More than a million have cast their votes in Hong Kong's district elections viewed as a barometer of support for the anti-government protests.
A record 4.1 million residents have been registered to vote, with more than 400 councillors due to be elected to Hong Kong's district council.
Beijing-backed leader Carrie Lam, who cast her vote early Sunday, pledged that her government would listen "more intensively" to the views of district councils.
"I hope this kind of stability and calm is not only for today's election, but to show that everyone does not want Hong Kong to fall into a chaotic situation again, hoping to get out of this dilemma, and let us have a fresh start," she said.
Pro-democracy protest groups have urged people not to cause disruption and are hoping to increase their representation on the council.
Meanwhile, the standoff between protesters and riot police at the Polytechnic University campus entered the seventh day today.
The death toll from catastrophic floods in Texas reached at least 78 on Sunday, including 28 children, as the search for girls missing from a summer camp continued and fears of more flooding prompted evacuations of volunteer responders.
Israel has attacked Houthi targets in three Yemeni ports and a power plant, the Israeli military said early on Monday, marking the first Israeli attack on Yemen in almost a month.
Leaders of the BRICS group of developing nations on Sunday condemned attacks on Gaza and Iran, called for reforms of global institutions and presented the bloc as a haven for multilateral diplomacy amid violent conflicts and trade wars.
An Israeli delegation left for Qatar on Sunday for talks on a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, an Israeli official said, hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to head to Washington to meet US President Donald Trump.
At least 50 people have been confirmed dead following flash floods in central Texas, authorities said as rescuers continued a frantic search for dozens more campers, vacationers and residents who were still missing.
The UAE has expressed its solidarity with the United States after the “devastating” floods in the state of Texas, which killed dozens of people, left many missing, and caused significant material damage.
The UAE will focus on leveraging AI to "streamline processes and improve management of resources" in a move to switch to "a new chapter in shaping a smarter, faster and more efficient government".