If the UK and the European Union have not agreed a trade deal by the summer of 2020 that keeps the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland open, a British prime minister will have to decide whether to buy more time or keep the UK aligned to EU rules for years to come. European diplomats have been told for the first time that UK and EU negotiators are working on a mechanism to review in July 2020 whether the so-called backstop, an insurance policy to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland under all circumstances, will need to be activated, according to a diplomatic ... (full story)