The US-India COMPACT, a multifaceted programme for cooperation between the two countries, was the centrepiece of the meeting between External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

"The Secretary affirmed the strength of the US-India relationship, highlighting implementation of the US-India COMPACT, which will enhance our two nations' collaboration on trade, defence, energy, countering illegal immigration, counternarcotics, and more," she said.

Jaishankar posted on X that they "discussed our bilateral partnership, including trade, security, critical technologies, connectivity, energy, and mobility" and "shared perspectives on regional and global developments."

Earlier, they had both participated in the Quad ministerial meeting with Foreign Ministers Penny Wong of Australia and Iwaya Takeshi of Japan.

The US Justice Department has sued the City of Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass, and the City Council, asking a federal judge to strike down the city's "sanctuary" ordinance on the grounds it obstructs federal immigration enforcement.

Filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California, the lawsuit on Monday argued that Los Angeles violated the Constitution's Supremacy Clause and two federal information-sharing statutes by forbidding local police and other agencies from cooperating with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unless a suspect faces serious felony charges.

The Justice Department sought a court order blocking the ordinance, which took effect on December 9, 2024, after a unanimous council vote.

US Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the policy was "the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles," according to a press statement issued on Monday. She called the suit part of President Donald Trump's pledge to "end lawless sanctuary jurisdictions."

Bangladeshi interim government's Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has sought US support for the country's democratic transition and reaffirmed that elections would be held "in the early part of next year" during his conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

During a telephone conversation on Monday, Rubio and Yunus discussed the ongoing reform process, transition to democracy, the upcoming general election, and aid for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

Yunus assured Rubio that the ongoing dialogue between his government and political parties would result in much-needed reforms of the country's political system.

"The 15-minute discussion was warm, cordial, and constructive, reflecting the strong bilateral engagement between the two nations. Secretary Rubio expressed support for Bangladesh's reform agenda and its move to hold elections early next year," the Bangladesh Chief Advisor posted on X.

The Indonesian government has evacuated its 97 citizens from Iran and 26 from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and the Arabah area, following tensions in those regions, Foreign Minister Sugiono said on Monday.

"The government has established a crisis response team and will continue the evacuation process while monitoring the condition of Indonesians amid the ongoing conflict," Sugiono said during a hearing with members of the House of Representatives on Monday.

The evacuation was carried out via Azerbaijan and involved the Indonesian embassies in Tehran and Amman.

North Korea has informed the US-led United Nations Command (UNC) of its plans to build fortifications inside the border between the two Koreas, Seoul's Defence Ministry said on Monday, marking the first notification of its kind in more than six months.

The North notified the multinational command tasked with monitoring inter-Korean border activities on Wednesday that it would resume construction of barriers and barbed wire fences on its side of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), according to a local newspaper.

When asked about the report, a ministry official confirmed the notification did take place, while a UNC official declined to comment about its communication with the North Korean military, reported news agency.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday announced that Ukraine is aligning with the European Union's sanctions package targeting the Iranian administration, describing them as "the most brutal regimes in the world."

"Our institutions are working on the synchronisation of European and Ukrainian sanctions. We are also fully aligning the European sanctions package targeting the regime in Iran, which includes numerous individuals, companies, and entities not only involved in military production and external terror schemes against neighbouring countries in the region but also in internal repression within Iran itself," he said in a video statement posted on X on Monday.

"It is one of the most brutal regimes in the world. No surprise that Putin found common ground with it," he added, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) said on Monday it has dispatched an auto parts delegation to the US state of Georgia to help domestic manufacturers explore investment opportunities amid rising protectionist trade measures from Washington.

Jointly organised by the Gyeonggi Province government, the auto parts investment delegation visited the cities of Atlanta and Savannah for three days from Wednesday, with 10 South Korean auto parts firms participating.

The programme included investment seminars, consultations with Georgia state officials and on-site visits to existing South Korean manufacturing operations, including Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, which was completed in March, reports news agency.

Georgia has emerged as a major hub for Korean automakers, including Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp., whose large-scale investments in the region have encouraged related auto parts suppliers to follow suit.

A mild earthquake of magnitude 3.9 struck Nepal on Monday morning, according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS).

The tremor was reported at 8:24 a.m. IST with a depth of 14 kilometres, and its epicentre was located at latitude 29.24 degrees North and longitude 81.77 degrees East.

"EQ of M: 3.9, On: 30/06/2025 08:24:21 IST, Lat: 29.24 N, Long: 81.77 E, Depth: 14 Km, Location: Nepal," National Center for Seismology posted on X.

There have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the earthquake. However, mild tremors were felt in parts of western Nepal, causing temporary panic among residents.

This is the second seismic event to hit Nepal in the last two days. On Sunday, the NCS reported a 4.2 magnitude earthquake that also struck Nepal. That quake occurred at a shallower depth of just 10 kilometres, which experts say increases the likelihood of aftershocks.

As rainfall continues across Laos, rising river levels have caused flooding in several villages, leading to growing public concern as communities brace for an escalating threat of widespread flooding.

Continuous heavy rainfall in Laos has triggered rising river levels and widespread flooding across several villages. Several villages in Meun district in Vientiane province have experienced heavy rainfall for several hours.

Many people shared videos and images on social media showing waterlogged streets in Vientiane.

Heavy flooding has returned to Rongjiang County in southwest China's Guizhou Province, prompting local authorities to re-activate the highest-level emergency flood response, effective from 12:30 pm Saturday.

At 6:30 pm, the Shihuichang Hydrological Station on Duliu River recorded a water level of 253.06 metres, with a flow rate of 8,000 cubic metres per second, surpassing the guaranteed water level of 251.5 metres by 1.56 metres. This was slightly lower than its earlier forecast, which estimated a peak flood level of 253.5 metres at around 5 pm. However, water levels continue to rise gradually by 6:30 pm.