Brahim Ghali, the leader of a pro-independence group in Western Sahara, declared war on Morocco Saturday, breaking a decades-long ceasefire, the New York Times reports.
Why it matters: The declaration could reignite an armed struggle and exacerbate years of animosity between Morocco and its neighbor Algeria, which hosts the independence group, the Polisario Front.
Many are celebrating a relatively low-key Diwali, the festival of lights, this year as coronavirus cases surge in many parts of the world.
Driving the news: Coronavirus restrictions and social distancing efforts have derailed the plans of many Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists who usually celebrate the festival by attending large gatherings.
Austria will impose a nationwide lockdown on Tuesday, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Saturday, after a nighttime curfew and partial shutdown failed to control the country's surge in coronavirus cases.
Why it matters: Austria is experiencing an average of 7,000 new COVID-19 cases a day, Kurz tweeted on Saturday. The nation confirmed a record 9,586 new virus cases on Friday, per Reuters.
President Trump on Saturday missed a summit with Southeast Asian leaders for the third consecutive year, having last attended the event in 2017, AP reports.
Why it matters: China is poised to expand its influence in the Southeast Asian region through a significant trade deal, including nations such as China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The U.S. will not be included and India pulled out of the deal.
With China belatedly congratulating Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their election victory on Friday, the list of countries still declining to acknowledge Biden's victory is getting very short.
State of play: Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro, Mexico's Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Russia's Vladimir Putin are among the very few world leaders who say they're waiting for President Trump's legal challenges to play out. North Korea's Kim Jong-un is in a slightly larger group — those who've declined to comment on the results either way.
Dominic Cummings left Downing Street on Friday with a box of possessions, bringing his tumultuous tenure as U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's top adviser to a sudden end amid a bitter power struggle among Johnson's aides.
Why it matters: Cummings came to national attention as the director of the successful "Vote Leave" Brexit campaign. Since entering Downing Street he's been depicted in somewhat Machiavellian terms — as the power behind Johnson's throne. He also caused a national uproar in May by declining to resign after breaking lockdown rules.
Update: While the BBC reports that Cummings was told to leave Downing Street "with immediate effect," multiple outlets have reported that he'll officially remain in his post until mid-December.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Friday congratulated President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris on their election victory, saying that China "respected the choice of the American people" but noting that the results were still to be finalized "in accordance with U.S. laws and procedures."
Why it matters: China had been one of the few global holdouts, leading to speculation that Beijing was wary of provoking President Trump. China's move comes a day after Biden held calls with U.S. allies in the Asia-Pacific. It leaves Brazil, Mexico, North Korea and Russia as three of the only major geopolitical players still waiting to acknowledge Biden's win.
