Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 5 september 2018

France's Macron encounters obstacle course at home

By SYLVIE CORBET ing France's rigid labor rules mer Roxana Maracineanu,
Associated Press despite such resistance. world champion in back-
PARIS (AP) — French Presi- MISSING MINISTERS stroke at the 1998 World
dent Emmanuel Macron Environment Minister Nico- Aquatics Championships.
planned to focus this month las Hulot's resignation last TAXING TIMES
on promoting his policies week was an unexpected A major change in French
to reshape the economy. blow. Hulot, the well-known life is set to take place in
Instead, he's encountered host of a television nature January with the introduc-
obstacles. show, personified Macron's tion of a new schedule and
The resignations of two agenda for greener poli- system for paying income
popular Cabinet ministers, cies. taxes. Macron suggested
snags in a pending income Hulot's decision to quit last week that potential
tax system and anger over raised questions about the technical bugs could be an
cuts in family and housing president's commitment issue. His comments made
benefits greeted Macron to "Make our planet great In this Sunday, May 14, 2017 file photo Francois de Rugy, a close the government look un-
as France returned from again" — a verbal jab aide to French President Emmanuel Macron, arrives at the Ely- prepared to the public.
summer holidays. at U.S. President Donald see Palace in Paris. Yet Prime Minister Edouard
Last week, the 40-year- Trump's withdrawal from Associated Press Philippe confirmed on Tues-
old leader branded the the Paris climate accords day night the measure,
French as "Gauls resistant An experienced politician minister Tuesday. als in fencing, tendered launched under Macron's
to change." He made the and environmentalist, Fran- Meanwhile, Sport Minister her resignation Tuesday predecessor Francois Hol-
remark while reaffirming his cois de Rugy, was named Laura Flessel, who holds for "personal reasons." She lande, will be implemented
intent to push for loosen- as the new environment two Olympic gold med- was replaced by swim- as planned.q

Spain cancels bombs sale to Saudi Arabia amid Yemen concerns

By ARITZ PARRA ternational. The Stockholm cuse of violating interna-
Associated Press International Peace Re- tional laws in Palestine ter-
MADRID (AP) — Spain said search Institute, an inde- ritories.
Tuesday it has canceled pendent global security The group's representatives
the delivery of 400 laser- database, says the United were meeting with Span-
guided bombs purchased States, Britain and France ish trade officials on Tues-
by Saudi Arabia, amid fears are Riyadh's main suppliers. day to deliver thousands
that the weapons could be The Saudi crown prince, of signatures in support
used against Iran-aligned Mohammed bin Salman, of their campaign, which
Houthi rebels in Yemen. visited all four countries in also advocates for greater
The arms deal was origi- April this year. Two months transparency in the sales of
nally signed in 2015 under later, his government military and defense equip-
Spain's former conservative signed the purchase of five ment that Spain shields un-
government, but the new navy corvettes that a Span- der state secrecy laws.
center-left administration ish state-owned military A U.N. experts committee
of Prime Minister Pedro San- In this April 12, 2018 file photo, Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mo- shipbuilder has pledged urged the international
hammed bin Salman and Spain's then Defense Minister Maria
chez plans to return the 9.2 Dolores Cospedal shake hands after signing bi-lateral agree- to deliver for 2 billion euros community last month to
million euros ($10.6 million) ments at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain. ($2.31 billion). The contract refrain from providing arms
already paid by the Saudis, Associated Press had been in the works for that could be used in the
Cadena SER radio report- years. Yemen conflict, in refer-
ed on Tuesday. children. U.N. human rights had promised to revise the The sale was sharply criti- ence to Western countries
A Defense Ministry spokes- experts say all sides, in- country's arms deals be- cized by Weapons Under selling sophisticated weap-
woman confirmed the cluding militias backed by fore the new prime minis- Control, a campaign seek- ons systems to the Gulf
report, but declined to the United Arab Emirates, ter ousted his predecessor, ing to end arms sales to States.
elaborate. She was not au- may have committed war Mariano Rajoy, in a parlia- Saudi Arabia over its role The U.N. says the conflict
thorized to be identified in crimes in the conflict raging mentary vote in June. in Yemen. The campaign, in Yemen has become the
media reports. since March 2015. As a longtime commercial backed by Amnesty Inter- world's worst humanitarian
International rights groups The Saudi embassy in Ma- ally of Saudi Arabia, Spain national, Greenpeace, In- crisis, with more than 22 mil-
have blamed a Saudi-led drid did not immediately is the fourth largest provider termon Oxfam and Spain's lion people in desperate
coalition's airstrikes and oth- respond to emailed ques- of military equipment and FundiPau, also wants to need in what was already
er attacks in Yemen for the tions and follow-up calls. weapons to the Gulf state, end exports of weapons to the Arab world's poorest
killing of civilians, including Sanchez's Socialist party according to Amnesty In- Israel, a country they ac- country.q