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A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 26 sepTember 2019
EU watches Brexit saga in Britain with bewilderment

By RAF CASERT shut lawmakers out of the
Associated Press Brexit debate in the cru-
BRUSSELS (AP) — Three cial period before the Oct.
years later, and it looks 31 departure date. “It is
like the Brexit tables have a good thing that he has
turned. been stopped by the British
Boris Johnson and fellow system,” said Verhofstadt,
Brexiteers expected to echoing comments from
negotiate the European across Europe. However, EU
Union ragged for a deal leaders have stayed mum
that gave the U.K. as many out of reluctance to wade
advantages of EU mem- into a member’s domestic
bership as possible after the politics and inflaming feel-
divorce - and as few of the ings anti-EU sentiment.
burdens. The Supreme Court’s can-
When it came to Brexit, cellation of the suspension
Johnson said, the British po- and Parliament reconven-
sition should be was “hav- ing reduced the odds of
ing our cake and eating it.” a no-deal exit, with the
Now, after agreeing twice fortunes of the House of
already to postpone the Commons surging and
country’s pull out date, re- Johnson’s sagging. The EU
maining EU members watch European Parliament Brexit chief Guy Verhofstadt addresses European Parliament members already reached a deal
in amazement as Brexit di- during a committee about the Brexit at the European Parliament in Brussels, Wednesday, Sept. with Theresa May, but law-
vides Britain as much as its 25, 2019. makers voted it down three
supporters thought privi- Associated Press times and precipitated her
leged relations with Britain Brexit negotiations so far, May’s government before the static state of play at resignation.
would split Europe. Balfour said. resigning over her handling a juncture when British and Verhofstadt expects a brief-
“Every day brings some- “Tribal party politics prevail, of Brexit, and succeeded EU negotiators sparring ing on technical talks for
thing new,” Guy Verhof- and the jury is still out as to May as prime minister on over departure terms in the an EU-U.K. agreement. But
stadt, the European Parlia- whether democratic insti- July 13. corridors of EU headquar- he insisted Johnson’s most
ment’s main Brexit official tutions as a whole - Parlia- While he is spending all his ters were supposed to be recent proposals stand no
said wryly on Wednesday. ment, Supreme Court - can political energy at home, providing Brexit drama. chance of breaking the ne-
For British politicians, “it prevent a path now proven the EU is tapping its watch At the same time, Johnson gotiations stalemate. The
has been a steep learning to be harmful for Britain,” as the current Brexit dead- was fighting for his govern- The new prime minis-
curve,” German Marshall she said. “Brexit shows that line of Oct. 31 nears, noting ment’s survival in London ter’s short and rocky road
Fund senior fellow Rosa Bal- British democracy needs to that Johnson’s government on Wednesday after the shows that British politics
four said. Poor leadership be upgraded.” has put no new agreement U.K.’s highest court ruled are as unpredictable as
from both the main Con- Johnson was London’s proposals on the table to he illegally suspended Par- ever. And the EU, already
servative and Labour par- mayor before the U.K.’s prevent a chaotic “no- liament. The opposition feeling burned by the first
ties drove the country into 2016 referendum on EU deal” Brexit. and some Conservative Brexit deal’s bad ending,
a dead-end, effectively al- membership, served as for- EU parliamentary commit- colleagues accused the is not eager to repeat the
lowing the EU to dominate eign secretary in Theresa tees have been assessing prime minister of trying to experience.q

Algerian ex-president’s brother, former spy bosses convicted

By AOMAR OUALI the state apparatus under protests against Bouteflika,
Associated Press Bouteflika remains. who was seeking a fifth
ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — A In a statement from the mandate despite infirmities
military court in Algeria on town of Blida, the court following a stroke.
Wednesday sentenced the said seven people were The charges centered on
brother of the country’s convicted in the closed- March meetings between
longtime former leader and door trial in the town of the three men and Ha-
two ex-intelligence chiefs Blida, with three of them, noune, leader of the left-
to 15 years in prison for plot- believed to have fled the wing Workers Party. Some
ting against the state. country, convicted in ab- feared they were plotting
The overnight ruling against sentia and sentenced to 20 to fire powerful army chief
men who once wielded years in prison. Ahmed Gaid Salah, who
immense power in Africa’s Among the four held were at the time was siding with
largest country represents Said Bouteflika, brother the protesters. Lahcene Se-
another blow to the lega- and special counsellor of riak, the lawyer for Toufik, a
cy of Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Bouteflika, and former intel- general who headed the
who was forced out as In this Thursday, May 4, 2017 file photo, Said Bouteflika, the ligence figures Gen. Ath- powerful DRS intelligence
president by street protests brother of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, takes ballots mane Tartag and Gen. Mo- service and forced into
and the army chief in April. before voting in Algiers. hamed Mediene, who was retirement in 2015, said
Also handed a 15-year pris- Associated Press known Toufik — a name his client told the court on
on term was the leader of a Associated Press that he May. The oil- and gas-rich that once made Algerians Tuesday that “the real plot
leftist political party, Louisa would file an appeal, call- country is now struggling to tremble. that put me in court today
Hanoune, for decades a ing the two days of pro- find a new political path, They were convicted of grew from my attempts
fixture on Algeria’s political ceedings a “politically driv- and protesters have main- plotting against the state to fight corruption,” nota-
scene. Her defense lawyer, en trial.” tained street demonstra- and undermining the army bly against the Bouteflika
Mokrane Ait Larbi, told The All four were arrested in tions because much of in the early weeks of the clan.q