Russia warns Iran nuclear deal in danger of 'falling apart'

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, right, gestures as he and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif while entering a hall for the talks in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Dec. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

MOSCOW (AP) — Iran's nuclear deal with world powers is in danger of “falling apart" without the compliance of the United States and the European Union, Russia's foreign minister warned Monday after meeting with his Iranian counterpart in Moscow.

The 2015 deal between Iran and Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program. The U.S. withdrew from the accord last year and imposed crippling economic sanctions that block Iran from selling crude oil abroad.

“Because of the destructive line that Washington keeps towing, this important achievement of international diplomacy... is in danger of falling apart,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, adding that “colleagues from the European Union” were not fully complying with the agreement either.

In response to the U.S. sanctions, Iran has pressured the European signatories to find a way to limit the impact on the Iranian economy. Tehran has slowly inched toward ceasing its own compliance with the terms of the deal. Last week, for example, the country began new operations at a heavy water nuclear reactor,.

Iran's moves have been condemned by Western governments as unwelcome and escalating tensions in the region, while Russia and China have repeatedly blamed the U.S.

After meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Monday, Lavrov said Russia would demand full compliance from both the U.S. and the EU, in which case Iran would be able to return to fulfilling its obligations in accordance with the deal.

Otherwise the agreement should be considered “no longer existing,” he said.

News: Ukraine rivals exchange 200 prisoners in controversial swap

AFP / GENYA SAVILOV The prisoner exchange was an emotional homecoming for detainees released by the separatists

Ukraine and Russia-backed separatists in the country's war-torn east exchanged 200 prisoners on Sunday, swapping detained fighters for civilians and servicemen held captive in some cases for years in two breakaway regions.

"It's wonderful, I'm so happy," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists after greeting former prisoners at Boryspil airport near Kiev.

A plane carrying 76 captives, including 12 military personnel and 64 civilians, was met by a crowd of relatives, some holding flowers and balloons.

Family members, some with children, rushed to embrace the former prisoners with tears and shouts of joy.

"Most of all I want to relax after all this and forget as soon as possible what was happening there," Anatoliy Semerenko, one of released civilians, told reporters.

Among those swapped were Stanislav Aseyev and Oleg Galazyuk, two journalists who contributed to the Ukrainian service of the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Kiev also handed over to separatists five riot policemen suspected of killing protesters during a pro-Western uprising in 2014 as part of the swap, sparking public outrage.


 POOL/AFP / Yevgen Honcharenko Pro-Russian detainees - who were made prisoners - were part of an exchange between the Ukraine conflict rivals


Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron hailed the swap as "positive".

The exchange came after Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky held their first face-to-face talks in Paris on December 9 and agreed measures to de-escalate Europe's only active war.

Earlier on Sunday prisoners filed off coaches at the Mayorske checkpoint in the eastern Donetsk region, many carrying plastic bags stuffed with their belongings, as gun-toting uniformed soldiers and ambulances were on standby.

- Bittersweet homecoming -

24-year old Victoria, who did not give her surname, said she had been held for three years after being convicted of "state treason".

Another woman being handed to Kiev sported a handwritten sign on her clothing: "My country is Ukraine!"


AFP / GENYA SAVILOV The total number of people involved in the exchange was still unclear on Sunday

The swap, which was overseen by monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, came three months after Ukraine carried out a long-awaited exchange with Russia of 35 prisoners each.

The previous prisoner swap between Kiev and separatists took place in 2017.

Ties between Ukraine and Russia were shredded after the bloody 2014 uprising ousted a Kremlin-backed regime.

Moscow went on to annex Crimea and support insurgents in eastern Ukraine who launched a bid for independence in 2014. Since then more than 13,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

- 'No future' -

The release of the riot police has raised concerns in Ukraine, with many fearing the country is being pushed to pay too high a price for the swap.

The riot policemen are suspected to have been involved in the bloody crackdown on protesters in 2014. Some 100 demonstrators were shot dead during the uprising.


SPUTNIK/AFP / Alexey NIKOLSKY The swap came after a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders in Paris this month


"What Ukrainians have been fighting for is going down the drain," filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who was released in the September prisoner exchange, said on Facebook.

"This country has no future," Volodymyr Golodnyuk, whose 19-year son was killed in the uprising, said on his Facebook page.

"It was a difficult decision," Zelensky told the press in the airport.

"But we were able to return those who are alive," he added.

The European Union said "we take note" of the exchange of riot policemen.

"We expect all accusations will continue to be investigated and the parties concerned to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice," they said in a statement.

- 'Frozen' conflict -

Since coming to power in May, comedian-turned-president Zelensky, 41, has sought to kickstart a peace process to end the conflict.

At the Paris summit, the leaders sought to revive accords signed in Minsk in 2015 that call for the withdrawal of heavy weapons, and the restoration of Kiev's control over its borders, among other conditions.

But many doubt whether Putin genuinely wants to settle the conflict.

He has said that if Kiev gets back control of the border in the east, residents of separatist-held territories could be targeted.

Zelensky's peace plan has also been strongly criticised by war veterans and nationalists.
source: AFP

News: Guinea-Bissau votes in presidential runoff to end turmoil

AFP / SEYLLOU Voters are hoping that a new leader could finally end the country's instability

Guinea-Bissau voters cast their ballots in a presidential runoff Sunday with the hope of ending months of political turmoil in the coup-prone West African state that is one of the world's poorest nations.

Some 700,000 registered voters chose between two former prime ministers -- Domingos Simoes Pereira, from the traditional ruling PAIGC party, and opposition figure Umaro Sissoco Embalo.

Both promised a better economic future in a country wracked by poverty, instability and corruption.


AFP / SEYLLOU Domingos Simoes Pereira, a civil engineer by training, is the frontrunner after the first-round vote


Incumbent Jose Mario Vaz crashed out of the race in the first round in November -- becoming the first elected president in 25 years to reach the end of his mandate without being ousted or dying in office, in a country where the military has loomed large in politics.

"This is the most important day. We want everything to go well," said Dominique Zale, a security guard and father of six who spoke to AFP at a polling station near the port in the capital Bissau, where voters started lining up before dawn.

At a nearby polling station, 31-year-old economics student Jair Fernandes Martins said the next president "will have the mission to make the country work".

"We must vote to change things," he said.

Electoral commission head Felisberta Vaz Moura told AFP that turnout was healthy. "Voting is going well across the country with no incidents reported," Moura said.


AFP / SEYLLOU Umaro Sissoco Embalo is a former general who has pitched himself as a unifier

Nearly 70 percent of Guinea-Bissau's 1.8 million people live on less than $1.90 a day and the small tropical country ranks 178th out of 189 on the UN Human Development Index.

It gained independence from Portugal in 1974, but has suffered a string of military coups, attempted coups and political assassinations ever since.

After the latest coup in 2012, the West African regional bloc ECOWAS deployed a nearly 700-member force to try to stabilise the fragile nation.

But observers have expressed cautious optimism that the military would not disrupt the political process this time.


 AFP / SEYLLOU The army has vowed to stay out of the electoral process


"Everywhere we have been there is a good atmosphere," said the head of the ECOWAS observation mission, former Malian Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, in a post on Twitter.

Polls closed at 1700 GMT, with the results not expected until next week.

- Years of crisis -

Pereira, 56, a civil engineer by training, won 40.1 percent of the vote in the first round on November 24.

He belongs to the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), which dominates parliament and is historically rooted in the fight to end Portugal's colonial rule.

After casting his ballot at a polling station installed under a tree on the outskirts of Bissau, Pereira said he hoped that after the vote "we can build national harmony, so that our country can fire up and grow".


AFP / SEYLLOU Both candidates have vowed to improve the country's economic situation

Embalo, a former general who wears a red-and-white Arab keffiyeh headdress, is gambling that he can chip away at Pereira's lead by getting backing from candidates knocked out in the first round in November.

The 47-year-old came second with 27.65 percent. He represents Madem, an opposition party formed by PAIGC rebels.

"I am making a vibrant appeal to the entire population to come and vote. It is the only way to save Guinea-Bissau from the 46 years of misfortune since independence," Embalo told AFP after voting in Gabu in the east of the country.

The latest crisis erupted in 2015 when Vaz sacked Pereira as prime minister, a move that incensed the PAIGC.

Thereafter, Vaz was unable to get parliamentary backing for his proposed prime ministers -- and parliament did not sit for nearly two years until April 2018 when Aristides Gomes was appointed "consensus" prime minister.

Vaz came fourth in the first round of voting, with just 12.4 percent.

- Poverty, graft and cocaine -

Latin American drug runners have exploited the instability and poverty in Guinea-Bissau to make the country a hub along the cocaine-smuggling route to Europe.

It has also been lacerated by graft, ranking 172nd out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2018 index for perceived levels of corruption.

Fisherman Moutar Diallo called on the future president to build roads, lower the price of rice and solve "the problem of hospitals where pregnant women die" giving birth alone.

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source: AFP

News: Liverpool's 'brilliant' 2019 just a building block for Klopp

AFP / Paul ELLIS Sadio Mane (left) celebrates the only goal as Liverpool beat Wolves 1-0

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists the European champions must build on a "brilliant" 2019 to turn a 13-point lead at the top of the table into a first Premier League title in 30 years.

Klopp's men were not at their flowing best and needed the help of two VAR reviews to continue their relentless march towards the title with a 1-0 win over Wolves on Sunday.

Liverpool have now won 18 of their first 19 league games of the season and lost just once in the calendar year in the league, on top of winning the Champions League, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

"2019 was brilliant but it’s not important because we count seasons, not years, so the 2019/20 season is not over," said Klopp.

"We are halfway there, we still have 19 games to play and probably 18 or 19 of them will be like this tonight, for different reasons.

"Who cares about points in December? We just created a basis which we will work with from now on, that’s all."

- Fuming at VAR -

Wolves were angry even before the VAR controversies as the Premier League Christmas scheduling meant they travelled to Anfield just 45 hours after a thrilling 3-2 win over Manchester City.

In the match they were left fuming at the two calls that went against them in quick succession towards the end of the first half.

Mane swept home his 14th goal of the season from Lallana's knockdown with his shoulder and referee Anthony Taylor's initial decision was overturned.

However, Wolves were unhappy that another claim for handball against Virgil van Dijk earlier in the move was not checked.


AFP / Paul ELLIS Wolves coach Nuno Espirito Santo was booked for his protests at two VAR reviews that went against his side


Wolves' frustration was compounded in first-half stoppage time when Pedro Neto's equaliser was ruled out.

Jonny was adjudged to be offside by the tiniest of margins in the build-up to add to a number of Premier League goals over the past two days ruled out for the most marginal of offside calls.

"Anfield is amazing but they were celebrating a non-goal. It doesn't make sense. The referee should sustain his decision," said Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

"The VAR referee is miles away taking decisions on a lot of things happening here. Who is inside the game? Who feels the intensity and the flow? The referee here."

Nuno was booked among the Wolves protestations, but the Portuguese coach's decision to start with top scorer Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore on the bench meant he had weapons up his sleeve come the second half.

Traore's pace was unleashed on the hour mark and Jimenez followed shortly after, but only after Diogo Jota's fierce strike forced Alisson Becker into a smart save.

The visitors had lost just once in their previous 14 league games to move into contention for a top-four finish and they did not go down without a fight in the final stages.

"If it would be easy to win that number of games a lot more teams would have done it," added Klopp.

"It is not easy and you have to fight with all you have. Sometimes we have more and sometimes less and the boys do that all the time, so I couldn’t be more proud of what they did again. To get that result over the line is just impressive."

Jimenez had the best chance to claim an equaliser, but was denied by a block from Joe Gomez before Joao Moutinho, Romain Saiss, Ruben Vinagre and Traore all fired off target.

News: Dolphins shock Patriots as Chiefs win to seize first-round bye

GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP / Billie Weiss Shocker: New England quarterback Tom Brady is sacked by Miami's Trent Harris in the Dolphins' upset win over the Patriots on the final day of the 2019 NFL regular season

The Miami Dolphins stunned the New England Patriots 27-24 on Sunday, allowing the Kansas City Chiefs to seize a first-round playoff bye with a 31-21 triumph over the Los Angeles Chargers.

The heavily favored Patriots' loss on their home field at Gillette Stadium, coupled with the Chiefs' win, means Tom Brady and the reigning Super Bowl champions will play in the wild card round for the first time since 2009.

"We didn't play the way we were capable of and we got beat," said a downbeat Brady, adding "too many bad mistakes" cost the Pats.

"Now we've got to play next week -- and we've got to play a lot better next week."

The Patriots' first-round opponents had yet to be decided, with two remaining playoff berths up for grabs and seedings in both the American Football Conference and National Football Conference still to be determined on the final day of the regular season.

Green Bay locked up an NFC first-round bye in dramatic fashion in Detroit, where Mason Crosby kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Packers to a 23-20 victory over the lowly Lions.


GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP / Leon Halip Davante Adams of the Green Bay Packers celebrates a touchdown with teammate Jake Kumerow in the fourth quarter of the Packers' NFL victory over the Detroit Lions


With quarterback Aaron Rodgers struggling, the Packers trailed by two touchdowns in the second quarter, and didn't take the lead until Crosby came through.

The New Orleans Saints did all they could to assure themselves of a first-round bye, crushing the Carolina Panthers 42-10.

But the Packers' victory left the Saints awaiting the outcome of the San Francisco-Seattle clash for the NFC West division title later Sunday, in which a win would give the 49ers the bye.

- 'Bad pass' -

The Patriots, who have never won a Super Bowl without the benefit of a week's rest in the first round, looked set to escape with a victory when James White pulled down a screen pass and ran for a 13-yard touchdown that put New England up for the first time with 3:53 remaining.


GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP / Billie Weiss Miami's Mike Gesicki catches the game-winning touchdown in the Dolphins' upset win over the New England Patriots

But the Dolphins, long eliminated from playoff contention, marched 75 yards in three minutes and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick found tight end Mike Gesicki for the winning TD with 24 seconds left.

Brady struggled much of the day, completing 16-of-29 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns.

Brady's first TD pass of the day moved him past Peyton Manning into second on the NFL's all-time touchdown pass list headed by Drew Brees.

But his pass intercepted by former teammate Eric Rowe in the second quarter was returned for a touchdown that gave the Dolphins a 10-3 lead.

"It was just a bad throw," the 42-year-old superstar said, insisting that he had no physical problems on the day.

New England's top-ranked defense allowed a season-high in yards to a Dolphins offense led by Fitzpatrick -- who threw for 320 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a TD.


GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP / David Eulitt Kansas City rookie wide receiver Mecole Hardman escapes a tackle attempt by Jatavis Brown in the Chiefs' NFL victory over the Los Angeles Chargers


Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs didn't waste the opportunity provided by the Pats' defeat, locking in the AFC second seed and a bye with a gritty win over the Chargers.

Los Angeles led 14-10 after an early third-quarter touchdown, but Chiefs rookie wide receiver Mecole Hardman returned the ensuing kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown to ignite a Kansas City rally.

Running back Damien Williams added an 84-yard TD run for the Chiefs.

News: French government, unions exchange barbs in strike deadlock

AFP / STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN The strike against government pensions reform is on course to surpass the longest transport stoppage in France which lasted for 28 days in 1986 and early 1987

The French government and a key trade union on Sunday exchanged bitter accusations over who was to blame for France's over three-week transport strike against pension reforms, as the stalemate showed little sign of relenting.

Deputy Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari accused the hardline CGT union of a "systematic opposition to any reform" while the union's chief Philippe Martinez charged the government with strewing "chaos" in the conflict.

The strike -- now longer than the notorious 22-day strike of winter 1995 -- has lasted 25 days and is on course to surpass the longest transport strike in France which lasted for 28 days in 1986 and early 1987.

Aside from two driverless lines, the Paris metro was again almost completely shut down on Sunday while only a fraction of high-speed TGV trains were running.


AFP / STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN Demonstrators Saturday showed support for the stoppage, protesting that French young people are "in hell" and the elderly "in poverty"


The government and unions are only due to hold their next talks on January 7, two days ahead of a new day of mass demonstrations against the reform which is championed by President Emmanuel Macron.

In an interview with the Journal de Dimanche newspaper, Djebbari angrily accused the CGT of "attitudes of intimidation, harassment and even aggression" against railway workers who had opted not to down tools.

He accused the CGT of showing a "systematic opposition to any reform, of blocking and sometimes intimidation".

"The CGT wants to make its mark through media stunts. But the French are not going to be duped by the extreme-left politicisation of this movement," he added.

- 'Like Thatcher' -

But in an interview with the same newspaper, Martinez accused the government of trying to ensure the conflict deteriorated further.

"Emmanuel Macron presents himself as a man of a new world but he is imitating Margaret Thatcher," he said, referring to the late British prime minister who sought to break the power of the unions in 1980s standoffs.


AFP/File / Ludovic MARIN One hardline union chief has accused President Macron of seeking to imitate former British leader Margaret Thatcher with his reform pledges

"There is real anger. Of course, not being paid for 24 days is tough. But the conflict is the result of two-and-a-half years of suffering," Martinez added.

He said he was awaiting concessions from Macron in a New Year's address Tuesday evening as well as recognition that "most people are not happy and that he (the president) was wrong".

The French president, elected in 2017 on pledges to reform France, has remained virtually silent on the standoff, save for a call for a Christmas truce that went unheeded and a vow not to take a presidential pension.

This will intensify attention on December 31 address, with all eyes on whether Macron offers steps to defuse the conflict or indicates he is ready for a long, grinding standoff.


 AFP/File / STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN French activist Jean-Baptiste Redde holds up a banner at a Paris protest blaming President Macron and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe for the ongoing standoff


The unions are demanding that the government drops a plan to merge 42 existing pension schemes into a single, points-based system.

The overhaul would see workers in certain sectors -- including the railways -- lose early retirement benefits. The government says the pension overhaul is needed to create a fairer system.

But workers object to the inclusion of a so-called pivot age of 64 until which people would have to work to earn a full pension -- two years beyond the official retirement age.

There have been signs of progress in specific sectors, with the government offering concessions to dancers at the Paris Opera who have been on strike to protect their special scheme.

The main French pilots union SNPL also last week cancelled planned strike action on January 3 following talks with the government.

There was expected to be an improvement in Paris metro services on Monday -- but still with severe disruptions - with two lines closed and 12 lines offering a partial service.

source: AFP

News: Bushfires reach Melbourne as heatwave fans Australia blazes

 AFP/File / PETER PARKS Hundreds of blazes are burning across Australia, which is experiencing a devastating summer bushfire season fuelled by a prolonged drought and climate change

Around 100,000 people were urged to flee five Melbourne suburbs on Monday evening as Australia's spiralling bushfire crisis killed a volunteer firefighter battling a separate blaze in the countryside.

Authorities in the country's second-biggest city downgraded an earlier bushfire emergency warning but said residents should steer clear of the blaze, which has burned through 40 hectares (nearly 100 acres) of grassland.

In Bundoora -- just 16 kilometres (10 miles) north of the city centre and home to two major Australian university campuses -- the fire's spread toward houses had been halted for now but it was yet to be brought under control, said Victoria Emergency.

Local media showed images of water bombers flying over neighbourhoods, and families hosing down their homes in the hope of halting the fire's spread.

A volunteer firefighter died in New South Wales state and two others suffered burns while working on a blaze more than five hours south-west of Sydney, the Rural Fire Service said.

"It's believed that the truck rolled when hit by extreme winds," the agency said in a tweet.

Ten others, including two volunteer firefighters, have been killed so far this fire season.

The crisis has focused attention on climate change -- which scientists say is creating a longer and more intense bushfire season -- and sparked street protests calling for immediate action to tackle global warming.

While conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison belatedly acknowledged a link between the fires and climate change, he has continued his staunch support of Australia's lucrative coal mining industry and ruled out further action to reduce emissions.

The blazes have also destroyed more than 1,000 homes and scorched more than three million hectares (7.4 million acres) -- an area bigger than Belgium.

A heatwave sweeping the country Monday fuelled the latest destruction in Australia's devastating summer fire season, which has been turbocharged by a prolonged drought and climate change.


 AFP/File / PETER PARKS Bushfires have brought destruction to millions of hectares of Australia this summer


Conditions worsened on Friday with high winds and temperatures soaring across the country -- reaching 47 degrees Celsius (117 Fahrenheit) in Western Australia and topping 40 degrees in every region -- including the usually temperate island of Tasmania.

More than a dozen blazes are also raging in Victoria's East Gippsland countryside, where authorities said "quite a number" of the 30,000 tourists visiting the usually picturesque region had heeded calls to evacuate.

Some of the fires were burning so intensely that hundreds of firefighters were pulled back beyond a front estimated to stretch 1,000 kilometres (600 miles).

It was deemed "unsafe" for them to remain in bushland areas, Gippsland fire incident controller Ben Rankin said, describing the situation as "very intense".

- 'Too late to leave' -

Authorities had warned tourists enjoying Australia's summer holidays in East Gippsland that the fires would cut off the last major road still open.

Victoria Emergency Management commissioner Andrew Crisp said residents and holiday makers still in the area faced being stranded as it was now "too late to leave", with his agency warning it was "not possible" to provide aid to all visitors in the area.

Neighbouring South Australia is also experiencing "catastrophic" fire conditions.


AFP / Australia bushfires

The Country Fire Service's Brenton Eden said it would be a "very dangerous" day for people in the state, with "dry" thunderstorms -- which produce thunder and lightning but no rain -- already sparking a number of fires, including an emergency-level blaze on Kangaroo Island.

"Winds are gusting and unfortunately this is a dry lightning front that is going to move rapidly across South Australia," he told national broadcaster ABC.

Conditions were also expected to deteriorate in worst-hit New South Wales, where 100 fires were burning Monday morning including more than 40 uncontained.

Sydney and other major cities have been shrouded in toxic bushfire smoke haze for weeks, forcing children to play indoors and causing professional sporting events to be cancelled.

AFP/File / PET
ER PARKS This season's bushfires have killed 10 people, destroyed more than 1,000 homes and scorched more than three million hectares (7.4 million acres) -- an area bigger than Belgium


The capital Canberra has cancelled its New Year's Eve fireworks display due to a total fire ban in the Australia Capital Territory, while several regional towns have also followed suit.

A petition to cancel Sydney's famous New Year's Eve fireworks and use the money to fight bushfires ringing the city has topped 270,000 signatures, but officials say the show will go on.

Sydney has spent Aus$6.5 million ($4.5 million) on this year's fireworks display -- funds that the Change.org petition argues would be better spent on supporting volunteer firefighters and farmers suffering through a brutal drought.

source: AFP

News: China jails Protestant pastor for 9 years for 'inciting' subversion

AFP/File / GREG BAKER China's officially atheist government is wary of any organised movements outside its own control, including religious ones

China on Monday jailed the leader of an unofficial Protestant church for nine years for "incitement to subvert state power".

Pastor Wang Yi, whose Early Rain Covenant Church was the target of a government crackdown last year, was also found guilty of "illegal business operation" by a court in Chengdu, southwest China, according to an announcement on an official court website.

Wang was detained in December 2018 in a raid by authorities in which dozens of members of his "underground church" disappeared.

China's officially atheist government is wary of any organised movements outside its own control, including religious ones.

Protestants in the country are split between unofficial "house" or "underground" churches like the Early Rain Covenant Church, and state-sanctioned ones where Communist Party songs also feature in the order of service.

Catholics are similarly divided between unofficial churches led by bishops recognised by the Vatican and those who follow official prelates.

Wang was convicted in an open trial by a court in Chengdu, where his Early Rain Covenant Church had been based, the city's official court website said.

The charge of inciting subversion has often been used against dissidents as a way to silence criticism of the government and the Communist Party.

Shortly before being detained, Wang wrote a post on his church's Facebook page criticising the Chinese government for repressing Christians, saying "the Party can flourish for a while, but it cannot last forever."

"The Party can kill my body, but it cannot kill my soul," Wang wrote.

- 'Chilling effect' -

Patrick Poon, a Hong Kong-based researcher with Amnesty International, said Wang's sentence would "have a chilling effect on other house churches in China."

"The message is very clear -- you will be the next Wang Yi if you don't register and follow the Communist Party's line on religion," Poon told AFP.

Wang's church was among a number of prominent "underground" churches shut down by the government in 2018 as part of a crackdown on religion, especially on followers of Islam and Christianity.

Beijing-based Zion Church, one of China's largest "underground" Protestant churches, was banned by city authorities in September 2018 for operating without a licence after dozens of officials stormed its premises.

Earlier that year, unauthorised versions of the Bible were pulled from Chinese online retailers.

In November, politburo standing committee member Wang Yang said at a forum that Beijing should even alter religious scripture to fix "contents not in line with the progress of the times."

Reinterpreting religious doctrines would show "religious circles' responsibility for their own beliefs" and was in line with the "Sinicisation and modernisation of religions," Wang said.

He said Beijing should "effectively resist the erosion by extremist thoughts and heresies" by making its own re-evaluation of religious texts.

China has faced international condemnation for rounding up an estimated one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic minorities in internment camps in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.

An AFP investigation found in October that China's efforts to erase minorities' religious identity in Xinjiang have included the destruction of burial grounds where generations of Uighur families were laid to rest.

Beijing has sought to portray its crackdown in Xinjiang as a programme to combat extremism and terrorism.
source: AFP

News: Death toll in Somalia bombing climbs to 81: govt

AFP / Abdirazak Hussein FARAH A Turkish military plane arrived on Sunday to evacuate Turkish nationals among the more than 200 casualties in the blast

The death toll from a massive car bomb in the Somali capital has risen to 81, a government spokesman said Monday, as rescue workers pursued their search for the missing.

The bombing Saturday at a busy intersection in Mogadishu was the country's deadliest attack in two years.

No one has claimed responsibility, though President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed blamed Islamist group Al-Shabaab, which has regularly carried out car bombings and other attacks as part of its decade-long bid to topple the internationally-backed government.

"The overall number of the dead stands at 81 currently. Two more people died from their injuries," Ismail Muktar, a spokesman for Somalia's information ministry, told AFP Monday.

One of the new fatalities was among the injured who had been evacuated to Turkey via a Turkish military plane on Sunday, Muktar said.

Muktar said the death toll could climb further as rescue operations entered a third day.

Around two dozen people were listed as missing after the attack, but 12 have been located -- five of them dead -- and the rest remain unaccounted for, he said.

Some 125 people were injured in Saturday's blast, a caseload that has overwhelmed health facilities in Mogadishu.

At least 16 of those killed were students from the capital's private Banadir University, who had been travelling on a bus when the car bomb detonated.

The attack was the biggest to hit Somalia since a truck exploded in 2017 near a fuel tanker in Mogadishu, creating a fireball that killed over 500 people.


AFP / Thomas SAINT-CRICQ Attacks in Mogadishu


Al-Shabaab was blamed for that strike too, though it never formally claimed responsibility -- as it often does not do when there is a large amount of civilian casualties.

The United States military said Sunday it had killed four "terrorists" in three airstrikes targeting Al-Shabaab.

US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said two militants were killed and two vehicles destroyed in Qunyo Barrow, while two more militants were killed in Caliyoow Barrow.

The US regularly carries out airstrikes in Somalia, though the frequency of such operations has risen sharply this year.

In an April statement AFRICOM said it had killed more than 800 people in 110 strikes in Somalia since April 2017.

News: Cabin crew could prolong walkout at Lufthansa's Germanwings

AFP / John MACDOUGALL Germanwings operates flights on behalf of the larger Lufthansa subsidiary

Cabin crew at Lufthansa subsidiary Germanwings began a planned three-day strike Monday, with their union warning the industrial dispute could last longer.

Daniel Flohr, deputy head of air stewards' union UFO, told public broadcaster ZDF "we could prolong it at short notice" short of concessions from bosses, although "we don't want that".

A live list on the carrier's website showed 182 flights between major German cities like Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg and Munich were slashed as UFO called members off the job.

Some connections to cities in neighbouring Austria and Switzerland, including Zurich and Vienna, were also cut.

Set to be folded into Eurowings over the long term, Germanwings operates flights on behalf of the larger Lufthansa subsidiary.

Around 15 percent of Eurowings flights over the three-day period were affected by the walkout, a company spokesman told news agency DPA.

With a relatively small number of departures affected, there was little sign of the travel chaos that has accompanied previous broader-based strikes, and many travellers were able to book alternative flights.

Frankfurt airport -- Germany's largest -- said on its website it was a "normal day" with "occasional short waits at security checks".

Germanwings bosses judge the strike over rules governing part-time work unjustified.

The labour dispute has already seen a short "warning strike" at four Lufthansa subsidiaries, while the group's flagship airline suffered a two-day walkout affecting 1,500 flights and 200,000 passengers in November.
source: AFP

News: All eyes on 'new way' in Kim Jong Un's New Year speech

KCNA VIA KNS/AFP / KCNA VIA KNS Kim told a meeting of top ruling party officials that 'positive and offensive measures for fully ensuring the sovereignty and security of the country'

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for "offensive measures" to strengthen security ahead of a New Year speech that could flesh out the nuclear-armed nation’s threat to seek a "new way" forward after the expiration of its year-end deadline for US sanctions relief.

Kim’s latest comments, made during a meeting of top ruling party officials in Pyongyang, came amid concerns that the North could formally close down dialogue with Washington and resume nuclear and long-range missile tests.

Addressing the officials, Kim stressed the need "to take positive and offensive measures for fully ensuring the sovereignty and security of the country," the state news agency KCNA reported Monday.

Nuclear talks between the North and the US have been largely stalled since the collapse of a February summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Hanoi.

Pyongyang has been demanding the easing of international sanctions imposed over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, while Washington is insisting it takes more tangible steps towards giving them up.

The North has not so far specified the "new way" it would adopt if the US does not offer fresh concessions by the end of the year, and Kim is expected to make it clearer on Wednesday.

This month China and Russia -- the North's biggest economic partners -- proposed loosening UN sanctions against Pyongyang, and analysts say Kim is likely to seek to exploit rivalries between Washington, Beijing and Moscow.


 KCNA VIA KNS/AFP / KCNA VIA KNS Speculation has mounted that Pyongyang could abandon its moratorium on intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests


The "new way" was more likely to be an old way with denuclearisation firmly off the table, said Henri Feron, Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy in the US.

"What North Korea refers to as a new path is new in the sense that it will differ from its relatively engaging posture the past two years, but will actually be a return to the posture it maintained notably in the Obama era," he told AFP.

"It will focus on developing its military leverage and economic resistance to sanctions, while demanding unconditional peace and normalisation before there can be any talk on denuclearisation."

Speculation has mounted that Pyongyang could abandon its moratorium on intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests -- although its ominous threat of a "Christmas gift" to the US appears to have fizzled.

US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said that Washington would be "extraordinarily disappointed and we'll demonstrate that disappointment" if Pyongyang carries out a long-range missile test.

"But we have a lot of tools in our toolkit, and additional pressure can be brought to bear on the North Koreans."

- 'Fire and Fury 2.0'? -

Wednesday's speech will be Kim's eighth New Year address, after he revived the tradition started by his grandfather -- North Korea's founding leader Kim Il Sung -- but discontinued during his father's rule.

It is a key moment in the North Korean political calendar, reviewing the past and setting out goals for the future, and printed in full in the Rodong Sinmun mouthpiece newspaper.


AFP/File / Brendan Smialowski Nuclear talks between the North and the US have been largely stalled

"Kim's delivery of New Year's speeches has evolved over time, from standing before a pulpit in a party uniform in his early years, to sitting in an office in a Western-style suit and tie in 2019," said Rachel Minyoung Lee, senior analyst at specialist site NK News.

Pyongyang has been ramping up the pressure with static tests at its Sohae rocket facility and a series of weapons launches, some described as ballistic missiles by Japan and others -- which are banned under UN resolutions.

Lee told AFP North Korea was likely to resume testing longer-range missiles including ICBMs in 2020, and potentially even nuclear blasts, and could also carry out "military provocations against South Korea".

But an ICBM launch would represent a rapid escalation and risks angering China -- which always stresses stability in a region it regards as its own back yard.

And Trump would not want to go back to his previous "fire and fury" rhetoric, preferring to reach a deal with Pyongyang, said Joseph Yun, a former US Special Representative for North Korea under both the Republican and his predecessor Barack Obama.

"Without doubt, the highest priority for President Trump is getting re-elected," he said.

As such, going back to past confrontation "would sully his reputation as a dealmaker, especially as he has few deals to show, having pulled out of the Iran nuclear agreement and the Paris Climate Accord".

source: AFP

News: US strikes on pro-Iran group in Iraq kill 25, sparking anger

AFP/File / AHMAD AL-RUBAYE Iraqi Shiite fighters from the Iran-backed Hezbollah brigades take part in a military parade to mark the pro-Palestinian Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day in Baghdad in May this year

US air strikes against a pro-Iran group in Iraq killed at least 25 fighters, a paramilitary umbrella said Monday, triggering anger in a country caught up in mounting tensions between Tehran and Washington.

The attacks on Sunday night saw US planes hit several bases belonging to the Hezbollah brigades, one of the most radical factions of Hashed al-Shaabi, a Tehran-backed Iraqi paramilitary coalition.

The strikes "killed 25 and wounded 51, including commanders and fighters, and the toll could yet rise," according to the Hashed, which holds major sway in Iraq.

It said it was still pulling victims from the rubble of bases near Al-Qaim, an Iraqi district bordering Syria, on Monday.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said the US had "shown its firm support for terrorism and its neglect for the independence and sovereignty of countries" by carrying out the attacks.

Washington -- itself a key ally of Baghdad -- must accept the consequences of its "illegal act", Mousavi added.


AFP / US strikes


US Defence Secretary Mark Esper described the attacks against the Hezbollah brigades -- which hit three locations in Iraq and two in neighbouring Syria -- as "successful", and did not rule out further military action against Iran-backed militias.

Bahrain, a key US ally in the region, welcomed the strikes.

The operation was retaliation for a series of rocket attacks since late October against US interests in Iraq, including a barrage of more than 30 fired on Friday against an Iraqi base in Kirkuk, which killed a US civilian contractor.

US-Iran tensions have soared since Washington pulled out of a multilateral nuclear agreement with Tehran last year and imposed crippling sanctions.

Iraqi leaders fear their country could become a battleground between Tehran and Washington, in a context where they are also grappling with huge street protests against corruption and Iran's enormous political influence.

The demonstrations forced prime minister Abel Abdel Mahdi to resign last month, although he remains in a caretaker role. The protest movement, along with President Barham Saleh, have rejected Iran's favoured successor.

US sources say that pro-Iran armed factions now pose a greater threat than the Islamic State, a jihadist group whose rise saw the US freshly deploy troops on Iraqi soil.

But significant elements of the Iraqi political class view the 5,200 US troops in the country as a "threat", with Sunday night's strikes reviving calls for them to leave the country.

- Pro-Iran factions angry -

Abdel Mahdi's military spokesman decried "a violation of Iraqi sovereignty", while the Hezbollah brigades are demanding the "withdrawal of the American enemy".


AFP/File / AHMAD AL-RUBAYE A plethora of Iran backed armed groups in Iraq, against a backdrop of heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington, have made it increasingly difficult for Baghdad to balance the demands of these key allies

Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah -- which is separate from the targeted faction -- called the attacks a "flagrant violation of Iraq's sovereignty and security" and noted that Hashed had been a key player in the battle against IS.

Another powerful pro-Iran group, Assaib Ahl al-Haq -- whose leaders were recently hit with US sanctions -- also called for Americans to withdraw from Iraq.

"The American military presence has become a burden for the Iraqi state and a source of threat against our forces," it said in a statement.

"It is therefore imperative for all of us to do everything to expel them by all legitimate means."

Parliament's deputy speaker, part of influential Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr's bloc, called on the Iraqi state to "take all necessary measures" in the face of the US attacks.

The Badr organisation, another key pro-Iran group, took a similar line.

Several lawmakers have castigated afresh an agreement permitting American soldiers to deploy in the country, arguing the strikes amount to a violation that renders the pact obsolete.

Since October 28, at least 11 attacks have targeted Iraqi military bases where US soldiers or diplomats are deployed.

While earlier attacks killed an Iraqi soldier and wounded others, the one on Friday was the first to kill an American, targeting a meeting between Iraqi police commanders and the international coalition that fought IS.

source: AFP

News: China jails scientist who gene-edited babies

AFP/File / Anthony WALLACE He Jiankui shocked the scientific community last year by announcing the birth of twins whose genes had allegedly been altered to confer immunity to HIV

A Chinese court on Monday sentenced the scientist who claimed to be behind the world's first gene-edited babies to three years in prison for illegal medical practice, state media reported.

He Jiankui, who shocked the scientific community last year by announcing the birth of twin girls whose genes had allegedly been altered to confer immunity to HIV, was also fined three million yuan ($430,000), Xinhua news agency said.

He, who was educated at Stanford University, was sentenced by a court in Shenzhen for "illegally carrying out the human embryo gene-editing intended for reproduction", Xinhua said.

Two of his fellow researchers were also sentenced. Zhang Renli was handed a two-year jail term and fined one million yuan while Qin Jinzhou was given 18 months, suspended for two years, and fined 500,000 yuan.

The trio had not obtained qualifications to work as doctors and had knowingly violated China's regulations and ethical principles, according to the court verdict, Xinhua said.

They had acted "in the pursuit of personal fame and gain" and seriously "disrupted medical order", it said.

The researchers had forged ethical review materials and recruited couples where the husband was HIV positive for their gene-editing experiments.

The trial was held behind closed doors as the case related to "personal privacy", Xinhua said.

He's gene-editing experiments resulted in two pregnancies -- the twin girls and third baby which had not previously been confirmed, it said.

He announced in November last year that the world's first gene-edited babies -- the twins -- had been born that month after he altered their DNA to prevent them from contracting HIV by deleting a certain gene under a technique known as CRISPR.

Days later, He, a former associate professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, told a biomedical conference in Hong Kong he was "proud" of his gene-editing work.

- 'Not safe' -

The claim shocked scientists worldwide, raising questions about bioethics and putting a spotlight on China's lax oversight of scientific research.

"That technology is not safe," said Kiran Musunuru, a genetics professor at the University of Pennsylvania, explaining that the CRISPR molecular "scissors" often cut next to the targeted gene, causing unexpected mutations.

"It's very easy to do if you don't care about the consequences," Musunuru said.

Amid the outcry, He was placed under police investigation, the government ordered a halt to his research work and he was fired by his Chinese university.

While He's actions "went well beyond what was ethically acceptable", the lack of transparency while his case was ongoing was also concerning, said Julian Hitchcock, a lawyer at Bristows LLP, which specializes in human gene editing.

"News of the court's treatment of He Jiankui and his associates therefore appears to be something of a relief," Hitchcock said in a statement, while calling for China to publish the full details of the judgment.


AFP/File / DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS Gene-editing for reproductive purposes is illegal in most countries


Gene-editing for reproductive purposes is illegal in most countries. China's health ministry issued regulations in 2003 prohibiting gene-editing of human embryos, though the procedure is allowed for "non-reproductive purposes".

He's gene editing meant to immunise the twins against HIV may have failed in its purpose and created unintended mutations, scientists said earlier this month after the original research was published for the first time.

He claimed a medical breakthrough that could "control the HIV epidemic", but it was not clear whether he had even been successful in immunising the babies against the virus because the team did not reproduce the gene mutation that confers this resistance, scientists told the MIT Technology Review.

While the team targeted the right gene, they did not replicate the "Delta 32" variation required, instead creating novel edits whose effects are not clear.

Moreover, CRISPR remains an imperfect tool because it can lead to unwanted or "off-target" edits, making its use in humans hugely controversial.

In 2015, a UN bioethics committee called for a stop to human embryo gene editing for fears it could be used to modify the human race.

But a year later Britain granted scientists permission to edit embryo DNA in research on the causes of infertility and miscarriages.

And in 2017, a US science advisory committee said such modification should be allowed in future to eliminate disease.

In November this year the World Health Organization said it would create a global registry to track research into human genetic manipulation following the backlash to He's announcement.

source: AFP

News: Cyprus court finds British teen guilty of false rape claim

News
Cyprus court finds British teen guilty of false rape claim



AFP / Iakovos Hatzistavrou Women rights activists protested outside the court in Cyprus in support of the British woman

A court in Cyprus on Monday found a British teenager guilty of falsely claiming she was gang-raped by a group of Israeli tourists in a case that prompted allegations of police mistreatment.

The 19-year-old was convicted of "public mischief", which carries a sentence of up to one year in prison and a fine of around 1,700 euros. Sentencing was adjourned until January 7.

The defendant, who pleaded not guilty, alleged that 12 Israelis raped her on July 17 at a hotel in Ayia Napa.

But the Israelis, aged 15 to 18, were released without charge the same month after the woman was arrested on suspicion of "making a false statement about an imaginary crime".

"The statements you have given were false," the judge told the woman at the Famagusta District Court in Paralimni in southeast Cyprus in remarks translated by an interpreter.

She appeared frustrated by the delay to the sentencing, telling her lawyer: "He already made his decision! I thought we were asking for a fine."

- 'Many violations' -

The defence said it would lodge an appeal with the Supreme Court.


AFP / Iakovos HATZISTAVROU The defendant, who pleaded not guilty, alleged that 12 Israelis raped her at a hotel in Ayia Napa


"We believe there have been many violations in the procedure and the rights of fair trial have been violated," the woman's lawyer, Nicoletta Charalambidou, said.

Rights groups argued the teenager has suffered humiliation and been mistreated by the police and media.

They have called for an investigation into police handling of the case and criticised the way rape cases and victims are treated in Cyprus.

More than a dozen women from an association for the protection of women attended court wearing white scarves with an image of lips sewn shut printed on them.

As the defendant was led from the court with her face blindfolded to shield her identity 20 protesters chanted: "We are with you" and "We believe you".

"The way the case of this young lady was handled by the police and Cyprus government was wrong," said one of the demonstrators, Maria Mappouridou.

Another protester, Helena Gonata, said "everyone will find a reason not to believe her. That's the case with rape -- no one will believe you."

"We're trying to encourage women to talk. Many women are afraid to come forward."

The woman's lawyers had claimed she was pressured into signing a retraction written by a detective.

But the judge said during the trial that police had acted properly at all times, with no pressure exerted to change the woman's mind about her initial rape claim.

The defendant had said police were "hostile and negative" and asked her to sign a statement she had not seen.

British legal aid group Justice Abroad, which is supporting the woman, said the defence would take the case to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.

"Despite the setback today, the teenager who has spent over a month in prison and six months where she has been unable to leave Cyprus is determined for justice to be done in her case as well as to help change the culture towards victims of sexual offences in Cyprus," Justice Abroad's Michael Polak said in a statement.
source: AFP

Accounting Manager at Zheng Corporation

Accounting Manager

Zheng Corporation

Lagos

Full-time, Part-time, Permanent

₦80,000 - ₦140,000 a month

We are looking for an accounting manager to supervise, track and evaluateday-to-day activities; someone who can work closely with our financial management team.
Responsibilities include;
- Monitor and analyze accounting data and produce financial reports or statements
- Manage and oversee the daily operations of the accounting department including:

• month and end-year process
• cash receipts
• general ledger
• payroll and utilities
• treasury, budgeting

- Improve systems and procedures and initiatecorrective actions
Basic Requirements;
- BS degree in Accounting or Finance
- Ability to direct and supervise
- High attention to detail and accuracy
- Ability to manipulate large amounts of data
Interested applicants should send CV to zhengcorps@gmail com immediately
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Permanent
Salary: ₦80,000.00 to ₦140,000.00 /month
Experience:

• Accounting: 1 year (Preferred)

Location:

• Lagos (Preferred)

LATEST 1year MSc Scholarships for International Students at Radboud University

There are four opportunities available offered by the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious studies for international students who wish to enter the master’s degree coursework in the Netherlands.
University or Organization: Radboud University

Course Level: Post-graduate
Award: € 10,500
Number of Awards: Four
Access Mode: Online
Nationality: International
The award can be taken in the Netherlands

• Eligible Countries: Applications are accepted from non-EEA as well as EEA countries
• Eligible Course or Subjects: Pursuing Masters in Theology and Religious studies
• Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must have to enroll in one-year Master’s specialization in Theology (60 EC) and 3-year specialization in Theology (180 EC) at the university. Students with a bachelor degree can apply.

How to Apply: For applying, applicants are advised to take admission to the Master’s Degree Program in Theology at the Radboud University.

• Supporting Documents: The university may ask you for a Scan of a valid passport or European ID card, official transcript of your Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, motivation letter, reference letter, and CV.
• Admission Requirements: Students must have a bachelor’s degree certificate.
• Language Requirement: If your native language is not English, you have to provide evidence of English language

Benefits:

• Radboud University will provide an educational bursary of € 10,500 to covers tuition fees (€ 2,143 for the academic year 2020-2021), plus living expenses.
• For students who require a visa, the award covers the minimum amount required to obtain a visa without a tuition fee. For more information click here.

Scholarship Application Deadline:
September intake

• For Non-EU/EEA applicants: April 1.
• EU/EEA applicants: May.
• EU/EEA applicants: 1 July.

February intake

• 1 November – Non-EU/EEA applicants
• 1 December – EU/EEA applicants

Apply Now

LATEST VC’s & Dean’s Awards At University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka, 2020

The University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka is offering the Vice Chancellor’s & Dean’s Awards to Individuals willing to study for a degree program at the Institution.
The Vice Chancellor´s and Dean´s Awards will be awarded annually to the students with the best overall performances in each Faculty under the approved marking scheme. These awards are funded by the University and administered by the office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor with collaboration of Faculties and assistance of the Examination and the Student Affairs branches.

Eligible Countries: International
Type: Undergraduate degree
Value Of Award: Rs.10, 000.00
Number of Awards: Not Known
Eligibility:

• Applicants must be International students
• Applicants must be able to demonstrate a good command of the English language for the opportunity
• For Non-Medical students: The students obtaining an average GPA required for a Second Class Upper Division or above in the first attempt of the relevant examination of the courses of study in each academic year will be eligible for an award.
• For Medical Students: Candidates obtaining 2nd Class Upper division or above in the first attempt of the relevant examination of the courses of study will be eligible for an award.
• For getting more information applicants need to check out the Vice Chancellor´s and Dean´s Awards page.  

How To Apply: To participate, the applicants need to take admission to the university. After taking admission applicants need to fulfill the application form to apply for this application program.
Visit The Official Website For More Information
Application Deadline: January 10, 2020

LATEST Scholarships In Fire Safety Engineering for International Students to Study In UK, 2020

The International Master of Science Scholarships In Fire Safety Engineering (IMFSE) programme is jointly offered by 3 Full Partner Universities: Ghent University (Belgium), Lund University (Sweden) and the University of Edinburgh (UK).
This is a 2-year full-time educational master programme. There are full scholarships and tuition fee reductions available, for both EU and non-EU students.

Eligible Countries: EU and Non-EU countries
Type: Masters
Eligibility: To be eligible for this scholarship program, applicants must:

• Be EU or Non-EU students.
• Be Proficient in English language.
• Have completed their bachelors degree program in civil/structural / mechanical / electrical / chemical / industrial engineering, material sciences, chemistry, physics, applied physics, architecture, urbanism and spatial planning or a related discipline.
• Have applied or applying to any of these Universities: Ghent University (Belgium), Lund University (Sweden), The University of Edinburgh (UK), University of Queensland (Australia), ETH Zürich (Switzerland) and The University of Maryland (USA)
• Have excellent grades.

How To Apply: Interested applicants should click here to apply.
Applications are accompanied with the following:

• A passport photo
• A copy of passport (or other official identification proof for EU students)
• Legalized copy(s) of your Bachelor’s diploma (and Master’s, if applicable) in the original language. The country of origin determines whether documents have to be legalized by the Belgian embassy, by apostille certification, by APS certificate, or are exempt from official certification. Check this overview.
• A certified English translation of your Bachelor’s and Master’s (if applicable) diploma, unless the document was issued in English.
• A legalized copy of your detailed Transcript of Records in the original language
• A certified English translation of your Transcript of Records (unless the document was issued in English)
• A copy of English language test scores or language certificate (max. two years old).
• A motivation letter for the programme (1 A4-size page)
• At least two recommendation letters.

Visit The Official Website For More Information.
Application Deadline: 
SCHOLARSHIP APPLICANTS:

• Online application submission deadline: 31 January
• Hard copy file submission deadline: 1 March
• Selection outcome communication (via e-mail): by the end of March

SELF-SPONSORED APPLICANTS:

• Online application deadline: 30 April
• Hard copy file submission deadline: 1 June
• Selection outcome communication (via e-mail): by the end of June
• Payment deadline tuition fee year 1: 31 July

Scholarships In Fire Safety Engineering for International Students to Study In UK, 2020

The International Master of Science Scholarships In Fire Safety Engineering (IMFSE) programme is jointly offered by 3 Full Partner Universities: Ghent University (Belgium), Lund University (Sweden) and the University of Edinburgh (UK).
This is a 2-year full-time educational master programme. There are full scholarships and tuition fee reductions available, for both EU and non-EU students.

Eligible Countries: EU and Non-EU countries
Type: Masters
Eligibility: To be eligible for this scholarship program, applicants must:

• Be EU or Non-EU students.
• Be Proficient in English language.
• Have completed their bachelors degree program in civil/structural / mechanical / electrical / chemical / industrial engineering, material sciences, chemistry, physics, applied physics, architecture, urbanism and spatial planning or a related discipline.
• Have applied or applying to any of these Universities: Ghent University (Belgium), Lund University (Sweden), The University of Edinburgh (UK), University of Queensland (Australia), ETH Zürich (Switzerland) and The University of Maryland (USA)
• Have excellent grades.

How To Apply: Interested applicants should click here to apply.
Applications are accompanied with the following:

• A passport photo
• A copy of passport (or other official identification proof for EU students)
• Legalized copy(s) of your Bachelor’s diploma (and Master’s, if applicable) in the original language. The country of origin determines whether documents have to be legalized by the Belgian embassy, by apostille certification, by APS certificate, or are exempt from official certification. Check this overview.
• A certified English translation of your Bachelor’s and Master’s (if applicable) diploma, unless the document was issued in English.
• A legalized copy of your detailed Transcript of Records in the original language
• A certified English translation of your Transcript of Records (unless the document was issued in English)
• A copy of English language test scores or language certificate (max. two years old).
• A motivation letter for the programme (1 A4-size page)
• At least two recommendation letters.

Visit The Official Website For More Information.
Application Deadline: 
SCHOLARSHIP APPLICANTS:

• Online application submission deadline: 31 January
• Hard copy file submission deadline: 1 March
• Selection outcome communication (via e-mail): by the end of March

SELF-SPONSORED APPLICANTS:

• Online application deadline: 30 April
• Hard copy file submission deadline: 1 June
• Selection outcome communication (via e-mail): by the end of June
• Payment deadline tuition fee year 1: 31 July

LATEST Tuition Reduction funding for International Students at Asia Pacific University in Japan

To make your higher education affordable in Japan, Asia Pacific University is implementing the APU Tuition Reduction funding for the academic session 2020-21.
The main purpose of this educational bursary is to help international students to complete an undergraduate degree program at the University in Japan.

University or Organization: Asia Pacific University
Course Level: Undergraduate
Award: 30%, 50%, 65%, 80% and 100% reduction in tuition fee
Number of Awards: Not known
Access Mode: Online
Nationality: International
The award can be taken in Japan

• Eligible Countries: All nationalities are eligible
• Eligible Course or Subjects: Pursuing a bachelors degree in any subject stream
• Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible, you have to enrol in the bachelor’s degree program at the university.

How to Apply: For grasping the opportunity, students are needed to register in the bachelor’s degree program online or you can download the application form at the university.

• Supporting Documents: The university may ask you for official transcripts, scholarship essay and copy of passport.
• Admission Requirements: You have to provide SAT, ACT and other standardized test scores and must have a student visa.
• Language Requirement: Students must be proficient in English or Japanese

Benefits: The studentship will cover 30%, 50%, 65%, 80% and 100% of the tuition fee for deserving students.

Apply Now

LATEST The Dean’s Scholarship Excellence For Masters Students at SUT, 2020

The Swinburne University of Technology is delighted to announce the Dean’s Scholarship Excellence in Architecture and Urban Design for deserving candidates.
This study program is exclusively open for international students except Australia or New Zealand who want to a master’s degree program. There will be a 50% discount offered by the Swinburne on tuition fees.

University: Swinburne University of Technology
Course Level: Masters
Award: 50% off on tuition fees
Access Mode: Online
Nationality: International
The award can be taken in Australia        

• Eligible Countries: Candidates of any country except Australia or New Zealand are eligible.
• Acceptable Course or Subjects: The master’s degree program will be awarded in Architecture and Urban Design.
• Admissible Criteria: To be eligible, the applicants must meet all the following criteria:
• Apply for and commence in Semester 1, 2020 or Semester 2, 2020.
• Not be holding another Swinburne scholarship or reduced fee arrangement

How to Apply: To begin your application award, firstly you must to take admission in master’s degree program at the university. After being enrolled then you can submit an online application directly to Swinburne or through an authorized representative in your country.

• Supporting Documents: Candidates need to upload certified copies of previous academic results, certified English language proficiency test results, letters from schools or employers, portfolio for design courses, excluding Swinburne Foundation Year.
• Admission Requirements: Applicants who meet the minimum entry requirements for a course may be selected for a course at Swinburne
• Language Requirement: Make sure that you meet the minimum English language requirements for the course you wish to study.

Benefits

The university will provide 50% off their course fees to the winning candidates for the duration of the course.

Apply Now

Application Deadline:  Open

Tuition Reduction funding for International Students at Asia Pacific University in Japan

To make your higher education affordable in Japan, Asia Pacific University is implementing the APU Tuition Reduction funding for the academic session 2020-21.
The main purpose of this educational bursary is to help international students to complete an undergraduate degree program at the University in Japan.

University or Organization: Asia Pacific University
Course Level: Undergraduate
Award: 30%, 50%, 65%, 80% and 100% reduction in tuition fee
Number of Awards: Not known
Access Mode: Online
Nationality: International
The award can be taken in Japan

• Eligible Countries: All nationalities are eligible
• Eligible Course or Subjects: Pursuing a bachelors degree in any subject stream
• Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible, you have to enrol in the bachelor’s degree program at the university.

How to Apply: For grasping the opportunity, students are needed to register in the bachelor’s degree program online or you can download the application form at the university.

• Supporting Documents: The university may ask you for official transcripts, scholarship essay and copy of passport.
• Admission Requirements: You have to provide SAT, ACT and other standardized test scores and must have a student visa.
• Language Requirement: Students must be proficient in English or Japanese

Benefits: The studentship will cover 30%, 50%, 65%, 80% and 100% of the tuition fee for deserving students.

Apply Now

The Dean’s Scholarship Excellence For Masters Students at SUT, 2020

The Swinburne University of Technology is delighted to announce the Dean’s Scholarship Excellence in Architecture and Urban Design for deserving candidates.
This study program is exclusively open for international students except Australia or New Zealand who want to a master’s degree program. There will be a 50% discount offered by the Swinburne on tuition fees.

University: Swinburne University of Technology
Course Level: Masters
Award: 50% off on tuition fees
Access Mode: Online
Nationality: International
The award can be taken in Australia        

• Eligible Countries: Candidates of any country except Australia or New Zealand are eligible.
• Acceptable Course or Subjects: The master’s degree program will be awarded in Architecture and Urban Design.
• Admissible Criteria: To be eligible, the applicants must meet all the following criteria:
• Apply for and commence in Semester 1, 2020 or Semester 2, 2020.
• Not be holding another Swinburne scholarship or reduced fee arrangement

How to Apply: To begin your application award, firstly you must to take admission in master’s degree program at the university. After being enrolled then you can submit an online application directly to Swinburne or through an authorized representative in your country.

• Supporting Documents: Candidates need to upload certified copies of previous academic results, certified English language proficiency test results, letters from schools or employers, portfolio for design courses, excluding Swinburne Foundation Year.
• Admission Requirements: Applicants who meet the minimum entry requirements for a course may be selected for a course at Swinburne
• Language Requirement: Make sure that you meet the minimum English language requirements for the course you wish to study.

Benefits

The university will provide 50% off their course fees to the winning candidates for the duration of the course.

Apply Now

Application Deadline:  Open

LATEST International awards at Valley View University in Ghana

Giving a perfect start to a career is very important for students. That’s why the Valley View University is delighted to announce its international awards for the year of 2020.
The education program is available only for Ghana students. Applicants who wish to apply for any of the undergraduate programs at the university are eligible to apply for this grant.

Course Level: Undergraduate, Graduate, Postgraduate degree
Award: Tuition
Access Mode: Online
Number of Awards: NA
Nationality: Domestic and International Students
The program can be taken Ghana
Eligible Countries: Domestic and International students are eligible to apply.
Acceptable Course or Subjects: The sponsorship will be awarded to study in any undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate degree offered by the university.
Admissible Criteria: Applicants must have:

• For applicants who wish to apply for any undergraduate programs are eligible to apply for this grant.
• GCE Advanced Level: Passes in three (3) subjects (at least, one of the passes should be Grade D or better). Also, the applicant must have had credit passes (Grade 6) in five GCE Ordinary Level subjects including English Language, Mathematics and a Science subject (for non-Science students) and an Arts subject (for Science students).
• Diploma certificates from recognized universities assessed to be equivalent to HND with second class lower division may be considered for admission into level 100 or 200 in their area of specialization depending on the subjects passed.
• The applicant must have acquired a two-year post HND qualification working experience. Other Diploma qualifications from elsewhere assessed to be equivalent to HND may be similarly considered.
• For getting more information all students need to check out the Entry Requirements page.

How to apply: To participate, the applicants need to take admission to the university. After taking admission you will be automatically considered for this study program.

• Admission Requirements: For being admitted, claimants are needed to meet the minimum entry requirementsof the university.
• Language Requirement: Applicants must be able to demonstrate a good command of the English language for the opportunity .
• Benefit: The university will provide various award amounts for its students.

Apply Now

Application Deadline: Open