Northern Ireland’s political parties broadly welcomed a deal struck between the UK and European Union on the Irish border, which allows Brexit talks to proceed to the second phase. The DUP on Monday objected to the wording of an initial deal; later, party leader Arlene Foster welcomed “substantive” changes to the plans but warned that more work is to be done. Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar said that the Republic of Ireland had “achieved all we had set out to achieve”, and moved to recognise concerns of Northern Ireland’s unionist community. No new barriers between Northern Ireland and Great Britain will develop, he said, unless the Northern Ireland Assembly and executive agree to it.

Sinn Féin President, Gerry Adams said his party is not trying to exploit Brexit in its campaign for Irish unity. Ahead of a book launch in west Belfast, he said the issue is “too important,” posing a huge threat to economies and rights north and south of the border. Mr Adams did say that Sinn Féin still wants a border poll and are “confident” of persuading people to vote for a united Ireland. He said “Nearly everyone recognises, with the exception of the English Tories — and even they have had to softened their thoughts — and elements of the DUP, that an all island approach, whatever the constitutional position, is the best approach… Everything is impossible until its done. We are up for that and we want to see that happening.”

Northern Ireland’s deputy police chief, Drew Harris, warned members of Westminster’s Brexit select committee that checkpoints and cameras on a future hard Irish border would be a potential target and recruitment tool for dissident terrorist groups. He confirmed that 58 shootings and 32 bombing incidents had been recorded already this year, which had gone largely unreported by the media. He told committee members visiting Northern Ireland that a new extradition treaty between the UK and Ireland may need to be drawn up to replace the European arrest warrant after Brexit.

The Labour Party’s Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer said his party is prepared to accept the “easy movement” of workers between the EU and Britain after Brexit, in order to secure the benefits of both the single market and customs union after Brexit. Labour’s ambitions for a close economic relationship with the EU, he said, also meant alignment of regulations and standards, and continued payments. He claimed Prime Minister Theresa May was being unrealistic in her promises that secured an agreement on the divorce talks. He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, “You can’t sweep customs union and single market off the table on the one hand and also say you don’t want a hard border in Northern Ireland.”

US President Donald Trump broke international diplomatic consensus by formally recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, causing widespread Muslim and international anger. It is reported that Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, is to reject an invitation to meet Donald Trump in Washington. A rare meeting of the PLO central council has already concluded that Mr Abbas should not meet Vice President Mike Pence when he visits Israel and Palestine before Christmas.

Also published on Medium.