Flurry of activity signals deal is near on Brexit trade feud

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — A flurry of political and diplomatic activity on Friday signaled a potential breakthrough on a rancorous post-Brexit trade dispute between Britain and the European Union. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak flew to Belfast for talks with political leaders, and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly met EU chief negotiator Maroš Šefčovič in Brussels. The U.K, the EU and Northern Ireland’s fractious political parties all say progress is being made on resolving the spat, which has brought economic headaches and political turmoil to Northern Ireland. The Democratic Unionist Party, which has collapsed Northern Ireland’s government out of opposition to the trade rules, said “there has been real progress.”