German military plane sent to evacuate citizens from China amid coronavirus
January 31, 2020, 10:52 am

German military plane sent to evacuate citizens from China amid coronavirus

A security officer wearing a face mask checks his phone while sitting outside a closed shop in China. (Reuters)

The German government on Friday sent a military plane to the Chinese city of Wuhan to evacuate “over 100” of its citizens from the virus-hit region, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said.

“We are relieved that we are at this point,” said Maas, adding that there were no confirmed or suspected infections with the novel coronavirus among the German evacuees.

The plane is expected to return to Germany on Saturday, where passengers will be held in quarantine for two weeks at a military base in Germersheim, near Stuttgart.

Maas said the evacuations would be voluntary, and all of those on board would be German citizens.

“We did have requests from other countries to evacuate their citizens too, but all the seats on the plane are taken,” he said.

The minister added that the outbound flight would also deliver 10,000 protective suits to China.

“We are using the flight to provide the Chinese authorities with materials they are lacking on the ground,” he said.

The Wuhan metropolis is at the heart of the SARS-like virus epidemic that has so far killed 213 people and led the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday to declare it an international public health emergency.

The city of 11 million has been subject to an unprecedented lockdown, preventing residents from leaving in a bid to stop the deadly virus from spreading further.

Numerous countries, including France, Britain, Japan, and South Korea, have already begun airlifting their citizens out of Wuhan.

Berlin had planned to start its evacuations earlier this week but was forced to delay until Chinese officials approved a landing permit for the flight.

Germany now has five confirmed cases of the virus, including the first of human-to-human transmission on European soil – a 33-year-old man who fell ill after attending a training session hosted by a visiting Chinese colleague.

All five patients are in isolation in a Munich hospital.

source: AFP

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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.”