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tuesdAY, January 29, 2019
guyanatimesgy.com
Around the World
EU has Brexit message for China says Canadian Ambassador May: Decide what you want sacking an internal affair
T
he European Union has a message for Prime Minister Theresa May as she plots a path out of the Brexit impasse: Britain needs to take ownership and decide what it really wants, but the negotiated divorce deal will not be reopened. With less than nine weeks until the United Kingdom is due by law to leave the EU on March 29, there is no agreement yet in London on how and even whether to leave the world’s biggest trading bloc. Parliament defeated May’s deal two weeks ago by a huge margin, with many Brexit-supporting rebels in her Conservative Party angry at the Irish “backstop”, an insurance policy aimed at preventing a hard border in Ireland if no other solutions can be agreed. Ahead of today’s votes in the British Parliament on a way forward, lawmakers in May’s party are pushing for her to demand the EU drop the backstop and replace it with something else. In a note of criticism of
May’s strategy, EU’s deputy chief negotiator, Sabine Weyand said there appeared
down to the line; however, EU officials indicated there might be wriggle room if May came
Signs are seen outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, January 28, 2019
to be a lack of “ownership” in Britain of the agreement struck between the two sides in November, and that there was insufficient transparency in the Prime Minister’s moves. “There will be no more negotiations on the Withdrawal Agreement,” said Weyand, a German senior civil servant at the European Commission, reiterating the EU stance. As the Brexit crisis goes
back with a clear, and viable, request for changes that she – and the EU – believe will secure a final ratification. However, Weyand echoed her boss Michel Barnier in saying that Britain could resolve some of the problems caused by opposition to the Irish backstop by changing some of its demands on post-Brexit trade. (Excerpt from
C
hina’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s sacking of his Ambassador to China was an internal Canadian affair, after the envoy prompted a furore with comments about a high-profile extradition case. John McCallum had embarrassed Trudeau’s Government by saying Huawei Technologies Co Ltd Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou could make a strong argument against being sent to the United States.
John McCallum (file photo)
Meng, the daughter of Huawei’s founder, was arrested in Vancouver last month, at the request of US authorities who suspect she violated US sanctions on Iran. China subsequently detained two Canadian citizens on national security
Nigeria adjourns trial of top Judge suspended by President
A
legal case against Nigeria’s top judge which raised fears of interference in next month’s presidential elec-
court of appeal,” Danladi Umar, Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) said. The next court of appeal
Reuters)
Taliban talks: Draft framework for Afghanistan peace “agreed”
U
S and Taliban negotiators have agreed on a draft framework for a peace deal seeking to put an end to the 17year conflict in Afghanistan,
has made a new call for direct talks with the Islamist group, but they have so far refused, dismissing the government as “puppets”. The group ruled the
The conflict in Afghanistan is America’s longest-ever war
Washington’s top negotiator has said. US negotiators held six days of talks with the Taliban in Qatar last week. The Afghan President
country from 1996-2001 and remain a top insurgent force. Their rule ended when the US invaded Afghanistan after al-Qaeda – which had
used the country as a base – carried out the 9/11 attacks in the US. Analysts say it could be years before a substantive peace deal is reached. Zalmay Khalilzad, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, was in Kabul to brief the Afghan Government about the talks. “We have a draft of the framework that has to be fleshed out before it becomes an agreement,” he told The New York Times in an interview, adding that as part of the proposed deal the Taliban would vow to prevent Afghanistan being used as a hub for terrorism. The 17-year conflict has caused huge loss of life. According to UN figures, between 6000 and 11,000 civilians have been killed every year since 2009. (Excerpt from BBC
News)
Indian politician jailed for Facebook post on PM Narendra Modi
A
n Indian politician who posted a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a begging bowl on Facebook has been arrested in the latest example of what critics say is a clampdown on free speech. It follows more than a dozen similar arrests last year in a clampdown on those attacking the Prime Minister’s policies or ideology. Sathiyaraj Balu, a member of a local pro-Tamil party, was arrested on Saturday after he posted a morphed picture of
Modi with a begging bowl a day before the Prime Minister’s visit to the southern state of Tamil Nadu. He has been charged with intent to disrupt the peace and to create ill-will between classes, after an official complaint was made by local members of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “We received a complaint against him (Balu) and took action as per the law,” a senior police officer in the district told AFP on Monday on condition of
anonymity. Balu is being remanded in custody pending a police investigation. A television reporter is in jail in the north-eastern state of Manipur for alleged posts that also criticised Modi and the state’s Chief Minister Biren Singh. Kishorechandra Wangkhem was arrested in December under a draconian law that allows authorities to detain anyone for up to a year without trial. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
People hold banners during a protest over the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, in Abuja, Nigeria, January 28, 2019
tion was adjourned indefinitely on Monday, days after President Muhammadu Buhari suspended the Chief Justice. The European Union and the United States voiced concerns after Buhari suspended Walter Onnoghen from the position where he would have a key say in resolving any disputes after the February 16 election. “This case has been adjourned sine die (indefinitely), pending the determination of the matter at the
hearing is due to take place on January 30. Protesters gathered outside the courthouse in the capital, Abuja, on Monday – some in support of Onnoghen and others who backed his suspension. The CCT said on January 12 that Onnoghen would face six counts of alleged non-declaration of assets. The allegations were initially made by Dennis Aghanya, who served as Buhari’s media aide between 2009 and 2011. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Shutdown over Trump’s border wall cost the US economy US$11B – CBO
T
he five-week partial US Government shutdown, triggered by the battle over President Donald Trump’s border wall, cost the US economy US$11 billion, according to the latest analysis by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). That figure captures lost output from furloughed federal workers, delayed Government spending on goods and services and dampened Private Sector activity resulting from the shutdown. The CBO expects eight billion dollars of the loss to be recovered as the Government gets back to business as usual and feder-
al employees return to their jobs. But some three billion in foregone economic activity will not be recovered, the CBO said. That means the level of projected economic growth for 2019 is expected to be 0.02 per cent smaller than it would have been if the shutdown had not happened. Some individual businesses and workers may also not fully rebound from the financial hit they suffered as a result of the shutdown. Some 800,000 federal employees were furloughed or required to work without pay during the shutdown. “Among those who experienced the largest and most
grounds. A Chinese court later retried a Canadian man who had been jailed for drugs smuggling and sentenced him to death. “The matter you have mentioned is an internal affair for Canada. China will not comment,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily news briefing in Beijing. Geng reiterated China’s call for Canada to “make the correct choice” and release Meng so she could return to China. She was granted bail 10 days after her arrest.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
Poland alarmed by sick cow slaughter at meat plant
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olish Police are investigating an abattoir suspected of illegally trafficking in sick cattle, which has been filmed covertly. Poland’s chief veterinary officer says the film, broadcast by Polish TVN 24, reveals “illegal activities, as slaughter was carried out deliberately at night, in order to avoid official supervision”. The film shows visibly sick cows, and abattoir workers cutting carcasses. It is not clear where the meat went. The revelation is potentially serious for the EU, because the 2013 horsemeat scandal exposed the complexity of meat sales in Europe’s single market. The scandal triggered product recalls, as officials struggled to trace suspect meat. The veterinary officer’s statement says his inspectors and Police were tipped off about “suspected illegal slaughter” at an abattoir near Ostrow Mazowiecka in north-eastern Poland. On the night of January 14-15, they found eight sick cows at the abattoir and “a decision was made to kill the animals without delay in order to end their suffering”. (Excerpt from BBC News)
direct negative effects are federal workers who faced delayed compensation and Private-Sector entities that lost business,” said the CBO. “Some of those PrivateSector entities will never recoup that lost income.” Meanwhile, according to the BBC News, Trump says he is sceptical a deal can be reached on border security before Government funding expires again next month. The Republican president said he doubted he would lower the sum he was prepared to accept for a USMexico border wall. Congress must agree a new bill by February 15 to avoid another shutdown. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera and BBC News)