May outlines her plan for ‘new Brexit deal’
LONDON — Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain on Tuesday dangled before lawmakers the prospect of a second referendum on Brexit, in a last-ditch effort to win over those who have rejected her three previous efforts to extract Britain from the European Union.
In a speech in London, Ms. May outlined what she called a “new Brexit deal,” which would give Parliament a broader role in shaping her Brexit plan. But most attention focused on her offer to have lawmakers vote on whether to have a second referendum, something she had previously ruled out.
Ms. May described the deal as “one last chance” to deliver on the 2016 referendum vote to leave the European Union.
If lawmakers reject it again, she said, “they are voting to stop Brexit.” She added, “If they do so, the consequences could hardly be greater.”
Early reaction among Conservatives and Labour was not encouraging.
The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, said his party would not support the plan, calling it a “rehash of what was discussed before.” Pro -Brexit Conservatives reacted angrily as well, with Jacob Rees-Mogg, a lawmaker and leader of that faction, dismissing it as “worse than before.”
U.S. tries to deter Iran
Tamping down talk of war, top Trump administration officials told Congress on Tuesday that recent actions by the U.S. deterred attacks on American forces. But some lawmakers remained deeply skeptical of the White House approach in the Middle East.
After a day of closed-door briefings on Capitol Hill, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said their objective over recent days has been to deter Iran. Now they want to prevent further escalation, Mr. Shanahan said.
“We’re not about going to war,” Mr. Shanahan told reporters.
“Our biggest focus at this point is to prevent Iranian miscalculation,” said Mr. Shanahan, flanked by Mr. Pompeo, after back-to-back briefings for the House and Senate. “We do not want the situation to escalate.”
The officials arrived on Capitol Hill as questions mounted over President Donald Trump’s tough talk on Iran and sudden policy shifts in the region. Skeptical Democrats sought out a second opinion, holding their own briefing with former Obama administration officials, former CIA Director John Brennan and Wendy Sherman, an architect of the Iran nuclear deal.
Murder charge added
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The Australian man accused of fatally shooting dozens of Muslim worshipers at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, has been charged with carrying out a terrorist act, the police said Tuesday.
Brenton Tarrant, 28, already faced 50 counts of murder after the massacre on March 15. An additional murder charge was lodged against him Tuesday, in relation to the death in Christchurch Hospital earlier this month of another man who was shot in the attack.
Mr. Tarrant also faces 40 attempted murder charges.
It is rare for the authorities to invoke New Zealand’s Terrorism Suppression Act to charge a suspect, and a police spokesman said in a statement that the decision to bring forth a charge of engaging in a terrorist act was made after police officials consulted government lawyers.