Rain eases in Bangkok but persistent flooding forces thousands to leave home

Rain eased in Thailand 's capital on Sunday, but flooding persisted in several low-lying areas, with thousands forced to move into temporary shelters. At least eight people were reported killed in the past 10 days nationwide.

South Korea called for an official apology from Ukraine after the Ukrainian president revealed what Seoul says was supposed to be a secret transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.

Volodymyr Zelensky told the U.N. General Assembly last week that Ukraine had recently sent the men to South Korea after capturing them on a Ukraine-Russia battlefield in early 2025. The two are among thousands of North Korean soldiers sent to support Russia's war against Ukraine.

President Donald Trump has justified the pending U.S. arms sale to Taiwan to Chinese President Xi Jinping by downplaying it as just one of many sales Washington makes around the world — even asking Xi if he'd be in the market for U.S. arms, Trump's ambassador to China said on Sunday.

David Perdue said Trump raised the prospect of the arms sales from the U.S. to its ascendant geopolitical rival, an unlikely offer that if consummated would upend generations of U.S. policy toward China and Taiwan and potentially expose U.S. technology to a potential foe. Perdue, speaking to Shannon Bream on "Fox News Sunday" days after Trump hosted Xi for a state visit in Washington, didn't specify when the offer was made.

Taylor Swift broke records at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, as she is known to do.

The pop powerhouse received the inaugural Artist Director Honors on Sunday night, becoming the most-awarded artist in VMA history.

Pope Leo XIV urged religious leaders on Monday to preach messages of peace and unity as he wrapped up a visit to France by recalling the forces of dialogue that contributed to Europe's post-World War II integration.

Leo traveled to the eastern city of Metz, near the border with Luxembourg and Germany, to preside over an interreligious meeting. It was held at a conference center named for Robert Schuman, a French Catholic statesman regarded as one of the founding fathers of European unity.

The United States and China released Monday reciprocal lists of products worth about $30 billion each that will see tariff cuts, in a deal expected to boost bilateral trade.

The details came days after Chinese President Xi Jinping met with President Donald Trump in Washington in his first state visit to the U.S. since 2015. The U.S. had already reduced tariffs against China after Trump's tariffs reached as high as 145% at one point last year, as tensions between the two countries eased.

Competitors ran, climbed, crawled and jumped along an 8-kilometer (5-mile) course during the 15th Hannibal Race at Lebanon's Mzaar-Kfardebian ski resort on Sunday.

The course featured more than a dozen obstacles, including rocks, rope nets, suspended bars and mandatory mud pits.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the government had notified the Dutch embassy in Israel that its diplomats in Ramallah had to leave within one week.

Saar said the decision was in response to a Dutch ban that went into effect on Sept. 22 on the “import, purchase and sale of goods” originating from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which the Netherlands, like most of the international community, considers illegal.

Five years ago, Turkish Prime Minister President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered the world to stop confusing the heirs to one of history's great empires with a ridiculous American bird.

Type Turkey into Google and you get images and articles "that conflate the country with Meleagris — otherwise known as the turkey," state media announced. "Famous for being served on Christmas menus or Thanksgiving dinners … 'Turkey' is defined as "something that fails badly.'"

After being removed from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour, Grammy Award winner Macklemore will soon return to the live stage. The rapper has announced "Free Palestine," a series of performances with all proceeds to benefit Palestinian aid organizations.

The run will begin with three dates next month in Europe. It kicks off at Dublin's 3Arena on Oct. 26, followed by Paris' Accor Arena on Oct. 29 and London's OVO Arena Wembley on Oct. 30.