An Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said the UK and European Union need to “knuckle down” and resolve the dispute over Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit arrangements, as a meeting of the British-Irish Council is set to take place in Wales today.

As The Irish Times writes, the meeting of politicians from across Ireland and the UK comes amid ongoing negotiations between London and Brussels about post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland, and is expected to include discussions on the Northern Ireland protocol.

UK Brexit minister David Frost will hold further talks with European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic on Friday, with the UK still warning that it could unilaterally suspend parts of the Northern Ireland deal unless major changes are made.

But Mr Martin said he was encouraged that progress is being made and the “mood music” has changed. In a BBC interview, Mr Martin cautioned the UK against taking the step of triggering article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol, which would suspend parts of the arrangements.

The protocol was put in place to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland by effectively keeping Northern Ireland in the EU’s single market for goods, but that meant checks on products crossing the Irish Sea from Britain.

More here on the politcal developments.