Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 12 March 2019
UK says last-ditch Brexit talks win legally binding changes

By JILL LAWLESS feated again. She survived
RAF CASERT a bid to oust her through
Associated Press a no-confidence vote in
LONDON (AP) — The British December. As a result, she
government said Monday cannot be forced from of-
that frenzied last-minute fice for a year.
diplomacy had won "le- The EU is frustrated at what
gally binding changes" to it sees as the inability of
overcome a roadblock in Britain's weak and divided
its divorce deal with the Eu- government to lay out a
ropean Union, hours before clear vision for Brexit. It is
Parliament was due to de- irritated, too, that Britain
cide the fate of Prime Minis- is seeking changes to an
ter Theresa May's hard-won agreement that May her-
agreement — and of Brit- self helped negotiate.
ain's departure from the EU. May has been working
On the eve of Tuesday's frantically to save her deal,
vote, May flew to the speaking by phone to eight
French city of Strasbourg, EU national leaders since
where EU legislators were Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Com- Friday, including French
meeting, for nighttime talks mons, London, Wednesday March 6, 2019. President Emmanuel Ma-
with European Commis- Associated Press cron and German Chan-
sion President Jean-Claude cellor Angela Merkel.
Juncker. The prime minister safeguard that would keep Lidington spoke before Britain is due to pull out of Merkel said Monday that
was seeking revisions, guar- the U.K. in a customs union May and Juncker emerged the EU in less than three Juncker and Barnier had
antees or other changes to with the EU until a perma- from their talks. Earlier, weeks, on March 29, but made "a multitude of sug-
persuade reluctant British nent new trading relation- Juncker kissed May twice the government has not gestions" over the weekend
legislators to back her with- ship is in place. on the cheeks when she been able to win parlia- on the backstop.
drawal agreement with the Brexit-supporting lawmak- arrived at the commission's mentary approval for its "I think that an important
EU, which they resounding- ers in Britain fear the back- headquarters in the Euro- agreement with the bloc offer has again been made
ly rejected in January. stop could be used to bind pean Parliament building. on withdrawal terms and to Britain, and now it is of
Late Monday, Cabinet the country to EU regula- EU Brexit negotiator Michel future relations. The im- course for Britain to respond
Office Minister David Lid- tions indefinitely. Barnier kissed her hand be- passe has raised fears of to these offers," she said.
ington announced in the Lidington said the new fore they went inside for a chaotic "no-deal" Brexit If Parliament throws out
House of Commons that guarantee "provides confir- talks. that could mean major dis- May's deal again on Tues-
the two sides had agreed mation that the EU cannot When negotiations be- ruption for businesses and day, lawmakers will vote
on "legally binding chang- try to trap the U.K. in the tween the EU and the British people in Britain and the 27 over the following two days
es" to a portion of the deal backstop indefinitely." government were at a low remaining EU countries. on whether to leave the
relating to the Irish border. Lidington said lawmak- ebb, Juncker shook the Brit- "This is a government in EU without an agreement
He said the changes should ers faced "a fundamental ish leader's hand before a chaos, with a country in — an idea likely to be re-
overcome lawmakers' choice ... to vote for the similar meeting. chaos because of this jected — or to ask the EU
qualms about a mecha- improved deal or to plunge The EU is unwilling to reopen mess," Labour Party leader to delay Brexit beyond the
nism in the deal designed this country into a political an agreement it spent a Jeremy Corbyn said. scheduled March 29 de-
to keep an open border crisis." year and a half negotiat- May has staked her po- parture date.
between Britain's Northern Pro-Brexit lawmakers said ing, while British legislators litical reputation on secur- May warned last week that
Ireland and EU member they would read the fine remain split over whether ing an exit deal with the any delay could mean "we
Ireland. The mechanism, print before deciding how to leave the bloc and, if so, EU and is under mounting may never leave the EU at
known as the backstop, is a to vote on Tuesday. on what terms. pressure to quit if it is de- all."q

Ex-VP of Congo seeks damages over war crime convictions

By MIKE CORDER The sum includes damag- When he tried to get it
Associated Press es for the decade Bemba back to help pay legal bills,
THE HAGUE, Netherlands spent in jail and compen- "he was informed that the
(AP) — A former vice presi- sation for legal costs and prosecution was unable to
dent of Congo who was losses in the value of assets find the keys," his lawyers
acquitted on appeal of frozen by the court, the said.
war crimes in Central Af- lawyers said. "The plane is now scrap. It
rican Republic is seeking "Mr. Bemba's property was still stands stranded on the
millions of euros (dollars) in left over a 10-year period tarmac at Faro Airport,"
compensation from the In- to devalue, dissipate, or Bemba's legal team said.
ternational Criminal Court, simply rot," they said in a Bemba, a former military
his lawyers said Monday. statement. commander in Congo, was
Lawyers for Jean-Pierre Among the devalued as- convicted in 2016 on two
Bemba last week filed an sets the lawyers listed was a counts of crimes against
application asking judg- Boeing 727 jetliner, a plane humanity and three counts
es at the global court to built from the 1960s to 1980s of war crimes for a cam-
In this file photo dated Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018, former Congo- award Bemba a total of for commercial passenger paign of murder, rape and
lese Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba poses for a photograph nearly 69 million euros ($77 flights. Bemba's aircraft was pillaging by his troops in
in Waterloo, Belgium. million) for what they called impounded in Portugal in Central African Republic
Associated Press
a miscarriage of justice. 2008. during 2002-2003.q