On 2025-05-30, the Russian army claimed to have captured three villages in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Kharkiv regions. Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced on 2025-05-29 that its army had captured the village of Stroivka in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, as well as Gnativka and Shevchenko Pershe in the Donetsk region.

On 2025-05-30, Ukrainian authorities reported that Russia fired 90 drones overnight, resulting in at least seven deaths from drone, missile, and artillery strikes across five front-line Ukrainian regions. Reported on 2025-05-29, in Ukraine, local authorities reported that at least five people were killed after Russia fired 90 drones overnight. Russia's Ministry of Defence claimed its air defenses intercepted 48 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 30 over the Belgorod region.

On 2025-05-30, Ukraine stated it was ready to hold more talks with Russia in Istanbul but demanded that Moscow provide a document outlining its conditions for peace, adding that Kyiv had already submitted its vision of a peace settlement.

On 2025-05-30, Hamas stated that the US ceasefire proposal, reportedly accepted by Israel, is "still under discussion" but would lead to a "continuation of killing and famine" in Gaza. On 2025-05-30, Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim told Reuters that the ceasefire deal does not meet the demands of the Palestinian people, especially halting the war. On 2025-05-30, Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that the ceasefire proposal did not contain commitments from Israel to end its war on Gaza, withdraw troops, or allow aid to freely enter.

On 2025-05-30, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Israel has agreed to the ceasefire proposal, and Steve Witkoff submitted it to Hamas for consideration.

On 2025-05-30, it was reported that Frontrunner Lee told the media he has been wearing a bulletproof vest and installed bulletproof glass at campaign rallies following threats on his life. Police also said this week they had counted 11 cases of social media posts threatening Lee, and one threatening to kill the New Reform Party’s candidate.

On 2025-05-30, the last poll before the election placed the Democratic Party’s Lee Jae-myung as the frontrunner with 42.9 percent support, followed by Kim Moon-soo from Yoon’s conservative People Power Party with 36.8 percent, according to Yonhap. The candidates were trailed in a distant third place by the conservative New Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok, who held just 10.3 percent of support.

The article discusses the upcoming second round of the Polish presidential election, with the two remaining contenders being Rafał Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki. The second round is set for 2025-06-01.

On 2025-05-29, South Korea was set to break a record in early voting as more than 12 million voters cast their ballot in advance of the country’s upcoming presidential election. On 2025-05-29, the figure for early voting represented more than a quarter of South Korea’s 44.3 million eligible voters, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. Early voting started on Thursday, 2025-05-29, and will end on Friday, in advance of the official vote on Tuesday that will see South Koreans choose who will replace impeached President Yoon Sook-yeol.

On 2025-05-30, it was reported that voting turnout has been highest in regions of South Korea affiliated with the Democratic Party, while turnout has been lowest in conservative strongholds like Gyeongsang Province, according to David Lee, a Seoul-based journalist.

On 2025-05-30, Fraud conspiracy theories have also swept the election period in South Korea, linked in part to provisions for early voting, according to Lee.

On 2025-05-30, South Korean police reported an uptick in vandalism of campaign materials and said this week they had apprehended at least 690 people over related incidents, according to Yonhap.

On 2025-05-29, the White House urged Senate Republicans to pass Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill“, a legislative package that would surge funds to immigration enforcement while slashing taxes for the highest earners. On 2025-05-29, it was reported that Senate Democrats are gearing up to oppose Trump’s signature budget legislation, the “One Big Beautiful Bill”, which would require the national debt to be lifted by $4 trillion. On 2025-05-29, it was reported that Trump defended the budget bill, which outlines domestic policy goals and extends tax cuts introduced during his first term in 2017. On 2025-05-29, it was reported that the budget bill includes measures that extend tax cuts introduced during Trump’s first presidential term in 2017.

On 2025-05-29, Federal Reserve Chief Jerome Powell met with Trump at the White House, reiterating that decisions by the country’s central bank will be based on economic conditions, not political pressure. Trump has previously criticised Powell and called for the bank to lower interest rates, a demand the White House says Trump reiterated during the meeting.

On 2025-05-29, Reuters reported that top ICE officials Kenneth Genalo and Robert Hammer are leaving their roles, allegedly pushed out as the White House seeks to surge immigration arrests. Stephen Miller told Fox News the White House wants ICE to arrest at least 3,000 people per day, far above the earlier 1,000 per day quota. Tricia McLaughlin denied Genalo and Hammer were pushed out.

On 2025-05-29, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the US will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields. On 2025-05-29, it was reported that the Trump administration has threatened to revoke the visas of many of the 277,000 or so Chinese students in the United States and to subject future applicants from China, including Hong Kong, to extra scrutiny.

On 2025-05-29, a federal court extended an injunction that barred the Trump administration from preventing Harvard University from enrolling international students.

On 2025-05-29, the State Department defended its decision to limit international student visas, with spokesperson Tammy Bruce stating, "Every visa adjudication is a national security decision."

Rafał Trzaskowski held a "Patriots’ March" in Warsaw last weekend, gathering about 140,000 supporters. Karol Nawrocki received an official endorsement from Kristi Noem, President Donald Trump’s secretary of homeland security, at the Conservative Political Action Conference on 2025-05-27, in Rzeszow, Poland.

On 2025-05-30, drones attacked Russia’s western Kursk region overnight, damaging a hospital and apartment buildings, and injuring at least one person, according to regional Governor Alexander Khinshtein. The report was published on 2025-05-30.

On 2025-05-30, the Kremlin announced it was awaiting Kyiv’s response to a proposal for new talks in Istanbul next Monday. On 2025-05-29, Russia stated it had not received a response from Ukraine regarding a proposal to hold ceasefire talks in Istanbul next week, specifically on June 2, to discuss key elements for overcoming the root causes of the war.

On 2025-05-30, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of “yet another deception” by not handing over its peace settlement proposal before the next potential meeting. On 2025-05-29, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the composition of Moscow’s team in the first round of talks as a “sign of disrespect,” stating it was a junior delegation without the power to sign a ceasefire, and that "Russia once again demonstrated that it does not intend to end the war”.

On 2025-05-30, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Kyiv’s demand for a “memorandum” as “non-constructive”. On 2025-05-29, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha’s suggestion to hand over the memorandum immediately as “non-constructive,” insisting on confirmation of readiness to negotiate.

On 2025-05-30, Zelenskyy mentioned discussing the possible delivery of German Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during his visit to Berlin. The report was published on 2025-05-30.

On 2025-05-30, it was reported that the ceasefire proposal, guaranteed by President Trump and mediators Egypt and Qatar, outlines an initial 60-day ceasefire. Twenty-eight Israeli hostages, alive and dead, would be released in the first week in exchange for the release of 1,236 Palestinian prisoners and the remains of 180 dead Palestinians. The plan would also see aid sent to Gaza as soon as Hamas signs.

On 2025-05-30, Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told families of captives that he is prepared to move forward with Witkoff’s temporary ceasefire proposal. Akiva Eldar told Al Jazeera it was “unusual” for Israel to agree first and that Netanyahu may be betting on Hamas rejecting the plan to justify continuing the war.

On 2025-05-28, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov stated that Kyiv had already submitted its memorandum and urged Russia to produce its version immediately, suggesting that a meeting next week would be unproductive without it. On 2025-05-29, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Heorhii Tykhyi, suggested Russia's reluctance to share its plan indicates it is filled with unrealistic ultimatums and that they are stalling the peace process.

On 2025-05-28, mourners in Gaza City carried the bodies of children from the Al-Arabeed family who were killed in Israeli strikes. The report was published on 2025-05-30. On 2025-05-29, Israeli bombardment killed at least 70 Palestinians in attacks across Gaza. An Israeli strike on a residential building in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City left approximately 30 people missing under rubble.

On 2025-05-29, Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, stated that starvation threatens the future of children in the Palestinian enclave.

Cargo ships laden with goods from China stopped coming into American ports earlier this spring as President Trump escalated his trade war against Beijing, reported on 2025-05-29. On 2025-05-29, it was reported that the Trump administration is suspending sales of some critical U.S. technologies to China, including those related to jet engines, semiconductors and certain chemicals and machinery.

On 2025-05-30, China and Japan are nearing a deal to resume Japanese seafood imports to China, which were banned nearly two years prior. As part of the deal between China and Japan, Japan's fish processing facilities must register with China, and exporters need to include certificates guaranteeing seafood has been checked for radioactive material.

On 2025-05-27, Ukrainian soldiers fired a 120mm mortar at the outskirts of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region, Ukraine. The report was published on 2025-05-30.

On 2025-05-29, Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the Russian delegation for the second round of talks in Istanbul would be the same as the first round. On 2025-05-29, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan emphasized that the recent momentum for talks was an opportunity to reach lasting peace and that dialogue and diplomacy are key to resolution.

On 2025-05-29, Israel ordered the closure of al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, prompting the relocation of dozens of people. On 2025-05-29, efforts to distribute limited food supplies at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites were marred by chaos. On 2025-05-29, Palestinians attempting to access the newly opened aid site at the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza were unable to leave due to Israeli military activity.

On 2025-05-29, China set up an international mediation organization (IOMed) in Hong Kong, hoping it will rival the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said this week that IOMed’s status would be on par with the UN bodies the ICJ and the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

On 2025-05-29, it was reported that President Donald Trump has implemented policies questioning transgender people's existence, including defining gender based on "biological truth" at conception, barring transgender women from female sports, pushing transgender service members from the military, and attempting to block federal funding for gender-affirming care for those under 19.

On 2025-05-29, the Pew poll highlighted that transgender people are less likely than gay or lesbian adults to feel accepted by family members. On 2025-05-29, it was mentioned that the Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether Tennessee can enforce a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, a case considered significant for the transgender community.

On 2025-05-29, New York judge Margo Brodie sentenced German-born banker Tim Leissner, a former chairman for Goldman Sachs in Southeast Asia, to two years in prison for his role in the 1MDB scandal. Malaysia’s Commodities Minister Johari Abdul Ghani stated on 2025-05-29 that the two-year prison sentence for the former Goldman Sachs banker in the 1MDB scandal is too lenient.

Elon Musk stated on 2025-05-30 that he believes there is a 50 percent chance that his Mars spacecraft will make its first uncrewed voyage to the red planet at the end of 2026. SpaceX is also working with US government agency NASA to return humans to the Moon in 2027 onboard Starship, more than half a century since astronauts last walked on the lunar surface in 1972.