The European Union and Britain, which are hurtling toward a costly, damaging no-deal split in a little over two months, kicked off a high-wire week of diplomacy Tuesday by entrenching themselves deeper in their irreconcilable positions. Highlighting new British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s determination to leave the bloc on Oct. 31 even if no Brexit divorce deal is in place, his government said as of Sept. 1 it would stop attending all EU meetings where its vital interests were not at stake. Johnson’s Downing Street office doubled down on the message later, stating that unless the trade backstop on the Irish border ... (full story)