UK pledges extra £251 mln to search for coronavirus vaccine
March 26, 2020, 5:46 pm

UK pledges extra £251 mln to search for coronavirus vaccine

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits the Mologic Laboratory in the Bedford Technology Park near Bedford, Britain March 6, 2020. (Reuters)

Britain on Thursday announced an extra $251 million, (£210 million) towards the global fund to find a coronavirus vaccine, taking its total contribution to £544 million. for coronavirus vaccine

“While our brilliant doctors and nurses fight coronavirus at home, this record British funding will help to find a vaccine for the entire world,” said Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

“My call to every G20 country and governments around the world is to step up and help us defeat this virus,” he added.

Britain’s contribution is the largest by any country to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the international fund to find a vaccine, London said in a press release.

Following Thursday’s virtual summit of G20 leaders, Johnson’s government also unveiled new funding to speed up the production of tests and treatments for the virus.

CEPI has said it needs $2 billion additional funding to develop a vaccine. for coronavirus vaccine

According to the latest figures, 463 people have died from the virus in Britain and more than 9,500 people have been infected. levant

source: AFP levant

Coronavirus: Lebanon to impose overnight shutdown US imposes new Iran-related sanctions: Treasury

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.”