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Daily Briefing

Hello, two high stakes diplomatic visits happen this week. Joe Biden is set to make a visit to Israel, and Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing to meet with China's Xi Jinping even as the war in Ukraine raged on.

Plus, scientists have proposed a sweeping new law of nature.

By Kate Turton

Today's Top News

US and Israel to work on plan to get humanitarian aid to Gaza. REUTERS/Anas al-Shareef

DIPLOMACY

US President Joe Biden will make a visit to Israel, in a show of support for its top Middle East ally, as it prepares to escalate an offensive against Hamas militants that has set off a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. A trip to Israel would have security and political risks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on a widely watched trip aimed at showcasing the trust and "no-limits" partnership between the countries even as the war in Ukraine raged on.

ISRAEL AND HAMAS AT WAR

A top Hamas leader said the group "has what it needs" to free all Palestinians in Israel's jails, indicating the militant group may try to use the Israelis it kidnapped as bargaining chips to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Severe water shortages in Gaza following Israel's total blockade of the enclave have "become a matter of life and death," according to the United Nations.

ELSEWHERE

Poland's ruling Law and Justice party won the most votes in Sunday's national election but fell short of a majority, final official results showed, confirming that the liberal, pro-EU opposition is on track to form the next government. Listen to Europe News Editor Rachel Armstrong talk us through the ramifications of the result.
Russia's parliament took the first step towards revoking ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, blaming what a top lawmaker called the irresponsible attitude of the United States to global security.
A 45-year-old Tunisian gunman suspected of killing two Swedish football fans in Brussels died after being shot by police in a cafe, Belgium authorities said, while Sweden's prime minister called for stronger EU border security.

Business & Markets

Country Garden's entire offshore debt will be deemed to be in default if China's largest property developer fails to make a $15 million coupon payment on Tuesday, the end of a 30-day grace period. Here are some of China's recent measures to shore up its indebted property sector.
General Motors and Ford have laid out plans to spend billions developing new electric vehicles, funded by robust profits from combustion trucks and SUVs. The mounting costs of the United Auto Workers strikes are putting those plans at risk, analysts said. For more news on the global automotive industry, sign up to the Auto File newsletter.
Chinese technology giant Baidu unveiled the newest version of its generative artificial intelligence model, Ernie 4.0, saying its capabilities were on par with those of ChatGPT maker OpenAI's pioneering GPT-4 model.
The US Food and Drug Administration approved the expanded use of Merck blockbuster immunotherapy Keytruda in early-stage patients with non-small cell lung cancer who can get their tumors removed surgically.
Electric truck maker Volta Trucks said it has decided to file for bankruptcy proceedings in Sweden, after difficulties at suppliers made it hard for the startup to raise funds.
Netflix's crackdown on password-sharing likely boosted subscribers by about 6 million in the third quarter and the streaming pioneer is expected to set the stage for price increases when it reports earnings.

China tightens curbs on foreign travel by bankers and state workers

Travelers walk with their suitcases at Beijing Daxing International Airport. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

Chinese civil servants and employees of state-linked enterprises are facing tighter constraints on private travel abroad and scrutiny of their foreign connections, as Beijing wages a campaign against foreign influence.

The actions reflect President Xi Jinping's focus on national security amid fraught relations with the West

And Finally

Pigeon bones are displayed in Charles Darwin's former home Down House. REUTERS/Tal Cohen

When British naturalist Charles Darwin sketched out his theory of evolution in the 1859 book "On the Origin of Species" - proposing that biological species change over time through the acquisition of traits that favor survival and reproduction - it provoked a revolution in scientific thought.

Now 164 years later, nine scientists and philosophers proposed a new law of nature that includes the biological evolution described by Darwin as a vibrant example of a much broader phenomenon, one that appears at the level of atoms, minerals, planetary atmospheres, planets, stars and more.

Scientists propose sweeping new law of nature

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