Hurricane Melissa impact, US-S Korea deal and $5T Nvidia valuation

Deadly Hurricane Melissa makes a new landfall in Cuba amid major damage across Jamaica and Haiti, the Republic of Georgia's ruling party seeks to ban three opposition parties, Israeli strikes in Gaza kill over 100 Palestinians, President Trump says the U.S. and South Korea have sealed a $350B trade deal, the U.S. urges Americans to leave Mali amid jihadist blockades, the U.K. Home Office says the Epping sex offender has been deported to Ethiopia, the U.S. Senate votes to end Trump's Brazil tariff emergency, a judge orders daily reports on Border Patrol operations in Chicago, the Fed cuts rates below 4% for the first time since 2022, and Nvidia makes history as a first company to hit a $5 trillion valuation. Sources: www.verity.news

Israel launches strikes in Gaza, U.S. military strikes on four alleged drug boats leave 14 dead, Dozens are killed during a drug raid in Brazil, The U.S. and Japan sign a rare earths deal, A suspect pleads guilty to the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump says he'd 'love' to run for a third term, Musk launches his Wikipedia rival Grokipedia, The U.N.’s chief war ns that surpassing the 1.5°C climate limit is now “inevitable,” and scientists link mysterious light flashes to nuclear weapons testing and UFO reports. Sources: www.verity.news

President Javier Milei's party wins Argentina's midterm elections, The Caribbean braces for the impacts of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa, President Donald Trump meets Japan's Emperor Naruhito in Tokyo, The PKK announces its withdrawal from Turkey to Iraq, Four are killed as Cameroon protests intensify ahead of the election results, Prince Andrew agrees to leave the Royal Lodge with conditions, Two U.S. Navy aircraft crash in the South China Sea, Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris both eye 2028 U.S. presidential runs, The U.S. aviation sector is hit again with delays as the government shutdown continues, Two are arrested in the Louvre crown jewels heist, and Albania's virtual AI minister is announced to be “pregnant” with 83 forthcoming digital assistants. Sources: www.verity.news

President Trump ends Canada trade talks over a Ronald Reagan ad controversy, South Africa and Vietnam upgrade to a strategic partnership, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy attends a London “Coalition of the Willing” meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio says Israel has met its commitments and Hamas must disarm, the U.S. deploys the world's largest aircraft carrier as pressure increases on Venezuela, the U.S. Coast Guard shoots at a U-Haul driver at an Alameda Base protest, 42 million people in the U.S. risk losing food benefits amid the government shutdown, military servicewomen in Australia launch a sex abuse lawsuit against the armed forces, Apple loses £1.5 billion in a U.K. App Store class action lawsuit, and a firefighter wins the 2025 Backyard Ultra World Championship. Sources: www.verity.news

The US sanctions Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, The International Court of Justice orders Israel to allow aid into Gaza, U.S. strikes on alleged drug vessels off Colombia's Pacific coast leave five dead, The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda hold their third peace meeting, New York City mayoral candidates clash in their final debate, The NBA's Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier are among more than 30 people arrested in an FBI gambling probe, Over 100,000 public workers strike in New Zealand’s largest labor action since 1979, A study finds that Ozempic cuts heart disease risk by 20% regardless of weight loss, A report estimates climate disasters in the first half of 2025 are the costliest ever in U.S. history, and King Charles and Pope Leo hold a prayer service in a 500-year first. Sources: www.verity.news

Israel’s Knesset passes a West Bank annexation bill in a preliminary vote, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa kicks off a Southeast Asia tour in Indonesia, an appeals court in Colombia overturns former president Uribe's conviction, President Trump says he didn't want a “wasted meeting” after talks with Vladimir Putin are “on hold", six are arrested in Dublin after an anti-immigration protest, Canada’s upcoming budget could potentially trigger an election,               a federal raid in New York’s Chinatown sparks protests, Donald Trump is seeking $230 million from the Justice Dept. over federal investigations, tech CEOs are ordered to testify in a youth social media harm trial, and an open letter   calls for a superintelligence development ban. Sources: www.verity.news

J.D. Vance arrives in Israel to oversee the Gaza ceasefire, Sanae Takaichi becomes Japan's first female prime minister, A report identifies members of an “interagency weaponization working group” within the Trump administration, Ecuador releases a man who survived a U.S. strike on an alleged drug-carrying submersible, Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy begins his five-year prison sentence, The U.K.’s Met Police ends its non-crime hate incident investigations, Apple becomes the world’s second-most valuable company, A study finds that obesity-related cancers are rising in young adults across the world, Channel 4 debuts Britain's first AI TV presenter, and U.S. chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky dies, Sources: www.verity.news

The U.S. and Australia sign a $3B critical minerals deal, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff meet with Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, The EU approves a Russian gas phase-out by 2028, Rodrigo Paz wins the Bolivian presidential election, Japan’s Sanae Takaichi secures a coalition deal, A report says Marco Rubio traded MS-13 informants for prison access in El Salvador, Thieves steal the French crown jewels from the Louvre, A major internet outage hits websites following an issue at Amazon Web Services, Millions join anti-Trump “No King” protests across the U.S., An electronic eye implant restores vision in 84% of patients, and two British women make history by rowing across the Pacific Ocean non-stop. Sources: www.verity.news

The Houthi military chief of staff dies following an Israeli airstrike, Peru moves to impose a State of Emergency in Lima after protests turn deadly, Colonel Randrianirina is sworn in as Madagascar's president, Bangladeshi prosecutors seek the death penalty for ex-Prime Minister Hasina, Prince Andrew relinquishes the Duke of York title, New York City mayoral candidates face off in their first debate of the year, former Trump adviser John Bolton is criminally indicted and pleads not guilty, an appeals court keeps President Trump's National Guard deployment to Chicago on hold, a report suggests that plug-in hybrids emit 5x more CO2 than lab tests show, and 300 flood victims are evacuated in Alaska following devastation from Typhoon Halong's remnants. Sources: www.verity.news

Trump authorizes the CIA to operate in Venezuela, China seizes 60,000 maps for alleged territorial mislabeling, hundreds of Russians sing a banned anti-war song in St. Petersburg, France’s Sébastien Lecornu survives two no-confidence votes, Trump reveals San Francisco as the next city for federal force deployment, the U.K. confirms that the chair position for the national grooming gangs inquiry remains vacant, a study warns there will be 57 more “superhot” days annually by 2100, Canada considers legal action against Stellantis over its $13 billion US investment, a US general reveals he uses ChatGPT for military decisions, and researchers find that brain training reverses cognitive aging.   Sources: www.verity.news