The army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo says it killed 33 militiamen and reported the death of two soldiers in days of intense fighting in Ituri province. The army says it seized control of two rebel strongholds held by the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) group, which is accused by the United Nations of committing war crimes. (Reuters)
Hurricane Zeta makes landfall near Cocodrie, Louisiana, as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 110 mph. In the process, it sets a new record for being the fifth named storm to make landfall in Louisiana in a single season, the previous record being four. (The New York Times)
The Robert Koch Institute reports a record 14,964 new infections in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of cases at 464,239. (Welt)
ChancellorAngela Merkel and leaders of 16 states agree to impose a nationwide partial lockdown from November 2, which means that restaurants, bars, and all leisure facilities are ordered to be closed until November 30, private gatherings will be limited to ten people and social contacts will be limited to two households. However, schools, churches and kindergartens will remain open with strict hygiene measures. The new restrictions will last for at least four weeks. (France 24)(CNN)
Switzerland's Federal Office of Public Health reports a record of 8,616 new infections in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 135,658. In addition, in the last two weeks, the positivity rate has risen from 14% to 32%, higher than the peak of 26% during the first wave. (Le News)
Switzerland imposes new restrictions, ordering dance clubs to be closed beginning tomorrow, halting in-person university classes beginning in early November, and placing new limits on sporting and leisure activities. In addition, a requirement to wear masks in all offices and secondary schools as well as outdoors where social distancing is difficult has been indefinitely extended. (Yahoo! Finance)
The Czech Republic reports 15,663 new cases, a record number since the pandemic began, as the country struggles with one of Europe's fastest growing infection rates. (Arab News)
French PresidentEmmanuel Macron announces a second nationwide lockdown from October 30, with all non-essential businesses ordered to close. Unlike the first lockdown in March, most schools and factories will remain open and care home visits will still be allowed. (BBC News)
Italy registers a record 24,991 new infections over the past 24 hours, according to health ministry data, bringing the nationwide total of cases to 589,766. (RTÉ)
Poland reports 18,820 new cases and 236 new deaths in the last 24 hours. It is the largest jump in the number of cases and the deadliest day since the start of the pandemic, bringing the total number of cases to 299,049. (Reuters)(Poland In)
Tonga extends the state of emergency, which includes curfews and restrictions on gatherings, until November 23. The country, which is COVID-19-free, imposed strict measures on March 12. (RNZ)
PresidentCyril Ramaphosa goes into self-quarantine after one of 35 guests at a charity event that he attended tested positive for COVID-19. (Sowetanlive)
Protesters march through Philadelphia for a second night, demanding racial justice after the killing of Walter Wallace. The marches began peacefully but became more confrontational into the evening and Wednesday morning. Police and the city's office of emergency management said looting was reported in several areas. Protesters try to erect makeshift barricades using bins while police use pepper spray and batons after saying they were attacked by demonstrators. (BBC News)
The FBI arrests five people in the United States, and charges three more, for spying on opponents of the Chinese Communist Party and trying, among other things, to coerce them to return home to face trial. (BBC News)
Approximately 430,000 people participated in 410 protests across the country, according to the police spokesperson Jarosław Szymczyk. (Gazeta Prawna)
Science and technology
Scientists announce that last week they discovered a reef structure in the Great Barrier Reef that is 500 m (1,600 ft)-tall, surpassing the height of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. The discovery is the first of its type in the region since the 1800s. (BBC News)