NEWS OF THE DAY
1 Brexit talks: A Brexit divorce deal is still possible ahead of this week’s European Union summit, the bloc said Tuesday — but only if the British government makes more compromises to seal an agreement in the coming hours. Even though many questions remain, diplomats made it clear that both sides were for the first time within touching distance since an earlier United Kingdom withdrawal plan fell apart in the British House of Commons in March. Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on Oct. 31, and this week’s EU leaders’ meeting — the last scheduled summit before the Brexit deadline — was long considered the last opportunity to approve a divorce agreement.
2 Putin Mideast tour: Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, as part of a Mideast tour aimed at strengthening ties between Moscow and this longtime U.S. ally amid tensions in the wider Persian Gulf. Abu Dhabi’s powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met Putin at the airport and traveled with him to the Qasr Al Watan palace. As they arrived, troops on horseback flanked their limousine and military jets flew overhead, leaving a trail of smoke in the color of the Russian flag. Russians increasingly have turned to the UAE’s skyscraperstudded city of Dubai to both do business and vacation along its beaches. Other emirates as well see Russian travelers, with some hotels having their signs in Cyrillic.
3 Egypt discovery: Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry says archaeologists have uncovered at least 20 ancient wooden coffins in the southern city of Luxor. The ministry says Tuesday that the coffins were found in the Asasif Necropolis. The necropolis, located in the ancient town of West Thebes, includes tombs dating to the Middle, New Kingdom and the Late Periods (1994 B.C. to 332 B.C.). The ministry described it as one of the “biggest and most important” discoveries in recent years. Egypt has sought publicity for its archaeological discoveries in the hopes of reviving its tourism sector, which has been badly hit by turmoil following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising.
4 Election violence: The United Nations released on Tuesday a special report that describes the severe toll of electionrelated violence on Afghanistan’s civilians, mainly from the Taliban’s campaign targeting its presidential election last month. Afghans voted on Sept. 28 despite the militants’ threats and violence. However, the polling was marred by widespread misconduct and accusations of fraud — as well as controversy over what appeared to be low turnout and claims from a lead contender, Abdullah Abdullah, that he had won the vote. The report said that attacks aiming to disrupt the electoral process killed 85 people and wounded 373 others across the country. The number includes 277 civilian casualties.
5 Royal visit: Britain’s Prince William and his wife, Kate, kicked off a fiveday tour of Pakistan on Tuesday amid much fanfare and tight security. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met with President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad. Authorities deployed more than 1,000 police and paramilitary forces to ensure the royal entourage’s protection, setting up checkpoints and roadblocks in parts of the capital, Islamabad. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who are strong advocates of girls’ education, were greeted by teachers and children on their arrival at the Model College for Girls. Barely 27% of girls in Pakistan attend secondary school.