NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — The World Health Organization says India has accounted for nearly half of all global infections and a quarter of deaths reported in the past week. But cases have also skyrocketed in nearby countries like Nepal in the north to Sri Lanka and the Maldives in the south. And it’s not just India’s neighbors — further away in Southeast Asia, infections are also surging in Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia

Two Indian American professors at Duke University have been appointed to senior roles in President Joe Biden’s administration. Professor Ronnie Chatterji will serve as chief economist of the United States Department of Commerce, and professor Arti  Rai has been appointed to serve as a senior advisor in the Office of General Counsel in the same agency.  

And he went to India to help care for his family struggling with Covid-19. Instead, renowned infectious disease expert Dr. Rajendra Kapila ended up dying from the virus. Kapila was also a professor of medicine at Rutgers University and practiced for 50 years.

Ravi Kapur contributed to this report.

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NEW JERSEY (Diya TV) — Federal authorities in New Jersey are accusing the highly influential Hindu organization BAPS of human trafficking and wage violations. The lawsuit says more than 200 workers – many who don’t speak or understand English – were coerced into signing employment agreements  to work at the Hindu temple, had their passports taken away, and forced to work for as little as $1.20 an hour. A spokesperson for BAPS is disputing the allegations.

As deadly clashes in Israel continue between Palestinians and Jews, an Indian woman is the latest victim caught in the cross fire. She’s being identified as 31 year old Soumya, killed during a rocket attack. Officials say she worked as a care giver in Israel for the past decade.   

And as expected, Sadiq Khan was re-elected Mayor of London. Khan, became the first Muslim to head a major Western capital after his victory in 2016. he’ll serve another three years in office.

Ravi Kapur contributed to this report.

SEATTLE (Diya TV) — Controversial Seattle Councilmember Kshama Sawant admitted to violating the city elections and ethics code and will pay a fine of more than 3500 dollars. The Indian American leader got herself in trouble going after a ballot initiative taxing tech giant Amazon. She was accused of using the official seal of Seattle on campaign letter head and posting links opposing the proposition on her city website.

The Hindu American Foundation is suing several people for defamation including the leaders of  Hindus for Human Rights, the Indian American Muslim Council, and the Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations of North America  They’re accused of making false claims on Al-Jazeera news, saying that HAF misappropriated COVID-19 relief funds to support violence and “slow genocide” against Christians and Muslims in India. A Rutgers University professor is also being sued for amplifying this narrative.  

And debris from China’s largest rocket landed in the Indian Ocean, west of the Maldives. Critics slammed the Asian nation for failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris. There were no reports of any injuries.

Ravi Kapur contributed to this report.