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PM Johnson holds Belfast talks on Brexit backstop riddle

Sterling has fallen 2 percent against the dollar since Johnson took power last week and promised to scrap the “backstop” proposed by the European Union to guarantee its only land border with the United Kingdom remained open.
The currency steadied on Wednesday after four days of losses, helped by month-end sterling demand and a sense in markets that while a hard exit from the European Union without an agreement had risen, it was not yet certain.
Johnson drove away without commenting on the talks with the Democratic Unionist Party, the pro-Brexit party whose 10 lawmakers prop up his government. But the party’s leader said she believed a compromise could be reached and another party member present said a time-limited backstop was discussed.
“There are ways to deal with this issue if there is a willingness on both sides,” Arlene Foster told journalists.
While she agreed the Withdrawal Agreement and the backstop were effectively dead, she said a “sensible way forward” was possible if the Irish government agreed to engage.
The backstop would force Britain to obey some EU rules if no other way could be found to keep the land border open between British-ruled Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. Dublin says this is crucial to maintaining peace on the island.
‘PRAGMATIC SOLUTIONS’
A senior DUP lawmaker who attended a dinner meeting with Johnson on Tuesday evening said possible compromises were discussed - specifically the possibility of putting a time limit on the backstop and other “pragmatic solutions.”
Asked if Johnson was responsive to the suggestions, Donaldson told Irish radio RTE that he would not “negotiate in public.”
The other four Northern Ireland parties Johnson met on his first visit to the region as prime minister complained his dinner with the DUP undermined his government’s position as honest broker in talks to restore the region’s government.
The power-sharing administration was suspended two-and-a-half years ago because of differences between the parties representing mainly Protestant pro-British unionists and mainly Catholic nationalists who favour a united Ireland.
Asked about the accusation of bias, Johnson told journalists his “prime focus this morning is to do everything I can to help that get up and running again.”
Johnson, who was finishing up a three-day tour of the United Kingdom during which he was booed in Edinburgh and Cardiff, did not take any more questions from the media. A couple of dozen anti-Brexit protesters waved placards nearby.
‘CATASTROPHIC BREXIT’
Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Wednesday again rejected calls for the Withdrawal Agreement to be reopened, saying Ireland “isn’t going to be bullied on this issue” as it had “total support” from other EU countries.
But his government has repeatedly said it wants to sit down with Johnson to hear his ideas on the border.
The head of Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein, Mary Lou McDonald, said she had told Johnson that leaving the EU without a deal would be catastrophic for the economy and the 1998 peace deal that ended three decades of violence in the region.
“Any notion that he might crash this part of Ireland out of the European Union and cause the level of jeopardy and damage ... and that people would meekly go along with that, is deeply misguided and that would be a very dangerous course of action of political action,” she said.
In the latest sign of a manufacturing downturn in the run-up to Brexit, investment in Britain’s car industry was shown to have slumped surveys and company comments showed on Wednesday.
Many economists believe a no-deal exit from the EU would severely damage United Kingdom’s $2.8 trillion economy. Brexiteers, acknowledge there will be short-term pain but say the benefits of departure have been understated.
Johnson’s bet is that the threat of a no-deal Brexit will persuade the EU’s biggest powers - Germany and France - to a compromise deal.
Reuters
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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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