Meeting in Brussels, leaders of all of the other members of the European Union agreed to the extension. Unanimity is a requirement of such decisions. French President Emmanuel Macron made waves by speaking out against a longer extension than the June 30 date that May had earlier requested. German Chancellor Angela Merkel led the drive toward approving the October 31 date, and Macron eventually agreed.

May still has to convince Parliament to approve some sort of deal regarding citizenship, trade, and a host of other issues that would result in the country's leaving the EU. Lawmakers have already three times rejected a plan that May had negotiated with European Council President Donald Tusk and other EU leaders. About the only thing that the members of the U.K. Parliament have agreed on so far is that they do not want to leave the EU without some sort of arrangement in place.

In a related development, May vowed to stay on as Prime Minister for another year, if needed. She had earlier offered to resign if doing so would help convince lawmakers to approve her Brexit plan. In response, her own political party, the Conservatives, have promised to move against her.

Back in London, parliamentary officials said that they would be asking members of the world's media to leave College Green, a patch of greenery opposite Parliament that has been home to reporters and videographers for weeks. The flowerbeds and grass have been damaged and need urgent attention, the officials said, setting a weeklong moratorium on further encampment by media officials.