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WORLD NEWS Saturday 18 February 2023

Flurry of activity signals deal is near on Brexit trade feud

By JILL LAWLESS cause an open border is a
Associated Press key pillar of the peace pro-
LONDON (AP) — The U.K, cess that ended 30 years
the European Union and of violence in Northern Ire-
Northern Ireland’s bitterly land.
divided political parties Instead, there are checks
said Friday that progress on some goods entering
was being made on re- Northern Ireland from the
solving a post-Brexit trade rest of the U.K. British union-
dispute that brought eco- ist politicians there are
nomic headaches and po- fiercely opposed to the ar-
litical turmoil to the region. rangements, known as the
A flurry of political and dip- Northern Ireland Protocol.
lomatic activity signaled a Unionists say the new trade
potential breakthrough af- border undermines North-
ter months of talks and po- ern Ireland’s place in the
litical gridlock. British Prime United Kingdom, and are
Minister Rishi Sunak flew to refusing to return to govern-
Belfast for talks with political ment until the trade rules
leaders, and Foreign Sec- are redrawn.
retary James Cleverly met Britain has sought to
EU chief negotiator Maroš change the agreement to
Šefčovič in Brussels. From left, Gordon Lyons MLA, Gavin Robinson MP, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP and Emma Little- eliminate most of the cus-
“Intensive work continues,” Pengelly MLA speak to the media outside the Culloden Hotel where Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is toms checks. For months,
Cleverly tweeted. Šefčovič holding talks with Stormont leaders over the Northern Ireland Protocol, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, U.K.-EU talks went nowhere
posted: “Constructive en- Friday Feb. 17, 2023. in an atmosphere of mis-
gagement. Good prog- Associated Press trust and recrimination. Brit-
ress.” of their opposition to the we need to get over the nificant progress has been ain threatened to unilater-
Sunak is also due to discuss existing trade arrange- line,” Donaldson said. “We made, and we’re very ally rip up parts of the Brexit
Brexit with other European ments with the EU. will then examine the final heartened by that,” she agreement, and the EU ac-
leaders this weekend on However, Jeffrey Donald- text of any agreement and said. cused the U.K. of failing to
the margins of the Munich son, leader of the biggest come to our decision.” Northern Ireland is the only honor the legally binding
Security Conference in unionist group, the Demo- Irish nationalist party Sinn part of the U.K. that shares treaty it had signed.
Germany. cratic Unionist Party, was Fein generally approves of a border with an EU mem- But the mood has improved
Any deal faces a tough au- unusually upbeat after his the post-Brexit trade rules. ber nation, the Republic of since Sunak, a pragmatic
dience: unionist politicians meeting with Sunak in Bel- But party leader Mary Lou Ireland. When the U.K. left supporter of Brexit, took
who want Northern Ireland fast. “On some very im- McDonald said Friday it the bloc in 2020, the Brit- office in late October, re-
to remain part of the U.K. portant issues, I think there was “very much game on” ish government and the placing pugnacious prede-
collapsed the Belfast pow- has been real progress, but for a deal to resolve the dis- EU agreed to keep the cessors Boris Johnson and
er-sharing government al- there remain some out- pute over them. Irish border free of customs Liz Truss, who delighted in
most a year ago because standing issues that that “It’s clear now that sig- posts and other checks be- riling the EU.q

Taiwan reports Chinese balloon found on northern island

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Tai- good on its threats to bring ural outcome of it having and fighting ships, and ex- closest military and diplo-
wan’s Defense Ministry says Taiwan under its control by reached maximum altitude tend compulsory military matic ally, despite a lack of
a Chinese weather balloon force if necessary. of around 30,000 meters (al- service for all males. formal ties, which were cut
landed on one of its outly- Reached by phone, a pub- most 100,000 feet), Liu said. Washington is Taiwan’s in 1979. q
ing islands, amid U.S. accu- licity officer at the compa- Such balloons regularly fly
sations that such craft have ny, identified in the report over the Taiwan Strait but
been dispatched world- as Taiyuan Wireless (Radio) have only recently begun
wide to spy on Washington First Factory Ltd., said it had to draw attention, he said.
and its allies. provided electronics but Information on the equip-
The ministry’s statement on had not built the balloon. ment was written in the sim-
Thursday said the balloon The spokesperson, who plified Chinese characters
carried equipment reg- gave only his surname, Liu, used on the mainland rath-
istered to a state-owned said Taiyuan was among a er than the traditional on
electronics company in the number of companies that Taiwan, Taiwan’s Defense
northern city of Taiyuan. provided equipment to the Ministry said.
The islet where it was found, China Meteorological Ad- China regularly sends mili-
Tungyin, is part of the Matsu ministration. tary aircraft and warships
island ground lying just off The balloon was likely into Taiwan air identifica-
the coast of China’s Fu- among those launched tion zone and across the
jian province. Taiwan main- daily to monitor weather middle line of the Taiwan
tained control of the islands and was probably set off Strait. That has prompted A view from the 220-meter (670 feet) summit of Mt. Bi looks
after the sides split in 1949 from the coastal city of Xia- Taiwan to boost military down on the airport’s single runway jutting out into into the sea
amid civil war and they are men with no fixed course, purchases from the U.S., ex- on Beigan in the Matsu island group, off northern Taiwan, Aug.
considered a first line of de- he said. pand domestic production 22, 2012.
fense should China make Its deflation was likely a nat- of local planes, submarines Associated Press