Merkel throws May a lifeline over UK’s Brexit departure date

German chancellor Angela Merkel on a school visit to mark Europe-Project Day in Berlin. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/ReutersAngela Merkel is open to backing Theresa May’s request for a short Brexit extension as the German chancellor seeks to maintain the pressure on British MPs to support the withdrawal agreement, according to senior EU sources.In the face of moves from elsewhere in the EU to insist on a longer delay to Britain’s departure, Merkel is keeping all options on the table a