Budget Deal: Republican congressional leaders and President Obama have reached a tentative two-year budget agreement that would increase spending, trim some major social programs, and raise the federal borrowing limit. If it succeeds, it represents compromise and a break in Washington’s political deadlock.

The deal, which still has to pass the House and Senate, would avert a debt default and government shutdown. The agreement raises spending by $80 billion over the two years, but also cuts Medicare and Social Security disability benefits.

China Syndrome: A US naval patrol has challenged China’s territorial grab in the South China Sea and the Chinese government is complaining. “China will firmly react to this deliberate provocation,” said Lu Kang, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

An American guided missile destroyer cruised within 12 nautical miles of Subi Reef where China has built up an artificial island with an air strip that is closer to the Philippines than China. The move into the strategically important South China Sea is one of the biggest points of contention between the US and China.

World: The massive earthquake that shook Northern Afghanistan and Pakistan yesterday killed more than 300 people as it leveled buildings and knocked out power in remote rural areas. The quake was felt in both Kabul and Islamabad. Most of the dead were in Pakistan.

Heat: Climate change could make parts of the Persian Gulf region too hot for humans by the year 2100, according to a report in the journal Nature Climate Change. Scientists who wrote the report say that in 85 years the combination of heat and humidity in that area could be fatal for people who are outdoors more than a few hours.

Numbers: Hillary Clinton turned 68 yesterday. If she is elected President, by January 2017 she would be the second oldest to fill the office, just behind Ronald Reagan who was 69 and 349 days when he took the oath.

Stars and Barred: The University of Mississippi yesterday took down the state flag, which features the Confederate battle flag in the upper left corner. A statement from the university’s chancellor said, “The University of Mississippi community came to the realization years ago that the Confederate battle flag did not represent many of our core values, such as civility and respect for others.” In other words, they concluded that it represents slavery.

The Series: The New York Mets meet the Royals in Kansas City tonight in a World Series contest that will end a 30-year stretch without a championship for one of the teams. The Mets last won the Series in 1986 and the Royals in 1985. New York has a powerful pitching staff, but the Royals came within a moment of winning the Series last year, and they are back with a lineup of skilled hitters.

Bond, James Bond: On the eve of the release of the latest James Bond movie, Spectre, a recent breakdown of all 23 previous Bond movies has found that a female character who kisses Bond has a one in three chance of dying by the end of the movie.

Other vital statistics about the six actors who have played Bond: Daniel Craig has had more martinis than women; Roger Moore kissed 24 women in seven movies; Tim Dalton kissed only one woman per movie.

The kill ratio: Bond has killed 383 people; Overall kills per movie, 58.9; Pierce Brosnan had 33.75 kills per movie; Sean Connery’s movies had the highest average kills at 78.1; George Lazenby killed the audience.

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