NATO warns Moscow against any infrastructure attacks
October 12, 2022, 6:50 am

NATO warns Moscow against any infrastructure attacks

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (Photo: NATO Facebook page)

NATO told Moscow on Tuesday (Oct 11) it would meet attacks on allies' critical infrastructure with a "united and determined response" and was also monitoring Russia's nuclear forces closely as the country was "losing on the battlefield" in Ukraine.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that while the defence alliance had not seen any changes in Russia's nuclear posture, it was vigilant and would proceed with a nuclear preparedness exercise of its own next week.

Stoltenberg said: "Now is the right time to be firm and to be clear that NATO is there to protect and defend all allies ... It would send a very wrong signal if we suddenly now cancelled a routine, long-time-planned exercise because of the war in Ukraine."

He was referring to the annual "Steadfast Noon" drill, in which NATO air forces practise the use of US nuclear bombs based in Europe with training flights, without live weapons.

A bridge connecting Crimea to Russia caught fire early Saturday morning (Oct 8) - Photo. Crimean telegram channels

"It's an exercise to ensure that our nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure and effective," Stoltenberg told a news conference ahead of a two-day meeting of the Western alliance's defence ministers in Brussels.

He said NATO's military strength was the best way to prevent any escalation of tensions with Russia, which has made veiled threats of using nuclear weapons against Ukraine, which it invaded on Feb 24th.

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Stoltenberg also pledged to boost the protection of critical infrastructure in response to the attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, saying NATO had already doubled its presence in the Baltic and the North Seas to over 30 ships supported by aircraft and undersea activities.

He said: "We will further increase protection of critical infrastructure in light of the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines."

It remains unclear who was behind the attack on the pipelines.

Source: cna

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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.”