Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 22 September 2017
May to urge new partnership, transition period for Brexit

By JILL LAWLESS The EU is seeking a multi-
LORNE COOK billion-pound (dollar, euro)
Associated Press payment that is anathema
LONDON (AP) — to the more euroskeptic
Prime Minister Theresa May members of May’s govern-
will try to kick-start falter- ment.
ing Brexit negotiations May’s Cabinet is split be-
on Friday by proposing a tween Brexit true believers,
new economic and secu- including Foreign Secretary
rity partnership between Boris Johnson, who want
Britain and the European a sharp break with the EU
Union, plus a transition pe- and those such as Trea-
riod after the U.K.’s formal sury chief Philip Hammond
departure in 2019, May’s who want to soften the
office said. economic impact of Brexit
Downing Street released through a long status-quo
extracts from a speech the transition period.
prime minister is set to de- Johnson blasted open gov-
liver in Florence, Italy as EU ernment divisions over Eu-
officials were suggesting rope with a long newspa-
the British government like- per article last week laying
ly is hoping in vain to get Britain Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, right, departs with the Foreign Secretary out his vision of a “glorious
the talks to a new phase Boris Johnson after a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017. Brexit” — a move widely
next month. Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May will give a speech on Britain ongoing negotiations about seen as pre-empting May’s
The speech about Brexit leaving the EU in Florence, Italy on Friday, and she will brief the cabinet on its contents Thursday. announcements in her Flor-
that May plans to give in (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) ence speech.
one of the historic centers ed, but a new partnership what it wants from Brexit. with Britain until key divorce May faced calls to fire the
of Europe will say the two that began.” In March, May triggered a terms — the Irish border, foreign secretary, and had
sides share “a profound May’s office said the two-year countdown to her the financial settlement to insist that she remains in
sense of responsibility” to speech will “discuss a vision country’s exit from the EU. and the rights of citizens control, saying the govern-
ensure their parting goes for a bold new economic The negotiations since then hit by Brexit — have been ment is “driven from the
“smoothly and sensibly,” and security partnership have yielded little progress agreed upon. front.”
the prime minister’s office and set out the prime minis- on key issues such as the May’s speech is intended May called a special Cabi-
said Thursday. ter’s plan for a time- status of the Ireland-North- to help break the logjam, net meeting Thursday in a
May also will use the limited implementation pe- ern Ireland border and the with reports suggesting she bid to unite fractious min-
speech to urge both EU riod, offering certainty and amount Britain must pay to will assure EU leaders that isters behind her speech.
and U.K. officials to work clarity to businesses and settle its financial commit- Britain is willing to pay its fair The meeting stretched on
toward having Britain’s de- citizens.” ments to the bloc. share. for 2 ½ hours before min-
parture remembered “not EU leaders have been EU officials say talks can’t But the British leader is isters emerged with fixed
for a relationship that end- urging Britain to spell out move on to future relations caught in a bind. smiles.q
Protests continue at Spanish court over secession arrests

By EMILIO MORENATTI scuffles with police and pa- for the additional security
Associated Press trol cars were vandalized, forces being deployed in
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) the mood remained fes- the region.
— Thousands of protesters tive. Authorities have not dis-
stood firm outside a Span- The Catalonia region’s closed how many officers
ish court in Barcelona after president, Carles Puigde- will be on duty.
night fell Thursday, continu- mont, insisted in a video “Our motto is that we are
ing to shout demands for message late Thursday not afraid,” said Malena
the release of a dozen re- that the referendum would Palau, a 21 year-old stu-
gional officials arrested in go ahead despite the le- dent participating in Thurs-
connection with a planned gal obstacles and police day’s gathering. “We want
vote on Catalan indepen- action. to vote because we have
dence. “These are not easy the right to decide, regard-
Spanish authorities main- days, for sure, but we feel less of what we vote.”
tain the referendum strong,” Puigdemont said. The protesters’ response
scheduled for Oct. 1 is ille- A woman gestures as others wave the ‘’estelada’’ or Catalonia “While Spain acts like a re- had begun Wednesday as
gal and are challenging its independence flags during a protest in Barcelona, Spain Thurs- gime where the authority news of the police raids on
constitutionality. But Cata- day, Sept. 21, 2017. The Catalan regional government says that of power grows inversely Catalan government of-
lan pro-independence a top official in the management of the region’s economic af- to its moral strength, we fices and the arrests spread
groups also are digging in fairs has been arrested as a crackdown intensifies on prepa- feel increasingly supported through social media.
rations for a secession vote that Spanish authorities have sus-
their heels as they fight for pended. by the Catalan people’s Spanish Prime Minister Mari-
what they say is their right (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) greatest asset: its people.” ano Rajoy, whose opposi-
to vote. With tension mounting as tion to the referendum has
The demonstrators who pro-independence civic crowd sang, waved pro- Oct. 1 approaches, Span- the support of the main op-
spent the day outside the groups to stage long-term independence flags and ish authorities contracted position Socialist party, has
Catalan Superior Court of street protests against the held banners proclaiming three ships usually used as warned Catalan leaders
Justice, a branch of the surprise crackdown by po- “Democracia!” (Democ- ferries and brought them of “greater harm” if they
Spain’s national legal sys- lice the previous day. racy!) Unlike the previous to northeastern Spain to don’t call off the referen-
tem, answered a call by As the sun set, a large night, when there were provide accommodation dum bid.q