Kenyan President William Ruto expressed his gratitude to China for offering Kenyan students the opportunity to study in Chinese universities, enabling them to gain knowledge and skills that will contribute to the development of their homeland.
During his four-day state visit to China in April, Ruto gave an exclusive interview to China Media Group, which aired Friday. During the discussion, he was presented with videos recorded by two Kenyan students in China.
The two students, Jamlick Mwangi and Washington Aburiri, are pursuing master's degrees at Beijing Jiaotong University. Mwangi is specializing in Road and Railway Engineering, while Aburiri is focusing on Logistics Engineering and Management.
"We, as the young people who have the opportunity to study here in China, are doing our very best to gather as much knowledge, skills and expertise that will be able to bring back to Kenya and help the country grow," Mwangi said in his video.
"My message would be to continue encouraging multinational partnerships between Kenya and China, so that we get to benefit in terms of innovation, in terms of education, in terms of skill transfer, in terms of knowledge in general," said Aburiri.
Ruto expressed his admiration for the ambitious young men, underscoring their potential to impact Kenya's future and development.
"I think that is great. Our young people are the greatest asset that we have as a nation, and we will do everything to make sure that we sharpen it. And I'm grateful for the opportunities both Washington and Jamlick, those two young gentlemen from Kenya, the opportunity they have to acquire knowledge, to improve their skills, and use them to develop our country," said the Kenyan president.
Kenyan president lauds Chinese educational support for Kenyan students
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
