Russian ‘cease-fire’ in Ukraine to bring 'neither freedom nor security’: Germany
January 6, 2023, 8:35 am

Russian ‘cease-fire’ in Ukraine to bring 'neither freedom nor security’: Germany

The aftermath of Russia’s missile strike on Mykolayiv during the night of October 13. Eight Russian missiles struck civilian infrastructure, with no military sites in the area - Photo. Kostantyn & Vlada Liberov https://www.facebook.com/libkos.photo/Euromaidan Press

Germany’s foreign minister slammed Russia on Thursday for announcing a unilateral truce in Ukraine for Orthodox Christmas, saying the "so-called cease-fire brings neither freedom nor security to people living in daily fear under Russian occupation."

Annalena Baerbock said in the Twitter post that if Russian President Vladimir Putin really wanted peace, "he would bring his soldiers home."

She added, however, that Putin apparently wants to continue the war after a short break.

"This is the reason why we will continue to support Ukrainians, so that they can live with self-determination," she said.

US says 'not encouraging' Ukraine strikes into Russia

Earlier Thursday, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church called for a truce in Ukraine for Christmas Day, celebrated by most Orthodox Christians on Jan. 7 and this year falling on Saturday.

In response, Putin ordered a cease-fire along the entire line of contact in Ukraine from noon Friday local time until midnight Saturday.

Ukraine will not conduct negotiations with Russia on a Christmas truce, said Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

He called the truce proposal "lie.

Source: aa

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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.”