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Coronavirus: Evacuation flight for Britons on Diamond Princess lands in UK

A flight carrying Britons evacuated from a coronavirus-hit cruise ship in Japan has arrived back in the UK.
The Foreign Office said 32 British and European passengers - who have been quarantined on the liner for 16 days - were on board.
The flight landed at Boscombe Down, an airbase in Wiltshire, after leaving Tokyo late on Friday night.
The group will travel on coaches to Arrowe Park hospital in Wirral, where they will spend 14 days in quarantine.
The passengers have so far tested negative for Covid-19, the illness brought on by coronavirus.
The flight took off from Tokyo's Haneda Airport late on Friday evening (GMT) and landed at Boscombe Down, a Ministry of Defence base in Wiltshire, about 11:30 GMT on Saturday.
In a statement issued after the plane landed, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the Foreign Office had "worked hard" to get the passengers "back to the UK securely".
"Our number one priority has consistently been the health and safety of UK nationals," he added.
The flight had previously been delayed after the British embassy said it was "logistically complicated".
Meanwhile, it has emerged the NHS is working on plans to test people for coronavirus in their own homes if the outbreak begins to spread in the UK.
A pilot scheme has already been launched in London, where tests are being carried out by NHS staff, such as nurses and paramedics.
The health service is planning to expand this to other areas outside of the capital in the coming weeks.
Professor Keith Willett, the NHS strategic incident director for coronavirus, said the aim was to avoid the risk of people spreading the infection by going to their GP or A&E.
https://twitter.com/foreignoffice/status/1230994777237344258
Some 78 Britons were on the Diamond Princess when it was quarantined 16 days ago.
Some of the British passengers on the Diamond Princess had already been evacuated over the last week on flights to Hong Kong, organized by the Chinese authorities there, a government source has told the BBC.
Others are being treated for the virus in health facilities in Japan.
David and Sally Abel, a couple from Northamptonshire who was diagnosed with coronavirus on the cruise ship, have since been told they have pneumonia, their son said.
Appearing alongside wife Roberta, Steve Abel said in a YouTube video late on Friday evening that his father's condition was "very serious", while his mother has a more mild form of pneumonia.
He also said he's "really distressed" parents - who had been on the cruise for their 50th wedding anniversary - called him to say they were being moved to a different hospital.
Mr. Abel said: "They've gone from being told that they're going to have all these wonderful treatments, and 'we're going to wait over the next two or three days just to see how they respond to the treatments', and now all of a sudden they're being told 'we have to move you to a different hospital'."
He said his father is so "weak" he has been using a wheelchair and has been told he could be put on a ventilator.
The Foreign Office said the welfare of all British nationals is of the highest priority to the UK government.
They added they are working with the Japanese authorities to ensure those British nationals who are remaining in Japan for health reasons get the best possible care.
At least four UK nationals have contracted the virus onboard the cruise ship, but those flying home have tested negative.
More than 620 people onboard the cruise ship tested positive for the virus - the largest cluster of cases outside China.
It is understood that some British nationals are members of the ship's crew who could be staying onboard the ship.
Two Japanese passengers - both in their 80s and with underlying health conditions - were confirmed to have died after contracting the virus on the Diamond Princess.
The cruise liner was carrying 3,700 people when it was quarantined in Yokohama on 5 February, after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong was found to have the virus.
source: BBC
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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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