BREAKING: Michel Barnier has told EU Commissioners he is optimistic of getting a deal done today, @rtenews understands

— Tony Connelly (@tconnellyRTE) October 16, 2019

The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Boris Johnson have spoken again by phone, as Brexit talks continue in Brussels. Varadkar said he's "hopeful" a deal could still be reached this week but that a number of issues still have to be overcome

— Jayne McCormack (@BBCJayneMcC) October 16, 2019

EU diplomat confident deal will be agreed by Oct 31 – less so by this weekend

Deal with extension is their best bet

Risk to Single Market posed by customs partnership solution is 'manageable'

Consent issue being thrashed out – NI veto before implementation 'total non-starter'

— Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford) October 16, 2019

Boris Johnson has tried, over the course of the last 24 hours, to persuade the 10 MPs of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist party that he is not about to betray them in his increasingly frenetic search for a Brexit deal https://t.co/iNGllJfEYv

— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) October 16, 2019

Boris Johnson is committed to keeping the DUP on board, so what they do next is going to be crucial. Not just for Northern Ireland, but for Britain and the whole of the EU. What are they thinking? What are their considerations? Here's an attempt to untangle the key bits👇 https://t.co/KW7HZhzqY6

— Tom McTague (@TomMcTague) October 16, 2019

Times headline: Downing Street turns on charm to win over hardline Brexiteers.

There you have it. Everything that is wrong with the whole Brexit shitshow: appealing to inadequate, ignorant nutters to get a deal for the very few at the great expense of the very many.

— sarah murphy (@13sarahmurphy) October 16, 2019

The @Conservatives are willing to visit misery and torment upon millions of people by way of a No Deal Brexit if it guarantees the existential survival of their party.

Population of U.K.: 67.5 million.

Conservative party members: 191,000.#votethemout #FBPE pic.twitter.com/Ur3dfSa6w9

— Andrew Quinn (@AndrewEQuinn) October 16, 2019

Leadsom compares planning for Brexit to preparing for ‘bad weather’ https://t.co/546AYOZiss

— The New European – Think Without Borders (@TheNewEuropean) October 16, 2019

Imagine if the government and civil service had spent this amount of time and money over the last three years on ANY other issue: NHS, social care, the future of work. Brexit is not just whatever shambling compromise now is reached, it is an unforgivably huge opportunity cost.

— Stig Abell (@StigAbell) October 16, 2019

This trend is quite something – you can see why the Labour party are terrified of an election… https://t.co/loyrQtsDHH

— Rupert Harrison (@rbrharrison) October 16, 2019

Trump is "killing us", says Republican leader in secretly recorded audio https://t.co/5mZGl6SP7D pic.twitter.com/mSqH64PTL4

— NDTV (@ndtv) October 16, 2019

Ari Melber relays news from the Washington Post that Rudy Giuliani repeatedly pressed Donald Trump to extradite exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen from the U.S., a top priority of Turkish President Erdogan. https://t.co/LuGBhCVLM4

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) October 16, 2019

The money question here is who was paying Giuliani directly or indirectly to lobby Trump with Erdogan’s agenda. And why, as a lawyer, he doesn’t understand FARA… you don’t need to have a contract to be bound by FARA’s strictures. https://t.co/qZ3Rwsijyq

— Danielle Pletka 🇮🇱 🇺🇦 (@dpletka) October 16, 2019

Trump State Dept official was told to "lay low" after voicing concerns about Giuliani: Dem lawmaker https://t.co/ea2457WvSy pic.twitter.com/zczmjDbLOV

— The Hill (@thehill) October 16, 2019

NEW: Tax documents obtained by ProPublica show stark differences in how Donald Trump’s businesses reported some figures for two Manhattan buildings, giving a lender different figures than they provided to New York City tax authorities. Take a look. https://t.co/3EvvOm6KOK pic.twitter.com/d85QnQCP9b

— ProPublica (@propublica) October 16, 2019

ALMOST DOUBLE: Trump promised to eliminate the deficit. A new report shows he's increased it 68% in under three years pic.twitter.com/AONoIUQ20w

— Tomthunkit™ (@TomthunkitsMind) October 16, 2019

The Pentagon https://t.co/U7qe4uQB9M

— ALBΞRT MacGloan (@AlbertMacGloan) October 16, 2019

This great thread shows our utter humiliation in Syria. They abandoned EVERYTHING in place to the Russians. Soda machines included. https://t.co/Vj9yOSppzK

— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) October 16, 2019

Has Trump played into Moscow's hands in Syria? Russian papers today: “Trump's mistake is an unexpected lottery win for Russia"
"Trump's reckless actions strengthened Moscow’s position in Middle East"
“The oversized giant, America, lost its way in broad daylight" #ReadingRussia pic.twitter.com/tDjJJSEwrL

— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) October 16, 2019

Left in a hurry: RT films inside abandoned US military base at Manbij, Syriahttps://t.co/iXcyOzv87Z pic.twitter.com/gHCN9ARXsT

— RT (@RT_com) October 16, 2019

Erdogan says Turkey will never declare ceasefire in northern Syria https://t.co/15JM3n28FI pic.twitter.com/UY4WFHByqi

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 16, 2019

This is a shocking dynamic that history will not forget. The Kurds say they are facing ethnic cleansing by a NATO country, Turkey, as US forces nearby have NO ORDERS TO HELP, only orders to defend themselves and leave Northern Syria.

— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) October 15, 2019