South Korean stocks edged up on Tuesday following a trade agreement between the United States and China. The local currency fell sharply against the US dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 1.09 points, or 0.04 percent, to close at 2,608.42, following a 1.17 percent jump on the previous day, reports news agency.

Trade volume was moderate at 413.3 million shares worth 8.32 trillion won ($5.87 billion), with gainers closely beating decliners 450 to 418.

Institutions and individuals led the daily decline, dumping a net 100 billion won and 136.9 billion won, respectively, while foreigners purchased a net 174.1 billion won.

Amid fighting and disease, deadly floods posed additional dire challenges in South Kivu province of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UN humanitarians said.

"Local authorities in South Kivu report that overnight flooding in Fizi territory between May 8-9 killed more than 60 people," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Monday.

"Many people are still missing, and search efforts continue. More than 150 houses were also destroyed, leaving 1,000 people homeless."

The office said the officials warned that continued heavy rainfall threatens further damage and have issued an urgent appeal for humanitarian assistance. The deluge worsens existing vulnerabilities, where ongoing clashes and a recent surge in cholera cases heighten the risk of a major public health crisis.

Three terrorists were killed on Tuesday in a gunfight with the joint forces in Keller area of Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district.

V. K. Birdi, IGP (Kashmir), told reporters that three terrorists have been killed.

"Terrorists are yet to be identified, and a search operation is still going on there," he said.

Joint forces had launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in the Shukroo Keller area of Shopian district after intelligence inputs said that a group of terrorists was hiding there.

When challenged, the terrorists fired, after which an encounter started during which three terrorists were killed. The operation is continuing in the area, police said.

US researchers have developed a novel vaccine that protects against H1N1 swine flu and can also protect against influenza in humans and birds.

The vaccine strategy developed and tested by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the US can also eliminate the need for annual flu shots.

"This research sets the stage for developing universal influenza vaccines, so people won't have to go to the doctor and get a flu shot every year," said virologist Eric Weaver at the varsity.

"This vaccine will protect you against the different strains that are out there," Weaver said.

In the study, published in Nature Communications, swine vaccinated with the immunogens exhibited no signs of illness after being exposed to a commonly circulating flu strain. They also developed antibodies against a multitude of viruses from several decades and multiple species; and maintained their immune response throughout the six-month longitudinal study.

Taiwan on Tuesday said that it spotted 31 Chinese aircraft (30 of which crossed the median line of the strait and entered the northern and southwest airspace), 7 Chinese warships, and one official ship, continuing to operate around the Taiwan Strait.

The Taiwanese army used mission aircraft, ships, and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor and respond.

"31 sorties of Chinese army aircraft, 7 Chinese navy vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 30 out of 31 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone," the Ministry of National Defence posted on X.

The defence ministry also stated that China carried out a satellite launch mission that passed through central Taiwan toward the western Pacific Ocean, and as the altitude is outside the atmosphere, it posed no threat to Taiwan.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai has forecast an increase in rainfall activity across Tamil Nadu starting May 14, with heavy showers expected to lash districts along the Western Ghats and interior regions for three consecutive days.

Until then, however, parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will continue to endure intense heat.

Daytime temperatures are expected to hover two to three degrees Celsius above normal, particularly in pockets such as Chennai, where high humidity may add to discomfort.

A marginal dip in temperature is anticipated from Wednesday onwards.

India on Tuesday officially launched in 13 cities the first phase of its next-generation e-passport initiative, combining advanced electronic technology with the traditional paper passport format to enhance identity verification and strengthen travel document security.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), this project began under a pilot phase in conjunction with the Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Version 2.0, which was initiated in April last year.

The MEA confirmed that this is the first stage of a nationwide implementation expected to reach all Passport Seva Kendras across the country by mid-2025.

The e-passports are currently being issued in several cities, including Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Jammu, Goa, Shimla, Raipur, Amritsar, Jaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad, Surat, Ranchi, and Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation on Monday drew widespread praise from BJP leaders and NDA allies, who said his speech sent a clear and firm message to both the global community and India's adversaries.

The address, which came in the wake of 'Operation Sindoor' and the ceasefire understanding with Pakistan, underscored India's uncompromising stance on terrorism and reiterated that any dialogue with Pakistan would be restricted to issues concerning terrorism and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).

In his remarks, PM Modi firmly stated that "Nuclear blackmail" will not deter India from taking resolute action against terrorism anywhere in the world.

Outlining a three-pronged "new normal" in India's anti-terror doctrine, the Prime Minister said India is committed to tracking and eliminating terror threats globally, and that state-backed terror operatives will be treated at par with their masterminds.

Veteran actor Anupam Kher has opened up about the unique challenges of wearing two hats as both an actor and a director for his film “Tanvi The Great.”

Kher shared the difficulties of balancing both roles, revealing how the experience pushed him creatively. Speaking about playing Col. Pratap Raina in his directorial venture, Kher shared, “The most difficult thing is to act and direct a film simultaneously. Luckily, I was surrounded by an extremely experienced technical team and a brilliant set of actors. They made my job slightly easy. Otherwise, Col. Pratap Raina is complexed. But he changes. And that change hopefully formulates his performance in #TanviTheGreat. Watch it and then decide.”

Amid the uneasy calm between India and Pakistan after the recent skirmishes and ceasefire declaration, a gunfight started on Tuesday between the security forces and terrorists in Keller area of Shopian district in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

Officials said that an encounter started between the terrorists and a joint team of the security forces at Shukroo Keller area of Shopian in South Kashmir.

As per sources two to three terrorists are believed to be trapped in the area as of now.

Top police officials said that some gunshots were heard in Keller forest.

This is the second terrorist act in J&K after the ceasefire was announced by the two neighbouring countries on May 11.