The Afghan government plans to free nine hundred Taliban prisoners (AFP) today amid a rare cease-fire with the militant group, buoying hopes for intra-Afghan peace talks.
​
The Taliban on Sunday announced a three-day cessation of hostilities to commemorate the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr. President Ashraf Ghani accepted the truce and announced the start of the release (NPR) of up to two thousand prisoners. A spokesperson for the Afghan government said it hopes the cease-fire will be extended to allow the commencement of peace talks. A U.S.-Taliban deal calls for the release of five thousand Taliban prisoners and one thousand Afghan soldiers as a prelude to intra-Afghan talks.

China said it would “counter” any U.S. move (AFP) to punish Beijing over a proposed national security law for Hong Kong. U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien warned that the law could lead to sanctions, including the end of Hong Kong’s preferential trading status.

Japan: Stores began reopening and people returned to the streets (Yomiuri Shimbun) in Tokyo and around the country after a coronavirus-related state of emergency was lifted.
​
For CFR’s Asia Unbound blog, Nobumasa Akiyama discusses Japan’s opportunities in a post-coronavirus world.

A team from Airbus is investigating (News International) a Pakistan International Airlines plane that crashed in a residential area near the Karachi airport on Friday. All but two of the ninety-nine people on board died.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lambasted the press and law enforcement at the opening of his trial (Haaretz) for corruption charges on Sunday. Netanyahu, charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate cases, said that police and prosecutors had colluded with left-wing journalists to “fabricate ridiculous, bizarre cases” against him.
​
Saudi Arabia: The country will begin to ease coronavirus lockdown measures (Al Jazeera) on June 21, except in the holy city of Mecca. The Hajj and umrah religious pilgrimages will remain suspended.

Evariste Ndayishimiye, of Burundi’s governing party, was declared the winner (Al Jazeera) of the country’s election to replace President Pierre Nkurunziza. Ndayishimiye’s opponent, Agathon Rwasa, has alleged fraud.
​
South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country will move to a less-severe state of lockdown (Mail & Guardian) on June 1. Many South Africans will be allowed to return to work and school, and a nighttime curfew will be lifted.

A government minister resigned (Guardian) over a scandal involving Dominic Cummings, a top aide to Prime Minister Boris Johnson who flouted coronavirus lockdown measures. Cummings has refused to resign or apologize for driving 264 miles from London to Durham despite suspecting that he and his wife were infected. 
​
Brussels: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to unveil proposals for new taxes (FT) to fund the bloc’s economic recovery, including a tax on plastic waste.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has suspended travel from Brazil (CNN) to prevent the spread of coronavirus from the country, which has the world’s second-highest number of cases, after the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
​
Suriname: Voters went to the polls Monday (Miami Herald) to decide whether to reelect President Desi Bouterse, who has been convicted of murder by a military court.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is temporarily halting trials (NPR) that use hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 after research showed it may be harming patients. President Trump has touted the drug despite limited research into its effectiveness.
​
This CFR Backgrounder examines the world’s efforts to create a COVID-19 vaccine.