Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in his address to the UN General Assembly called for an international peace conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to be held immediately after the U.S. presidential election.
Why it matters: Abbas has cut off all contacts with President Trump's White House, but hopes Joe Biden will win the election and shift U.S. policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict back to where it was during the Obama administration.
French authorities opened a terrorism investigation on Friday after a knife attack seriously wounded two people near the former offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, AP reports.
Why it matters: While the attacks motivation remains unclear, it happened at the same time as the trial of 14 accused accomplices in the 2015 killings of 12 of Charlie Hebdo's staff. The newspaper became a target of Islamic extremism after it angered many Muslims around the world by publishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un apologized Friday for the death of a South Korean official who was killed while seemingly attempting to defect to the North by sea, AP reports.
Why it matters: It's a rare bout of humility from Kim toward his neighbor to the south, and could de-escalate rising tensions between the two nations — at least for the time being.
A global initiative to ensure equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines now includes most of the world — but not the U.S., China or Russia.
Why it matters: Assuming one or more vaccines ultimately gain approval, there will be a period of months or even years in which supply lags far behind global demand. The COVAX initiative is an attempt to ensure doses go where they're most needed, rather than simply to countries that can produce or buy them at scale.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans for a "full lockdown" after Israel reported a new daily coronavirus cases record of 6,923 infections Wednesday.
Why it matters: Israel last Friday became the first developed country to re-enter lockdown. While schools, retailers and other businesses closed for the three-week measure, there are exemptions including for people to pray, go to work, exercise and protest. The new two-week restrictions that still needs Cabinet's full approval aims to address this, AP notes. "The goal is to reduce the rate of infection, and the goal is literally to save many lives in Israel," Netanyahu said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a televised address on the coronavirus pandemic Wednesday that for Canada's four biggest provinces, "the second wave isn’t just starting, it's already under way."
Driving the news: Daily case numbers have gone from roughly 300 cases a day in mid-August to 1,248 by Tuesday, with most outbreaks in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, CBC notes. "We're on the brink of a fall that could be much worse than the spring," Trudeau said. "It's all too likely we won't be gathering for Thanksgiving, but we still have a shot at Christmas." Over 147,700 Canadians have tested positive for COVID-19.
