☕ Jamaica prepares for Melissa

Good morning!

The most powerful storm seen around the planet in 2025 is hours away from making landfall in Jamaica and is expected to cause severe damage to a number of Caribbean islands.

The small island nation has never endured a direct hit from a Category 5 hurricane, with officials warning residents they may be hunkered down for days and go without communication or power for weeks. We have the latest in today’s newsletter.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• A UN inquiry has found Russia committed crimes against humanity by using drones to target and attack individual Ukrainian civilians. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine interviewed 226 people and documented cases of drone operators chasing civilians from front-line areas, sometimes firebombing them after pursuing them for long distances. "There can be no doubt about these drone operators acting with intent," inquiry chair Erik Mose said. Russia denies intentionally targeting civilians despite significant population drops recorded in Ukrainian villages near the front line.

• President Trump met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday during a week-long Asia tour to discuss trade and security issues. The leaders focused on a trade deal involving rare earth minerals that US and Japanese diplomats have been developing since before Trump's second term. Takaichi is expected to announce major Japanese investments in US infrastructure and defense spending. The meeting included discussion of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in 2022 and served as a mentor to Takaichi.

• Microsoft founder Bill Gates has released a memo urging world leaders to prioritize reducing human suffering over immediate climate action. Gates argued climate change should be addressed through technology and long-term carbon reduction rather than short-term measures. "I'll let the temperature go up 0.1 degrees to get rid of malaria," he said, adding that people don't understand existing global suffering. The memo targets next month's climate conference in Brazil, where Gates hopes to influence how governments allocate climate funding.

• A protester has heckled King Charles during a cathedral visit, questioning whether he knew about his brother Prince Andrew's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The man shouted "How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?" as crowds gathered around the King, who did not respond while supporters attempted to drown out the protester. Prince Andrew renounced his royal titles earlier this month and is now under investigation following allegations he had sexual contact with an underage girl facilitated by Epstein.

I’ve got 1 minute

Hurricane Melissa will make landfall in Jamaica in the coming hours and will be the world’s strongest storm this year.

Weather events ahead of the category five hurricane have already killed three people in the country, and seven total across the region.

What is a hurricane?

Cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons are the same weather event: powerful storms characterised by strong winds, flooding, and storm surge that can cause damage.

The difference is where the storm occurs. ‘Hurricane’ is used when the storm occurs in the North Atlantic and the central and eastern North Pacific oceans.

Category Five

Hurricane Melissa has been classified as a category five hurricane, the highest possible category. Storms are measured by their maximum sustained wind speed.

The U.S. National Hurricane Centre (NHC) classifies a hurricane as category five when it has winds faster than 156km/h, causes power outages potentially lasting months, and leads to most areas it hits being uninhabitable for weeks. Hurricane Melissa’s maximum sustained winds are around 173m/ph.

Caribbean

The hurricane is currently affecting the Caribbean. The NHC said Hurricane Melissa is expected to impact Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the British territory of Turks and Caicos. It confirmed that warnings are in effect in these areas.

International media reports that seven people have died as a result of Hurricane Melissa so far.

The NHC said Hurricane Melissa is “expected to bring catastrophic winds” and up to 76cm of rain to Jamaica. Strong currents, landslides, and flash flooding are also expected across the region.

The Jamaican Government has confirmed that the storm has already caused “periods of moderate to heavy rainfall” across parts of the country.

The Government has closed the airports, declared the entire island a ‘threatened area’, and activated almost 900 shelters across the country.

I’ve got 2 minutes

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, released new data showing more than 1 million users per week discuss suicidal thoughts with the chatbot.

The disclosure comes as the company faces a wrongful death lawsuit from a California family whose teenage son died by suicide after extensive interactions with ChatGPT. Here's what you need to know.

The scale

OpenAI reported that approximately 0.15% of ChatGPT's 800 million weekly active users - around 1.2 million people - have conversations "that include explicit indicators of potential suicidal planning or intent" each week.

The company also found that roughly 0.07% of weekly users (560,000 people) show "possible signs of mental health emergencies related to psychosis or mania." Psychosis involves alterations in thinking, beliefs, and perception, while mania can include grandiose ideas, increased energy, and reduced need for sleep.

OpenAI described these safety concerns as "extremely rare" and noted that mental health challenges are "universally present in human societies."

Changes to ChatGPT's responses

OpenAI announced it will modify how ChatGPT responds to users showing signs of psychological distress.

The company's latest update follows a five-step process designed to better manage risks when users express concerning thoughts. OpenAI stated that its newest model, GPT-5, responds more appropriately to mental health concerns more frequently than previous versions.

The company did not provide specific details about what the improved responses entail or how the five-step process works.

The lawsuit

The family of 16-year-old Adam Raine filed a lawsuit against OpenAI after the California high school student died by suicide in April this year.

Court documents state that ChatGPT "pushed Adam deeper into... behaviors that ultimately... facilitated his suicide." The family provided examples showing the chatbot appearing to suggest suicide methods and offering to write a suicide note.

Data from Adam's conversations showed both he and the bot mentioned suicide nearly 1,300 times. Adam spent almost 4 hours daily on the platform in the weeks before his death.

"OpenAI launched the previous version of ChatGPT prematurely, prioritizing a rushed market release over the safety of vulnerable users," his parents stated in court filings.

OpenAI has not publicly responded to the specific allegations in the lawsuit.

You can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor.

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