France extends coronavirus ‘stay-at-home’ lockdown order until at least April 15
March 27, 2020, 6:04 pm

France extends coronavirus ‘stay-at-home’ lockdown order until at least April 15

A woman sits on a metro car on March 20, 2020 in Lyon on the fourth day of a strict lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus. (AFP)

France is extending by two weeks until at least April 15 its stay-at-home order for all people to curtail the coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Friday. France extends coronavirus

President Emmanuel Macron had ordered people in France to stay at home from March 17 for two weeks for all but essential tasks. But the scale of the epidemic in the country had made it inevitable that the lockdown would be extended.

“In agreement with the president, today I’m announcing the renewal of the confinement period for two more weeks,” Philippe said at the Elysee presidential palace.

“Obviously this period will be extended again if conditions require it,” he added. The additional two weeks from April 1 means it would now expire on April 15.

Philippe said that lockdown measures were well respected in general, but the few who violate them “will be severely punished as this concerns the health of all of us and, especially, the most fragile.”

He also warned that “after the first ten days of confinement it is clear that we are still just at the start of this wave of epidemic.” France extends coronavirus

French authorities said on Thursday that 365 people had been killed by COVID-19 over the previous 24 hours, France’s highest daily toll, taking the national total of those who have died in hospital to 1,696. levant

source: AFP levant

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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.”