Author: News Desk

China: Australian Prime Minister Mr. Anthony Albanese has met Chinese President Mr. Xi Jinping during a visit to Beijing. Mr. Albanese arrived in China on November 4, 2023, becoming the first Australian PM to visit the country since 2016. “Today’s meeting with President Xi was an opportunity to discuss the Australia-China bilateral relationship and issues in our region. Australia will continue to engage in our national interest. And where differences arise, dialogue is essential.” Mr. Albanese shared on X after meeting Mr. Xi. Trade and Chinese tariffs on Australian goods will be the main priorities in talks, as per the…

Palestine: Jordan has airdropped urgent medical supplies to a field hospital in the Gaza Strip. Jordan’s King Abdullah II announced that the country’s air force had dropped “urgent medical aid” to the field hospital operated by the kingdom in Gaza since 2009. “Our fearless air force personnel air-dropped at midnight urgent medical aid to the Jordanian field hospital in Gaza,” the King posted on X. “This is our duty to aid our brothers and sisters injured in the war on Gaza. “We will always be there for our Palestinian brethren,” the Jordanian leader added. Israel’s military confirmed in a statement…

United States: NASA’s Lucy spacecraft has discovered that the asteroid Dinkinesh has a mini-moon. The discovery was made during a flyby of Dinkinesh, 300 million miles (480 million kilometers) away in the main asteroid belt beyond Mars. The spacecraft took a picture of the pair when it was about 270 miles out (435 kilometers). NASA sent the Lucy spacecraft past Dinkinesh as a practice run for studying larger and more enigmatic asteroids located around Jupiter. The spacecraft aims to investigate these asteroids to gain insights into the formation of the solar system and the origins of the planets. According to…

Russia: Russia has successfully test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile that is capable of carrying nuclear warheads from one of its submarines. The new launch comes just days after Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin signed the withdrawal of his ratification of the global nuclear test ban treaty. According to Moscow, this move was necessary to bring its actions in line with those of the United States. “The new nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine cruiser Emperor Alexander the Third has successfully launched the Bulava sea-based intercontinental ballistic missile,” Russia’s Defence Ministry said in a statement. The missile was launched from an underwater position…

Iraq: The United States Secretary of State Mr. Antony Blinken has made an unannounced visit to Iraq amid growing fears that the Israel-Gaza war could lead to a regional conflict. Mr. Blinken held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mr. Mohammed Shia al-Sudani as Washington sought Baghdad’s help in dealing with “attacks on US forces from Iran-backed groups.” Mr. Blinken told reporters that the talks with Mr. al-Sudani were “productive” and his Iraqi counterpart was working with his security forces to “take necessary action” to deal with the attacks. “This is a matter of Iraqi sovereignty. No country wants to have…

Singapore: Singapore Prime Minister Mr. Lee Hsien Loong has announced that he will step down from the leadership of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) before the 2025 general elections. The 71-year-old Mr. Lee said that he would hand the reins to Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Lawrence Wong. This may occur as soon as the PAP’s 70th anniversary, which will be in November 2024. Addressing PAP members, Mr. Lee remarked that Mr. Wong had proved himself as head of the government’s COVID-19 task force during the pandemic and “there is no reason to delay the political transition.” “Therefore, I intend…

Ukraine: The Ukrainian President Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that the Israel-Gaza war is “taking away the focus” from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Mr. Zelenskyy noted that this was “one of the goals” of Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Additionally, the Ukrainian President denied that fighting in Ukraine had reached a stalemate, despite a recent statement of this effect by the country’s top military general. “It’s clear that the war in the Middle East is taking away the focus from Ukraine,” Mr. Zelensky said while speaking at a briefing in Kyiv. The…

United States: US Secretary of State Mr. Antony Blinken has reaffirmed the White House’s position on “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza to protect civilians and allow foreign nationals to leave amid continuing Israeli military bombardment. The US Secretary of State attended a news conference in Jordan’s capital, Amman, along with Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Ayman Safadi and Egypt’s Foreign Minister Mr. Sameh Shoukry. Mr. Blinken noted that humanitarian pauses “can be a critical mechanism for protecting civilians, getting aid in, and getting foreign nationals out of Gaza” while “still enabling Israel to achieve its objective” to defeat Hamas. Jordan and…

Indonesia: Archaeologists have said that a giant pyramid buried under a hillside in Indonesia could be the oldest megalithic structure ever built. Gunung Padang may be the world’s oldest pyramidal structure, constructed on an extinct volcano long before the advent of agriculture or modern civilization. The archaeologists say that it could be older than Stonehenge in England or the great pyramids of Giza in Egypt, which are both about 5000 years old. Gunung Padang, which is situated on the island of West Java, means ‘mountain of enlightenment’ in the local language. Scientists in Indonesia suggest that its interior hides large…

Australia: The Australian Prime Minister, Mr. Anthony Albanese, will meet the Chinese President, Mr. Xi Jinping, and Premier, Mr. Li Qiang, during a visit to the country. After his arrival on November 4, 2023, Mr. Albanese will become the first Australian leader to visit the country since 2016. The visit comes as Mr. Xi officially invited Mr. Albanese to China. Analysis says this is evidence that the relationship between the two nations is steadily improving. Mr. Malcolm Turnbull was the last Australian prime minister to visit China in 2016. The relationship between the two countries didn’t go well in the…