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India will dispatch teams to observe Myanmar’s general election in December, Reuters reported, signaling New Delhi’s backing for a vote widely criticized as undemocratic.

Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in China. According to state media, both discussed border security, trade, and regional stability. India later urged that the elections be “fair and inclusive.”

The polls, scheduled to begin on December 28, will be the first since the military toppled Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in 2021, sparking a nationwide conflict. With opposition parties sidelined and fighting disrupting much of the country, rights groups and Western governments view the planned vote as a move to entrench military rule, according to Reuters.

A powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, killing at least 622 people and injuring more than 1,500, according to the Taliban-run interior ministry. The quake destroyed several villages, with some communities losing dozens of residents, Reuters reported.

Rescue operations are ongoing, with helicopters evacuating the injured and locals helping medical teams reach remote areas. The disaster adds to Afghanistan’s humanitarian challenges, including limited international aid, displacement, and shortages of food and medical supplies.

Experts warn the country remains highly vulnerable to earthquakes due to its location along the tectonic boundary of the Hindu Kush Mountains. So far, no international governments have offered direct assistance, according to Reuters.

South Korea has suspended its military radio broadcast, “Voice of Freedom,” to North Korea for the first time in 15 years, aiming to ease cross-border tensions, the Defense Ministry said Monday. The program, which shares news, K-pop, and economic updates, has long been used for psychological operations against the North, according to Reuters.

President Lee Jae Myung has also ended border loudspeaker broadcasts, signaling a push for dialogue, though North Korea has so far rejected talks. This week, Kim Jong Un is set to visit China for a military parade with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin.

At least six people have died in violent protests across Indonesia, sparked by public anger over lawmakers’ financial perks and police brutality. Demonstrations began in Jakarta and spread to cities including Yogyakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya after a paramilitary police vehicle ran over 21-year-old delivery driver Affan Kurniawan, Al Jazeera reported.

Authorities have increased patrols and checkpoints, while President Prabowo Subianto reversed the controversial measures and canceled a trip to China. Several deaths and attacks on officials’ homes have been reported, prompting TikTok to temporarily suspend its live feature in the country.