It’s been a busy stretch recently for politics and global events, with several major events and issues standing out in particular. Here’s what you might have missed in the last week:

Joe Biden Confirms No Presidential Run

Creative Commons photo source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/european_parliament/4584408698/

On October 21st, Vice President Joe Biden formally announced that he would not be running for President in 2016, officially saying that this was on account of it being too late in the race to enter. Biden had been thinking over the decision to run or not with his family for a long time in the wake of the death of his oldest son Beau, but did not come to a decision on whether he was emotionally ready for the grueling election campaign until it was too late to build the necessary infrastructure for a successful campaign.

This announcement appears to mark the end of Biden’s political career after his term is up in January 2017. He said that he will spend the rest of his public life on a personal mission to bring about a national movement to cure cancer, an issue close to his heart due to his son Beau’s terminal brain cancer.

Now, what does this mean for the state of the election? Well, to most political analysts, it is clear that this turn of events most benefits Hillary Clinton’s campaign chances, as now it is confirmed that her only real competition for the presidency is Vermont Senator and Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders. Without a third candidate with high name-recognition in the race, Clinton will be the main focus of the large moderate, establishment bloc of the Democratic electorate. Now, it all comes down to whether or not Sanders can still appeal to enough Democrats further to the moderate end of the political spectrum to bolster the ranks of the far-left demographic already firmly on his side. The jury is still out on whether or not this is an attainable goal.

Canada Elects the Liberal Party and Justin Trudeau

Creative Commons photo source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexguibord/14578663236/

On October 19th, the Canadian Prime Minister was taken out of office on account of a new party taking majority power in their Parliament. The former PM representing the Conservative Party, Steven Harper, was beaten by a 25% margin by Justin Trudeau, representative of the Liberal Party and son of former Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau.

Justin Trudeau is a younger, more energetic, more liberal, and comparatively more attractive leader compared to Harper, a PM often maligned in his own country because of perceived draconian conservative policies and corruption scandals. Harper reached an incredibly low 32% approval rating in the summer of this year, according to election research website EKOS Politics.

The landslide victory of the Liberal Party in Canada may or may not affect American politics in a significant way. The Liberal Party has, in the past few years, voiced concerns and reservations about several North American economic deals and plans, including the Keystone XL Pipeline and The Trans-Pacific Partnership, so the new leadership may make moving farther on these controversial issues more of a struggle. Only time will tell if this change in political slant among the government will have a lasting effect on US politics.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Flares Up Once Again

Creative Commons photo source:https://www.flickr.com/photos/un_photo/6925741624/

Throughout October, tensions in the powder keg of a country that is Israel have strained nearly to the breaking point, as several high-profile stabbings and hit-and-runs between Israelis and Palestinians continue to escalate hostilities between the two ethnic groups. Israelis have begun buying pepper spray, guns, and other self-defense weapon in greater numbers this month, and Palestinians have begun to exercise more vigilance and suspicion around previously everyday interactions, according to the BBC.

Several cases of mistaken identity have lead to paranoia-fueled accidental killings of Israeli citizens by other Israelis earlier this month. With an increase in Palestinian protests that started on the first of this month, security guards and ordinary Israelis alike have stabbed, shot, and otherwise killed at least 52 Palestinian protesters, civilians, and attackers this month. In a case of mistaken identity, two non-Palestinians were killed this week alone in Jerusalem by Jewish citizens attempting to defend themselves against threats that did not turn out to be legitimate. While it is early to declare this the lead-up to a third Intifada, hostilities have definitely escalated this month in particular.

Featured image Creative Commons photo source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/americanprogress/4079005844/