EU-UK talks, fishing threat kick Brexit back into high gear

By RAF CASERT
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — The Brexit brawl has kicked into high gear, almost a year after a deal on a free trade agreement was supposed to have officially sealed the separation between the European Union and the United Kingdom. The top Brexit negotiators from both sides entered talks again Friday, with troublesome trade issues in Northern Ireland taking center stage. If they fail to find a common solution by Christmas, the suspension of the trade deal and even retaliatory measures might be possible. Making matters worse, French fishermen are growing more vocal about blocking ports for what they see as British duplicitousness in refusing to grant them all the fishing licenses they want.