Author: KAVIA M R

China: China has officially removed Defense Minister Mr. Li Shangfu from his position after he disappeared from public view in late August. According to state media, President Mr. Xi Jinping signed a presidential decree to remove Mr. Li Shangfu from his role as defense minister. The 65-year-old diplomat also relinquished his other political positions, such as state councilor and member of the Central Military Commission. Mr. Qin Gang, aged 57, lost his role as foreign minister in July 2023, and he has now been removed from his position as a state councilor. In the Chinese cabinet, there are five state…

China: Mr. Wang Yi, the Chinese Foreign Minister, will visit the US later this week to attempt to repair the strained relationship between the two countries. The Minister is scheduled to be in Washington from October 26–28, 2023, where he will hold meetings with US Secretary of State Mr. Antony Blinken and President Mr. Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Mr. Jake Sullivan. This visit follows Mr. Blinken and other senior officials’ trip to Beijing in June 2023. The US is keen to prevent disagreements between Washington and Beijing from escalating into conflict and aims to collaborate on mutual concerns. Additionally,…

London, UK: A new study found that warmer ocean temperatures could be the reason for the sudden disappearance of billions of snow crabs in Alaska. Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) noted that the eastern Bering Sea snow crabs, once thought to be overfished, actually starved to death en masse because the change in water temperature “increased their caloric needs considerably.” In 2018 and 2019, ocean temperatures reached record highs, initially causing a surge in the snow crab population, followed by a rapid decline. Then, in 2022, there was a significant drop of 10 million crabs. Scientists…

United States: E-commerce giant Amazon has revealed its new bipedal robot, Digit, which is capable of replacing humans in warehouses. Digit can move, grasp, and handle items in spaces and corners of warehouses in new ways. Amazon has started testing Digit at its facility this week. Amazon said this humanoid robot “can work collaboratively with employees.” The initial use for Digit will be to help employees with tote recycling. According to the firm, “over the last 10 years, we’ve rolled out hundreds of thousands of robotics systems while also creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs within our operations.” Earlier…

United States: Netflix has increased prices for some subscription plans as it said the firm has succeeded in its recent crackdown on password sharing. The popular streaming service announced it would raise monthly fees for its ad-free plans in the US, UK, and France, with some increases of up to $3. This decision shows the company’s increased confidence following its acquisition of 8.8 million subscribers between July and September 2023. Netflix has raised the monthly price of its premium ad-free plan by $3 to $22.99 in the US, by $2.4 to $21.84 in the UK, and by $2.11 to $21.06…

United States: Jordan has canceled a summit scheduled to be held in Amman with US President Mr. Joe Biden and the Egyptian and Palestinian leaders to discuss Gaza. It comes after hundreds were killed by a massive blast at Gaza hospital, as per the report. According to Jordanian Foreign Minister Mr. Ayman Safadi, the meeting would be held at a time when the parties could agree to end the “war and the massacres against Palestinians.” The US president will now visit only Israel and postpone his travel to Jordan, a White House official stated. Jordan’s King Abdullah was poised to…

United States: The US Secretary of State, Mr. Antony Blinken, reportedly has announced that President Mr. Joe Biden will visit Israel on October 18, 2023. The top US diplomat engaged in extensive discussions at Israel’s defense ministry, holding talks with Israel’s Prime Minister Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr. John Kirby, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council, stated in Washington that Mr. Biden plans to visit Tel Aviv. Additionally, he mentioned that Mr. Biden would then go on to visit Jordan to meet with King Abdullah II, an important ally of the US. Moreover, Mr. Biden is set to meet…

Afghanistan: Afghanistan has been struck by a third 6.4-magnitude earthquake in a week. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported a 10-kilometer-deep, 6.4-magnitude earthquake hitting the same region as last week’s quakes, causing nearly 2,500 casualties. On October 15, 2023, the US Geological Survey reported a quake at approximately 8:00 am (local time) with its epicenter located 33 kilometers northwest of Herat city, the capital of the western province with the same name. Following the main quake, aftershocks of magnitudes 5.4 and 4.2 were recorded. The quakes on October 7, 2023, caused extensive damage, leveling entire villages in Herat and marking…

London, UK: The Royal Mint has unveiled a collection of coins featuring the king’s image. Apart from the tradition, the coins bear plant- and animal-inspired designs that represent the four nations. Under King Charles’s supervision, eight designs have been created showcasing the UK’s diverse flora and fauna. These designs align with his passion for conservation and appreciation of nature. These are the first definitive coins of King Charles III’s reign. The 1p coin shows a hazel dormouse, the 2p coin displays a red squirrel, the 5p has an oak tree leaf, the 10p showcases the endangered capercaillie, the 20p features…

United States: NASA has revealed a sample of material collected from the newly returned asteroid Bennu. Scientists have found evidence of carbon and water in the sample of the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. As per NASA, it “may indicate that the building blocks of life are locked within the space rock.” NASA gave the public a first glimpse of what scientists found inside a sealed capsule. The sample was revealed at a press event at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The capsule was returned to Earth last month after carrying material scooped from the 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid’s surface by the OSIRIS-REx…