IN BRIEF (Page 16)

United Kingdom

Johnson warns of Brexit 'meltdown'

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has been caught on tape predicting a "meltdown" in Brexit talks and musing admiringly how US President Donald Trump might handle them. In his latest indiscreet remarks likely to embarrass Prime Minister Theresa May, Johnson said the government was reaching a phase in negotiations "where we are much more combative with Brussels". Johnson, Britain's chief diplomat, also said he was "increasingly admiring" of Trump. "Imagine Trump doing Brexit," he said. "He'd go in bloody hard ... There'd be all sorts of breakdowns, all sorts of chaos. Everyone would think he'd gone mad. But actually you might get somewhere. It's a very, very good thought."