#Brexit: we have now made the breakthrough we needed. President @JunckerEU and British Prime Minister @theresa_may talk to the media from our headquarters in Brussels. WATCH: https://t.co/Um0AJ1Vat1

— European Commission (@EU_Commission) December 8, 2017

and here’s the presser – UK has made ‘significant commitments to avoid a hard border’, rights of UK citz in EU and EU citz in UK ‘will remain the same’ after UK leaves. DUP clearly loving all the Vatican white smoke refs. pic.twitter.com/4vdgmLdwoy

— Pádraig Belton (@PadraigBelton) December 8, 2017

Northern Ireland border issues kicked into long grass with finest Sir Humphrey-esque joint text. Agreeing ‘intention’ to ‘maintain full alignment’ but ‘should this not be possible the UK will propose specific solutions’. In other words, they’ll think about it all another day. pic.twitter.com/eCZ8rUoQMB

— Chris Leslie (@ChrisLeslieUK) December 8, 2017

Foster says “there’s no red line down the Irish Sea”. May says “no hard border” on the island. Northern Ireland will be like a magical portal between the two worlds https://t.co/DnLCr3W3la

— Jennifer O'Connell (@jenoconnell) December 8, 2017

Striking distinction between what
Irish Government & DUP are saying in response to the #Brexit deal. Dublin, categorically: "We have achieved all of our goals".
Arlene Foster: "There are still matters we would have liked to see clarified; we ran out of time essentially".

— Sam McBride (@SJAMcBride) December 8, 2017

Key lines in letter to NI; leave customs union, unfettered access to GB, no border,no ECJ jurisdiction. pic.twitter.com/dJnf9HcV7n

— Michael Cairns (@Cairnspolitics) December 8, 2017

So, a UK wide-Ireland (EU) Customs Union (without formal UK membership of CU) arrangement plus regulatory alignment – as recommended by most sensible people for the last year. Absurd delay to reach the obvious.

— Jon Tonge (@JonTonge) December 8, 2017

M.C. Escher's agreement on Northern Ireland. People will still be arguing about what this means in 2027. pic.twitter.com/XwfWz8WxdQ

— Paul Davies (@PaulJDavies) December 8, 2017

Attention Mark Carney: Time to start hiking interest rates…very quickly. #Brexit pic.twitter.com/ceh4iaJe6Y

— Peter Spiegel (@SpiegelPeter) December 8, 2017

An aside – a UK government that is able to say that come what may, it will avoid hard borders with Ireland/NI after Brexit can never again tell Scotland that independence would mean a hard border between Scotland and rUK

— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) December 8, 2017

Deal Confirmed! Ireland supports Brexit negotiations moving to Phase 2 now that we have secured assurances for all on the island of Ireland – fully protecting GFA, peace process, all-Island economy and ensuring that there can be NO HARD BORDER on the Island of Ireland post Brexit

— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) December 8, 2017

The EU/UK Govt declaration actually has in it "Under the caveat that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed,"

— David McCann (@dmcbfs) December 8, 2017

So, is Friday's agreement on the Irish border basically Monday's agreement for slow learners?

— Kevin Meagher (@KevinPMeagher) December 8, 2017

Pleased to see text that suggests UK will remain in SM/ CU (unless the Brextremist hardliners torpedo that and NI will need a special deal). But citizens – esp Brits in EU27 – need more. Phase 1 was supposed to be the easy bit.

— Seb Dance (@SebDance) December 8, 2017

For the next Brexit phase each side will now have a team of seasoned negotiators. That in itself is progress.

— Christopher Meyer (@SirSocks) December 8, 2017

Theresa May is on the brink of a new deal with the EU amid tense negotiations https://t.co/vUWcku64uj

— The Independent (@Independent) December 7, 2017

.@JunckerEU was on the phone with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and then with @theresa_may. We are making progress but not yet fully there. Talks are continuing throughout the night. Early morning meeting possible with press/point thereafter. Tonight more than ever, stay tuned, gsms on.

— Margaritis Schinas (@MargSchinas) December 7, 2017

Brexit deal done? EU’s Donald Tusk to make surprise early morning announcement TOMORROW https://t.co/uRNgTpwNb8

— Voice of Europe 🌍 (@V_of_Europe) December 7, 2017

Latest on that developing Brexit 'deal' story from the BBC's @bbclaurak pic.twitter.com/2QGuCd7UeQ

— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) December 7, 2017

DUP spokesman says their team has more work to do tomorrow on the Brexit deal

— Mark Devenport (@markdevenport) December 7, 2017

The Brexit Select Committee has been in Armagh today. Here's my take on the Northern Ireland border with the Republic. pic.twitter.com/mIY4l7kuhJ

— Hilary Benn (@hilarybennmp) December 7, 2017

Use our Brexit negotiations tracker to monitor the progress of the EU-UK talks across 12 key areashttps://t.co/N2gt6Aon55 pic.twitter.com/4TszLXftve

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) December 8, 2017

Wolverhampton voted for Brexit 63%-37%. https://t.co/C9dwEMFX4t

— Pádraig Belton (@PadraigBelton) December 7, 2017

Minnesota Democrat Al Franken took to the Senate floor today and made the announcement that he was going to resign. @nancycordes has more. pic.twitter.com/NVYvXjnaTC

— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 7, 2017

Al Franken's resignation speech turned him into a political kamikaze https://t.co/ymPuHUCgbn

— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) December 8, 2017

Now That Al Franken Is Gone, Democrats Need to Hold Hearings on Trump via @thenation https://t.co/bddWwAElSD

— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) December 8, 2017

JUST IN: Ethics Committee launches investigation into GOP lawmaker accused of sexual harassment https://t.co/6DeuL2OrAp pic.twitter.com/m8LGlNt4C4

— The Hill (@thehill) December 8, 2017

Arizona Rep. Trent Franks expected to announce resignation https://t.co/QsM72GSVnG pic.twitter.com/LtC7cmf6yM

— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 7, 2017

Worried about missing a horseback ride with Mike Pence, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke spent $6,250 of taxpayer money on government helicopters to get there in time, @bjlefebvre scoops. https://t.co/ixEgMnt0mD

— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) December 7, 2017

Same-sex marriage officially signed into law in Australia https://t.co/flQMzM18WM

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) December 7, 2017

Bitcoin futures trading looks like it’s going to be choppy https://t.co/oRDRVLwN3D pic.twitter.com/m3M5Qg3jpY

— Bloomberg (@business) December 7, 2017

A few months from now, mining ether will be completely obsolete https://t.co/BhjgiEOTXR

— Motherboard (@motherboard) December 8, 2017

Everyone's sharing this video of a man saving a rabbit from the California wildfires https://t.co/T72vsTHjz3 pic.twitter.com/e6Jd5tf0iW

— Mashable (@mashable) December 8, 2017