Consider this a gentle reminder to not trust everything you see online.  

Driving the news: Social media is now flooded with news about the Israel-Hamas war, as happens when any major world event unfurls these days. However, experts warn that the speed and scale at which disinformation is being spread is unprecedented, per WIRED. 

Soon, you’ll have to decide if seeing the Venice canals is worth the price of admission. 

Driving the news: Next year, Venice will become the first city to start charging an entrance fee for day-tripping tourists to ease overcrowding during the city’s busiest days, per The Globe and Mail. The fee aims to disincentivize tourists from visiting on 30-40 peak days.

Today in ‘news that our child-selves would have celebrated but makes our grown-up selves feel a little uneasy’: Four-day school weeks are on the rise.

Driving the news: Four-day school weeks have become increasingly popular in the US, with 850 school districts adopting a shortened week for this academic year, 200 more than in 2021. It started as a trend in small, rural districts but is now spreading to larger communities. 

If it seems like everyone you know (and know of) is becoming a venture capitalist these days… yes, yes they are.

What happened: Six-time Olympic medallist Andre de Grasse is joining a small group of elite athletes, including Serena Williams and Steph Curry, in the world of venture capital. Per The Globe and Mail, the sprinter has launched ADG Ignite Venture, a Canadian fund. 

While you were asleep, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Canada. 

What happened: After hitting up a UN Security Council meeting in New York City this week, Zelenskyy is set to deliver an address to Parliament today, aiming to bring attention back to the war in Ukraine. He’ll then head to Toronto, home to 11% of all Ukrainian-Canadians.

Remember the good ol’ days of Canadian and Indian leaders forging economic ties and posing for extremely cringey photos? We sure do — but that time is behind us now. 

What happened: India hit Canada with a travel advisory yesterday, making it awkward for the scores of Indian nationals who call Canada home and ~319,000 Indian international students, now advised to exercise extreme caution amidst “growing anti-India activities.” 

As the 2023 UN General Assembly enters its final day, member nations are trying to find a way to get a passing grade on the world’s hardest group project. 

Driving the news: This year’s assembly has been called a “halftime summit” as the UN checks in on the 17 sustainable development goals it aims to achieve by 2030. At the midway point, UN nations are currently on track to meet *check notes* zero of these goals.

Canada’s relationship with India just got a lot more complicated.

What happened: Canadian intelligence has credible evidence that India was behind the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh leader, earlier this year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the House of Commons yesterday.

London (England, not Ontario) is set to welcome at least 13 new high-end hotels, some of which claim to offer seven-star accommodation—a number of stars we didn’t even know was possible. 

Driving the news: The fun began earlier this week with the launch of the £1,300-a-night Peninsula London. Located near Hyde Park, the £1.1 billion resort offers a spa, 24-hour concierge service, and fleet of luxury cars available to guests, including a 1935 Rolls-Royce.

China and Russia’s leaders may have decided to skip this year’s G20 gathering in New Delhi, but everyone else managed to get along just fine without them.

Why it matters: India and the US emerged as the winners from this year’s summit, with both countries advancing some of their own priorities while holding the American-led bloc together on some contentious issues.