Voting set to begin in UK race to become prime minister
August 1, 2022, 8:59 am

Voting set to begin in UK race to become prime minister

UK House of Commons

The race between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to become Britain's next prime minister steps up a gear on Monday (Auguat 1) with the mailing out of ballots to Conservative party members, the Khaleej Times reported, citing the AFP.

With voting set to begin to find Boris Johnson's replacement, bookmakers have Foreign Secretary Truss as heavy favourite ahead of former finance minister Sunak.

The pair have already spent a fractious two weeks on the campaign trail, where they have clashed repeatedly, particularly over their economic plans.

Truss has promised to slash taxes in an attempt to revive Britain's spluttering economy and ease the burden of spiralling prices.

Sunak, who steered the UK economy through the pandemic, said Truss's plans were "fantasy economics" that would fuel inflation and heap further strain on public finances struggling to recover from the pandemic.

Left-right: Kemi Badenoch; Penny Mordaunt; Rishi Sunak; Liz Truss; and Tom Tugendhat are all hoping to land the top job at No 10. Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA

But trailing in polls with the all-important party members, Sunak last week performed a significant U-turn by announcing a plan to scrap VAT on energy bills.

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And on Sunday (July 30) he promised to cut the basic rate of income tax by 20 percent before the end of the next parliament, which would be December 2029, at the latest.

He promised grassroot Tories over the weekend that he would stop "woke nonsense" and "end the brainwashing" if he becomes prime minister, although added he has "zero interest in fighting a so-called culture war".

The 42-year-old also unveiled plans to revive the country's ailing town centres.

Uk's Liz Truss surges ahead in the leadership race

He said: "I want to slash the number of empty shops by 2025 and make sure that they are turned into thriving local assets.”

"I will also crack down on anti-social behaviour, graffiti and littering - through extended police powers and increased fines."

Source: khaleejtimes

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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.”