More on that hearing by EU officials on the Alternative Arrangements Commission report. The European Commission said any alternative arrangements designed to replace the backstop would have to meet five tests.
Any alternative arrangements would have to
1: avoid a hard border
2: comply with the EU customs code
3: comply with EU principles (ie, Ireland has to be full member of SM)
4: comply with WTO rules
5: must protect the all-island economy
The Irish official briefing the working party said the AAC report risked a reductionist approach, ie only looking at avoiding border infrastructure, but not protecting the SM and all aspects of the GFA
However, there was a welcome that the UK was “finally engaging” on the issue
If a new PM proposes the AAC ideas they’ll be held against the five tests. Also the EU-UK strand will also have to comply with the five tests, acc to a source present
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NEW: The European Court of Justice has ruled that refugee status may be granted to female asylum seekers who have, over time, adopted the values of equality between men and women in their EU host countries.
2/ The ruling could have far-reaching implications for the granting of refugee status where female applicants in particular are at risk of persecution in their home countries.
3/ The case was prompted by two female Iraqi teenagers who had been living in the Netherlands since 2015 and who feared that if they were deported to Iraq they would face persecution because girls and women did not enjoy the same rights as men there.
NEW: Ireland's foreign minister @MichealMartinTD says EU foreign ministers have for the first time discussed the prospect of sanctions against Israel if it does not comply with an order from the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
2/ He suggested Ireland would support such an approach.
“Certainly, if compliance [with Friday’s ICJ ruling] isn't forthcoming, then we have to consider all options,” he said.
3/ He also said a number of foreign ministers had raised the prospect of sanctions against Israeli officials who were aiding and abetting violent West Bank Settlers.
Mr Martin was speaking in Brussels following a meeting of EU foreign ministers, who were joined by Arab ministers.
NEW: The Irish foreign minister Micheal Martin has described as "barbaric" the attack on a Palestinian refugee camp in Rafah last night, saying that UN agencies had predicted that Israel's assault on Rafah would have dire consequences.
2. He was speaking during a joint news conference in Brussels with his Spanish and Norwegian counterparts ahead of the three countries' recognition of the state of Palestine tomorrow.
3. He said: “All of this was predicted by all the UN agencies and humanitarian groups that I met. They predicted that any military operation in Rafah would have dire consequences for the population in Gaza and that is exactly what is happening right now.
Doctors Without Borders @MSF has described a catastrophic situation at the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, with Israeli defence forces now less than one kilometre away, according to the latest reports.
2/ MSF says between 40,000 to 60,000 civilians are sheltering at the hospital, while doctors treating hundreds of injured patients - mostly children - are facing a horrific shortage of basic medical needs, with fuel running out.
3/ “It's difficult to put into words,” Faris Al-Jawad, Communications Manager for Palestine MSF told @rtenews. “Saying it's deteriorated or has become catastrophic is an understatement. It's been catastrophic [for some time]. The healthcare system has collapsed.”
Taoiseach @LeoVaradkar has said he understood the arguments about a super majority being needed in the event of a referenum on a united Ireland, and said “50pc plus 1” would not be a desirable outcome.
2/ He said: “We would much rather see a convincing majority for unification, if and when a border poll comes.”
However, he said it would be difficult to sustain that situation if a persistent numerical majority rejected the current status quo.
3/ He was speaking in response to Northern Ireland Office minister @SteveBakerHW's remarks earlier this week that a border poll should require a super majority on both sides of the border.
NEW: EU Commission president @vonderleyen has written to staff saying she was “ready to engage, and to listen to your concerns” on the Middle East following a letter signed by over 800 Commission officials last week protesting against her allegedly unequivocal support for Israel.
2/ In a letter circulated internally, seen by @rtenews, Ms von der Leyen said the events unfolding in the Middle East were “a deep source of sorrow and concern for all of us.”
3/ Without referring to last week’s letter, the Commission president said she recognised that many staff members were affected by the crisis “on a personal level.”