Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 30 November 2017
EU negotiator hopes for deal on Brexit bill by mid-December

By DAVID RISING agreed on a British pay- Britain has consistently re- A mid-December dead- Berlin that before EU lead-
Associated Press ment of roughly around 50 fused to name a figure for line is drawing close for ers meet Dec. 14-15, he
BERLIN (AP) — The Euro- billion euros ($59 billion). the bill, but Transport Secre- a decision by EU lead- hoped to be able to report
pean Union's chief nego- "The press has been talking tary Chris Grayling stressed ers on whether "sufficient "that we have reached a
tiator in talks over Britain's a lot about it these days Wednesday that "we will progress" has been made sufficient level of progress
withdrawal from the bloc but there is still work to do, meet our obligations" to in order for the negotia- for the European council to
said Wednesday he hopes the negotiation is not over," the bloc. tions with Britain to be ex- decide to move on to the
to reach agreement on a he told a forum organized Barnier said the EU's posi- panded to include future second stage of negotiat-
financial settlement before by the Association of Ger- tion was not about "pun- trade relations. Barnier said ing the future relationship."
an EU summit in mid-De- man Chambers of Com- ishment" or "revenge," but there's "still much work to British Foreign Secretary Bo-
cember but that the two merce and Industry. that the bloc did have to do" but that "we are work- ris Johnson said he hoped
sides are still working to find The British government also worry about its future bud- ing day and night with the the offer Prime Minister The-
common ground. insists negotiations over gets with Britain departing. British negotiators to find an resa May will make at the
Michel Barnier dismissed as the bill are still underway "We simply want to bal- agreement." EU's December summit "will
rumors reports Tuesday that and no amount has been ance the accounts, as in Earlier in the day, Barnier be one that guarantees
both sides had tentatively agreed. any divorce," he said. told a defense forum in sufficient progress."q
Britain's May in Saudi Arabia after surprise stop in Iraq

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) ian and commercial ac-
— British Prime Minister cess through the port of Ho-
Theresa May traveled to deida," May said Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia on Wednes- "Obviously that is an issue I
day night to meet the will be raising when I am in
kingdom's assertive crown Saudi Arabia."
prince, capping a day that Saudi Arabia closed off Ye-
saw her make a surprise vis- men's seaports and airports
it to Iraq. over a Nov. 4 rebel ballis-
May's trip to Saudi Arabia tic-missile launch that tar-
was for talks with Crown geted the Saudi capital of
Prince Mohammed bin Riyadh. The kingdom said it
Salman over the kingdom- intercepted the missile, the
led war in Yemen. She's the deepest yet to penetrate
second European leader to the country.
specifically seek him out as Under intense international
he amasses power. pressure, Saudi Arabia later
Earlier on Wednesday, May promised it would reopen
arrived in Baghdad to an the ports for humanitarian
honor guards' greeting, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and British Prime Minister Theresa May hold a press confer- aid.
welcomed by Iraqi Prime ence in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. The Saudi-led coalition
Minister Haider al-Abadi. (Iraqi Prime Minister Press Office via AP) began its war in Yemen
The visit came as the Islam- "We want to ensure that "Iraq is about to enter a In Saudi Arabia, May's visit in March 2015 on behalf
ic State group has been Iraq can in the future pro- new stage of rebuilding, is expected to include her of Yemen's internationally
driven out of the last town vide that strong, stable and reconstruction and invest- asking Crown Prince Mo- recognized government
it held in Iraq and has lost unified state that can pro- ment," al-Haider said. "To- hammed to allow humani- against the Shiite rebels
its self-described capital in vide the security, jobs and day, we discussed with the tarian aid through Yemen's known as Houthis and their
Syria in recent weeks. opportunities that all Iraqis prime minister the strength- port of Hodeida, which is allies.
"In Iraq, we are working want and deserve," she ening of economic and held by the Shiite rebels be- The conflict has pushed
together to defeat Daesh added. commercial ties between ing targeted in the Saudi- the Arab world's poorest
and my visit comes at a Al-Abadi said May's visit the two countries." led war. country to the brink of fam-
critical moment as we see showed Britain's "support May also visited Camp Taji, A U.N.-chartered aid ves- ine. The war has killed over
the caliphate collapsing and help" in fighting the a coalition base north of sel docked at Hodeida on 10,000 civilians, displaced
with the fall of Mosul and Islamic State group. Some Baghdad, where around Tuesday. 3 million people and left
Raqqa," May told journal- 600 British troops are de- 80 British troops are current- "We are very clear that we much of the infrastructure
ists, using an Arabic acro- ployed to the country. ly based. want to see full humanitar- in ruins.q
nym for the extremist group.
Greece: clashes erupt as foreclosed property auctions resume

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — tions were taking place. component of Greece's euros ($355,000) won't be they want to protect the
Greek police used tear Police said one policeman bailout talks with creditors. auctioned off. hard-earned property of
gas on Wednesday to hold and one protester suffered They are seen as essential But it has also dispatched Greek citizens squeezed by
back dozens of protesters minor injuries in the clashes. for banks to get a grip on police so that auctions years of economic hard-
trying to disrupt foreclosed In the northern city of Thes- the huge number of bad can proceed, unlike previ- ship.
property auctions that re- saloniki, police prevented loans on their books, esti- ous times when protesters Government spokesman
sumed after a hiatus of sev- dozens of protesters from mated at 45 percent of all succeeded in halting pro- Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said
eral months. forcing their way into a no- loans. Online auctions were ceedings. homeowners have until the
Protesters pelted police tary public's office and the due to start for the first time Notaries public have for end of 2018 to apply for
with trash cans, fire extin- offices of the association of Wednesday. months abstained from legal protection in order
guishers and anything else notaries public. No injuries The government has prom- taking part in auctions be- to settle outstanding loans
within reach at the Athens or arrests were reported. ised that primary residenc- cause of attacks by left- and "indefinitely protect"
courthouse where the auc- The auctions are a key es worth up to 300,000 wing protesters who say primary residences.q