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Imperial College to rename central library after Nobel-winning Pakistani physicist

Imperial College to rename central library after Nobel-winning Pakistani physicist

IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON has said it will rename its central library after the Nobel Prize-winning Pakistani scientist, the late Abdus Salam.

The university’s decision to recognise the theoretical physicist follows a report last year which focused on “undercelebrated people” from its past.

Salam, born in Punjab in present-day Pakistan in 1926, joined Imperial in 1957 and set up the theoretical physics department with the late professor Paul T Matthews.

He shared the 1979 Nobel Prize with two other scientists for his contribution to the electroweak unification theory.

“It is right that we do more” to celebrate the legacy of Salam who made “a tremendous contribution to Imperial,” university president Hugh Brady said.

He hoped the new Abdus Salam Library, which will be formally named in the next academic year, would inspire “many more people in the years to come.”

Imperial described the physicist as a “passionate promoter of science education in the developing world”, having founded the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in 1964.

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Falklands sovereignty row erupts days before King Charles meets Trump

No 10 was quick to respond, with the prime minister's spokesman saying the government "could not be clearer" on its stance

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Falklands sovereignty row erupts days before King Charles meets Trump

Highlights

  • A Pentagon email reported by Reuters suggested the US was considering reviewing its support for UK sovereignty over the Falklands.
  • Downing Street said sovereignty "rests with the UK" and the islanders' right to self-determination is "paramount".
  • Report emerged just three days before King Charles and Queen Camilla are due to meet Trump at the White House.
A report suggesting the US may be rethinking its position on the Falkland Islands has sparked a strong response from Downing Street, coming just days before King Charles and Queen Camilla head to Washington to meet president Donald Trump.
An internal Pentagon email, reported by Reuters, suggested the US was looking at ways to put pressure on Nato allies it felt had not supported its war in Iran.
One of the options discussed was a review of American backing for British sovereignty over the Falklands.
No 10 was quick to respond, with the prime minister's spokesman saying the government "could not be clearer" on its stance.
"Sovereignty rests with the UK and the islanders' right to self-determination is paramount," he told BBC, adding that this had been "expressed clearly and consistently to successive US administrations."
He was firm that "nothing is going to change that."
The Falkland Islands government backed London's position, saying it had "complete confidence" in the UK's commitment to defending its right to self-determination.
Previous US administrations have recognised Britain's administration of the islands but have stopped short of formally backing its sovereignty claim.

Political reaction grows

The report triggered sharp reactions from across British politics. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the reported US position "absolute nonsense", adding: "We need to make sure that we back the Falklands.

They are British territory." Reform UK's Nigel Farage said the matter was "utterly non-negotiable" and confirmed he would raise it with Argentina's president Javier Milei when they meet later this year.

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