Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 15 February 2018
Talks to restore Northern Ireland government break down

By JILL LAWLESS Ireland's 1.8 million people current prospect of these tion with the leadership of 2017, when it broke down
LONDON (AP) — Talks to without a functioning ad- discussions leading to an the DUP. The DUP failed to amid a scandal over a
restore a government to ministration for more than executive being formed," close the deal." botched green energy
Northern Ireland ended in a year. Foster said in a surprise an- The political crisis threat- project. The rift soon wid-
failure Wednesday, just two Arlene Foster, leader of nouncement Wednesday. ens power-sharing, the key ened to broader cultural
days after the main Catho- the pro-British Democratic Sinn Fein accused the DUP achievement of the 1998 and political issues separat-
lic and Protestant parties Unionist Party, said nego- of scuttling a deal at the peace accord that ended ing Northern Ireland's British
said they were close to re- tiations with Irish nationalist last minute. decades of violence and unionists and Irish national-
solving a 13-month political party Sinn Fein to restore "We had a way forward on bloodshed in Northern Ire- ists.
impasse. the power-sharing govern- all the issues," said Michelle land. Sinn Fein demands for
The two sides traded blame ment "have been unsuc- O'Neill, the party's leader in The Catholic-Protestant Irish-language protections
for failing to break a stale- cessful." Northern Ireland. "We had government has been emerged as the main stick-
mate that has left Northern "In our view, there is no reached an accommoda- suspended since January ing point.q

UK's Boris Johnson seeks to reassure Brexit skeptics

By JILL LAWLESS Johnson is among favorites
LONDON (AP) — Britain to replace Prime Minister
should make a clean break Theresa May as Conserva-
with European Union laws tive leader. But his promi-
and regulations after it nent role in the anti-EU
leaves the bloc, Foreign campaign — and an ear-
Secretary Boris Johnson lier role as a Brussels-based
said Wednesday, arguing journalist writing sometimes
that the U.K. will prosper af- fanciful stories about the
ter Brexit by "going global." bloc's bureaucracy — has
Johnson, who was a leader made him unpopular with
of the "leave" campaign pro-EU politicians and vot-
during Britain's 2016 EU ers. In his speech, Johnson
membership referendum, sought to reassure voters
used a speech in London who wanted to remain in
to argue for "an outward- the EU that "Brexit can be
facing, liberal and global grounds for much more
Britain" after Brexit. hope than fear."
"We would be mad to go "Brexit need not be nation-
through this process of ex- alist but can be interna-
trication from the EU and Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson wipes his forehead as he delivers a speech at the Policy tionalist; not an economic
not to take advantage of Exchange in London, Wednesday Feb. 14, 2018. The Foreign Office says Johnson will use a speech threat but a considerable
the economic freedoms it Wednesday to argue for "an outward-facing, liberal and global Britain" after the U.K. leaves the opportunity," he said.
bloc.
will bring," he said. (Simon Dawson/Pool via AP) Opponents of Brexit were
It was the first in a series of unimpressed. Labour Par-
speeches by senior minis- The EU is Britain's biggest With just over a year until that the U.K. should re- ty Brexit spokesman Keir
ters that the British govern- trading partner, and some Britain leaves the EU, the main lashed to the minute Starmer said Johnson's
ment hopes will show unity ministers, including Trea- two factions are still fighting prescriptions of a regional speech showed he want-
and energy around Brexit sury chief Philip Hammond, for supremacy in the U.K. trade block comprising ed "a Brexit of deregula-
after months of prevarica- want to stay as close as pos- government. only 6 percent of human- tion, where rights and pro-
tion and mixed messages. sible to its borderless single Johnson said Britain should ity," Johnson said. tections are casually cast
But Johnson's speech high- market and tariff-free cus- not agree to accept EU He said "it's only by taking aside and where the ben-
lighted divisions within the toms union. Others, includ- rules in return for access to back control of our regu- efits of the single market
Conservative government ing Johnson, want a de- its markets, saying it would latory framework and our and the customs union are
over what kind of relation- finitive break so Britain can be "absurd if we had to tariff schedules" that Britain ignored." Business groups
ship Britain wants with the pursue a distinct economic obey laws over which we can strike new trade deals cautioned that any barriers
EU after it leaves the bloc in policy and new trade deals had no say and no vote." with the United States and to trade with the EU could
March 2019. around the world. "It seems extraordinary other countries. be harmful. q

NATO chief urges defense budget hike amid command expansion

By LORNE COOK member countries are fore- erations,” Stoltenberg told The U.S. is expected to in 2014, following its war
Associated Press cast to reach this year the reporters at a meeting of take responsibility for the with Georgia in 2008, has
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Sec- alliance’s spending guide- NATO defense ministers in Atlantic command, while spurred the allies to boost
retary General Jens Stolten- line of 2 percent of GDP Brussels. Germany is best placed for military budgets.
berg on Wednesday urged as the world’s biggest mili- The ministers, including the logistics hub. Allies are U.S. President Donald
European allies and Can- tary alliance works to turn U.S. Defense Secretary Jim also likely to announce the Trump also publicly be-
ada to keep ramping up around over a quarter cen- Mattis, were to announce launch of a new cyberop- rated the Europeans and
defense spending, as the tury of military cuts. the creation of two new erations center. Canada at a summit last
alliance expands its com- “To keep our nations safe, command centers to cov- NATO nations cut defense year, demanding that they
mand headquarters in re- we need more defense er trans-Atlantic maritime spending and slashed staff- start paying 2 percent on
sponse to a more assertive spending, investment in transport routes and logis- ing at its commands after defense if they want Wash-
Russia. key capabilities, and forces tics and transport within Eu- the Cold War, but Rus- ington to stand by them in
Only eight of the 29 NATO for NATO missions and op- rope. sia’s annexation of Crimea times of need. q