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You can finally hug and party: UK opens again for business

By Guy Faulconbridge, Kate Holton
Friends will hug, pints will be pulled and swathes of the UK economy will open again on Monday providing 65 million people a measure of freedom after the gloom of a four-month COVID-19 lockdown.
Most of the British will be free again to hug, albeit cautiously, drink a pint in their pub, sit down to an indoor meal or go to the cinema after a series of lockdowns that put the strictest restrictions in peacetime history.
The biggest public health crisis in a century was accompanied by a drastic extension of state power; during England’s lockdowns police broke up parties and protests alike, shut down religious services and handed out fines of up to 10,000 pounds ($14,000) to youngsters for partying.
As freedom beckons once more, there is excitement.
“I shall be hugging literally everyone I can get my hands on,” British actress Joanna Lumley told The Telegraph newspaper. “I shall snatch babies from their mothers, and lean over zimmer frames.”
“I shall hug girls at the till, the picture framer, and lads playing footie in the park. Much later obviously I shall be hugging police personnel as I am charged at the station. Hugger-mugger, that’s me.”
Beside the euphoria, though, there is also anxiety.
PM Johnson, who before he imposed three national lockdowns had railed against the “nanny” tendencies of the British state, advised people to cuddle cautiously and served notice that the spread of the coronavirus variant first identified in India meant that the final UK reopening in June could be delayed.
“Together we have reached another milestone in our roadmap out of lockdown, but we must take this next step with a heavy dose of caution,” Johnson said in a statement.
There is rising concern about variant B.1.617.2 which British scientific advisers say will become the dominant variant in the United Kingdom and which is more transmissible than B.1.1.7 (the variant first identified in Kent, England).
Broadly, from Monday in England gatherings of up to 30 people will be permitted outdoors, two families will be allowed to meet indoors; cafes, bars and restaurants will open again for indoor service; care home residents will be allowed to have five visitors; and face coverings will no longer be compulsory in schools.
“It’s been a long, long time this one,” said Clare Smyth, the chef of London restaurant Core who won her third Michelin star in January during lockdown.
“I’m super excited, can’t wait to get the guests through the door, it’s going to be quite emotional,” she told Reuters. “London is opening up and exciting times will be ahead and it will bounce back.”
Though the rules are slightly different in the United Kingdom’s four constituent parts, restrictions are being eased in England, Scotland and Wales from Monday while they will be eased slightly later in Northern Ireland.
The scars of COVID-19 remain.
The UK’s official death toll is 127,679 - Europe’s highest figure and the world’s fifth highest, after the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The British economy last year had its worst decline in three centuries while the government spent hundreds of billions of pounds to save jobs and companies and the Bank of England doubled its bond buying programme.
Source: Reuters
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
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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