Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 6 december 2017
UK scrambles to salvage Brexit deal after Irish border hitch

By JILL LAWLESS The crisis is a sharp reminder
Associated Press of the fraught and delicate
LONDON (AP) — Northern politics of Northern Ireland,
Ireland is no longer riven which has left behind de-
by sectarian violence, but cades of Catholic-Protes-
its deeply divided politics tant violence but not the
have thrown Britain’s Brexit conflicting allegiances and
plans into disarray. identities that drove the
Prime Minister Theresa “Troubles.” Almost 3,700
May’s government was people were killed in nearly
holding talks Tuesday with four decades of violence.
its Northern Irish political After Britain leaves the bloc,
ally in a bid to salvage an the currently invisible 310-
agreement with the Euro- mile (500-kilometer) frontier
pean Union ahead of a between Northern Ireland
deadline next week. and Ireland will be the
Britain and the EU came U.K.’s only land border with
close Monday to agree- the EU. A generation ago,
ing on key divorce terms, the border was marked by
including how to maintain military watchtowers and
an open Irish border after checkpoints, and many
the U.K. — including North- crossings were blocked to
ern Ireland — leaves the stop the movement of mili-
EU. But the agreement was British Prime Minister Theresa May, left, meets with European Council President Donald Tusk at tants and smuggled goods.
scuttled at the last min- the Europa building in Brussels on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May and Customs controls were
ute when the Democratic EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker held a power lunch on Monday before meeting abolished when the EU sin-
European Council President Donald Tusk, seeking a breakthrough in the Brexit negotiations ahead
Unionist Party — which of a key EU summit the week after. gle market was established
props up May’s minority (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) in 1993, and security checks
government — warned it form.” the week. that Britain may not have a began to disappear af-
would not support a deal it May characterized the Britain and the EU have only deal by the time it officially ter the 1998 Good Friday
saw as undermining North- problem as a minor hiccup, days to make a deal be- leaves on March 29, 2019. Agreement peace accord.
ern Ireland’s place in the saying neogotiations with fore a Dec. 14-15 EU sum- EU Commission spokesman Today the border has no
United Kingdom. the EU had made progress mit that will decide wheth- Margaritis Schinas said the customs posts or other in-
The party’s leader in Parlia- but “there are still a couple er Brexit talks can move bloc would restart talks as frastructure, and thousands
ment, Nigel Dodds, said the of issues we need to work on to future relations and soon as Britain was ready. of people live on one side
proposed deal was “clearly on.” She said talks would trade. The lack of progress “The show is now in Lon- and work, shop or go to
unacceptable in its current reconvene by the end of so far has raised concerns don,” he said. school on the other.q

Spain:

Judge withdraws warrant for Catalan leaders

By ARITZ PARRA He also said that the Van Wymersch said. “The
RAF CASERT probed politicians have restrictions that were set up
Associated Press shown their “intention to by the Brussels investigating
MADRID (AP) — A Spanish return to Spain” in order to judge are no longer in ef-
judge on Tuesday withdrew run for regional elections fect. So here in Belgium. Mr.
international arrest war- in Catalonia. But Puig- Puigdemont and his four
rants for ousted Catalan demont’s Belgian lawyer, ministers are free to leave
leader Carles Puigdemont Paul Bekaert, said that the the country if they want,”
and four members of his Catalan separatist leader Van Wymersch said.
former Cabinet who have wasn’t planning an imme- The five Catalans are fac-
been fighting extradition diate return. “For the mo- ing rebellion, sedition and
from Belgium. ment he stays in Belgium,” embezzlement among
A Supreme Court spokes- Bekaert told VTM network. other charges for their roles
man said that the five could A spokeswoman for the last month in staging an il-
still be arrested if they go Brussels prosecution’s office legal independence refer-
back to Spain, however, said that Belgian authorities endum that led to an inde-
because they are still being will call for an extra session pendence declaration in
sought at home for possible on the extradition court the region’s parliament.
crimes related to the inde- case so the proceedings The crimes are punishable
pendence bid in north- can be stopped. in Spain with decades in
eastern Catalonia. In a sur- But with the warrant with- prison. Spanish, European
prise move, Supreme Court drawal official, Puigdemont and international arrest
magistrate Pablo Llarena is fully free in his movements warrants for the five who
said on Tuesday that indi- and no longer bound to fled to Belgium were issued
vidual warrants don’t apply respect the initial restric- on Nov. 3, after members
anymore because the al- tions from the court case, of Puigdemont’s govern-
leged crimes were a group which included the provi- ment who remained in
action, according to new sion that he had to stay in Spain were jailed on provi-
evidence. Belgium, spokeswoman Ine sional charges.q