* Romania's ruling leftist Social Democrat Party led a parliamentary election on Sunday with a 22.6% share of the votes, with 99.45% of the ballots counted, electoral bureau data showed on Monday. The opposition Alliance for Uniting Romanians ranked second with 18.2% of the votes.
* According to the results of Iceland's parliamentary election announced on Sunday, the opposition Social Democratic Alliance emerged as the largest party, securing 15 seats, which is a gain of nine compared to the previous election.
* French government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said she was "very worried" over what could happen in the coming days if a no-confidence motion against the government succeeded.
* The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) opened on Monday, calling for global efforts to restore land and boost drought resilience.
* Russian forces took control of the settlements of Ilyinka and Petrovka in the Donetsk region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on the outgoing U.S. administration of President Joe Biden on Sunday to help convince NATO members to invite Ukraine to join the alliance, as Ukraine's war with Russia enters an unpredictable new phase.
* German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made an unexpected visit to Kyiv on Monday, vowing his country would remain Ukraine's biggest supporter in Europe and promising delivery this month of military aid worth 650 million euros ($683 million).
* Russian and Syrian jets struck the rebel-held city of Idlib in northern Syria on Sunday, military sources said, as President Bashar al-Assad vowed to crush insurgents who had swept into the city of Aleppo.
* Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday that Turkey would not allow what he called terrorist threats targeting its security or Syrian civilians, Turkish diplomatic sources said.
* A five-member monitoring committee on the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon will start its work within the next 48 hours, Lebanese security sources told Xinhua on Sunday.
* UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula on Sunday urged an immediate cessation of hostilities in northwestern Syria's Aleppo and dialogue among relevant parties.
* President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday to discuss strategies to prevent further crises in the Middle East.
* Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held talks on Sunday to address escalating tensions in the Middle East, including the conflicts in Gaza and Syria, according to a statement from al-Sudani's office.
* Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, visiting Damascus on Sunday, said the situation in Syria is "difficult" but the government of President Bashar al-Assad will successfully confront rebels like it did in the past.
* Yemen's Houthis launched a military operation on a "vital target" in central Israel using a hypersonic missile, the group's military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, said in a televised address on Sunday.
* Russian gas producer Gazprom GAZP.MM said it would send 40.8 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Monday, up from 40.6 mcm on Sunday.
* Cambodia's Angkor Archaeological Park made 41.9 million USD from ticket sales in the first 11 months of 2024, up 28.7 percent from 32.54 million dollars over the same period last year, said a news release on Monday.
