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Jill Biden meets Ukraine refugees and volunteers in Slovakia
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“The hearts of the American people are with the mothers of Ukraine,” Jill Biden said.

The Alarabyia English reported, citing Reuters, US first lady Jill Biden met Ukrainian refugees in eastern Slovakia on Sunday, the last full day of her tour of Romania and Slovakia to visit US servicemen deployed there and women and children who fled Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Biden spoke to families, volunteers and local authority workers at a refugee center in the eastern Slovak city of Kosice, one of the main transit points for over 400,000 Ukrainian refugees who have crossed the border to Slovakia.
The United Nations says 5.8 million people in total have fled Ukraine since Russia started what it describes as a “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24.
“When the war started we understood that nowhere in Ukraine is safe,” Viktoria Kutocha, a teacher who fled the western city of Uzhhorod with her 7-year old daughter, told Biden.
The love between a mother and child transcends all. pic.twitter.com/Umi8HksgZH
— Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) May 9, 2022
Biden, the wife of US President Joe Biden, asked Kutocha how she explained the war to children. Kutocha said: “It’s very difficult to explain. I only said there is a war and I cannot explain because I do not know myself."
“It’s senseless,” Biden responded, before embracing the mother and her child.
Rights group warns Poland about safety of Ukrainian refugees, especially women
Biden, who teaches English and writing at a community college in Virginia, also visited a local school attended by refugee children.
“The hearts of the American people are with the mothers of Ukraine,” she said, wishing the women at the school a happy Mother’s Day.
One woman there said she felt children needed to have the war explained to them. She said: “They need to understand why we are here and why we receive help - why are we separated from our husbands. They need to understand what is going on."
Britain’s “embarrassing” failure in welcoming Ukrainian refugees
Later on Sunday, Biden and Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger visited Vysne Nemecke, the main road crossing on Slovakia’s 98 km (61 mile) border with Ukraine.
She expressed gratitude to officials and non-government organizations, and joined a brief prayer for refugees in an improvised chapel in one of many tents set up by aid groups.
Biden will leave the region on Monday after a four-day tour.
UK Ukrainian refugees scheme set to launch offeirng £350 a month to hospitable Britons
Most refugees who crossed into Slovakia have travelled onward to other countries, but over 74,000 have received temporary protection status in the country of 5.5 million.
Source: alarabyiaenglish
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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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