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WORLD NEWS Saturday 14 OctOber 2017
UK finance chief walks back inflammatory Brexit comments

Chancellor Philip Ham- own Conservative govern-
mond retreated from the ment for his cheerless ap-
potentially volatile com- proach to Brexit — the Brit-
ments moments after they ish departure from the EU.
aired on Sky News, say- Some have accused Ham-
ing on Twitter that he was mond of talking down the
“making the point that we British economy.
are united at home. While attending a meet-
I regret I used a poor choice ing of the International
of words.” Monetary Fund, Hammond
Hammond’s comments told Sky that British officials
came hours after Europe- should put their differences
an Commission President aside and work together
Jean-Claude Juncker sug- on Brexit.
gested that delays in the The real opponents were in
talks were due to Britain’s Brussels, he said.
failure to meet EU demands “The enemy, the oppo-
that it meet all financial nents, are out there, they’re
commitments that it made on the other side of the ne-
as a member of the bloc. gotiating table,” he said.
“They have to pay,” Junck- “Those are the people we
er told students in his native have to negotiate with,
Luxembourg. negotiate hard to get the
“If you are sitting in a bar very best deal for Britain.”
and if you are ordering 28 Various EU estimates sug-
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, left, and Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond
leave after the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting, on the sidelines of the beers and then suddenly gest that Britain’s divorce
World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings in Washington, Friday, Oct. 13, 2017. one of your colleagues is bill could amount to be-
(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) leaving and is not paying tween 60 billion euros to
By LORNE COOK finance chief quickly ing he regretted describing — that’s not feasible.” 100 billion euros ($70 billion
DANICA KIRKA backed away from com- the European Union as “the The tit-for-tat came after to $120 billion).
Associated Press ments that risked inflaming enemy” during an earlier Hammond was sharply The British government has
BRUSSELS (AP) — Britain’s the Brexit talks Friday, say- television interview. criticized by members of his rejected such numbers.q

France’s Audrey Azoulay wins

vote to be next UNESCO chief

By THOMAS ADAMSON to reform the agency, not
Associated Press to walk away — an under-
PARIS (AP) — UNESCO’s stated rebuke of the U.S.
executive board on Friday and Israel.
chose former French Cul- “In this moment of crisis, I
ture Minister Audrey Azou- believe we must invest in
lay to be the U.N. cultural UNESCO more than ever,
agency’s next leader over look to support and rein-
a Qatari candidate in an force it, and to reform it.
unusually heated race And not leave it,” she said.
overshadowed by Mideast In a short address, she also
tensions. thanked “the Executive
The U.S. announcement Board member states that
this week that it’s quitting gave me their trust” — in
UNESCO rocked the multi- her surprise 30-28 vote win
day election and height- Friday over Qatari candi-
ened concerns about the date Hamad bin Abdulaziz
agency’s funding and fu- al-Kawari. UNESCO’s gen-
ture direction. Azoulay suc- eral assembly will have to
ceeds outgoing Director- sign off next month on the
General Irina Bokova of executive board’s leader-
Bulgaria, whose eight-year ship pick, but it’s seen as a
term was marred by finan- formality. The new director
cial woes and criticism over will set priorities for the or-
Palestine’s inclusion as a ganization best known for
member. On Thursday, the its World Heritage program
U.S. and Israel said they to protect cultural sites and
plan to pull out of the Paris- traditions. The agency also
based organization over its works to improve educa-
perceived anti-Israel bias. tion for girls, promote an
The 45-year-old took the understanding of the Ho-
stage to chants of “Audrey! locaust’s horrors, defend
Audrey!” following her vic- media freedom and coor-
tory and said the response dinate science about cli-
to UNESCO’s problems was mate change.q