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Blow to Boris: UK MPs vote to delay decision on BoJo’s Brexit deal, insist he now must ask for extension from EU

In a defeat for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, UK MPs passed an amendment delaying approval of his deal with the EU. Lawmakers also want Johnson to apply for yet another Brexit extension, which he rejects outright.
The amendment laid down by former Conservative Cabinet minister Sir Oliver Letwin has been passed by the House of Commons by 322 votes to 306. It means that Parliament withholds support for Johnson’s deal with the EU until formal ratification legislation, known as the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, is passed by MPs in the lower house and the Lords in the upper house.
This led to the crucial Brexit vote not taking place on Saturday at all and it’s yet unclear when the MPs will return to the matter. The government wanted to put the deal with the EU to another vote on Monday, but House of Commons Speaker John Bercow said that he would only decide if he’ll allow that to happen at the start of the week.
“The government is not the arbiter of what is orderly,” Bercow said, referring to the parliament convention that the same question can’t be raised twice during the one session.
The Letwin amendment was designed to close any loopholes in the Benn Act, which aims at preventing the UK from leaving the European Union without a deal. The Benn Act also states that if MPs fail to greenlight Johnson’s deal – hailed by both the PM and Brussels – by the end of Saturday, he has to write a formal letter to the EU asking for a three-month Brexit extension. For now, the UK is scheduled to leave the bloc on October 31.But Johnson, who earlier vowed to leave the EU by October 31, with or without a deal, vigorously rejected the idea of asking Brussels for any extension.
The PM said he may defy the act because “further delay will be bad for this country, bad for the European Union and bad for democracy.”
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has also ruled out any further delays to Brexit. “We have a deal. So why should we have a prolongation
source:RT
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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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