JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1232

Finland’s falling birthrate is reshaping family life despite generous Nordic benefits. NPR’s Population Shift series spotlights Poa Pohjola, 38, and Wilhelm Blomberg, 35, who welcomed a baby as the nation’s total fertility rate hovers below 1.3, far from the 2.1 replacement level. Kela reports surplus baby boxes from 2024 and more parents opting for cash, while researchers cite later parenthood, strained relationships, technology, finances, and wider anxieties—from climate to the economy. Immigration softens the decline, but officials fear aging demographics. Policymakers see no single fix, urging closer listening to young adults.

The Supreme Court’s “major questions doctrine”—used to block parts of President Biden’s climate, Covid-19, and student-debt initiatives—faces a pivotal test next week as justices hear arguments over President Trump’s tariffs program. The doctrine demands clear, direct congressional authorization for sweeping economic actions. The 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act lacks words like “tariffs,” even as the levies carry trillion-dollar consequences, exceeding the roughly $500 billion at issue in Biden’s loan plan, which Chief Justice John Roberts called “staggering.” Critics, including Justice Elena Kagan, say the doctrine appears opportunistically, not consistently.

President Trump said he underwent an M.R.I. earlier this month, calling the results “perfect” but refusing to explain why it was ordered, and inaccurately claiming his doctor had released full results. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Tokyo from Kuala Lumpur during his Asia trip, he again said he’d “love” a third term, despite the Constitution’s two-term limit. At 79, he sought to project vigor amid scrutiny of bruised hands and swollen ankles; his press secretary said the Walter Reed visit was routine. He also, without evidence, mocked two Democrats’ ability to pass cognitive exams.

Mali has shut schools and universities nationwide until 9 November as a deepening fuel shortage, caused by an Islamist blockade of tanker routes, disrupts daily life. Education Minister Amadou Sy Savane said authorities aim to restart classes on 10 November and are "doing everything possible" to end the crisis. Weeks of attacks on tankers have left Bamako with long petrol queues, quieter streets and pressure on electricity supplies. Citing worsening shortages and security risks, the US Embassy ordered non-essential staff to depart. Authorities say they are working to resolve the crisis.

Vietnam is renewing defense ties with Russia as U.S. policy swings and sanctions spur evasions, upending expectations of a C‑130 purchase from Washington. Leaked records and officials describe orders of air-defense systems, submarine upgrades and electronic warfare gear, with plans tied to Su‑35 and Su‑30 jets and payments in rubles. Regional allies fear President Trump’s tariffs and unpredictability are pushing Hanoi away, even as Vietnam courts Washington and weighs drones and transport planes. Parades and high‑level visits with Moscow and Beijing underscore the shift and rising security anxieties in Asia.

The UN urged safe passage for civilians from el-Fasher after RSF fighters said they seized the army’s main base—a claim the military has not acknowledged. Verified videos show RSF celebrating at headquarters while local allies of the army say clashes continue. Besieged for 18 months and encircled by an earth wall, the city’s last army foothold in Darfur has left nearly 250,000 people trapped. UN leaders called a terrible escalation as residents are shelled, starving, and cut off. The US is pushing a ceasefire. Any RSF takeover would be a comeback after defeat in Khartoum but signals continued war.

Cameroon’s electoral body declared Paul Biya, 92, winner of the Oct. 12 presidential election with nearly 54 percent, securing an eighth term that could carry him to almost 100. An opposition candidate claimed victory and alleged widespread fraud by a “predatory oligarchy,” as analysts called the contest the most consequential in decades and Biya’s closest since 1992. With a median age of 18.9 and no clear succession plan, many young Cameroonians reject the result, raising the risk of unrest. Biya’s frequent trips abroad, including costly stays in Switzerland, have deepened public resentment.

Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster made their red carpet debut as a couple at the premiere of his film Song Sung Blue during 2024 AFI Fest at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles. The pair smiled for cameras, with Jackman, 57, in a classic black suit and satin tie, and Foster, 50, in a black satin dress with a plunging neckline, pointed-toe shoes and a matching clutch. Their outing follows a year of quietly dating after meeting in The Music Man and later confirming the relationship with public appearances.

More than 160,000 New Yorkers turned out as early voting opened in an unusual three-way mayoral contest. Democrat Zohran Mamdani, leading in polls, flexed a dominant ground game, with thousands of volunteers and tens of thousands of doors knocked. Andrew M. Cuomo, running as an independent, leaned on endorsements and super PAC–backed field efforts in working-class areas and among Russian- and Chinese-speaking voters, while GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa mounted citywide canvassing with 10 field offices and about 1,000 volunteers. The brisk start suggested high turnout as rival teams fanned out to lock in votes.

Spanish police seized 6.5 tons of cocaine and arrested nine people after a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration tip led them to raid a Tanzanian‑flagged cargo ship off the Canary Islands. The 177‑foot vessel, en route from Panama to Vigo, hid the drugs in its hold and behind unusual onboard structures, officials said. Video posted by police shows officers intercepting the ship by speedboat. Spain, a key gateway for cocaine into Europe, recently dismantled “narco boats” in June and made a record 13‑ton seizure in bananas at Algeciras last October.