Obituary
Life on the edge
Ofir Libstein had extraordinary dreams for his small patch
The mayor of Sha’ar HaNegev was killed in the Hamas attacks on October 7th, aged 50
A foe who never was
Muhammad Amir Muhammad Khan fought India’s government for five decades
The still-dispossessed Rajah of Mahmudabad died on October 4th, aged 80
Beauty been
The Sycamore Gap tree held a particularly deep place in people’s hearts
It was felled maliciously in the small hours of September 28th, aged around 300
Life in its fullness
Fernando Botero became famous for his over-size people and animals
But the Colombian painter and sculptor, who died on September 15th, had a different agenda
On a spear’s edge
Mangosuthu Buthelezi had his own vision for a democratic South Africa
The Zulu chief, a rival to Nelson Mandela, died on September 9th, aged 95
Rules in the millions
Douglas Lenat trained computers to think the old-fashioned way
The mathematician who insisted that AI needed a basis of pure common sense died on August 31st, aged 72
Building revolution
Isabel Crook devoted her long life to making a new China
The Canadian anthropologist and teacher died on August 20th, aged 107
How to win a war
Andriy Pilshchykov pleaded for F-16s to be sent to Ukraine
The fighter pilot, known to many only as “Juice”, died on August 25th, aged 30
Cleanliness, godliness
Bindeshwar Pathak realised that India’s future depended on toilets
The social reformer and revolutioniser of national sanitation died on August 15th, aged 80
Safety first
Richard Simpson strove to balance buyers against manufacturers
America’s first consumer-product-safety tsar died on July 21st, aged 93
The place where she was
Sinéad O’Connor hated the very idea of being a pop star
Ireland’s most provocative singer and protester died on July 26th, aged 56
A wizard in the woods
SunRay Kelley wanted to build in rhythm with nature, his teacher
The “evolutionary” eco-architect and forest-dweller died on July 16th, aged 71