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HK billionaire to pay $14m in tuition fees for Chinese students

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Hong Kong's richest man Li Ka-Shing has pledged to pay the tuition fees for a class of Chinese university students through his charitable foundation. The Li Ka-Shing Foundation will fund Shantou University's 2019 incoming class for up to five years. Mr Li, aged 90, is worth $30.4bn (£24.2bn) according to Forbes. Last month billionaire Robert F Smith made a similar move, saying he would pay the loans of a US college class. The Li Ka-Shing Foundation will cover full tuition for four to five years for undergraduates, starting with the incoming class of 2019 at Shantou University, in the Guangdong province of China. The move will cost 100m Chinese yuan ($14.4m; £11.5m) a year. "The Foundation hopes this scheme can alleviate financial burdens for families and encourage the pursuit of personal interests and further learning to better prepare graduates for the challenges of an increasingly complex global economy," the foundation said in a statement. 'Super...
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Oxford University accepts £150m from US private equity boss

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The largest single donation to a UK university has been given to Oxford for a new institute that will study the ethics of artificial intelligence. Stephen Schwarzman, a US private equity billionaire who has advised Republican presidents including Donald Trump, has given the university £150m. The donation will fund a new faculty for the humanities. The UK government said it was a "globally significant" investment in Britain. Governments 'utterly unprepared' At a time when universities face uncertainty over research funding because of Brexit, this is a major financial coup for the University of Oxford. Mr Schwarzman, the chief executive of the private equity firm Blackstone, is one of America's best known billionaires. In the past, his lavish lifestyle as a Wall Street financier has attracted criticism, but more recently he has also become a major donor to education. Mr Schwarzman told the BBC he was giving the money to Oxford because artificial inte...
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More than 70 million displaced worldwide, says UNHCR

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The number of people fleeing war, persecution and conflict exceeded 70 million globally last year - the highest number in the UN refugee agency's almost 70 years of operations. The almost 70.8 million people forcibly displaced is 2.3 million more than the previous year, according to the agency's annual Global Trends report. The figure is also double the level recorded 20 years ago. The number averaged out to 37,000 new displacements every day. "What we are seeing in these figures is further confirmation of a longer-term rising trend in the number of people needing safety from war, conflict and persecution," said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. "While language around refugees and migrants is often divisive, we are also witnessing an outpouring of generosity and solidarity, especially by communities who are themselves hosting large numbers of refugees." The number also represents a sharp increase in the number of displaced p...
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Maurizio Sarri: Juventus appoint Chelsea manager

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Maurizio Sarri has left Chelsea to become manager of Serie A champions Juventus on a three-year deal. Sarri, who joined the Blues from Napoli in July 2018, led them to third in the Premier League and won the Europa League in his one season in charge. It is understood a compensation fee in excess of £5m has been agreed between the two clubs for the 60-year-old. Sarri will replace fellow Italian Massimiliano Allegri, who left Juventus at the end of last season. "In talks we had following the Europa League final, Maurizio made it clear how strongly he desired to return to his native country, explaining that his reasons for wanting to return to work in Italy were significant," said Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia. "He also believed it important to be nearer his family, and for the well-being of his elderly parents he felt he needed to live closer to them at this point." Sarri signed a three-year deal last July but now becomes the ninth full-time manager ...
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Ethiopia anger over texting and internet blackouts

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Ethiopians are angry that the country's text messaging service has been shut down since Thursday without any explanation. Internet blackouts, which began last Tuesday, are also still affecting many areas of the country. The state-run Ethio Telecom, the country's only telecoms provider, has refused to comment on the outages. The closure of the services coincides with nationwide exams, which some say may be the reason for the shut down. There has been speculation the measures are aimed at trying to stop students cheating, Kalkidan Yibeltal reports from the capital, Addis Ababa. The messaging app Telegram, which is popular among young Ethiopians, also remains inaccessible. The internet was shutdown in 2016 and 2017 to curb the leaking of exams amid popular anti-government protests. But when reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came into office last year he allowed more freedom of expression and previously banned websites were unbanned. This is the first time since he ca...
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Anthony Joshua sensationally beaten by Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden

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Andy Ruiz Jr produced one of the biggest shocks in the history of heavyweight boxing to rip Anthony Joshua's IBF, WBO and WBA world heavyweight titles from him and tear up the division's proposed plot lines. In a truly remarkable fight at New York's Madison Square Garden, Ruiz floored Joshua four times en route to a seventh-round stoppage, which stunned this famous arena and handed the Briton his first defeat as a professional. Joshua was a 1-25 favourite with bookmakers, with 22 wins - 21 by knockout - going into the fight. He will now join the likes of Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson as dominant champions to suffer losses which brought the sport to a standstill. "I got beaten by a good fighter," said 29-year-old Joshua on Sky Sports. "It will be interesting to see how far he goes, but this is all part of the journey. "He's a champion for now, I shall return." This was no fluke, no punch from the ages, it was the breakdown of a fighter wh...
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RIP. Jose Antonio Reyes: Former Arsenal winger dies aged 35

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Former Arsenal winger Jose Antonio Reyes has died in a car accident aged 35, Spanish club Sevilla have announced. "We couldn't be confirming worse news," the La Liga club said on Twitter. The Spaniard joined the Gunners from Sevilla in January 2004 and was part of the 'Invincibles' side that went through the 2003-04 season unbeaten, winning the Premier League. He later spent a season on loan at Real Madrid in 2006-07, winning the title. Sevilla paid tribute to the "eternal legend", adding that he was "one of the most valuable home grown players in the history of the club". Flags in Reyes' hometown of Utrera will fly at half mast for the next two days, according to a statement on the city council website. The statement also revealed the accident happened on a road linking Utrera with Seville and a relative of Reyes was also killed. Reyes' coffin will be taken to Sevilla's stadium on Sunday before being moved to Utrera...
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Tankers almost certainly damaged by Iranian naval mines, US says

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US National Security Adviser John Bolton has said "naval mines almost certainly from Iran" were to blame for the damage to oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman earlier this month. Mr Bolton provided no evidence to support the allegation, which Iran said was "laughable". The attacks off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates on 12 May left holes in the hulls of four ships. The incident came amid an escalation in tensions between Iran and the US. Last Friday, US Vice Admiral Michael Gilday said he believed "with a high degree of confidence that this [attack] stems back to the leadership of Iran at the highest levels". Mr Bolton, a long-standing advocate for regime change in Iran, echoed the admiral's words during a visit to the UAE on Wednesday, telling reporters it was "clear that Iran is behind" the attack. "There's no doubt in anybody's mind in Washington who's responsible for this," he said. "Who el...
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Japan attack: Child among two killed in Kawasaki stabbing

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A knife-wielding man has attacked a group of schoolchildren waiting for a bus in the Japanese city of Kawasaki near Tokyo. At least 18 people were injured in a residential area. Two of them, an 11-year-old girl and a 39-year-old man, have died. The suspect, a man in his 50s, stabbed himself in the neck after his rampage and later died in hospital. Police have named him as Ryuichi Iwasaki. Violent crime is rare in Japan and the motive for the attack is unknown. The suspect was holding knives in both hands as he attacked the victims - 16 of whom were schoolgirls. Police later named the victims of the fatal attack as Hanako Kuribayashi, who was in the sixth grade, and foreign ministry official Satoshi Oyama, who is believed to be the parent of another child. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned the attack, saying he felt "strong anger" against it. "It is a very harrowing case. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the victims and hope the injured recov...
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Huawei: US blacklist will harm billions of consumers

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A US move to put Huawei on a trade blacklist "sets a dangerous precedent" that will harm billions of consumers, the firm's top legal officer said. Speaking at a press conference, Song Liuping said the trade ban would also "directly harm" American companies and affect jobs. Washington recently added Huawei to a list of companies that US firms cannot trade with unless they have a licence. The trade ban is part of a wider battle between the US and Huawei. Washington has moved to block the Chinese company, the world's largest maker of telecoms equipment, on national security concerns. Huawei has repeatedly denied claims the use of its products presents security risks, and says it is independent from the Chinese government. "Politicians in the US are using the strength of an entire nation to come after a private company," Mr Song said. What did Huawei say about the trade ban? Mr Song said the decision to put Huawei, which is also the worl...
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Italian teen released after killing abusive father

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Prosecutors in Italy have released from house arrest a 19-year-old who killed her violent father at their home north of Rome. Deborah Sciacquatori acted in self-defence in an episode of domestic abuse, the local prosecutor decided. Initially accused of manslaughter, she now faces the lesser charge of culpable excess of legitimate self-defence, but that may also be dropped. The prosecutor said she had begged her father to stop the abuse. "It is possible in the next fortnight that the investigating judge may be asked to close the case because the young woman, according to what we currently know, acted in self-defence," said Tivoli prosecutor Francesco Menditto. The case has raised questions about domestic abuse in Italy, including the issue of when self-defence can legitimately be used. The man who died, 41-year-old ex-boxer Lorenzo Sciacquatori, was reportedly known as a violent man. He had served a jail term for assaulting a police officer in 2016 and his parents-i...
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Man Booker International Prize: Jokha Alharthi is first Arabic winner

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Omani author Jokha Alharthi has won this year's Man Booker International Prize - the first Arabic writer to do so. Her novel Celestial Bodies centres on the lives of three sisters and their families coming to terms with social changes in Oman. Judges described it as "a richly imagined, engaging and poetic insight". Alharthi shares the award of £50,000 ($63,000) with her translator, the American academic Marilyn Booth. "I am thrilled that a window has been opened to the rich Arabic culture," Alharthi told journalists after the ceremony at the Roundhouse in London. Oman inspired me but I think international readers can relate to the human values in the book - freedom and love." Celestial Bodies is set in the village of al-Awafi and tells the stories of three sisters who witness Oman's cultural evolution from a traditional society in the post-colonial period. "It touches the subject of slavery. I think literature is the best platform to ...
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Indonesia post-election protests leave six dead - Jakarta governor

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Six people have been killed and 200 injured during mass rallies against the re-election of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, said Jakarta's governor. Police said they could not confirm the figure but said they had received information that "some [had] died", Protests in the capital Jakarta started peacefully on Tuesday but soon turned violent, with cars set on fire and firecrackers thrown at police. Police in riot gear fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. At a press conference on Wednesday, police did not confirm the figure given by Governor Anies Baswedan, but said they had received information "that some people [were] wounded and some died". It remains unclear what caused the deaths. National Police Spokesman M Iqbal added that 69 protestors had been arrested following the violence. "We're concluding from these events that [these] were not spontaneous masses. They want anarchy, creating riots," he said. The protests erupted after ...
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Christian Pulisic: New Chelsea signing wants to make same impact as Eden Hazard

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Chelsea's new £58m forward Christian Pulisic wants to reach the same level as Stamford Bridge favourite Eden Hazard - and hopes he gets a chance to play in the same side as the Belgian next season. Pulisic signed a five-and-a-half year contract with the Blues in January but was immediately loaned backed to Germany to finish the campaign at Borussia Dortmund. The 20-year-old United States international has just spent a couple of days in England getting to know his new surroundings and, in an interview with BBC Sport, made it clear the size of the expectations he places on himself. It is incredible to see what Eden can do," he said. "He is a guy to look up to and what I would love to become. "It is definitely a goal. Any player would be dumb not to want to be in the same team as him." Pulisic may not get his wish given Hazard's likely move to Real Madrid after Chelsea's Europa League final with Arsenal on 29 May USA's most expensive player ...
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Deontay Wilder scouts ... himself

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Heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder (40-0-1, 39 KOs), coming off his contested split draw against Tyson Fury in December, fights Dominic Breazeale May 18 on Showtime. So we had an anonymous trainer assess Wilder -- then let Wilder respond. TRAINER: Deontay Wilder is the rare fighter gifted with one-punch power. Unfortunately, it's only his right hand. WILDER: The right hand, of course, has the ultimate power. But it's the way I set it up. That's just the punch you see that takes them out. The left brings the damage too. It can knock you out just as well. Trust me. TRAINER: He's athletic and tall with good reach, but he tends to fight at his opponent's range instead of using his length. WILDER: I'm one of the few tall guys that'll come down to your height. I'm so athletic! I do that because I use different styles. I'm never one way. People think I'm doing it because that's just my style. No, no, no. I'm doing things for a reason. Th...
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Donald Trump Signs Executive Order Banning TikTok and WeChat

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After a little back and forth between TikTok and Trump, the future of ByteDance‘s viral TikTok app was up in the air as of early this week. That uncertainty has now been resolved in favor of Donald Trump as he has just placed an executive order banning all transactions from the app. Under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act, the executive order goes on to state that “the spread in the United States of mobile applications developed and owned by companies in the People’s Republic of China…continues to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. At this time, action must be taken to address the threat posed by one mobile application, in particular, TikTok.” WeChat (owned by China’s Tencent) was also included in the executive order for the banning of transactions. The banning of WeChat will most likely not affect Americans too much as the app has been slow in adoption, but the same can’t be said about the st...
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'Bird Box blindfold' challenge gone wrong

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Police in the US state of Utah have taken the unusual step of urging residents not to drive blindfolded after an online challenge inspired by a horror film led to a crash. A teenager with her hat over her eyes drove into oncoming traffic in the city of Layton while taking part in the so-called "Bird Box Challenge". The craze has come from the Netflix film Bird Box, starring Sandra Bullock. Last week Netflix warned fans not to attempt the challenge. This week the same advice came from Layton police department. "It's just inexcusable to do something as dangerous as this, not only to yourself but everyone else on the road," said police Lt Travis Lyman, quoted by KSL.com. He said it was a warning he never thought he would have to give - don't drive while blindfolded. Bird Box Challenge while driving...predictable result. This happened on Monday as a result of the driver covering her eyes while driving on Layton Parkway. Luckily no injuries. p...
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