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North Korea stockpiled Chinese masks and vaccines before reporting COVID-19 outbreak

Trade data released by Beijing showed that months before North Korea acknowledged its first official COVID-19 outbreak, it suddenly imported millions of face masks, 1,000 ventilators, and possibly vaccines from China.
Two weeks ago state media revealed the outbreak, fueling concerns about a lack of vaccines, medical supplies and food shortages.
Chinese data show that even before that announcement, the North had begun stocking up.
According to the data released this month, North Korea is not known to have conducted any significant COVID-19 vaccine campaign. In February, however, China exported $311,126 worth of unidentified vaccines to its neighbor.

China reported no other vaccine exports to North Korea for any other month this year, or all of last year.
From January to April, the last month for which data is available, the North bought more than 10.6 million masks from China, having bought none in December 2021.
Joe Biden says US has offered North Korea COVID vaccines but ‘got no response’
In those four months, China also exported nearly 95,000 thermometers, more than 33 times than the total amount of 2021.
China exported 1,000 non-invasive ventilators to North Korea in April, worth $266,891, as well as laboratory supplies that could be used in COVID-19 test kits. Other medical imports included rubber gloves and protective clothing.
Overall, China’s exports to North Korea hit $98.1 million in April, the highest since January 2020 when the figure was $186.8 million.
North Korea reports over 232,000 new 'fever' cases in suspected COVID outbreak
North Korea shut its borders to nearly all trade for most of the pandemic, only recently allowing a trickle of supplies and products into the country on trains and ships from China.
Adiplomatic source said, three aircraft from North Korea's Air Koryo arrived in China and returned to Pyongyang last week carrying medical supplies.
Source: alarabiyaenglish
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Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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