The Protocol, which was incorporated into the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement to help avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, has left Northern Ireland tied to a range of EU customs and regulatory rules. It has caused significant anger among Unionist politicians across Northern Ireland over fears it creates a border down the Irish Sea due to standards checks which are made on certain products arriving from the rest of the UK.

       Because of these concerns, a joint legal challenge was launched by former Brexit Party MEP Ben along with Jim Allister, leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice party and Baroness Kate Hoey.

       In Belfast’s High Court, some of Northern Ireland’s most senior judges heard arguments from the politicians' lawyers that the Protocol was legally "rotten to the core" and incompatible with domestic and European law.

       Judges are due to deliver their verdict next Wednesday in the matter but Mr Habib claimed the battle was not over if the group of politicians lost.

       Ahead of the ruling, Mr Habib pledged to take the battle all the way to Britain’s highest court, adding: “I shall be travelling to Belfast to be there in person.

       “In all likelihood, this matter will not rest on the basis of the judgement we receive next week.

       “No matter the outcome, it is almost certainly going to end up in the Supreme Court.”

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       4.02pm update: It’s your responsibility! France left fuming after UK SNUBS Eurostar begging plea

       FRANCE politicians have expressed concerns after the UK appeared to snub a request by Eurostar for funding to help keep operations afloat.

       The UK Government was asked to play a greater role to guarantee Eurostar's long-term future following the increasing uncertainty for international travel. But ministers said Eurostar's shareholders must "fully exhaust all options" to protect its future.

       It comes after the cross-Channel rail operator announced it had secured a ￡250 million rescue package.

       The rescue package announced last month consisted of ￡150 million of loans guaranteed by shareholders, ￡50 million of additional equity from shareholders, and the restructuring of ￡50 million of existing loan facilities.

       But Paris is concerned about the UK’s position and has called on ministers to commit to a guarantee of funding, following a second indication of no help.

       French Government officials, which owns 55 percent of Eurostar through State-owned railway operator SNCF, said the UK “had a responsibility” to help Eurostar through the crisis.

       They added: “The UK has a responsibility to help, it can’t keep saying no.”

       Paul Withers taking over live reporting from Richard Percival.

       3pm update: Irish Government warned by incoming DUP leader to stop 'cheerleading' over Protocol

       Sir Jeffrey Donaldson warned the Irish Government to stop "cheerleading" for the Northern Ireland Protocol.

       He said north-south relationships would be impacted if ministers in Dublin did not change it's stance.

       Speaking this afternoon, he added: "I want to make clear to the Irish Government that their cheerleading for the Protocol is simply not acceptable, given the harm that it is doing to Northern Ireland, it is dragging our politics backwards."

       2pm update: Fears of loyalist paramilitary violence in Northern Ireland if no Protocol resolution reached

       Outgoing DUP leader Edwin Poots has expressed fears of serious loyalist paramilitary violence in Northern Ireland this summer if Irish Sea trade barriers are not removed.

       Mr Poots, who was ousted in an internal party revolt last week, also said he would have been prepared to collapse the powersharing institutions at Stormont next month if changes were not secured to the contentious Northern Ireland Protocol.

       However, the Lagan Valley MLA, who was forced to quit after just three weeks in the job, conceded that if there was a snap Assembly election - a consequence of collapsing Stormont - Sinn Fein would currently be likely to displace the DUP as the largest party.

       1pm update Boris to persuade Merkel to embrace 'Brexit Britain' success in crunch meeting

       Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host German Chancellor Angela Merkel as she visits Britain on July 2.

       Merkel's visit, likely her last before she steps down after 16 years in power, will follow discussions between the pair at this month's G7 summit in Cornwall in southwest England.

       12pm update: Michel Barnier admits more states could leave EU after Brexit Britain

       Fellow EU member states could leave the bloc at any time after the UK’s departure, Michel Barnier has admitted.

       The former EU chief negotiator said that from “day one after the EU membership referendum in 2016, Europeans alike know it could happen again in another country”.

       Speaking today, Mr Barnier also shed some light on his five years as the EU’s chief negotiator to the UK which led to the signing of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement on Christmas Eve in 2020.

       11am update: They wouldn't dare! Boris warned EU would risk OWN world standing to punish UK on Brexit

       Boris Johnson has been warned the European Union could be willing to discredit its own world standing - just to punish the UK over Brexit - as the row over the Northern Ireland Protocol edges closer to completely boiling over.

       Ben Harris-Quinney, chairman of the Bow Group think tank, told Express.co.uk: "Unfortunately from past experience the EU is likely to use every tool available to them to gain an advantage over Britain, even when it discredits them on the world stage, as we saw with the vaccine rollout."

       10am update: Please, Boris! Emmanuel Macron begs UK for resolution to Brexit fishing dispute

       France has pleaded with the UK to delay the introduction of new Brexit rules for French fishermen fishing in Jersey waters.

       France, the UK and Jersey have been at loggerheads since January over fishing rights in waters around the British Crown Dependency as well as the wider English Channel.

       French fishermen protested about St Helier introducing the new fishing licences after April 30 for their vessels which impose limits on the number of days at sea and create fishing zones.

       8:45am update: Ireland listening over Northern Ireland protocol, says Coveney

       Ireland is listening to those who have real concerns about the Northern Ireland Protocol, and "making the case strongly at an EU level for flexibility and pragmatism", the country's Foreign Affairs Minister has said.

       Simon Coveney said he hopes that progress will be made in the "sausage war" trade dispute between the UK and the European Union in the next week.

       But he added there would also have to be "an adherence to what was agreed".

       8am update: Shop local scheme extended due to Brexit challenges

       A scheme aimed at encouraging convenience stores to stock local produce has been given another ￡190,000 of funding to continue the initiative due to challenges presented by Brexit.

       The Scottish Government will award at least 21 grants to shop owners to help increase sales of fresh and locally-sourced food items.

       The Go Local programme, funded by the Government and administered by the Scottish Grocers Federation, will help develop retail space in shops as well as the appointment of a dedicated specialist to source produce.