Optimism revived for extended Brexit talks

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier was planning to extend a visit to London until Wednesday amid cautious optimism over the progress of post-Brexit trade talks with Britain, according to media reports.

The European Union negotiating team had been due to return to Brussels on Sunday. The Sunday Telegraph reported that the British team would travel to Brussels on Thursday for more talks and that next Saturday had in effect become the deadline to decide whether the two sides could reach a deal.

Talks between the parties had resumed on Thursday in pursuit of a free-trade deal, a week after a missed deadline led London to declare them over. The talks continued on Friday, Reuters reported, in an effort to avoid a tumultuous finale to the five-year Brexit crisis.