* Republic of Korea on Monday kicked off an official campaign for the snap presidential election on June 3, caused by the ouster of former conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol from office over his botched martial law bid last December.
* Millions of Filipinos have been heading to the polls on Monday in a midterm election that has been widely seen as a proxy battle between President Ferdinand Marcos and partner-turned-competitor, Vice President Sara Duterte. The Commission on Elections said about 68 million Filipinos could vote in the midterm elections.
* Voting in parliamentary elections kicked off across Albania on Sunday. A total of 3.7 million eligible voters, including those living overseas, will cast ballots to elect 140 parliament members from 11 political parties and coalitions.
* China's State Council Information Office on Monday released a white paper on the country's national security in the new era.
* Ousted Republic of Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol attended the third hearing of his criminal trial over insurrection charge on Monday, appearing in court through an open entrance for the first time.
* Indian authorities Monday announced the reopening of 32 airports it closed down for civilian flight operations due to airspace restrictions in the wake of heightened tensions with Pakistan. The step was taken following a ceasefire agreement between the two countries reached on Saturday.
* People living close to border areas and the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan Sunday woke up to a calm morning as guns have fallen silent four days after an incessant military conflict. The uneasy calm has brought relief to people in both countries, especially those living on the boundaries between them.
* Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed Sunday Turkey's readiness to host peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, following Russia's proposed resumption of direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that his country is prepared to resume direct negotiations with Russia if Moscow accepts a Kiev-proposed ceasefire. He welcomed Russia's proposal to resume talks as a "positive sign."
* Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru on Sunday emphasized Japan's strong stance on eliminating U.S. tariff measures, including those on automobiles, during trade negotiations.
* Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced on Monday in a post on social platform X that he had decided to close the Russian consulate in Krakow.
* Bangladesh's interim government has banned all activities of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party.
* China will continue its support for the World Trade Organization (WTO) to work as a stabilizer of global trade and to make greater contributions in addressing global challenges, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said on Sunday.
* Hamas said in a brief statement on Monday that it decided to release Israeli-U.S. hostage Edan Alexander from the Gaza Strip on Monday.
* Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday that indirect negotiations with the United States in Oman to revive the 2015 nuclear deal had become "much more serious and frank," as President Masoud Pezeshkian rejected U.S. demands for Tehran to dismantle its nuclear infrastructure.
* Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Sunday described the fourth round of the Omani-mediated Iran-U.S. indirect talks held in Oman's capital Muscat as "difficult but useful." He said the next round of talks "will be coordinated and announced by Oman."
* The Israeli military launched airstrikes on three ports in western Yemen's Hodeidah province late Sunday, shortly after issuing evacuation warnings, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.
* United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke on Sunday with Syrian leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments, the UAE's state news agency WAM reported.
* Israel's military issued an urgent warning on Sunday, advising all civilians and workers to evacuate three Red Sea ports in Yemen controlled by Houthi forces, citing the risk of a possible new strike.
* Jordanian Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan reiterated here on Sunday that preventing the displacement of Palestinians from their land remains a top national priority for the Kingdom.
* Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf on Sunday held a phone conversation with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on the latest regional developments following the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan.
* China will launch two nationwide population panel surveys this year to help strengthen statistical work related to demographic changes in the country and support the population's high-quality development, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The two surveys are to be separately carried out from June 1 to 25 and from Nov. 16 to Dec. 5, according to the NBS.
* Japan logged a record current account surplus of 30.38 trillion yen (about 208 billion USD) in fiscal 2024, marking the highest level since comparable data became available in 1985, data from the Ministry of Finance showed Monday.
* Republic of Korea's jobless claims rose for the third consecutive month due to strong demand in the manufacturing and construction industries, government data showed Monday.
* Indonesia's Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, locally known as Whoosh, has reached a new milestone, transporting more than 25,000 passengers in a single day, the highest figure since the China-made line began operations in October 2023.
* A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's western Aceh province on Sunday, but no large waves were triggered, according to the country's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency. The tremor occurred at 15:57 local time, with epicenter located 21 km southwest of Aceh Barat Daya regency at a depth of 45 km.
* At least 62 people have died in floods that struck the Fizi territory of South Kivu Province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) overnight from Friday to Saturday, the provincial government confirmed on Sunday.
