देश-विदेश

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has described the death of former Cambridge professor Jason Arday as “a tragedy on so many levels” and urged people to reflect before reaching conclusions about the circumstances surrounding his death. Arday, 41, was found dead at a property in Battersea, south London, on Friday afternoon. His family said they were devastated by the loss of the academic, describing him as a loving father, partner, brother, uncle and son. In a statement released through his publisher, Simon & Schuster UK, the family said Arday had been struggling amid what they described as a campaign of misinformation. Burnham, speaking during a visit to Cornwall, said the situation required reflection rather than immediate judgement. Arday resigned from his position as Professor of Sociology of Education at the University of Cambridge last week following allegations concerning plagiarism and questions about some claims surrounding his career. He rejected the allegations, although he acknowledged errors in some of his earlier academic work. Friends and colleagues have spoken about the pressure Arday faced in the weeks before his death. Eamonn McCrystal, a friend from St Mary’s University College London, said Arday had described feeling “destroyed” and expressed concern after his US travel visa was revoked. McCrystal remembered him as a kind and gentle person who had been involved with student radio during their university years. Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice said the university community was deeply saddened by Arday’s death and extended sympathy to his family and friends. Education Secretary Lucy Powell also expressed shock and urged the public to remember the human impact of intense public scrutiny. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Arday had faced sustained media attention and described the treatment he received as an unacceptable campaign of public abuse. He called the death a wake-up call. The University and College Union also called for scrutiny of the harassment Arday experienced, including allegations of racism. Other prominent figures in British public life similarly raised concerns about the treatment of Black academics and the pressures faced by people from underrepresented backgrounds. Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, director of Cambridge’s Autism Research Centre, said he had spoken to Arday on the morning of his death. He described him as a caring and gentle person and said Arday had felt unable to leave his home. Professor Kehinde Andrews, a friend of Arday, said the academic had been deeply distressed after leaving Cambridge and had withdrawn from public life. The controversy surrounding Arday began after questions were raised about sections of his academic work. He denied plagiarism and said some errors were linked to the way he processed information as an autistic academic. Further questions were also raised about claims related to aspects of his personal history, including a long-distance charity run and fundraising achievements. Arday later clarified details surrounding both claims. His appointment at Cambridge in 2023 had been celebrated as a significant milestone, making him the university’s youngest Black professor at the time. When announcing his resignation, Arday said the personal cost of the controversy had become too great. He maintained that his decision to leave Cambridge should not be interpreted as an acceptance of the allegations made against him. Cambridge has announced an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his appointment. Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded Arday his PhD in 2015, previously concluded that he had not committed plagiarism.

NEW DELHI: India’s Independence Day celebrations were met with protests, shutdowns and boycott calls in several regions on Saturday, including Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and parts of the country’s northeast. Several political, community and regional groups called for strikes and non-participation in official celebrations, with some organisations observing the day as a “Black Day”. In IIOJK, boycott and shutdown calls were reported ahead of the celebrations. Security was significantly increased in Srinagar, with additional personnel deployed around key locations and routes leading to the main Independence Day venue. The protests and boycott calls were also reported in several northeastern states, including Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. In Nagaland, Naga nationalist groups observed August 14 as their own Independence Day, recalling the Naga National Council’s declaration of independence in 1947. The groups continue to emphasise their separate political identity and longstanding demand for self-determination. Naga leader Thuingaleng Muivah reiterated that his group would not compromise on its demands concerning sovereignty, a separate flag and constitution. The Naga Students’ Federation also opposed the mandatory singing of Vande Mataram, citing concerns related to religious freedom and freedom of conscience. In Manipur, several organisations called a 12-hour general strike and shutdown. Black flags were reportedly displayed in parts of the state as groups urged people to stay away from official celebrations. Similar boycott calls were issued in Assam and neighbouring areas. Security forces were placed on alert around sensitive locations and border regions amid concerns over possible disruptions. The developments came as India held nationwide celebrations marking its Independence Day, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the main ceremony in New Delhi. Meanwhile, India’s opposition also remained divided over the official celebrations. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi did not attend Modi’s ceremony. Their absence was linked to continuing political differences, including disagreements over seating arrangements and protocol.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory as his administration struggles to conclude the war with Iran nearly six months into the conflict. Speaking during a speech at a police academy on Long Island, New York, Trump stated that he would soon designate the strategic waterway as US territory, pointing to the ongoing American blockade of Iranian shipping and ports as justification. The Strait of Hormuz serves as a crucial chokepoint for global trade, through which approximately a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supplies typically pass, and it remains an internationally navigable strait bordered by Iran and Oman. Responding to the statements on social media, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected the claims, asserting that Tehran would not be intimidated by threats or a show of force, and maintaining that the opening or closing of the strait remains strictly under Iranian authority. The ongoing conflict has driven a sharp rise in global fuel prices, forcing working Americans to pay significantly more at the pump. Trump defended the higher costs during his address, arguing that paying extra for gasoline is acceptable to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, peace talks between the two nations remain at an impasse, with Tehran steadfastly refusing to reopen the waterway unless the US completely lifts sanctions, compensates Iran for war damage, and unconditionally releases its frozen assets.

Jason Arday, a former University of Cambridge professor who recently resigned following a high-profile plagiarism row, has died aged 41. Emergency services discovered him unresponsive at an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday afternoon, with the Metropolitan Police treating the death as unexpected but non-suspicious. Arday resigned from his post as professor of sociology of education last week amidst allegations of plagiarism first raised by academic Nathan Cofnas. Whilst Arday denied plagiarism, he acknowledged errors in early work, explaining that his autism led him to rely on mimicry to process information, and noted that the intense public scrutiny had taken an unsustainable personal toll. His family expressed shock at his death, stating that a campaign of misinformation proved too much for him. In 2023, Arday made history as Cambridge’s youngest Black professor at age 37. Following his resignation, Cambridge initiated an independent review into his appointment, while former employers including the University of Glasgow launched investigations into his co-authored research. Public figures, politicians, and academic colleagues have paid tribute to Arday, whilst raising broader concerns regarding the media pressure and duty of care owed to prominent scholars.