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Joe Biden, his wife head to storm-hit Puerto Rico

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden head to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico on Monday (October 3), in a bid to show solidarity with a US territory whose people have complained of neglect after past natural disasters.
The high-profile trip will be the first of two this week for the Bidens, who head on Wednesday to Florida to assess the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Ian.
Both Puerto Rico and Florida suffered numerous deaths, widespread power outages, dangerous flooding and grievous property damage from the recent hurricanes of rare intensity -- first Fiona, then Ian.
No details of the Bidens' trip have been announced, though visits to disaster zones are a customary duty of presidents.
But on Saturday, the president told a Congressional Black Caucus dinner that "our hearts... are heavy from the devastating hurricanes and storms in Puerto Rico, Florida and South Carolina. And we owe Puerto Rico a hell of a lot more than they've already gotten."
Twenty-five people are believed to have died in Puerto Rico as a result of Hurricane Fiona, according to the island's public health department, which is still investigating how 12 of the fatalities occurred.
The entire US territory lost power and about one million people were left temporarily without drinking water, when Fiona -- then a powerful Category 4 storm -- hammered the island in mid-September.
Biden declared a state of emergency for Puerto Rico on September 18.
Cuban migrant boat sinks off Florida due to Hurricane Ian; 20 missing
Island residents -- all US citizens -- have complained of being overlooked by Washington after previous disasters, including the devastating hit from twin hurricanes, Irma and Maria, in 2017.
Florida, where Hurricane Ian roared on land Wednesday as a Category 4 storm, is still struggling to assess the extensive damage, particularly on its southwest coast.
The confirmed death toll from Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the US mainland, has soared to at least 58 in Florida and four in North Carolina with rescuers still searching for survivors in submerged neighborhoods.
Florida Gulf Coast braces for Hurricane Ian, millions urged to evacuate
More than 700,000 Floridians remained without power Sunday, according to the PowerOutage.us website, and officials said it could take months -- and perhaps $50 billion or more -- to rebuild devastated coastal zones.
Governments -- federal, state and local -- are often judged by the effectiveness of their response to such disasters.
After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf coast, critics castigated then-president George W. Bush after photos showed him surveying damage while flying high overhead.
And after then-president Donald Trump, on a visit to Puerto Rico after the earlier storms there, took a basketball-style shot to distribute rolls of paper towels, the mayor of capital city San Juan called it "insulting" and "abominable."
Source: france24
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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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