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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 9 september 2020
As EU talks resume, UK says it could break international law

By PAN PYLAS and RAF the government has com- "How can the government the broad outlines of the ests," he said in a speech
CASERT mitted itself to ensuring reassure future interna- trading relationship from Tuesday at the Brussels Eco-
Associated Press an open border between tional partners that the U.K. the start of 2021. nomic Forum.
LONDON (AP) — The U.K. Northern Ireland, which can be trusted to abide by David Frost, the British gov- The trade discussions have
indicated Tuesday that it is part of the U.K., and EU the legal obligations of the ernment's chief negotiator, made very little progress
was prepared to break an member Ireland. agreements it signs?" she said the two sides "can no over the summer, with the
international agreement as "We fully expect the UK to said in the House of Com- longer afford to go over two sides seemingly wide
post-Brexit trade discussions honor the commitments mons. well-trodden ground" and apart on several issues, no-
with the European Union re- tably on business regula-
sumed on an increasingly tions, the extent to which
acrimonious tone. the U.K. can support cer-
With concerns mounting tain industries and over the
that the talks could be just EU fishing fleet's access to
weeks from collapse, the British waters.
U.K. urged the EU to show The EU has been particular-
"more realism" in the discus- ly insistent on level playing
sions, while the 27-nation field issues in order to en-
bloc noted that it was a sure that British-based busi-
"world power" that would nesses don't have an unfair
stand its ground and not advantage as a result of
yield to threats. laxer social, environmental
The latest round of discus- or subsidy rules in the U.K.
sions kicked off in London in "If foreign companies want
an air of pessimism because access to our market, we
of concerns that the British expect them to be on the
government is prepared to same footing as our Euro-
violate international law by pean companies," Michel
reneging on commitments said.
made before the country's The British government
departure from the bloc on has said the publication
Jan. 31. of planned legislation on
Northern Ireland Secretary Wednesday is intended to
Brandon Lewis appeared tie up some "loose ends"
to admit as much when where there was a need for
he told lawmakers that "legal certainty."
legislation to be published Johnson has said Britain
Wednesday would change In this Friday, June 5, 2020 file photo, European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier gives could walk away from the
aspects of the Brexit with- a news conference after Brexit talks, in Brussels, Belgium. Associated Press talks within weeks and insists
drawal agreement be- that a no-deal exit would
tween the U.K. and the EU. be a "good outcome for
Though details of the Inter- that it negotiated and The news that the head of that the EU needs to show the U.K." He said in a state-
nal Market Bill are unclear, signed up to," said EU Par- the British government's le- "more realism" about the ment that any agreement
Lewis said the planned leg- liament President David gal department, Jonathan U.K.'s status as an indepen- must be sealed by an EU
islation as it relates to North- Sassoli. "Any attempts by Jones, quit — reportedly dent country. summit scheduled for Oct.
ern Ireland "does break in- the UK to undermine the over plans to bypass com- European Council Presi- 15.
ternational law in a very agreement would have mitments made with regard dent Charles Michel re- British businesses are wor-
specific and limited way." serious consequences," he to the Irish border — only torted that the bloc is in no ried about a collapse in
EU officials have said any said after meeting EU chief added to the sense the mood to budge on its de- the talks that could see tar-
attempt to override the negotiator Michel Barnier. talks are going nowhere. mands. iffs and other impediments
international treaty could Johnson's predecessor, Though the U.K. left the bloc "We are sending a mes- slapped on trade with the
jeopardize peace in North- Theresa May, raised con- on Jan. 31, it is in a transition sage, not only to our citi- EU at the start of next year.
ern Ireland as well as un- cerns that any attempt period that effectively sees zens but also to the rest of Most economists think that
dermine the chances of to bypass commitments it abide by EU rules until the the world — Europe is a the costs of a "no-deal" out-
any trade deal. Under the could damage the U.K.'s in- end of this year. The discus- world power and we are come would fall dispropor-
terms of Britain's departure, ternational standing. sions are about agreeing ready to defend our inter- tionately on the U.K.q

Dutch government compensates victim of airstrike in Iraq

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — ment is intended to compensate F-16 jets involved in Coalition op- mean the Dutch state is acknowl-
The Netherlands' defense minis- Bassim Razzo for "the enormous erations against Islamic State. The edging liability and that the De-
ter announced Tuesday that the human suffering that has befallen house was identified as a target fense Ministry believes that the air-
government is paying an undis- him and the material damage based on faulty intelligence. strike didn't amount to a wrongful
closed sum to an Iraqi man who he has suffered as a result of this Razzo, who now lives in the Iraqi use of force.
lost four family members and his weapon use." city of Erbil, was driving when he In a response to a lawmaker's
home in Mosul when they were Liesbeth Zegveld, the Dutch law- heard the news. "He had to stop. questions in December, Bijleveld-
hit by a Dutch airstrike in 2015 af- yer representing Razzo, said his He had tears in his eyes," Zegveld Schouten said that "before and
ter the building was wrongly iden- wife and daughter, his brother said. during the mission there were no
tified as an Islamic State target. and cousin were all killed in the Bijleveld-Schouten said in her indications that the intelligence
Ank Bijleveld-Schouten said in a airstrike on Sept. 21, 2015, when letter to Parliament that the vol- that led to the identification was
letter to lawmakers that the pay- his house was bombed by Dutch untary payment to Razzo didn't incorrect."q