Chinese premier visits city at epicenter of virus
January 27, 2020, 11:11 am

Chinese premier visits city at epicenter of virus

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang gives a speech at the Round Table of the German-Chinese Advised Economic Committee. (File photo AP)

Premier Li Keqiang on Monday became the most senior Chinese leader to visit Wuhan since the city was struck by the outbreak of a deadly virus that has spread across the country and sparked global concern.

The virus toll has spiked to 80 dead despite a huge lockdown of Wuhan and Hubei province, home to the majority of fatalities from a disease that has infected more than 2,700 people nationwide so far.

Wearing a mask and blue plastic scrubs, Li was in Wuhan to “investigate and guide” ongoing efforts to control the virus in the city of 11 million people, which has been placed under an unprecedented quarantine, China’s State Council said on its official social media account.

The State Council, China’s cabinet, said Li would meet with patients and medical staff on the frontline.

The premier was appointed head of a working group to tackle the epidemic, which began at a market in Wuhan that was selling wild animals for food.

The group has already announced an extension to the Lunar New Year holiday originally scheduled to end on January 30 “to reduce population flows”.

Transport curbs have also been imposed around China to cut off transmission routes.

With the coronavirus also expanding globally, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is traveling to Beijing to meet with government officials on the crisis.

source: AFP

France to repatriate citizens from Wuhan as virus spreads China death toll spikes to 80, over 2,700 cases confirmed

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.”