Brexit talks enter key week

Hoping for a deal: A double decker bus passes in Trafalgar Square, against the backdrop of the Victoria Tower, in London. More than three out of four businesses surveyed by the Confederation of British Industry, the UK’s biggest business lobby group, want a deal to be with the EU to be signed, with almost half saying the coronavirus pandemic has hindered their preparations for Brexit. — AP

LONDON: The UK and European Union are starting a key week of Brexit talks, with the bloc stiffening its demands over how any trade deal will be enforced after losing trust in Boris Johnson because of his attempt to rewrite last year’s divorce agreement.

The final round of scheduled discussions between the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, and his British counterpart, David Frost, begins in Brussels on today with officials on both sides expressing cautious optimism a deal can be reached.