshankar resigns as Editor-in-Chief of Times Now
Rahul Shivshankar, the Editor-in-Chief of Times Now, has surprised the media industry with his sudden resignation from the news channel. On Tuesday, June 20, Shivshankar took everyone aback by quitting all the WhatsApp groups of Times Now, including the crucial editorial group, without any prior announcement, a report published on The News Minute stated.
The News Minute quoted reliable sources familiar with the matter that discussions about a potential leadership change at Times Now had been underway for some time. The channel's top management had been engaged in conversations with Rahul Shivshankar regarding his future role.
The report further added that according to reliable insiders at Times Now, it has been confirmed that Wednesday, June 21 will mark his final day at the office.
Shivshankar's association with Times Now traces back to its inception in 2005 when he joined the channel. However, he temporarily departed from the group from 2013 to 2016, during which he served as the Editor-in-Chief of News X. Following the departure of journalist Arnab Goswami from Times Now in 2016, Shivshankar returned to the channel and was appointed as the Editor-in-Chief.
With his unexpected departure, speculations are arising about Shivshankar's future plans and the underlying reasons behind his decision to leave.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismisses defence minister in surprise announcement
Jerusalem, Nov 5: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday dismissed his popular defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in a surprise announcement that came as the country is embroiled in wars on multiple fronts across the region.
Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds over the war in Gaza. But Netanyahu had avoided firing his rival. Netanyahu cited “significant gaps” and a “crisis of trust” between the men in his Tuesday evening announcement.
“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defence minister,” Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defence minister.”
In the early days of the war, Israel's leadership presented a unified front as it responded to Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack. But as the war dragged on and spread to Lebanon, key policy differences have emerged. While Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant had taken a more pragmatic approach, saying that military force has created the necessary conditions for a diplomatic deal that could bring home hostages held by the Hamas group.
Gallant, a former general who has gained public respect with a gruff, no-nonsense personality, said in a statement: “The security of the state of Israel always was, and will always remain, my life's mission."
Gallant has worn a simple, black buttoned shirt throughout the war in a sign of sorrow over the October 7 attack and developed a strong relationship with his US counterpart, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
A previous attempt by Netanyahu to fire Gallant in March 2023 sparked widespread street protests against Netanyahu. He also flirted with the idea of dismissing Gallant over the summer but held off until Tuesday's announcement.
Gallant will be replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, a Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister who was a junior officer in the military. Gideon Saar, a former Netanyahu rival who recently rejoined the government, will take the foreign affairs post.
Netanyahu has a long history of neutralising his rivals. In his statement, he claimed he had made “many attempts” to bridge the gaps with Gallant.
“But they kept getting wider. They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy - our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it,” he said.
