Jamaica is preparing for Hurricane Melissa, the world’s strongest storm this year, now a Category Five hurricane. The storm has already killed three people in Jamaica and four in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Winds are reaching 175 mph, and up to 40 inches of rain are expected. The government has ordered evacuations from low-lying areas, closed schools, and shut airports. Officials warn of life-threatening floods, landslides, and power cuts. Meteorologists say no one in Jamaica has lived through a storm of this strength. Shelters have opened across the country as residents brace for impact. (PC: BBC)

Former Pakistani Ambassador Husain Haqqani sarcastically suggested Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif deserves Olympic gold for flattering Donald Trump, responding to Sharif's latest praise-filled post. Sharif lauded Trump's "instrumental role in advancing global peace" through international accords, including the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord between Cambodia-Thailand, Gaza Peace Plan, and Middle East-South Asia stability efforts. This follows Sharif's earlier praise at Egypt's Peace Summit, where he called Trump "a man of peace" and "most genuine candidate" for the Nobel Prize, noting Pakistan's previous nomination of Trump. Haqqani's tongue-in-cheek X post referenced journalist Fareed Zakaria's suggestion that Trump flattery could become an Olympic sport, highlighting Sharif's repeated admiration pattern.

Amazon plans to lay off 30,000 corporate employees starting Tuesday, representing nearly 10% of its 350,000-strong corporate workforce, Reuters reports. The cuts address pandemic overhiring and expense reduction while capitalizing on AI-driven productivity gains. This marks Amazon's largest job reduction since eliminating 27,000 positions in late 2022. Affected divisions include human resources (People Experience and Technology), devices, services, and operations. Managers received Monday training for communicating the news via Tuesday email notifications. CEO Andy Jassy previously announced plans to reduce bureaucracy and management layers, noting in June that AI adoption would likely trigger additional cuts. eMarketer analyst Sky Canaves suggests the move reflects realized AI productivity gains offsetting AI infrastructure investments.

Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus sparked controversy by gifting Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General Sahir Shamshad Mirza a book featuring a map depicting parts of northeast India as Bangladeshi territory. The presentation occurred Saturday at Dhaka's Jamuna state guest house during discussions on bilateral trade, investment, and defense cooperation. India hasn't officially responded, though the Ministry of External Affairs strongly protested a similar map in December 2024 when student adviser Mahfuz Alam posted it online. General Mirza's visit follows Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar's August trip urging Bangladesh to "clean hearts" and move past 1971 genocide memories. Yunus's office emphasized shared historical and cultural ties between the nations. (PC: The Hindu) 

Hurricane Melissa, a catastrophic Category 5 storm with 175mph winds, threatens Jamaica as the world's strongest storm this year and potentially the island's strongest since 1851 record-keeping began. Three storm-related deaths reported in Jamaica Monday evening, adding to four fatalities in Haiti and Dominican Republic. The NHC warns of "catastrophic life-threatening" conditions with 40 inches of rain expected over four days, causing severe flooding and landslides on already saturated ground. Prime Minister Andrew Holness ordered immediate evacuations, activating 881 shelters. The storm's slow 3mph movement intensifies rainfall risk. A Hurricane Hunter aircraft aborted its mission due to extreme turbulence. Melissa is positioned 145 miles southwest of Kingston.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced the capital's first cloud seeding trial will occur today, pending improved visibility in Kanpur. The aircraft will depart once visibility reaches 5,000 metres from current 2,000 metres. This artificial rain initiative aims to combat winter air pollution as part of Delhi government's broader strategy. A test flight over Burari last week released silver iodide and sodium chloride compounds, but rainfall failed due to insufficient atmospheric moisture (under 20% versus required 50%). The IMD indicated favorable cloud formations between October 28-30. IIT Kanpur will conduct five trials in northwest Delhi under a Rs 3.21 crore project approved in May, after securing clearances from over ten central and state departments. (PC: X/Shorts91) 

A Blinkit delivery agent was arrested Saturday for sexually assaulting a 21-year-old Brazilian model in Bengaluru's RT Nagar area. The incident occurred October 17 when Kumar Rao Pawar, a diploma student working part-time, delivered food to her apartment around 3:20 pm. According to the FIR filed by the victim's employer, Pawar allegedly touched her inappropriately, violating her dignity. The frightened victim initially didn't disclose the incident but later confided in her two roommates, who informed her employer. CCTV footage from the apartment premises was reviewed before filing a formal complaint October 25. Deputy Commissioner Babasab Nemagoud confirmed Pawar's arrest the same day the complaint was filed. (PC: NDTV) 

Anilkumar Bolla Madhavarao Bolla, a 29-year-old Indian expatriate in Abu Dhabi, won the UAE Lottery's historic Dh100 million jackpot during the 23rd Lucky Day Draw on October 18, defying 8.8 million-to-one odds. Living in the UAE for just 18 months, Bolla purchased 12 tickets at Dh50 each, deliberately selecting "11" to honor his mother's birthday month, the number that secured his win. The emotional winner plans to fulfill his parents' dreams, bring his family to the UAE, donate to charity, and celebrate with a supercar and seven-star hotel stay. Winning just before Diwali made the moment even more special for Bolla, who called it "an exceptional blessing."

Cyclone Montha intensifies over the Bay of Bengal, threatening Andhra Pradesh and Odisha with winds up to 110 kmph. The IMD forecasts landfall near Kakinada Monday evening. Prime Minister Modi assured central assistance as Andhra Pradesh faces high tides and flooding. Evacuations are underway in coastal districts including Chittoor, Tirupati, and Kakinada, where seawater has surged inland. Odisha issued red alerts in eight southern districts, evacuating 32,000 people with 1,445 cyclone shelters opened. West Bengal expects heavy rain and 80-90 kmph winds from Tuesday. Tamil Nadu's northern districts experienced heavy showers. Transportation is severely disrupted as six Visakhapatnam-Chennai flights cancelled and multiple train services terminated or rerouted as the region braces for impact.

Japan will nominate US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, the White House announced during Trump's Asia tour. Meeting newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at Tokyo's Akasaka Palace on Monday, Trump received praise for brokering peace deals between Thailand-Cambodia and the Gaza ceasefire. Takaichi called his Middle East achievement "unprecedented and historic," though official Japanese confirmation is pending. Trump, calling himself the 'President of Peace,' claims to have ended eight wars including India-Pakistan conflicts. Several nations like Israel, Pakistan, Cambodia, Thailand have formally nominated him. The leaders also signed a critical minerals deal. Trump's Asia tour includes the ASEAN summit in Malaysia and upcoming South Korea visit for APEC summit, featuring bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. (PC: X)