Page 8 - aruba today

A8 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 10 OcTOber 2017
After 208 days, 4 Dutch parties agree on govt coalition

By MIKE CORDER “We are coming out of cri- amendments. Such chang- gest previous formation volved a lot of give and
Associated Press sis, so we can invest, taxes es, if necessary, could set we have ... a negotiators’ take.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands can be lowered,” Pechtold off yet a new round of bar- agreement.” “So it’s not all good, but
(AP) — After 208 days of told reporters. gaining between the par- The four parties’ negotia- there are a number of
tough negotiations, the Rutte is expected to offi- ties. tors attempted to hammer points that are clearly rec-
leaders of four Dutch par- cially unveil the program The March 15 election out an agreement that will ognizable for the Christian
ties agreed Monday on a on Tuesday along with the gave the coalition a nar- offer something to all of Union that I am very happy
draft program for a new leaders of the Christian row one-seat majority in their lawmakers. with,” he said.
center-right coalition gov- Democrats, the D66 party the 150-seat lower house of “That is why we spent a lot “This brings our ideals a step
ernment under Prime Minis- and a faith-based party, the Dutch parliament and of time on the content and closer.”
ter Mark Rutte that will likely the Christian Union. ended Rutte’s alliance with I think that’s the reason that Once the deal has been
push policies further to the The leaders spent a final the center-left Labor Party. it’s a solid deal,” said Pech- formally presented, Rutte
right. morning checking the “I am very happy,” said told. will begin appointing min-
Centrist D66 leader Alexan- agreement before head- Rutte, who is in line to form Gert-Jan Segers, leader of isters to his new adminis-
der Pechtold said that after ing to their parliamentary his third ruling coalition. the Christian Union, which tration. The coalition is ex-
years of austerity, the new offices to present it to their “Precisely on the day that has only five seats in the pected to be finalized and
government will reward parties’ lawmakers, who this (government) forma- lower house of Parliament, sworn in later this month by
voters with lower taxes. could still suggest minor tion is overtaking the lon- said the negotiations in- the Dutch king.q
UK leader May hails ‘new dynamic’ in Brexit negotiations

By JILL LAWLESS dynamic in the negotia-
RAF CASERT tions” since her major Brexit
Associates Press speech in Florence, Italy,
LONDON (AP) — Prime last month.
Minister Theresa May said In the Florence speech,
Monday there is a positive May said Britain would be
“new dynamic” in Brexit willing to abide by EU rules
talks, with Britain and the and pay into its coffers dur-
European Union nearing ing a transition period of
agreement on the rights of about two years after Brex-
4 million citizens whose lives it in 2019.She also signaled
will be affected by the split. Britain would pay what
May urged European it owes to settle financial
Union officials to show commitments it has made
“leadership and flexibility” to the bloc, but without
in negotiations on Britain’s naming a figure.EU lead-
exit, saying “the ball is in ers have called her sug-
their court.” gestions positive but asked
The EU, however, lobbed for more details. Few were
the ball straight back. Euro- forthcoming in May’s state-
pean Commission spokes- ment on Monday, though
man Margaritis Schinas she did say that Britain
said the responsibility for British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, Oct. 9, 2017. might accept the jurisdic-
progress is “entirely in the May says she is “resilient” despite a difficult speech at the Conservative Party conference and tion of the European Court
U.K. court.” growing threats to her leadership. of Justice during the transi-
More than a year has (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) tion period — an idea that
passed since Britain voted gered the two-year count- tions opened Monday in ress. infuriates many pro-Brexit
to leave the EU, and six down to its EU exit. A fifth Brussels, with both sides frus- May told British lawmak- members of her Conserva-
months since Britain trig- round of divorce negotia- trated by the lack of prog- ers that “there is a new tive Party.q

NATO chief: ‘We don’t want a new Cold War’ with Russia

By ALISON MUTLER He mentioned a Russian- alliance was beefing up its Minister Mihai Fifor and Ro- ternational terrorists should
Associated Press Belarus operation in Sep- presence in eastern and manian armed forces head NATO pull out, he said.
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) tember involving thou- southeastern Europe to re- Gen. Nicolae Ciuca. Troops NATO says the Taliban
— NATO doesn’t want a sands of troops, tanks and assure allies in the face of from 11 NATO members will have expanded their con-
“new Cold War” with Rus- aircraft held in Belarus, on Russia’s actions in Ukraine. help coordinate regional trol of parts of the country
sia despite members’ con- NATO’s eastern edge. The “We are implementing allied training and exercis- after the alliance ended
cerns about the Russian drills included maneuvers the biggest reinforcement es, known as “Tailored For- its combat mission in 2014.
military buildup close to designed to hunt down to our collective defense ward Presence.” Some alliance troops have
NATO’s border, the alli- and destroy armed spies. since the end of the Cold Speaking about the alli- remained to train and ad-
ance’s secretary general Still, Stoltenberg said: “Rus- War,” including four battle- ance’s mission in Afghani- vise Afghan forces under
said Monday. sia is our neighbor ... we groups in Estonia, Latvia, stan, where it retains more the NATO-led Resolute Sup-
Jens Stoltenberg was don’t want to isolate Rus- Lithuania and Poland, he than 13,000 troops, Stolten- port mission.
speaking at the end of a sia. We don’t want a new said. berg said “the cost of walk- “We have been there for
four-day NATO parliamen- Cold War.” Separately, Romania is ing away would be much many years, but we have
tary assembly in the Roma- He said the 29-member al- opening a multinational bri- higher” than the human achieved many things ... it
nian capital, Bucharest. liance had increased jets gade in the southern city of and financial cost of the is no longer a safe haven
“We are concerned by .... patrols in the Black Sea in Craiova, which the NATO mission. for international terrorists,”
(Russia’s) lack of transpar- “response to Russia’s ag- secretary-general visited Afghanistan would de- Stoltenberg said. “We are
ency when it comes to mili- gressive actions in Ukraine.” later Monday and where scend into chaos and be- in Afghanistan to protect
tary exercises,” he said. Later, Stoltenberg said the he met Romanian Defense come a safe haven for in- ourselves.” q