Page 8 - aruba-today-20170729

A8 world news
Saturday 29 July 2017

Treasury chief: UK may need 3-year transition after Brexit

By JILL LAWLESS avoid customs checks or
Associated Press other formalities at a bor-
LONDON (AP) — Britain der that is currently nearly
will abide by some Euro- invisible — but it’s unclear
pean Union rules for up to how that can be made to
three years after it officially work.
leaves the bloc in March Irish Prime Minister Leo
2019, the country’s Treasury Varadkar said Ireland did
chief said Friday. not want an economic bor-
Treasury chief Philip Ham- der between the two coun-
mond said a transition pe- tries.
riod is needed “to get from He said it was up to British
the status quo today to the supporters of Brexit “to say
new normal.” He said the what it is, say how it would
transition should end be- work and first of all con-
fore Britain’s next election, vince their own people,
which is scheduled for 2022. their own voters, that this is
Many British businesses actually a good idea.”
accuse the government The prime minister of EU
of sending mixed signals member Malta, mean-
about Brexit. while, said he is starting to
Officials say Britain will believe that Britain’s di-
leave the bloc’s single mar- vorce from the European
ket and customs union, Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, right, meets staff as he tours the IBM office Union will not happen. Jo-
and end free movement on South Bank, London, as the preliminary estimates for 2017 Q2 GDP are published, Wednesday seph Muscat, whose coun-
from EU countries. July 26, 2017. Britain will abide by some European Union rules for up to three years after it officially try held the EU’s presidency
But officials also say the leaves the bloc in March 2019, Hammond said Friday. for the first half of 2017, said
changes, which have huge (Stefan Rousseau/Pool Photo via AP) he saw signs that British
economic implications, His comments come amid clean, sharp break. tus of some 3 million EU citi- public opinion is turning.
won’t happen overnight. conflicts within the gov- More than a year after zens who live in Britain and In an interview with Dutch
Hammond told Sky News ernment between those, Britons voted to leave the the future of the border newspaper De Volkskrant,
that a transition period will including Hammond, who bloc, many aspects of the between Northern Ireland, he said he hopes a British
let businesses “go on oper- want a compromise “soft U.K.’s future relations with which is part of the U.K, and politician will “stand up with
ating normally” while Britain Brexit” to ease the eco- the EU remain unclear. That EU member Ireland. the courage” to offer vot-
works out its post-Brexit rela- nomic shock of leaving the includes the nature of any The British and Irish govern- ers a new referendum on
tionship with the EU. EU, and those who want a trade relationship, the sta- ments say they want to the final Brexit deal.q

British baby Charlie Gard at center of legal battle dies

By DANICA KIRKA the right to take him to the cause him to suffer. him,” his mother, Connie flashpoint for debates on
JILL LAWLESS United States for an experi- A family spokeswoman, Yates, said in a statement. the rights of children and
Associated Press mental medical treatment Alison Smith-Squire, con- Charlie was seemingly parents, on health-care
LONDON (AP) — Charlie for his rare genetic disease, firmed Charlie’s death on healthy at birth but soon funding, medical interven-
Gard, the terminally ill British mitochondrial depletion Friday, a day after a judge began to weaken. He was tions, the responsibilities
baby at the center of a le- syndrome, which left him ordered that he be taken admitted to Great Ormond of hospitals and medical
gal and ethical battle that brain damaged and un- off a ventilator at the Great Street Hospital, Britain’s workers and the role of the
attracted the attention of able to breathe unaided. Ormond Street Hospital in premier children’s hospital, state. It gained interna-
Pope Francis and U.S. Presi- His case ended up in the London and moved to an when he was two months tional attention last month
dent Donald Trump, died courts when doctors op- undisclosed hospice for his old and remained there when Pope Francis and
Friday. He was one week posed the plan, saying the final hours. until almost the end of his President Trump expressed
shy of his first birthday. untested therapy wouldn’t “Our beautiful little boy has life. their support for Charlie
Charlie’s parents fought for help Charlie and might gone, we’re so proud of His legal case became a and his family.q