Page 9 - ARUBA TODAY
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WORLD NEWS A9
Friday 24 November 2017
Pressure grows on German Social Democrats in govt impasse
By FRANK JORDANS Chairman of the Social Democratic party, Martin Schulz, speaks to journalists during a demonstra- Thorsten Schaefer-Guem-
Associated Press tion of Siemens employees against job cuts, in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017. bel, said the Social Demo-
BERLIN (AP) — Pressure crats shouldn’t rule out any-
grew Thursday within Ger- (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP) thing.
many’s Social Democratic “We need to discuss every
Party to at least discuss the deal with the environmen- ment — never previously ment led by her. option,” he told the Pas-
possibility of forming a new talist Greens and the pro- tried — or a new election. “If absolutely nothing else sauer Neue Presse.
government with Chancel- business Free Democrats Several Social Democrats, works, we must again con- Meanwhile, the fate of an-
lor Angela Merkel’s conser- after four weeks of talks while expressing skepticism, sider a grand coalition,” other key figure in the Ger-
vatives, after her talks with put all of Germany’s main- have suggested their party lawmaker Karl Lauterbach man coalition talks could
other parties collapsed stream parties on the spot. should discuss another co- told public broadcaster be decided later Thursday.
over the weekend. If no one budges, the op- alition with Merkel or sup- ZDF. Horst Seehofer, the leader
SPD leader Martin Schulz tions are a minority govern- port for a minority govern- The party’s deputy leader, of the Christian Social Union
ruled out returning to the which forms the Bavaria-
current “grand coalition” only part of Merkel’s con-
with Merkel after leading his servative bloc, was due to
party to a disastrous result hold talks with senior party
in September’s election, members late Thursday.
but appeared to soften There was widespread
his stance before a meet- speculation of a party
ing Thursday with President shake-up.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Seehofer’s party lost a sig-
who has urged politicians nificant share of its voters to
to compromise. the upstart nationalist party
“The SPD is fully aware of its Alternative for Germany in
responsibility in the current the Sept. 24 national elec-
difficult situation,” Schulz tion. The Christian Social
told German news agency Union are keen to avoid a
dpa. “I’m sure we will find a similar blow in next year’s
good solution for our coun- Bavarian vote, putting pres-
try in the coming days and sure on its 68-year-old lead-
weeks.” er to step aside and make
Merkel’s failure to reach a way for a younger rival.q
Sudan’s president visits Russia, asks for protection from US
By V. ISACHENKOV in Sudan. Al-Bashir added Al-Bashir, who rose to pow- The Sudanese leader told sia will offer assistance to
Associated Press that “we need protection er in 1989, is on the Inter- Putin that his country could that,” he added.
MOSCOW (AP) — Suda- from the U.S. aggressive national Criminal Court’s help Russia develop con- Al-Bashir noted that Sudan
nese President Omar al- actions.” wanted list for committing tacts with other African is concerned about the sit-
Bashir said on a visit to Rus- The Darfur region has been crimes against humanity, nations. “Sudan could be- uation in the Red Sea and
sia Thursday that his coun- the site of violent conflict war crimes and genocide come a key to Africa for sees the U.S. as a problem
try needs protection from since 2003, when rebels in Sudan’s Darfur region. Russia,” he said in remarks there, adding that “we
the U.S. and could serve took up arms against the ICC prosecutors issued two released by the Kremlin. would like to discuss the is-
as a gateway to Africa for government in the capi- warrants for al-Bashir’s ar- Al-Bashir said that he had a sue from the point of view
Moscow. tal, Khartoum, accusing it rest, in 2009 and 2010. “very good” meeting with of the use of bases in the
Al-Bashir, speaking at the of discrimination and ne- Asked about it, Putin’s Russian Defense Ministry Red Sea.”
start of his meeting with glect. The United Nations spokesman Dmitry Peskov Sergei Shoigu earlier Thurs- It wasn’t immediately clear
Russian President Vladimir estimates 300,000 people refrained from comment, day to discuss moderniza- from al-Bashir’s statement
Putin in the Black Sea resort have died in the conflict saying that Russia sees him tion of the Sudanese mili- if the Sudanese leader
of Sochi, accused the U.S. and some 2.7 million have as “the legitimate presi- tary. “We agreed with the meant to offer the Russian
of fomenting the conflict fled their homes. dent.” defense minister that Rus- navy use of its facilities.q
