October 29, 2025

President Trump arrived in South Korea Wednesday with enthusiasm regarding trade agreements with China and South Korea. He is to meet Chinese President Xi Thursday to negotiate reducing U.S. tariffs in return for China halting fentanyl chemical exports. A July trade agreement with South Korea is stalled over how to structure $350 billion investments. Trump requested a meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un but saw none during his tour of Asia.

Solid iPhone 17 and iPhone Air demand propelled the stock 13% higher since their launch on September 9. Early sales of the new model trounced the prior model by 14% in the U.S. and China. Apple digested high tariff expenses from American taxes imposed on Asian production. Despite AI fears and executive exoduses, the firm posted robust quarterly numbers and anticipates solid fourth-quarter results on October 30.

Hurricane Melissa swept through Jamaica as the most powerful storm to ever strike the Caribbean island nation in recent times, producing devastating flooding that submerged entire parishes. Three fatalities were confirmed prior to landfall with the complete damage still unrevealed. The storm downgraded then regained strength as a Category 4 with 130 mph winds as it moves towards Cuba, where 735,000 have been evacuated. close to 15,000 Jamaicans are taking refuge as hospitals go dark and infrastructure collapses throughout the island.

Eleven people died when a small tourist plane crashed in Kenya on Tuesday morning. The victims were eight Hungarian tourists, two German tourists and a Kenyan pilot. The plane was flying from Diani beach to the Maasai Mara game reserve when it went down in Kwale County forest around 8:30 AM. Two complete Hungarian families with children were among the dead. Rescue teams discovered the wreckage strewn all over the forest with passengers’ personal items scattered around. The Kenyan government dispatched investigators to determine what led to the crash. Hungarian and German authorities are both coordinating efforts to assist the families of the victims.

14 individuals were killed by U.S. forces in raids on four suspected drug vessels in the Pacific Ocean on Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reported. A single individual survived and was rescued by Mexican forces. The raids, authorized by President Trump, raise the death toll to 57 since the campaign started. Colombia and Venezuela have decried the raids as illegal and disproportionate. Legal experts under international law are questioning the use of force against boats in international waters without judicial procedure.

Microsoft and OpenAI disclosed a new agreement Tuesday valuing the ChatGPT creator at $500 billion and permitting it to restructure as a public benefit corporation. Microsoft will retain a 27% stake worth $135 billion, close to 10 times its $13.8 billion investment. The deal lifts the limitations from their 2019 collaboration, providing OpenAI with greater leeway to raise capital and negotiate business transactions. CEO Sam Altman will not be getting shares in the reorganized company. The companies are still tied together until 2032 with a $250 billion cloud computing deal.