JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1214

After nearly two hours of talks, the US and South Korea said they reached a broad trade deal: reciprocal tariffs will fall from 25% to 15%, and Seoul will invest $350bn in the US, including $200bn in cash and $150bn in shipbuilding, a presidential aide said. President Donald Trump called it “pretty much finalised” and said they also discussed national security. The visit unfolded amid protests and a North Korean missile test, as Trump prepares to meet China’s Xi Jinping at the Apec summit in Gyeongju; Beijing says the meeting will be in Busan.

U.S. stocks pointed higher premarket Wednesday as investors eyed corporate earnings and a Federal Reserve decision expected to deliver a 25-basis-point cut amid scant data and a slowing job market. Futures for the S&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq rose after all three hit record highs, while Nvidia jumped again, touching $5.05 trillion in value on fresh chip orders, and Caterpillar rallied on a 10% revenue gain. Asian shares mostly advanced on upbeat comments from President Donald Trump and ahead of a planned meeting with China’s Xi; Europe was mixed. Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft and Starbucks report later; oil prices inched up.

Explosive-laden drones struck Badiraguato, the hometown of jailed drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, forcing dozens to flee, Sinaloa’s governor said. Authorities gave no dates; displaced residents said the attacks began in September, with one citing Sept. 16. Witnesses reported strikes near Guzman’s family farm, blocked access to properties, and power cutoffs, threatening more than 80 families. The government is assisting evacuees, and AFP sought confirmation of the reported targets. Days earlier, three explosive drones hit the prosecutor’s office in Tijuana, causing damage but no injuries, as criminal groups in Mexico increasingly use weaponized drones.

Jamaica is counting the cost after Hurricane Melissa made landfall, flooding western Jamaica, with St. Elizabeth underwater, leaving more than half a million without power, and trapping families as rescue teams work to reach them. Kingston avoided the worst, and the airport may reopen for relief flights tomorrow, while the storm batters Cuba’s west coast. In Gaza, Israel launched "forceful strikes" after a soldier was killed, with Gaza Civil Defense reporting about 100 Palestinians dead; Israel says it killed 30 militants. Meanwhile, unpaid U.S. air traffic controllers report strain during the shutdown, though delays remain mostly typical.

After no ticket matched all six numbers Tuesday night, the Mega Millions jackpot rose to $754 million, the year’s second biggest lottery prize. The eventual winner would collect far less after taxes and deductions. The next Mega Millions drawing is Friday night; Powerball sits at $376 million with a Wednesday drawing. The astronomical odds of winning Mega Millions are 1 in 290.4 million, slightly better than the previous 1 in 302.5 million after changes earlier this year. Last month, two Powerball ticket buyers split a $1.78 billion jackpot.

Nearly a month into the government shutdown, furloughed IRS lawyer Isaac Stein has turned a childhood dream into a seven-days-a-week gig. In a suit and tie on a D.C. corner, he runs 'Shysters Dogs'—'the only honest ripoff in DC'—serving about 50 hot dogs a day. His cheeky menu favors a 'correct' dog (mustard and sauerkraut), adds a $1 penalty for other toppings, and nods to RC Cola and MoonPies with a five-cent discount for reciting their history. A $1,000 'shirt off my back' offer remains unclaimed. He hopes to return to the IRS, but keep the stand on weekends.

The Federal Reserve is expected to cut its benchmark rate by a quarter point Wednesday—its second in six weeks—as officials prioritize a weakening labor market over still-elevated inflation. Layoff announcements are piling up, including Amazon’s 14,000 corporate cuts, Target’s 1,000 plus 800 unfilled roles, and about 100,000 federal jobs cut in the first eight months. A government shutdown has choked off key data: September’s jobs report is overdue and October’s may not be tallied. With September inflation slightly milder and ADP showing a tepid hiring uptick, Fed official Chris Waller cites softer payroll gains as retailers report solid spending.

Ukraine’s drone maker Fire Point is under fire after leaked customs papers alleged U.S. and European components turned up in FP-1 and Flamingo drones used in strikes deep inside Russia. The Telegram-sourced leak claims third‑party imports that may breach end‑user rules, prompting an EU call for an inquiry and a U.S. request for clarification. Fire Point denies wrongdoing. Rivals decry favoritism, engineers cite a 15% FP-1 failure rate, and officials are split as the Anti-Corruption Bureau reviews 2023–24 procurement records. The CEO, defiant, posted: “We build to defend, not to please.”

Just weeks after astronomers reported Comet 3I/ATLAS reversing its tail near the Sun, the saga deepened. Sources at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory cite “instrument recalibration” for a temporary blackout of solar probe data, even as several telescopes briefly logged unusual radio bursts along the comet’s path. A viral thread by Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb floated the idea of an “artificial interstellar object,” which NASA called “science fiction.” Leaked emails mention “anomalous” composition readings, and independent observatories reported reflectivity spikes. With ATLAS hidden behind the Sun until mid-November, speculation is surging.

With Dutch voters heading to the polls Wednesday, a severe shortage of affordable homes — felt most acutely by younger people — dominates the race. Demand far outstrips supply, leaving renters and first-time buyers shut out; gap is roughly 400,000 homes, about 5 percent of stock. Experts cite faster-than-expected population growth, more single-person households, and years of slow building under tight local and environmental rules. Parties pitch fixes: D66 touts 10 new cities; Labor-Green prioritizes public housing and a vacancy tax; Geert Wilders’s PVV urges a crisis plan and fewer rules. For many, the search brings constant stress.