British Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent Saturday evening an unsigned photocopy of a letter requesting the European Union delay Brexit, ITV News reports. He also sent the EU an "explanatory letter" from the United Kingdom's ambassador to the EU and a letter signed by Johnson making it clear he doesn't want a delay to Brexit, per the Guardian.
Why it matters: Johnson had said he would rather be "dead in a ditch" than seek an extension. But he was legally required to send the Brexit delay request after the U.K. Parliament passed a law in September requiring him to seek a Brexit extension rather than crash out of the EU without a deal on Oct. 31.
A federal investigation closely supervised by Attorney General William Barr — which aims to inspect origins of the Trump-Russia probe — has interviewed "about two dozen and current F.B.I. officials," the New York Times reports.
Why it matters: The investigation, which is essentially looking into claims that the FBI's probe into President Trump's 2016 campaign was influenced by anti-Trump sentiments, is further along than previously reported.
U.S. officials developed and presented a long-term plan to help North Korea establish a sought-after tourism hub in exchange for denuclearization during recent talks in Stolkholm, Bloomberg reports, citing Hankook Ilbo newspaper.
Why it matters: North Korea has tested weapons repeatedly in recent months, after talks with the U.S. came to a standstill in February. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has tried to build a resort in the Wonsan-Kalma coastal area, per Bloomberg.
An official Israeli delegation will attend a U.S.-led maritime security meeting to be held Sunday in Bahrain, intended to focus on countering Iranian threats against shipping routes in the Gulf, Western diplomats tell me.
Why it matters: Israel and Bahrain do not have full and official diplomatic relations. The Israeli participation in the conference, which will be attended by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Oman, is another example of the Iranian threat that is bringing Israel and the Gulf states closer together and allowing their government officials to be seen publicly around the same table.
The U.K. Parliament on Saturday approved an amendment intended as a safety valve against a damaging "no deal" Brexit, taking the wind out of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's sails and making yet another Brexit delay likely.
Why it matters: Johnson reached a deal with the European Union last week and brought it up for a vote on a highly unusual Saturday session. The whip count looked close, but after the so-called Letwin Amendment passed, Johnson said there was little point in proceeding with the vote on his deal. He also vowed not to negotiate an extension beyond the Oct. 31 deadline with the EU — though he is bound by law to seek one.
The British pound jumped to a fresh 5-month high on news that a Brexit deal had been reached between U.K. and European Commission negotiators, but petered out nearly as quickly after the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party said it would not vote for the deal.
The big picture: Sterling fell below $1.28 before steadying again, closing closer to its highs on the day than its lows as investors retained some optimism.
More than 6-in-10 Russians consider it a "great misfortune that the Soviet Union no longer exists," according to a new Pew survey. That's 13 points higher than in 2011.
The big picture: The survey reveals far more nostalgia for the Soviet Union in Russia than elsewhere in Eastern Europe. And while that sentiment is highest (71%) among those who spent most of their lives in the USSR, half of Russian 18- to 34-year-olds agree.
