Digest for 28 October, 2025
Amazon to cut 30,000 corporate jobs globally
Amazon is set to begin its largest round of layoffs since 2022, cutting as many as 30,000 corporate jobs, or nearly 10% of its corporate workforce. The cuts will reportedly affect multiple divisions, including human resources, operations, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). CEO Andy Jassy has cited a need to reduce bureaucracy and leverage AI for productivity gains as reasons for the downsizing. The move comes as the company seeks to trim expenses following a period of rapid hiring during the pandemic.
Election Commission to begin voter list revision across 12 states
The Election Commission of India has announced the second phase of its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, covering 51 crore voters in 12 states and Union Territories. The exercise, which aims to remove ineligible names and add eligible citizens, will begin on November 4. The draft rolls will be published on December 9, with the final list due on February 7, 2026. This comprehensive update is the ninth since Independence and the first in over two decades.
Cyclone Montha intensifies, prompting evacuations in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh
Cyclone Montha has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal, prompting high alerts in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The storm is expected to make landfall near Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, with wind speeds of 90-100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph. Authorities have evacuated thousands from low-lying and landslide-prone areas to cyclone shelters. Rescue teams from NDRF and ODRAF are deployed, schools are closed, and fishermen have been warned against venturing into the sea.
US and Japan sign pacts on trade and rare-earth minerals
During a visit to Tokyo, US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi signed two major agreements concerning trade and critical minerals. The first deal aims to create a "new golden age" in the US-Japan alliance, applying a 15% tariff on Japanese exports in exchange for $550 billion in Japanese investment in the US. The second pact establishes a framework to secure supply chains for critical and rare-earth minerals, vital for electronics and advanced technologies.
OpenAI to offer ChatGPT Go free for one year in India
OpenAI announced it will offer its 'ChatGPT Go' subscription tier free for one year to all users in India who sign up during a promotional period starting November 4. The offer coincides with OpenAI's first developer event in Bengaluru. ChatGPT Go, launched in India in August, provides higher message limits and more image generation capabilities. OpenAI noted that India is its second-largest and one of its fastest-growing markets, with the number of paid subscribers more than doubling in the first month.