Monday morning news: October 27, 2025

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Trump in Malaysia / Asian peace deal » President Trump was in Malaysia on Sunday to oversee the signing of a new peace deal between Cambodia and Thailand.

Trump helped broker a cease-fire three months ago after deadly border clashes.

TRUMP:  Eighteen Cambodian prisoners of war will be released and under this agreement, observers from ASEAN countries, including Malaysia, will be deployed to make sure that the peace prevails and endures. And I have no doubt that it will.

While both sides agreed to halt the fighting in July, each has since accused the other of fresh attacks.

Trump’s threats of economic pressure prodded the two nations to halt skirmishes along their disputed border.

U.S.-China minerals, soybeans framework » The president also signed economic frameworks with Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia … some of them involving critical minerals.

And while the U.S. wants to rely less on Beijing for those minerals, which are needed for high-tech manufacturing.

U.S. and Chinese officials say a trade deal is drawing closer.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says that ahead of a planned meeting this week between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping …

BESSENT:  I believe that we have the framework for the two leaders to have a very productive meeting, uh, for both sides. And I think it will be fantastic.

That meeting is set for Thursday in South Korea.

Under the deal, the United States would, at least for now … halt plans for steeper tariffs on Chinese goods … while Beijing would hit the pause button on new export controls on rare earth minerals.

Air traffic controllers » The ongoing federal government shutdown has continued to cause thousands of flight delays each week, along with some serious headaches for air travelers.

That as a larger number of air traffic controllers, working without paychecks for now, are calling in sick.

National Air Traffic Control Association President Nick Daniels says his workers are distracted:

DANIELS: Which makes this system less safe Every day that this shutdown continues, tomorrow, we'll be less safe than today.

But Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is assuring the public that flying is not any less safe. He says that’s because they’re keep if they have shortages — or if controllers seem to stressed:

DUFFY: We pay close attention to that and we will reduce the capacity of airplanes taking off and landing, or we will cancel flights.

Duffy says roughly half of all flight delays right now are due to staffing shortages.

Nearly a million-and-a-half federal workers missed paychecks on Friday.

Meantime, on Capitol Hill, still no sign that the government is any closer to reopening.

Narco boat strikes » Democrats continue to criticize President Trump over military strikes against what the administration says are drug cartel vessels in international waters.

The Pentagon announced the 10th such strike on Friday, saying U.S. forces hit a boat operated by the Tren de Aragua cartel, killing 6 on board.

Sen. Tim Kaine said he’s concerned about those strikes and about a buildup of military assets near Venezuela:

KAINE:  If we're gonna be in a war, whether it's against boats in Nicaragua chosen off a secret list that the President won't share with Congress or the public, or a land invasion in Venezuela, it should be done following a debate and a vote in Congress.

A handful of Republicans have also voiced some concern, though most continue to back President Trump’s decision to designate cartels as terrorist organizations and strike them accordingly.

The administration is deploying an aircraft carrier to the Caribbean in the latest escalation of firepower there.

The Pentagon says the military’s mission there is to disrupt cartel trafficking before the drugs make it to U.S. soil.

Hurricane Melissa » Hurricane Melissa is spinning over the northern Caribbean, packing monstrous winds as it bears down on Jamaica.

It’s expected to strike the country’s southern shoreline today as a Category 4 or 5 hurricane, packing winds in excess of 140 miles per hour, possibly more than 160. And then there’s the rain. Larry Kelly with the National Hurricane Center:

KELLY:  Life-threatening, catastrophic flash flooding as possible through portions of Jamaica, and then spreading northward across the Caribbean into Cuba, Haiti, and then eventually the Southeast from Bahamas.

The storm has already been blamed for deaths in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Jamie Rhome, also with the Hurricane Center, says Melissa is moving slowly … and that’s not good news

RHOME: Potential rainfall amounts in excess of three feet over heavily mountainous terrain that is almost certain to create catastrophic flooding, life-threatening flash flooding, roads, impassable communities cut off.

Jamaican authorities have activated shelters and closed Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport

Louvre arrests » Officials in France say they have arrested two suspects in connection with the theft of crown jewels from the Louvre museum in Paris.

The announcement on Sunday came one week after the daring daylight heist.

Authorities arrested one suspect at a Paris airport attempting to leave the country.

The thieves, disguised as maintenance workers, carried out the heist in under 8 minutes … making off with jewels valued at more than $100 million dollars.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Legal Docket. Plus, David Bahnsen and the WORLD History Book.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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