Page 8 - aruba-today-20191109

A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 9 November 2019
UK election boosts hopes of pro-independence Scottish party

By JILL LAWLESS demnation of his 2014 com-
Associated Press ment that women should
LONDON (AP) — The "keep your knickers on" to
Scottish National Party avoid being raped. Nick
launched its campaign for Conrad, a former BBC local
Britain's Dec. 12 election on radio host, said he was sorry
Friday, urging Scots to send for the "ill-judged" words.
its lawmakers to London Labour, meanwhile, is fac-
in order to bring Scotland ing renewed allegations
a step closer to indepen- that it has become hostile
dence. to Jews under left-wing
The party currently holds leader Jeremy Corbyn. On
35 of Scotland's 59 House Thursday two former La-
of Commons seats, and bour lawmakers urged vot-
hopes discontent about ers to back Johnson's Con-
Brexit will boost that num- servatives and accused
ber. Corbyn, a long-time sup-
In Britain's 2016 referendum porter of the Palestinians, of
on European Union mem- allowing anti-Jewish racism
bership, Scotland voted to spread within the Labour
overwhelmingly to remain Party. Corbyn denied the
in the 28-nation bloc. allegations, describing anti-
Polls suggest that has Semitism "a poison and an
boosted support for inde- Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon speaks at the launch of the party's General evil in our society" and say-
pendence, which Scottish Election campaign, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Friday Nov. 8, 2019. ing he was working to root
voters rejected in a 2014 Associated Press it out.
plebiscite. But the SNP could emerge hold power — as long as a new divorce deal with On Friday Labour election
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon as kingmakers if the elec- Labour agreed to support the EU and then let voters candidate Gideon Bull
said "Scotland's vote to re- tion results in a divided Par- a new independence ref- decide between leaving withdrew from the election
main in the EU has been liament with no party hold- erendum for Scotland. on those terms and remain- contest in the eastern Eng-
ignored" and that a vote ing an overall majority. Johnson pushed for the De- ing in the bloc. Both big land town of Clacton after
for the SNP "is a vote to es- Sturgeon said a Parlia- cember election — taking parties are also promising he was accused of refer-
cape Brexit." ment with no overall ma- place more than two years more money for infrastruc- ring to someone as "Shy-
The party says it will try to jority would be "the best early — in the hope of ture, health care and pub- lock," the fictional Jewish
hold a new independence outcome for Scotland, be- breaking Britain's political lic services, but their cam- moneylender from Shake-
referendum next year. cause it gives us significant impasse over Brexit. He says paigns have been rattled speare's "The Merchant of
That would require the ap- influence and power." that if voters give the Con- by candidate resignations Venice." Bull apologized.
proval of the British govern- Sturgeon said the party servatives a majority he will over contentious or offen- "I did not know that Shylock
ment in London. Prime Min- would not prop up a Con- "get Brexit done" and take sive remarks. was Jewish and I would
ister Boris Johnson's Conser- servative administration, the U.K. out of the EU by the On Thursday a prospective never have mentioned
vatives say they will refuse but could help the main current deadline of Jan. 31. Conservative candidate Shylock if I had known this,"
to give permission. opposition Labour Party Labour says it will negotiate quit the race amid con- he said.q

Boy whose mother joined IS in Syria returns to dad in Italy

By FRANCES D'EMILIO limp due to a leg injury from police official Maria Jose
Associated Press a bombing in territory con- Falcicchia told reporters.
ROME (AP) — An 11-year- quered by IS in northeast "He was always smiling" as
old Albanian boy whose Syria that killed his mother, authorities accompanied
mother took him to Syria her new companion in Syr- him back from Syria, she
five years ago when she ia, a child from that new said. He slept, his head on
joined the Islamic State relationship and another her shoulder, all the time
group returned on Friday child of the companion. as they traveled by car on
to Italy for a joyous reunion "All five of them were trav- one stretch of the journey,
with his father and sisters. eling together when they she said.
The boy, Alvin, wearing a were surprised by a bomb- Police released a video
red cap, smiled shyly as he ing," said Carabinieri Gen. and photos of the boy's ar-
was escorted by two po- Giuseppe Spina, from the rival in Rome, but to protect
licewomen at Rome's Leon- paramilitary police force's the family's privacy, the
ardo da Vinci airport to an International Cooperation boy and his father didn't at-
airport reception where his In this photo released by the Italian Police, 11-year-old Alvin, an Service. "Alvin is alive by tend the news conference.
Albanian boy who was taken to Syria by his mother when she
father, Afrim Berisha, and joined the Islamic State group and then, following her death, miracle." Alvin's plight captured the
two older sisters took turns returned home to Italy where his father lives, arrives at Rome's Carabinieri Col. Marco Rosi attention of Italy after a TV
hugging him, long and Fiumicino airport Friday, Nov. 8, 2019. said the mother changed news show reported on his
tightly. Associated Press the boy's last name, "she father's agonized efforts to
Red Cross and Red Cres- northeastern Syria where port and permission from tried to make him forget his bring him home. A crew
cent staff worked with Al- he was living without his Italian authorities to reside past," including his family in from the program trekked
banian and Italian govern- family. in Italy. Italy. to al-Hol with the father for
ment officials to facilitate The father, an Albanian, At an airport news confer- Alvin speaks Arabic and a a first, teary-eyed reunion
his return from the crowded lives in northern Italy. The ence after the reunion, offi- few words of Albanian but with his son in the detention
al-Hol detention camp in boy has an Albanian pass- cials said Alvin walks with a forgot how to speak Italian, camp a few weeks ago.q