Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 15 November 2018
May wins Cabinet backing for Brexit deal but pitfalls remain

By JILL LAWLESS deal is the best on offer, long been how to ensure
LORNE COOK and the alternatives are a there are no customs posts
Associated Press chaotic “no-deal” Brexit or other checks along the
LONDON (AP) — In a hard- that would cause huge dis- border between the U.K.’s
won victory, British Prime ruption to people and busi- Northern Ireland and EU
Minister Theresa May per- nesses, or an election that member Ireland after Brex-
suaded her fractious Cabi- could see the Conservative it.
net to back a draft divorce government replaced by Britain and the EU agree
agreement with the Euro- the left-of-center Labour that there must be no bar-
pean Union on Thursday, Party. riers that could disrupt busi-
a decision that triggers the Failure to secure Cabinet nesses and residents on
final steps on the long and backing would have left either side of the border
rocky road to Brexit. May’s leadership in doubt and undermine Northern
But she faces a backlash In this grab taken from video, Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa and the Brexit process in Ireland’s hard-won peace
from her many political op- May speaks during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of chaos, with exit day just process.
ponents and a fierce battle Commons, London, Wednesday Nov. 14, 2018. over four months away, on As part of the agreement,
to get the deal through Associated Press March 29. the U.K. will agree to follow
Parliament as she tries to or- 17 months of what Barni- was between her deal, “or She still faces the threat of EU rules in areas like ani-
chestrate the U.K.’s orderly er called “very intensive” leave with no deal; or no a coup attempt from her mal welfare, environmental
exit from the EU. talks, infuriated pro-Brexit Brexit at all.” own party. standards and workplace
May hailed the Cabinet lawmakers in May’s Con- If the EU backs the deal, Under Conservative rules, a protections — another
decision as a “decisive servative Party, who said it as it likely will, it must be no-confidence vote in the source of anger for Brexi-
step” toward finalizing the would leave Britain a vas- approved by Britain’s Par- leader is triggered if 15 per- teers, who say Britain should
exit deal with the EU within sal state, bound to EU rules liament. That could be a cent of party lawmakers be free to set its own rules.
days. It sets in motion an that it has no say in making. challenge, since pro-Brexit write letters requesting one. The solution is intended to
elaborate diplomatic cho- Those “hard Brexit” voices and pro-EU legislators alike The required number cur- be temporary — supersed-
reography of statements include several ministers in are threatening to oppose rently stands at 48 lawmak- ed by a permanent trade
and meetings. May’s Cabinet. Emerging it. ers; only the lawmaker who deal.
EU chief negotiator Michel from the five-hour meeting Pro-Brexit lawmakers say collects the letters knows But pro-Brexit politicians in
Barnier declared there had at 10 Downing St., May said the agreement will leave for sure how many have Britain fear it may become
been “decisive progress” the Cabinet talks had been Britain tethered to the EU been submitted. permanent, hampering
— the key phrase signal- “long, detailed and impas- after it departs and unable Pro-Brexit Conservative law- Britain’s ability to strike new
ing EU leaders can con- sioned.” She said there had to forge an independent maker Conor Burns said he trade deals around the
vene a summit to approve been a “collective deci- trade policy. wanted a change of policy world.
the deal, probably later his sion” to back the deal, On the other side of the rather than a new leader, Leading Euroskeptic Con-
month. though she did not say argument, pro-EU legisla- but added: “There comes servative legislator Jacob
Crucially, Barnier said that whether it was unanimous. tors say May’s deal is worse a point where if the PM is Rees-Mogg urged his col-
“we have now found a so- “I firmly believe, with my than the status quo and insistent that she will not leagues to vote against the
lution together with the U.K. head and my heart, that the British public should get change the policy, then deal, saying it “will lock us
to avoid a hard border on this is a decision which is a new vote on whether to the only way to change into an EU customs union
the island of Ireland.” in the best interests of the leave or to stay. the policy is to change the and EU laws. This will prevent
But the agreement, ham- United Kingdom,” she said. In between those two personnel.” us pursuing a U.K. trade pol-
mered out between U.K. In a warning to her oppo- camps are May’s support- The main obstacle to a icy based around our priori-
and EU negotiators after nents, May said the choice ers, who argue that the withdrawal agreement has ties and economy.”q

Red Cross says conditions not right for Rohingyas to return

Associated Press where the Rohingya live.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Mardini said that “we still
The International Commit- believe that the conditions
tee of the Red Cross says are not right for voluntary,
conditions are not right for safe, dignified returns.”
Rohingya Muslim refugees The International Commit-
to return safely to Myanmar tee of the Red Cross is one
from Bangladesh, where of the very few humanitar-
over 700,000 have sought ian organizations operating
refuge since August 2017 in Rakhine.q
following a military crack-
down.
Robert Mardini is the orga-
nization’s U.N. observer. He
told reporters Wednesday
that the conflict between
the Rohingya and Myan-
mar’s government is not
resolved and added that
there is no place to go
In this photograph taken Aug. 27, 2018, a Rohingya man looks at medicines being sold on the back to because “so many
roadside in Balukhali refugee camp, Bangladesh. villages” are flattened in
Associated Press Myanmar’s Rakhine state,