Report says Xiangguo Qiu secretly worked with Wuhan Institute for Virology and posed a ‘threat to Canada’s economic security’ A leading research scientist at Canada’s highest-security laboratory provided confidential scientific information to Chinese institutions, met secretly with officials and posed “a realistic and credible threat to Canada’s economic security” according to newly released intelligence reports. The dismissal of Xiangguo Qiu and her husband, Keding Cheng, has been shrouded in mystery ever since the couple were escorted from Winnipeg’s National Microbiology Laboratory in 2019 and formally fired two years later. Intelligence assessments released late on Wednesday afternoon alleged that Qiu’s “close and clandestine relationships” with Chinese institutions which showed a “reckless judgment” could have harmed Canada’s national security. The assessments were among more than 600 documents released after a long fight with opposition legislators who had demanded information behind the sackings. CSIS, Canada’s intelligence agency, concluded that in security-screening interviews, Qiu repeatedly lied about about her relationship with research institutions linked to the Chinese government. Even when confronted with contradictory evidence, “Ms Qiu continued to make blanket denials, feign ignorance or tell outright lies.” In one instance, Qiu told investigators a 2018 trip to China was a personal vacation. But she eventually admitted the trip was paid for by Wuhan Institute for Virology and that she met the a senior member of the organization during the trip. Investigators also found evidence of application from Qiu agreeing to work for the Wuhan Virology Institute for at least two months each year, with the aim of augmenting China’s “biosecurity platform for new and potent infectious disease research”, according to the CSIS report. Qiu admitted she sent an Ebola sample to China’s national institute for food and drug control, which was attempting to develop an inhibitor to the virus. But she did so without a material transfer agreement or collaboration agreement. Qiu also allowed two employees of a Chinese institution, “whose work is not aligned with Canadian interests” access to the lab. Both Qiu and Cheng filed grievances for their dismissal but have not commented on the allegations in the documents. Their current whereabouts are unknown. In a letter to Cheng, the public health agency said there were “serious concerns” over his “close personal and professional relationship with Xiangguo Qiu” and his “awareness and lack of candour regarding your own activities and those of Xiangguo Qiu with individuals and entities of a foreign government”. Qiu was told by the health agency that “during the entire [investigative] process, you did not express remorse or regret” and at times tried to deflect blame onto the public health agency. “You cannot be relied upon not to abuse the trust accorded to you and to perform your assigned duties in a manner that will reflect positively on PHAC and not pose a security risk to the government of Canada and PHAC,” the agency said. Canada’s Liberal government has fought the release of the documents for years. The government initially released heavily redacted documents, which left opposition parties frustrated with what they felt was a lack of candour by Justin Trudeau’s government. A recent unified motion by opposition parties finally compelled the release of the investigation. The Health minister, Mark Holland, acknowledged “a lax adherence to the securities and protocols” at the lab, which is overseen by the public health agency of Canada. But Holland said “at no time” were there breaches of national secrets or information from the lab. The Conservative party, which is currently polling far ahead of the Liberals, accused the Trudeau’s government of permitting the Chinese government to infiltrate Canada’s highest-security lab. “This is a massive national security failure by Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government, which he fought tooth and nail to cover up,” said the Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre.   Source: The Guardian

A sample colliecton from asteroid Bennu — categorized as a "near-Earth object" — is due to land Sunday. Scientists hope the sample will give a greater understanding of how Earth became habitable. The capsule's safe landing is risky but mission managers at the US space agency are hoping for  a "spot-on" touchdown. Why is the OSIRIS-REx mission important? The mission was launched in September 2016 to collect samples from Bennu, an asteroid rich in Carbon and classified as a "near-Earth object." The capsule landed on Bennu's surface after four years and collected about nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from its stony surface. "This sample return is really historic," NASA scientist Amy Simon told AFP news agency. "This is going to be the biggest sample we've brought back since the Apollo moon rocks" were returned to Earth. Scientists have high hopes and believe that by examining the samples, we can gain a better understanding of how our solar system was formed and how Earth became habitable.

Manabendra Saharia, a scientist, from Guwahati has been awarded the Platinum Jubilee Young Scientist Award 2022 by the National Academy of Science India (NASI). Manabendra Saharia  an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, has received The National Academy of Science, India (NASI) Platinum Jubilee Young Scientist Award in the Electronics, Computer Science, and Engineering Category for the year 2022.Manabendra completed his early days of education in Guwahati. NASI announced the recipients of their Platinum Jubilee Manabendra Saharia, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi has been awarded The National Academy of Science, India (NASI) Platinum Jubilee Young Scientist Award for the year 2022 in Electronics, Computer Science and Engineering Category. Manabendra completed his early days of education in Guwahati. NASI announced the recipients of their Platinum Jubilee Young Scientist Award for the year 2022 and the list includes scientists in various fields of research at different institutions across the country, including Saharia who has previously worked in the Hydrology Lab of NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre and the National Centre for Atmospheric Research. The award carries a citation, a bronze medal and a cash reward of ₹25,000. Manabendra Saharia was recently awarded the CV Raman Young Scientist Award 2023 from the International Society for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (ISEES) for research in water sustainability. Young Scientist Award for the year 2022 and the list includes scientists in various fields of research at different institutions across the country, including Saharia who has previously worked in the Hydrology Lab of NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre and the National Centre for Atmospheric Research. The award carries a citation, a bronze medal and a cash reward of ₹25,000. Manabendra Saharia was recently awarded the CV Raman Young Scientist Award 2023 from the International Society for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (ISEES) for research in water sustainability. Source: Gplus (guwahatiplus.com)

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday accused arch-foe Israel of acting as a “mercenary” for the US in carrying out the assassination of Tehran’s top nuclear scientist the day before. “Once again, the wicked hands of the global arrogance, with the usurper Zionist regime as the mercenary, were stained with the blood of a son of this nation,” Rouhani said in a statement on his official website, referring to the killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. Iran generally uses the term “global arrogance” to refer to the United States. Source: AFP/BSS AH

An Iranian scientist that Israel alleged led the Islamic Republic’s military nuclear program until its disbanding in the early 2000s was “assassinated” Friday, state television said. Israel declined to immediately comment on the killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once called out in a news conference saying: “Remember that name.” Israel has long been suspected of carrying out a series of targeted killings of Iranian nuclear scientists nearly a decade ago. State TV Friday cited sources confirming the death. It said it would offer more information shortly. The semiofficial Fars news agency, believed to be close to the country’s Revolutionary Guard, said the attack happened in Absard, a small city just east of the capital, Tehran. It said witnesses heard the sound of an explosion and then machine gun fire. The attack targeted a car that Fakhrizadeh was in, the agency said. Those wounded, including Fakhrizadeh’s bodyguards, were later taken to a local hospital, the agency said. State television on its website later published a photograph of security forces blocking off the road. Photos and video shared online showed a Nissan sedan with bullet holes through windshield and blood pooled on the road. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Iranian media all noted the interest that Netanyahu had previously shown in Fakhrizadeh. Hossein Salami, chief commander of the paramilitary Guard, appeared to acknowledge the attack on Fakhrizadeh. “Assassinating nuclear scientists is the most violent confrontation to prevent us from reaching modern science,” Salami tweeted. Hossein Dehghan, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader and a presidential candidate in Iran’s 2021 election, issued a warning on Twitter. “In the last days of their gambling ally’s political life, the Zionists seek to intensify and increase pressure on Iran to wage a full-blown war,” Dehghan wrote, appearing to refer to U.S. President Donald Trump. “We will descend like lightning on the killers of this oppressed martyr and we will make them regret their actions!” The area around Absard is filled with vacation villas for the Iranian elite with a view of Mount Damavand, the highest peak in the country. Roads on Friday, part of the Iranian weekend, were emptier than normal due to a lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic, offering his attackers a chance to strike with fewer people around. Fakhrizadeh led Iran’s so-called “Amad,” or “Hope” program. Israel and the West have alleged it was a military operation looking at the feasibility of building a nuclear weapon in Iran. Tehran long has maintained its nuclear program is peaceful. The International Atomic Energy Agency says that “Amad” program ended in the early 2000s. IAEA inspectors now monitor Iranian nuclear sites as part of Iran’s now-unraveling nuclear deal with world powers. Source: UNB AH

If coronavirus vaccinations are rolled out widely, life could return to “normal” by next winter, one of the scientists behind the front-running coronavirus vaccine told British television on Sunday. Ugur Sahin, the Turkish co-founder of German firm BioN, told the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show that “this winter will be hard” without any major impact from vaccinations. Together with US giant Pfizer, BioN is developing the leading candidate in the worldwide chase for a vaccine, “If all goes well, we will start to deliver the vaccine at the end of this year, or beginning of next year,” Sahin said. “Our goal is to deliver more than 300 million doses by April next year, which could already have an impact,” he said. The infection rate will then go down in summer, he predicted, adding that it is essential that there is a high takeup of the vaccination by autumn. “I’m confident that this will happen, he said. A number of vaccination companies are working to increase the supply, he said: “so we could have a normal winter next (year).” Sahin and his wife Ozlem Tureci founded BioNTech in the western German city of Mainz in 2008. Having identified promising vaccine blueprints, the company formed a partnership in March with American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. The announcement on Monday that their vaccine was more than 90 percent effective in trials led news bulletins around the world and sent stock markets and hopes soaring. BioNTech is now worth $25.8 billion (21.8 billion euros), more than Germany’s largest lender Deutsche Bank. Source: AFP/BSS AH