
Scottish Brexit minister Mike Russell has called for basic answers about the deal struck with European leaders ahead of talks with UK ministers. Mr Russell is in London for a summit with members of the UK government and the other devolved administrations.

The European Union and Japan have concluded negotiations on a giant free trade deal that they said was reached while “fighting the temptation of protectionism”, a message apparently directed at U.S. President Donald Trump. The deal, which the EU called its biggest ever, must be signed and ratified by both sides.

The European Union’s farm chief pressed Mercosur countries to offer market access for EU wines, spirits, olive oil and dairy goods to help seal a free-trade agreement that has been in the works for two decades.

Mercosur is confident a framework agreement with the European Union will be announced next week despite resistance from farmers in Europe to permit tariff-free beef imports, a Mercosur official said. “There is more than a 70% chance of reaching a deal,” said the official close to the negotiations that have dragged on for almost two decades.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he expected Britain and the European Union to progress soon into the next phase of Brexit negotiations, despite Prime Minister Theresa May’s problems in getting the political backing at home to move ahead.

More than half of British people now think the country will get a bad Brexit deal, according to a new survey. A report by polling expert Professor John Curtice suggests the UK public, including those who voted Leave in the EU referendum, has become more critical of the way negotiations are being handled and more pessimistic about the consequences of Brexit.

Despite hopes of a major breakthrough on Brexit, talks between the United Kingdom and European Union (EU) have stalled, in large part over discussions about the Irish border. When British Prime Minister Theresa May arrived in Brussels on Monday to meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, there were indications a major breakthrough on stage one of Brexit was imminent.

The EU will refuse Britain’s demand for talks on a post-Brexit transition and future trade pact if Ireland is not satisfied with London’s offer on border arrangements with Northern Ireland, European Council President Donald Tusk said this weekend.

British Prime Minister Theresa May insisted on Wednesday there is still no agreement on the UK's Brexit bill despite reports British officials have committed up to £50bn to the EU. British newspapers reported on Tuesday that an agreement had been reached on the divorce bill and mentioned 50bn Euros.

Britain is considering devolving certain powers to Northern Ireland to avoid the possibility of a hard border with the Republic of Ireland after Brexit, according to a report from The Times.