Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 8 august 2018

UK's May urges Boris Johnson to apologize for burqa comments

By JILL LAWLESS from Muslim groups and fel- Party, which is deeply di-
Associated Press low politicians —. vided over its attitude to
LONDON (AP) — British Mohamed Sheikh, founder the EU.
Prime Minister Theresa May of the Conservative Muslim Many expect May to face
and other senior Conser- Forum, said Johnson's arti- a leadership challenge if
vatives told former Foreign cle had been "totally out of faltering Brexit negotia-
Secretary Boris Johnson order." Middle East Minister tions don't improve — and
to say sorry Tuesday for Alistair Burt criticized John- Johnson is likely to be a
a newspaper column in son for comments he said contender to replace her.
which he wrote that burqa- "many people would find Some suspected Johnson's
wearing women looked like offensive." burqa comments were in-
"letter boxes" and bank rob- Conservative Party chair- tended to boost his appeal
bers.Johnson, who quit the man Brandon Lewis said in among right-wing mem-
government last month in a a tweet that he had asked bers of the party.
dispute over Brexit, made Johnson to apologize. May Sayeeda Warsi, a Con-
the remarks in a Daily Tele- said she agreed with Lewis. In this file photo dated Thursday, June 21, 2018, Britain's Foreign servative member of the
graph article published "I do think that we all have Secretary Boris Johnson talks during a ceremony at the Tomb of House of Lords, said John-
Monday. to be very careful about the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw, Poland. Associated Press son was using Muslim
Johnson said he opposed the language and terms women as a "convenient
banning burqas and other we use. And some of the Latin-spouting, tousle- to seek close economic ties political football to try and
face-covering garments, terms Boris used describing headed Johnson is a for- with the European Union increase his poll ratings."
but wrote that it was "ab- people's appearance ob- mer mayor of London and after the U.K. leaves the "These were offensive com-
solutely ridiculous that peo- viously have offended," she one of Britain's best-known bloc next year. ments but clever politics,"
ple should choose to go said. politicians. He resigned as The resignation solidified she said. "Boris knew the
around looking like letter There was no immediate foreign secretary in July, Johnson's position as a effect and the impact that
boxes." sign that Johnson planned accusing May of killing "the leader of the pro-Brexit this kind of dog-whistle poli-
His article drew criticism to back down. Brexit dream" with her plan wing of the Conservative tics would have."q

Wildfires torment Portugal, Spain; French, Dutch feel heat

By BARRY HATTON chique, a town of 2,000 thwarting the operation.
Associated Press people about 250 kilome- Monchique was identified
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — ters (155 miles) south of Lis- as a high risk area months
Firefighters and anxious bon, where the blaze came ago.
residents braced Tuesday within 500 meters (yards) of Firefighting is coordinat-
for a fifth straight night of the local fire station. ed by the Civil Protection
battling a major wildfire An unknown number of Agency, a government
that is racing across tinder- homes — believed to num- body overseen by the Min-
dry forested hills in southern ber in the dozens, accord- istry for the Interior, which
Portugal. ing to local reports — in the oversees national defense.
The blaze is sending high forested hills have burned The National Association of
plumes of smoke across the down. Professional Firemen and
Algarve region's famous With so many resources the Professional Firemen's
beaches and bringing criti- deployed, many residents Trade Union issued a joint
cism of authorities for failing asked why the fire was still statement saying that the
to halt the flames. burning, especially after government's recent reor-
A strong seasonal wind Spanish firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire in Pinet village, 95 percent of it was under ganization of firefighting
from the north known as a near Valencia Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. Associated Press control on Monday. capabilities need to be
"nortada" was driving the Firefighters also publicly reassessed and rethought.
fire south toward Silves, a chique. Several hundred Almost 1,200 firefighters questioned the wisdom of The organizations asked
town of about 6,000 peo- people were evacuated, supported by 16 aircraft the strategy to counter the for a "very urgent" meet-
ple, after it narrowly missed and 29 were hurt, one seri- and 358 vehicles were flames, with some claim- ing with the Minister of the
the smaller town of Mon- ously, officials said. deployed around Mon- ing poor organization was Interior.q