Brexit negotiations clear major hurdle

U.K. and European negotiators reached a last-minute deal Friday morning to pave the way for the next phase of talks on Brexit, Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union. The negotiations now progress to trade issues and the two-year process for extricating Britain from economic ties to its neighbors. British Prime Minister Theresa May thought she had secured a deal earlier this week to move negotiations forward, but talks stalled over disagreements about the Northern Ireland border. Under the deal announced Friday, the border will remain open, even though the rest of Ireland plans to remain in the European Union. As part of the negotiations, Britain has agreed to the terms of a financial settlement that could cost as much as $39 billion. While May’s allies in government lauded the overall progress, critics complain Britain capitulated to all EU demands in a humiliating defeat for the prime minister.