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Boris Johnson broke rules by criticising Sadiq Khan, says Labour

Party calls for investigation into ‘political attack’ on London mayor made during televised Covid briefing
Labour is calling for an investigation into Boris Johnson’s verbal attack on the mayor of London during a televised government press conference on coronavirus.
The prime minister accused Sadiq Khan of “blowing” Transport for London (TfL) finances through an “irresponsible fares policy”, claims that have been rejected by the Labour incumbent.
The remarks made on Monday from Downing Street’s £2.6m media briefing room came during the pre-election purdah for the London mayoral election on 6 May, which places limits on government publicity around the election.
In a letter to the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, Labour’s deputy leader accused Johnson of breaching the ministerial code in what she called a “political attack” on her party’s candidate.
Angela Rayner said the ministerial code “clearly states that official facilities and resources may not be used for the dissemination of party political material”.
Rayner said the comments were “unprompted” and “entirely unrelated” to either the press conference or to the question Johnson was asked.
She has called for an investigation into the incident and demanded Johnson issues a public apology “for misusing public resources for party political gain and misleading the public”.
Khan, who is standing for a second mayoral term as the Labour candidate, accused the Conservative leader of using his government platform to “tell lies”.
Khan said: “It is a fact that when I became mayor the TfL’s deficit was more than £1.5bn. I reduced it by more than 71% before the pandemic. But also he increased TfL’s debt by more than £7bn.
“I think it is inappropriate for all of us to follow the rules and abide by the rules, and Boris Johnson to yet again break the rules in the way he’s done. Firstly, during the purdah period using a government platform to attack a Labour candidate. But secondly, to tell lies.”
Asked at Monday’s press conference about potential government support for London’s pandemic recovery, Johnson said: “As for the finances of TfL, I must respectfully remind you that I left them in robust good order. And it is not through any fault of my own that the current Labour mayor decided to blow them on an irresponsible fares policy.
“We’re doing our best to help them out and will continue to do so. But I’m afraid you’ve got to look at some of the decisions that were taken by the current Labour mayor as well.”
source: Xinhua
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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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