May heads to Brussels for Brexit crisis talks

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday prepared to head to Brussels for talks on the Brexit crisis, even though EU leaders have refused any renegotiation of the deal she agreed with them in December.

With just five weeks to go until Brexit on March 29, the deal has been blocked by the British parliament and the country appears headed for a chaotic exit that economists warn will wreak havoc in both Britain and the European Union.

May is due to meet European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker at 1730 GMT on Wednesday, two days after Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay and Attorney General Geoffrey Cox visited the EU headquarters.

The visit also comes a day before Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition Labour Party, is expected to meet the EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier as part of a diplomatic ballet aimed at heading off a no-deal Brexit.

May's spokesman said the prime minister was "working hard to secure legally binding changes" to the backstop -- a controversial part of the withdrawal agreement she signed with EU leaders at a summit in December.

The backstop would keep Britain in the EU customs union and give Northern Ireland a different economic status from...