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BRUSSELS, Nov. 10-- With 504 days and less than 10 hours left before the March 29, 2019 deadline, Brexit passed its midway point on Friday. But negotiators from the two sides of the English Channel tried in vain to bring the long-anticipated progress in their sixth round talks, giving rise to increasing fear of a no-deal scenario through Europe. TIME IS DRAINING, SO IS BARNIER AND DAVIS' VOCABULARY "Do not wait for us today, as we are, announcements or major decisions. The discussions of these last days are, in the moment we are, between two European Councils, a moment of deepening, of clarification, of technical work," European Union's (EU) chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told reporters. "Only sufficient progress, that is, sincere and real progress on the three key topics of this negotiation, will enable the second phase of our negotiation to begin," he reaffirmed, only managed to add "sincere and real" to avoid duplication with his previous speeches. The three key issues are citizens' rights, a financial settlement and the Irish border, according to Barnier. Time is ticking, but the deadlock remains. "This is a serious business. If we are to find a way forward it will require flexibility and pragmatism from both sides as I think Michel also stressed," said Britain's Brexit Secretary David Davis during the joint press conference with Barnier at the EU headquarters. | 
