The University of East Anglia (UEA) was founded in 1963 and is located in Norwich, a historic city in the east of England.
International
Ukraine defies invasion threat, as NATO sees no Russian pullback
Ukraine’s leader vowed Wednesday that his country would stand tall against any invasion, as both he and NATO warned they could see no sign that Russia is withdrawing its forces.
President Volodymyr Zelensky watched troops training with some of their new Western-supplied anti-tank weapons on a range near Rivne, west of the capital.
Then he travelled to the frontline port city of Mariupol, and gave a speech to mark what he had declared Ukraine’s “Day of Unity”, wearing a military-style olive green coat and vowing resistance.
“We are not afraid of forecasts, we are not afraid of anyone, of any enemies,” Zelensky said. “We will defend ourselves.”
The demonstration of Ukrainian firepower and rhetoric contrasted with images on Russian state media that were said to show Moscow’s forces bringing an end to a major exercise in occupied Crimea.
But Zelensky denied that this was a sign of a Russian pullback.
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“We are seeing small rotations. I would not call these rotations the withdrawal of forces by Russia. We cannot say that,” he said in televised comments, adding: “We see no change.”
In Rivne, missiles pounded targets and armoured vehicles manoeuvred and fired on the yellowing moorland, while in Kyiv hundreds of civilians marched in a stadium with an enormous national banner.
The “Day of Unity” displays came as the Kremlin called for “serious negotiations” with Washington, and European leaders pushed hard for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.
But NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, who hosted a meeting of the alliance’s defence ministers in Brussels, dismissed suggestions that the threat on the border had diminished.
He said the alliance would shore up its eastern defences with forward deployments in member states bordering Ukraine.
“Moscow has made it clear that it is prepared to contest the fundamental principles that have underpinned our security for decades and to do so by using force,” he said.
“I regret to say that this is the new normal in Europe.”
And on reported Russian troop movements, he said: “So far we do not see any sign of de-escalation on the ground; no withdrawals of troops or equipment.
“Russia maintains a massive invasion force ready to attack with high-end capabilities from Crimea to Belarus.”
– ‘Signals give us hope’ –
Russia’s huge build-up of troops, missiles and warships around Ukraine is being billed as Europe’s worst security crisis since the Cold War.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine be forbidden from pursuing its ambition to join NATO and wants to redraw the security map of eastern Europe, rolling back Western influence.
But, backed by a threat of crippling US and EU economic sanctions, Western leaders are pushing for a negotiated settlement, and Moscow has signalled it will start to pull forces back.
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In the latest such move, on Wednesday the Russian defence ministry said military drills in Crimea — a Ukrainian region Moscow annexed in 2014 — had ended and that troops were returning to their garrisons.
Washington has demanded more verifiable evidence of de-escalation, but US President Joe Biden has nevertheless vowed to push for a diplomatic solution.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed this, telling reporters, “It is positive that the US president is also noting his readiness to start serious negotiations.”
German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht, arriving at the NATO talks, said reports of a partial Russian pullback “are signals that at least give us hope. But it is important to observe closely whether these words are followed by deeds.”
EU leaders, already gathered in Brussels for a summit with their African counterparts, are now to hold impromptu crisis talks on Russia and Ukraine on Thursday.
Zelensky has downplayed threats of an immediate Russian invasion, but is attempting to rally his people with the “Day of Unity” celebrations under Ukraine’s blue and gold banner.
On Wednesday, after the Rivne drills, he visited Mariupol, a frontline port city near a breakaway region held by Russian-backed separatists.
Ambassadors from the European Union, Germany, Estonia, Poland and Spain headed to Mariupol with the president.
– Rich return –
Meanwhile, some wealthy business leaders who had been urged by the government to show solidarity to the country announced their return.
Ukraine’s richest man, 55-year-old billionaire industrialist Rinat Akmetov, who was born in Donetsk in an area now held by separatists, was in Mariupol.
“We continue to build, we continue to invest,” he said, promising his firm would boost salaries and support a local university.
On Tuesday, Ukraine said the websites of the country’s defence ministry and armed forces, as well as private banks, had been hit by a cyberattack of the kind that US intelligence fears would precede a Russian attack.
“It cannot be excluded that the aggressor is resorting to dirty tricks,” Ukraine’s communications watchdog said, in reference to Russia.
Peskov denied that Moscow had any role in the cyber assault.
“We do not know anything. As expected, Ukraine continues blaming Russia for everything,” he said.
AFP/Punch
International
Updated: Elon Musk $9.8bn richer in one day, despite Tesla revenue decline
Updated: Elon Musk $9.8bn richer in one day, despite Tesla revenue decline
Elon Musk, the former world’s richest man, saw his net worth increase by $9.8 billion in just one day, bringing it to $187.7 billion.
This came despite the revenue of its top electric vehicle manufacturing company decline, Tesla, declining substantially.
This was reported on Thursday by Nairametrics quoting data from Forbes Real-Time Billionaire Index.
Tesla reported disappointing results, missing estimates on both the top and bottom lines. Revenue experienced a 9% year-over-year decline, the most significant drop since 2012.
Auto sales also fell by 13% compared to the same period in 2023. Additionally, free cash flow turned negative.
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For example, revenue decreased from $23.33 billion a year earlier and from $25.17 billion in the fourth quarter. Net income plummeted by 55% to $1.13 billion, or 34 cents a share, from $2.51 billion, or 73 cents a share, in the previous year.
Despite these challenges, Tesla shares surged by 13% in extended trading on Tuesday after the earnings report. Some of the optimism stemmed from Tesla’s announcement of plans to commence production of new affordable electric vehicle models in “early 2025, if not late this year.”
As Musk owns 13% of Tesla, significant fluctuations in share price on the trading markets can result in substantial increases or losses in his net worth.
Elon Musk is $9.8 billion richer in 1 day, despite Tesla’s revenue decline
International
UK University offers £37k scholarships, flight allowances to Nigerians, others
UK University offers £37k scholarships, flight allowances to Nigerians, others
The University of East Anglia, located in Norwich, UK, has announced scholarships worth £33,150 (N44.3 million) and transportation cost of £4000 (N5.3 million) to Nigerians seeking masters programmes.
According to the information on the school website, the funding opportunity is the David Sainsbury Scholarships in Global Plant Health, which is fully funded for students planning to travel to the UK for study.
The offer by the University of East Anglia is hugely available for Nigerians and other foreign students willing to do their masters programmes under scholarships, covering travel expenses.
The applications from its David Sainsbury Scholarships in Global Plant Health is for candidates wishing to undertake an MSc in Plant Health at the University of East Anglia in the 2024/2025 academic year.
Among other benefits catered for in the scholarship at the University of East Anglia are tuition fee, living stipends and transportation allowance.
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The scholarship offers funding to the tune of £33,150 (N44.3 million) and transportation costs of £4000 (N5.3 million).
Interested candidates must first apply and be accepted into the University of East Anglia beforebeing considered for the scholarships, the school website said.
The information on UEA website reads, “Provided you meet the eligibility criteria, you will automatically be considered for the scholarship, on a competitive basis – no separate application is required.
“You will be evaluated for the scholarship based on the same criteria used to evaluate your application to enrol on the course.
“The criteria are: academic achievement and academic awards together with knowledge/experience/potential of molecular biology, genetics, molecular interactions, data science such as bioinformatics and statistics, laboratory skills, and independent study.”
Addressing interested Nigerian applicants, it says, “All self-funded Nigerian students applying to a Master’s course at UEA starting in September 2024 will automatically be awarded the UEA Nigeria Award scholarship.
“The scholarship is worth £4,000 – if you meet UEA entry requirements, £5,000 – if your final undergraduate grade is a CGPA 4.1 and above. Amounts will be deducted from your tuition fees, in line with terms and conditions.”
The applications for the scholarship are currently open and expected to close on May 31, 2024.
International
Iranian rapper sentenced to death for supporting anti-hijab protests
Iranian rapper sentenced to death for supporting anti-hijab protests
An Iranian court has sentenced a dissident rapper to death for supporting protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022.
According to the reformist Shargh newspaper the artist’s lawyer Amir Raisian on Wednesday said, “Branch 1 of Isfahan Revolutionary Court… sentenced Toomaj Salehi to death on the charge of corruption on Earth.”
Iranian Government had said it had proof that the U.S. and other Western countries were behind the protests that were held across the country over the death of Amini.
Mahsa Amini, 22, a Kurdish woman, was arrested in September 2022 for not wearing her hijab properly. She died three days after her arrest, sparking violent protests in the country.
Salehi, 33, was arrested in October 2022 after publicly backing the wave of demonstrations which erupted a month earlier, triggered by Amini’s death in custody.
Months of unrest following Amini’s death in September 2022 saw hundreds of people killed including dozens of security personnel. Thousands of people were arrested.
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The Revolutionary Court had accused Salehi of “assistance in sedition, assembly and collusion, propaganda against the system and calling for riots,” Raisian said.
The nation’s Supreme Court had reviewed the case and issued a ruling to the lower court to “remove the flaws in the sentence,” Raisian said.
However, the court had “in an unprecedented move, emphasised its independence and did not implement the Supreme Court’s ruling,” according to Raisian.
Raisian said that he and Salehi “will certainly appeal against the sentence.”
“The fact is that the verdict of the court has clear legal conflicts,” the lawyer was quoted as saying. “The contradiction with the ruling of the Supreme Court is considered the most important and at the same time the strangest part of this ruling.”
Nine men have been executed in protest-related cases involving killing and other violence against security forces.
Iranian rapper sentenced to death for supporting anti-hijab protests
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