Hurricane Melissa strengthens into Category 5; Trump predicts China trade deal
President Donald Trump is in Japan after starting his Asia tour — and he predicts that a major trade deal with China could be just days away.
Plus, U.S. military power is moving closer to Venezuela. The USS Gravely has docked in Trinidad as a show of force. Caracas is calling it a “hostile provocation.”
And Hurricane Melissa has exploded into a Category 5 storm, unleashing torrential rain across Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Oct. 27, 2025.
China deal in sight as Trump builds momentum on Asia trip
President Donald Trump is in Japan on Monday for the second leg of his Asia tour. The trip comes as the president is closer than ever to a new trade deal with China.
On Sunday, Trump attended a regional summit in Malaysia, striking preliminary trade agreements with Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. He even witnessed the signing of a new ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia.
“On behalf of the United States, I’m proud to help settle this conflict and forge a future for the region where proud, independent nations can prosper and thrive.”
Later on Monday, Trump will meet Japan’s new prime minister, the first woman to hold the office.
He also visited the emperor, will speak to U.S. troops, and sit down with business leaders in Tokyo.
But the real focus is on China and a potential trade breakthrough.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says a “substantial framework” deal is imminent ahead of Trump’s Thursday meeting with President Xi Jinping.
“President Trump gave me a great deal of negotiating leverage with the threat of the 100% tariffs on November 1. I believe we’ve reached a very substantial framework that will avoid that and allow us to discuss many other things with the Chinese,” Bessent said. “I think we will be able to discuss them helping us get this terrible fentanyl crisis under control. I think we are going to be able to discuss substantial soybean and ag purchases for our American farmers. I think we are going to be able to discuss a more balanced trade.”
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he expects to walk away from that meeting with a deal. He’s also expected to finalize a separate agreement on TikTok by Thursday.
US warship docks in Caribbean as Trump eyes strikes on Venezuela, Colombia
A guided missile destroyer, the USS Gravely, docked in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday. The ship is part of what the Trump administration calls a counterdrug operation, but one that’s drawing outrage across the region.
Venezuela is calling the move a “hostile provocation” after the U.S. also moved the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford closer to its coast.
Asked on CBS’s Face the Nation Sunday whether Trump was preparing for land strikes, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said it’s “a real possibility.”
“I think President Trump’s made a decision that [Nicolas] Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, is an indicted drug, drug trafficker, that it’s time for him to go, that Venezuela and Colombia have been safe havens for narco-terrorists for too long, and President Trump told me yesterday that he plans to brief members of Congress when he gets back from Asia about future potential military operations against Venezuela and Colombia.”
The U.S. insists it’s targeting drug traffickers, not governments, but Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is warning the buildup could trigger what he calls a “new eternal war” in the Caribbean.
Javier Milei claims victory in Argentine midterm election
Argentina’s President Javier Milei is claiming a major victory Monday morning, winning key districts in midterm elections and securing what he calls a mandate to keep remaking his country’s economy.
Milei says his party and allies won 14 seats in the Senate and 64 in the lower House, enough to uphold presidential vetoes and block any impeachment attempts.
The victory gives him room to press ahead with his plan to slash state spending and deregulate the economy — agenda items that have deeply divided Argentina but impressed investors.
And with the win, the Trump administration is expected to follow through on a $40-billion financial lifeline — a deal contingent on Milei staying in power.
Hurricane Melissa churns toward Jamaica as Category 5 storm
Jamaica is now in the direct path of one of the strongest hurricanes the Caribbean has seen in decades. Hurricane Melissa intensified into a Category 5 storm early Monday morning, and it is projected to hit the island nation early Tuesday.
High surf is already pounding Kingston, with waves crashing over seawalls and flooding streets. People are rushing to stock up on food, board up windows and stack sandbags.
As of 5 a.m. EDT, NOAA satellite images show Melissa’s powerful eye churning about 130 miles south-southwest of Kingston. Winds are now topping 160 miles an hour, and the storm is crawling west at only three miles per hour.
That sluggish pace is what makes it so dangerous. Torrents of rain are dumping on Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with flash flooding and landslides already reported.
The National Hurricane Center warned the storm could devastate southern Jamaica as it makes landfall.
DNA trail at the Louvre leads to two arrests, two remain at large
Authorities arrested two French nationals late Saturday evening, accused of taking part in the Louvre heist, where $102 million worth of jewels were stolen.
The big question: did they have help on the inside?
The arrests occurred less than a week after a group of thieves reportedly used what police describe as a mobile freight elevator, similar to a cherry picker, to access a second-story window at the renowned museum.
They shattered the glass and stole crowns, necklaces and jewels — some that once belonged to Emperor Napoleon.
Investigators report that four suspects sped off on motorbikes through downtown Paris.
Of the two men in custody, one was arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport while attempting to board a flight to Algeria, and the other was caught heading for Mali in West Africa.
Police said DNA left at the scene helped crack the case. Two other suspects remain at large.
France’s interior minister praised the arrests but said the investigation is still ongoing, adding, “Let’s keep going.”
Remembering June Lockhart: ‘Lassie’ and ‘Lost in Space’ star dies at 100
June Lockhart, the calm and steady presence at the heart of “Lassie” and “Lost in Space,” died over the weekend at her home in California. She was 100.
For millions of viewers, she was the wise mother figure — first on the farm, then among the stars.
A woman who somehow made both a barking collie and a talking robot feel secure.
Her career spanned from Hollywood’s golden age to the rise of streaming, covering over eight decades of storytelling and elegance. She once joked that being “lost in space” inspired astronauts, but “Lassie” never made anyone want to be a farmer.
Lockhart embodied warmth across generations and galaxies.
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It’s been 40 years since that first modest week in 1985 — and that marks a significant milestone, according to Arif Kamal, chief patient officer at American Cancer Society.
“Breast cancer mortality is down more than 40%, and 40 is when women should start having a conversation with their doctor about getting a mammogram,” Kamal said in a prepared statement.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
