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WORLD NEWS Saturday 11 January 2020

N. Ireland parties mull deal to restore collapsed government

By JILL LAWLESS Secretary, Julian Smith, said ernment. Northern Ireland
LONDON (AP) — North- the political parties had not has the U.K.'s only border
ern Ireland's main political agreed to all of it, but he with an EU member coun-
parties are meeting Friday was asking the assembly's try, and Brexit will challenge
to decide whether to ac- speaker to reconvene the the status of the currently
cept a deal to restore the legislature Friday in hope invisible frontier, potentially
Belfast-based government politicians would back the pushing Northern Ireland
that collapsed three years deal. into a closer embrace with
ago. "Now is decision time," he its southern member, the
Northern Ireland's 1.8 mil- said. "We have had three Republic of Ireland. Both of
lion people have been years of talks and there is the two main parties — the
without a functioning ad- finally a good deal on the DUP and Sinn Fein — want
ministration since the pow- table that all parties can a say on what happens
er-sharing government fell support." next.
apart in January 2017 over Irish Foreign Minister Simon Northern Ireland also faced
a botched green-energy Coveney also urged ac- SDLP or Social Democratic and Labour Party leader Colum East- a Jan. 13 deadline to re-
project. The rift soon wid- ceptance, saying it was wood, left and deputy leader Nichola Mallon speak to the me- store the government or
dia in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings, Stormont, in Belfast,
ened to broader cultural time "politicians stepped Northern Ireland, Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. face new elections for the
and political issues separat- up and fully represented Associated Press assembly that could see
ing Northern Ireland's British their constituents." Sinn Fein and the DUP lose
unionists and Irish national- "Forget the language of there is a basis upon which whether to support the ground to less intransigent
ists, who shared power in win or lose. This is a deal the assembly and execu- deal. parties.
the government. filled with compromises," he tive can be re-established Previous attempts to restore The deal includes promises
After several days of intense said. in a fair and balanced power-sharing between of financial support from
talks, the British and Irish Initial signs were encour- way," said DUP leader Ar- Sinn Fein and the DUP and the U.K. for big infrastruc-
governments late Thursday aging. The main pro-British lene Foster. have come to nothing. But ture projects if the govern-
published a draft proposal group, the Democratic Irish nationalist party Sinn the U.K.'s looming depar- ment is restored, as well
to revive the Northern Ire- Unionist Party, said it was Fein, the DUP's former gov- ture from the European as proposals to deal with
land Assembly and execu- "not a perfect deal," but ernment partner, said its Union, due on Jan. 31, has contentious issues such
tive. could be supported. ruling council would meet given new urgency to at- as the status of the Irish
The U.K.'s Northern Ireland "On balance we believe Friday afternoon to decide tempts to restore the gov- language.q

No sight of French deal on

pensions as unions hold out

The French government France's longest rail strike in day to denounce the gov-
and labor unions appeared decades. ernment's plans. Hard-left
far from reaching any com- The negotiations focused workers' unions want the
promise deal Friday in talks on two key issues: the re- pensions overhaul plan to
over a planned pension tirement age and how to be scrapped entirely.
overhaul, with strikes and pay for the new pensions Philippe Martinez, the
protests grinding on. system. head of the CGT union, ex-
Prime Minister Edouard But unions reject anything pressed his "disagreement"
Philippe said Friday's meet- that doesn't do away with with the plan. A lawyer faces a riot police officer during a demonstration in
ings with major unions and the plan to raise the full "The more the government Rennes, western France, Thursday Jan. 9, 2020.
employers' associations pension eligibility age from and the ministers in charge Associated Press
"made progress" but ac- 62 to 64. of it try to explain their bill,
knowledged there was Hundreds of thousands the less the French under- The prime minister still hopes moderate unions, which in
"still work ahead" in ending of protesters took to the stand it, which is a serious to find some compromise his view would weaken the
the impasse that has seen streets nationwide on Thurs- problem," he said. with some of the more protest movement.q