Need discussion on reopening Brexit accord, says German FM Heiko Maas

Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said there needed to be a discussion about reopening the draft deal for Britain's planned exit from the European Union, but only if all EU countries supported the move. "In the end, it will be about the question whether to reopen the deal which needs the approval of all 27 member states, which means that everyone has to join in. This is what needs to be discussed now," he told public broadcaster ZDF late on Thursday. Maas earlier on Thursday had said it was "hardly imaginable" that the Brexit withdrawal agreement would be reconsidered. On Wednesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel told lawmakers that for her, "it is clear that there cannot be any renegotiations", according to two participants.