The Biden administration has picked Atul Keshap as the charge d’affaires to hold the fort in New Delhi pending the nomination of a full-time ambassador to India. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is widely tipped for the post. Keshap, an Indian-American, is returning to New Delhi for a second tour of duty - he first served in Delhi from 2005 to 2008 as counselor for political affairs, one of ambassador David Mulford’s principal advisers on the US-India nuclear energy cooperation initiative. Keshap posted a photo with his mother Zoe Calvert, tweeting, “Before departure for #India, I went home to #Charlottesville to seek my Mother’s blessings. She served in the #ForeignService at the US Embassy in New Delhi1958-1960.” His father Keshap Chander Sen, a refugee from Lahore, was an international civil servant, serving with the ILO and other UN agencies.
9 of 11 finalists in US Spelling Bee of Indian origin
Nine of the 11 finalists for this year’s US Spelling Bee contest are Indian-Americans, reflecting the dominance young kids from the ethnic community have had on this prestigious test for more than a decade now. The 11 spellers, of which nine are Indian-Americans, will compete for the champion title during the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals on July 8. Over the past 20 years, Indian-Americans have been dominating the Spelling Bee contest even though they comprise only about 1%of the US population. There were eight co-champions in 2019, seven of whom were Indian-Americans, bringing the total number of Indian-origin champions since1999 to 26.
Indian-American woman nominated as federal judge
US President Joe Biden has nominated Indian-American Shalina D Kumar as a federal judge for the eastern district of Michigan, the White House said. Shalina would be the first federal judge of South Asian descent in Michigan, the White House said. Shalina has served on the Oakland county sixth circuit court since 2007. She was appointed chief judge of the court by the Michigan Supreme Court in January of 2018, a media release said. In addition, she retains a full caseload covering both civil and criminal matters, the White House said.
US condo collapse toll rises to 22
Rescue crews found the body of the 7-year-old daughter of a firefighter while searching the wreckage of the condo that collapsed, officials said, when the known death toll rose, by four, to 22. As many as 126 people are remain missing. The discovery of the girl, whom authorities declined to name, was especially painful for rescue crews. “Every victim we remove, it’s difficult,” said chief Alan Cominsky of Miami-Dade fire rescue. It was even more so when we were removing a fellow firefighter’s daughter.” Media outlet WPLG reported that rescuers found the girl and brought the child to her father, who was also at the scene, searching for survivors.
20 missing in Japan landslide
Two bodies were found and about 20 people remained missing after a massive mudslide triggered by torrential rain hit Atami city of Shizuoka prefecture in central Japan on Saturday, local authorities said. The disaster occurred as heavy rainfall swept areas along the Pacific coast in central and eastern Japan, the Xinhua news agency reported. Firefighters are conducting a search and rescue operation in the slide-stricken area for the victims. The Shizuoka prefectural government called for help from the Self-Defense Forces in disaster relief. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held talks with disaster minister Yasufumi Tanahashi over the mudslide and other calamities associated with the rain.
45 killed as Philippine military plane crashes
A Philippines air force plane crashed and broke up in flames on a southern island, killing at least 45 people after some jumped free, officials said. Pictures from the scene showed flames and smoke pouring from wreckage strewn among coconut palms as men in combat uniform milled around, while a column of thick black smoke rose into the sky. The Lockheed C-130 transport aircraft, carrying troops bound for counter-insurgency operations, crashed with 96 people on board. The plane had attempted to land at Jolo airport, but overshot the runway without touching down. It failed to regain enough power and height and crashed at nearby Patikul. It was not immediately clear how many jumped or whether they had survived.
Myanmar forces kill 25 in raid on town
Myanmar security forces killed at least 25 people in a confrontation with opponents of the military junta at a town in the centre of the nation, a resident and Myanmar-language media said. A spokesman for the military did not respond to calls requesting comment on the violence at Depayin.
One resident of Depayin said four military trucks dropped soldiers at the village. Youths from a local People’s Defence Force, formed to oppose the junta,confronted them. But, they only had makeshift weapons and were forced back by the forces’ heavier firepower, the person said. A total of 25 bodies had been collected, the person said. BBC’s Burmese service website and Than Lwin Khet News service carried similar accounts.
At 112, Puerto Rican man is world’s oldest
Emilio Flores Marquez from Puerto Rico has become the world’s oldest living man at an age of 112 years and 326 days old, Guinness World Records announced. Asked about his longevity, Marquez, known as “Don Milo” to his friends,said the secret to his advanced years lay in compassion. “My dad raised me with love and taught me to love everyone. He always told me and my brothers and sisters to do good, to share everything with others. Besides, Christ lives in me,” Guinness quoted him as saying. He wife of 75 years Andrea Prez De Flores, with whom he had four kids, died in 2010.
Britney Spears’ father to stay on as guardian
A Los Angeles court denied Britney Spears’ request to eject her father from a guardianship arrangement that gives him control of her affairs, US media reported. The decision comes a week after the singer made an impassioned plea to end the “abusive” conservatorship during which she said she has been medicated to control her behaviour and prevented from having a contraceptive implant removed, despite wanting more kids. The Los Angeles Superior Court ruling was in connection to a request filed in September by Spears’ lawyer to add wealth management firm Bessemer Trust to the conservatorship and remove her father Jamie Spears. “The conservator’s request to suspend James P. Spears immediately upon the appointment of Bessemer Trust Company of California as sole conservator of estate is denied without prejudice,” the judge said.
82-year-old woman pilot to fly into space with Bezos
Barrier-breaking woman aviator Wally Funk, 82, will join Jeff Bezos this month on the first crewed spaceflight for the billionaire’s company Blue Origin, the firm announced. The trip is 60 years overdue for Funk, who was one of the Mercury 13 - the first women trained to fly to space from 1960-1961, but excluded because of their gender. On July 20, she will become the oldest person ever to go to space when she takes part in the journey aboard the New Shepard launch vehicle along with Bezos, his brother Mark and one other traveller who paid $28 million at auction for the seat. “I can hardly wait,” Funk says in a video posted on Bezos’s Instagram account. The video shows Bezos describing the trip to Funk, and then asking her what would be the first thing she said after landing. “I would say, ‘Honey, that was the best thing that ever happened to me!’” replies an exuberant Funk.
