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A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 14 March 2019

UK lawmakers to vote on requesting delay as Brexit day nears

By JILL LAWLESS This option is likely to prove
Associated Press popular, since politicians
LONDON (AP) — British on both sides of the Brexit
lawmakers have gone on debate fear time is running
record saying they don't out to secure an orderly
want the U.K. to leave the withdrawal by March 29.
European Union without Extending the timeframe
a divorce agreement in for Brexit requires approval
place, increasing the odds from all 27 remaining EU
that Brexit won't take place member countries. They
as planned at the end of have an opportunity to
the month. grant such a request at a
With the approaching March 21-22 summit in Brus-
deadline intensifying fears sels.
that economic and per- But the rest of the EU is re-
sonal turmoil might follow luctant to postpone Brexit
a "no-deal" withdrawal by beyond the late May elec-
Britain, Parliament voted tions for the EU's legislature.
321-278 Wednesday to rule The U.K. won't be represent-
out the possibility. ed in the European Parlia-
However, Prime Minister ment after it quits the EU; its
Theresa May and the Euro- seats already have been
pean Union noted the de- given to other countries to
cision wasn't legally bind- fill in the elections.
ing. She offered the House Anti-Brexit, remain in the European Union supporters hold an EU and British union flag outside the French President Emmanu-
of Commons a chance to Houses of Parliament in London, Wednesday, March 13, 2019. el Macron, one of the EU's
try to stop the countdown Assocaited Press strongest supporters, said
to a March 29 departure. Wednesday that a request
A look at what might hap- DELAY, DELAY, DELAY the EU without an agree- on whether to ask the EU to for a postponement would
pen: Now that the House of ment a thumbs down, it is delay Brexit by up to three be considered, but not
___ Commons gave leaving scheduled to vote Thursday months. granted automatically.q

US-backed Syrian forces push on as IS militants fight back

By PHILIP ISSA Since early February, more
Associated Press than 10,000 civilians were
BAGHOUZ, Syria (AP) — evacuated from the IS-held
U.S.-backed Syrian forces pocket, most of them fam-
said Wednesday that Is- ily members of IS fighters.
lamic State militants are The capture of Baghouz
putting up a desperate would be a milestone in
fight against their advanc- the devastating four-year
es and staged a counterat- campaign to defeat IS's so-
tack overnight from the tiny called "caliphate," which
speck of land the extremists once covered a vast territo-
still hold in eastern Syria. ry straddling both Syria and
The counterattack began Iraq. The U.S.-led coalition
from the west of a riverside tweeted Wednesday it was
pocket in the Syrian village continuing strikes against IS
of Baghouz where the Is- positions "day and night,"
lamic State group has been allowing the militants no
making its last stand, said a freedom of movement.
commander with the U.S- "Combined with the SDF
backed Syrian Democratic ground movement, the fi-
Forces, or SDF. nal push in (Baghouz) con-
Clashes were underway as tinues," the coalition said.
the Kurdish-led forces tried A U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighter watches illumination rounds light up Bag- A spokesman for the U.S.-
to repel the IS attack, he houz, Syria, as the last pocket of Islamic State militants is attacked on Tuesday, March 12, 2019. backed forces, Adnan Af-
said, adding they were also Associated Press rin, said IS militants were
fighting to secure an area putting up a "fierce resis-
taken late on Tuesday. Nargiz, said the IS counter- years. houz and surrounding vil- tance," firing mortar shells
Another commander said attack began just before "We'll die long before this lages began in September and rocket-propelled gre-
at least four SDF fighters dawn. IS militants usually war is over," said Simone and has since driven the nades in clashes that be-
were killed in the fighting operate in daylight as they Awad, a 22-year-old fighter militants into the tiny sliver of gan Tuesday.
since early in the morning. lack night vision weapons whose friend was shot in land following intense fight- Afrin said his forces are ad-
Both commanders spoke and goggles. the head next to him in the ing and major setbacks. vancing slowly, taking some
on condition of anonymity The weeks-old push on fighting earlier in the morn- For the last few weeks, the positions on the edge of a
because they were not au- Baghouz has also taken a ing. It was not clear if the militants remained holed tent encampment where
thorized to talk to the me- toll on the Kurdish forces, friend, who was taken to up in the shrinking space thousands of civilians and
dia. some of whom have been hospital, survived. along the eastern banks militants had been holed
A third commander, Dilbrin battling IS for the past six The battle to retake Bag- of the Euphrates River. up in recent weeks.q