The Simons Foundation recently named its group of investigators for mathematics and physical sciences, with three Indian Americans among the 16-member list. Among the group were Surjeet Rajendran, L. Mahadevan and Amit Sahai. Rajendran graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 2004 with a degree in mathematics and subsequently pursued a Ph.D. in physics from Stanford University, graduating in 2009. Mahadevan, of Harvard University, was named in theoretical physics and life sciences. Sahai, of UCLA, was named in theoretical computer science.
Each year, the Simons Foundation seeks nominations from a targeted list of institutions in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland for the Simons Investigator programs.
Japan ‘names and shames’ quarantine rule-breakers
Japan has carried out a threat to publicly shame people not complying with coronavirus border control measures, releasing the names of three people who broke quarantine rules after returning from overseas. The health ministry said that the three Japanese nationals named had clearly acted to avoid contact with authorities after recently returning from abroad. The announcement, the first of its kind, sparked a flurry of speculation among Twitter users about the details of those identified, such as their jobs and locations. Japan is asking all travellers from overseas, including its own citizens, to self-quarantine for two weeks, during which they were asked to use a location tracking phone app.
Flyer taped to seat for unruly behaviour
A Frontier Airlines passenger assaulted three flight attendants, punching one and groping the breasts of two others, on a weekend flight from Philadelphia to Miami, prompting one crew member to tape him to his seat until the plane landed, the authorities said. Part of the altercation was caught on video by other passengers, who jeered as the man was restrained for the remainder of the 2 hours and 37 minutes flight. Frontier Airlines said in an initial statement that the flight attendants would be “relieved of flying” while it investigated, which drew a sharp criticism. Later, the airline said that paid leave was in line with “an event of this nature.” In one video, the man, who police said had been drinking, cursed at other flyers and at the crew. The police identified him as Maxwell Berry, 22, of Ohio, and has been charged with 3 misdemeanor counts of battery.
2 Myanmar men held in US for plot to kill UN envoy
Two Myanmar citizens have been arrested in New York state for plotting with an arms dealer in Thailand - who sells weapons to the Myanmar military - to kill or injure Myanmar’s ambassador to the UN, US authorities said. Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, who represents Myanmar’s elected civilian government, was fired by the junta in February. He remains the country’s envoy because the UN has not acknowledged the junta. According to court documents, the arms dealer hired Phyo Hein Htut, 28, and Ye Hein Zaw, 20, to hurt Kyaw Moe to try to force him to step down. If that didn’t work, the ambassador was to be killed, authorities said. If convicted, Htut and Zaw could each serve up to five years in prison.
2 rockets from Lebanon hit Israel, drawing retaliation
Two rockets launched from Lebanon struck Israel, which responded with artillery fire, amid heightened regional tensions over an alleged Iranian attack on an oil tanker in the Gulf last week. Israel’s Magen David Adom national ambulance service said there were no casualties on the Israeli side of the frontier, where the rockets ignited a brush fire. There was no claim of responsibility for the rocket strike, launched from an area of south Lebanon under the sway of Iranian- backed Hezbollah guerrillas. In a statement, Israel’s military said three rockets were launched from Lebanon, with one falling short of the Israeli border and the others striking inside Israel. Witnesses in Lebanon also reported that several rockets were fired at Israel. “In response, (Israeli) artillery forces attacked Lebanese territory,” the military said. Some two hours after the initial shelling, the military said its artillery had fired again at targets, which it did not identify, along the frontier.
4 officers who responded to Capitol attack die by suicide
The district of Columbia’s police said two more police officers who responded to the January 6 riot at the US Capitol have died by suicide, bringing to four the number of known suicides by officers who guarded the building that day. Metropolitan police officer Gunther Hashida was found dead in his home last week. Another MPD officer, Kyle DeFreytag, was found dead on July 10. DeFreytag’s cause of death was also suicide. MPD officer Jeffrey Smith and Capitol police officer Howard Liebengood also later died by suicide. Hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the building on January 6 to stop Congress from certifying President Biden’s poll win. During emotional testimony last week, four police officers told a House of Representatives special committee that they were beaten, threatened, taunted with racial insults, and thought they might die as they struggled to defend against the mob.
Trump contests order to turn over tax returns
Former President Trump challenged in court last week’s US justice department order to turn his tax returns over to a House of Representatives committee, part of his long campaign to keep details of his wealth secret. In a filing in federal court in the District of Columbia, Trump’s lawyers said the House Ways and Means Committee lacks a legitimate basis for seeking his tax returns, and that the justice department erred when it backed the committee’s request. The department, reversing course from the stance it took when Trump was in office, last week told the Internal Revenue Service to provide Trump’s tax records to congressional investigators. Trump was the first president in 40 years to not release his tax returns. The Democratic-led Ways and Means Committee has said it wants the tax data to determine whether the IRS is properly auditing presidential tax returns in general and to assess whether new legislation is needed. Trump's lawyers called that a “pretextual” rationalization.
Mandela’s Jozi home being turned into luxury hotel
The once-glamorous but later abandoned home of Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg is getting a major makeover. To be renamed the Sanctuary Mandela, the house located in Houghton, a suburb of Johannesburg (Jozi), the house will from this August be accessed by the public as a residential space and not a museum as has been the case. The Nelson Mandela Foundation and Motsamayi Tourism Group will see the Mandela home is transformed into a luxury tourist hotel. The Sanctuary Mandela Hotel is expected to be a destination with a personal connection to the private life of Mandela. The house was abandoned by Mandela’s three grandchildren, sons to the late Makgatho Mandela, a son by his first wife Evelyne. They lived here until 2020, and left following family wrangles. The once-glamorous premises remained unattended since then.
Hijack bid onboard ship in Gulf of Oman ends
A British maritime security agency has said the the boarders of a vessel off the coast of the United Arab Emirates’ Fujairah region in the Gulf of Oman have left, and an incident that was initially regarded as a “potential hijack” was now over. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on its Twitter account that the vessel was “safe” and the “incident complete”, without providing further detail. The bitumen tanker was seized recently heading into the congested approach to the Strait of Hormuz. It is not clear who seized the ship, but analysts suspected Iranian forces. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards dismissed the reports as a pretext for “hostile action” against Tehran. The men who boarded the MV Asphalt Princess were reportedly armed and are said to have ordered it to sail to Iran.
Tanzania's defense Minister dies
Tanzanian's Defense and National Service Minister Elias Kwandikwa, died last week in Dar Es Salaam, the office of the President confirmed. “We have lost an important person whose contribution to the public service will not be forgotten. He was a strong leader who was implementing his duties in accordance with the law and regulations,” the presidency said in a statement. Tanzania government did not indicate the cause of his death. Kwandikwa, 55, becomes the first high-ranking government official to die after the death of the country's strongman John Pombe Magufuli. Before his death, Kwandikwa was leading a truce, especially along their border with Mozambique where the fight against insurgency is ongoing. Kwandikwa, who was a member of parliament for the Ushetu constituency in the impoverished Shinyanga region, was born on July 1, 1966. He had also worked as deputy minister of works, transport and communications since October 2017.
South Africa’s illegal rhino killings on the rise
At least 249 rhinos were killed the first six months of this year in South Africa, partly pushed by the easing of lockdown curbs that increased movement of poachers, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment said in a statement. South Africa is home to nearly 80 per cent of the world's rhinos but their horns are prized in traditional medicine in Asia, and poachers have continued to mount an onslaught on the species. The figure represents 83 more rhino killings compared with the same period in 2020. The bulk of the slaughter happened at the famed Kruger National Park where 132 rhinos were killed. The ministry said it was monitoring the increased pressure seen on private rhino reserves as they play a significant role in rhino protection. The trade is lucrative and thousands of rhinos have been poached in South Africa over the past decade.
Greece wildfires: more than 2,000 evacuated
More than 2,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in Greece as firefighters struggle to contain the days old wildfires. Houses and power lines have also been destroyed. While the fire on Evia is the most severe, dozens of smaller blazes are burning around the country. The fires broke out after the most severe heatwave in 30 years, in which temperatures spiked to 45C (113F). Heatwaves such as this are becoming more likely and more extreme because of human-induced climate change. The subsequent hot, dry weather is likely to fuel wildfires. "We have ahead of us another difficult evening, another difficult night," Civil Protection Deputy Minister Nikos Hardalias said. "On Evia we have two major fire fronts, one in the north and one in the south," he said, adding that the situation around the capital Athens had improved.
