World News in Brief: October 5

* Brazil will hold a presidential runoff on Oct. 25 as official results showed Sunday that no candidate secured a majority of valid votes in the first round. According to results released by the Superior Electoral Court, with over 99 percent of the ballots counted, Flavio Bolsonaro, presidential candidate of Brazil's Liberal Party, garnered about 47 percent of valid votes while incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of the Workers' Party came in second with about 45 percent.

* The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) were leading the preliminary results for the House of Representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), according to data from the country's Central Election Commission (CEC) on Monday. In the BiH Federation, the SDA led with 238,576 votes, or 31.55 percent, followed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) with 117,959 votes, or 15.60 percent.

* Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Monday that Spain will hold an early general election on Nov. 29. Sanchez announced the decision in a video statement from the Moncloa Palace at 9 a.m. local time (0700 GMT), saying he would convene an extraordinary cabinet meeting later that morning to dissolve parliament and call the election.

* Abiy Ahmed was reappointed as Ethiopia's prime minister by parliament on Monday, following the Prosperity Party's victory in the election in June, according to an announcement during a televised parliamentary session.

* The world is projected to need 50 million additional teachers by 2030, according to a joint message released Monday by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on the occasion of World Teachers' Day.

* Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae said Monday that Japan strongly protests the alleged robbery and murder of a woman in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa involving a U.S. Marine. Takaichi, speaking to parliament in Tokyo on the first day of an extraordinary Diet session ahead of a policy speech, said Japan has called for full U.S. cooperation with the investigation and "strict discipline among U.S. military personnel" to prevent a recurrence, Kyodo News reported.

* The United States removed all its B-1 bombers from Britain's RAF Fairford air base, a decision stemming from security concerns over suspected terror plots against the facility, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing U.S. officials.

* U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday announced a new federal task force to coordinate the government's efforts on artificial intelligence (AI). Trump said in a Truth Social post that the task force, named the "Super Intelligence Force," will coordinate federal efforts to ensure the United States continues to lead the world in AI.

* Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday ordered all state agencies to work at full capacity in the final week before Bangkok hosts the 2026 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a government spokesperson said. The meetings are scheduled for Oct. 12-18 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.

* Germany pledged a fresh military aid package for Ukraine worth around 1 billion euros (about 1.13 billion USD), Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced during his visit to Kiev on Sunday. According to the German government, the new military aid package focuses primarily on air defense capabilities, including the joint production of interceptors against jet-powered drones.

* Two weeks after the high school blockades began in France, 413 schools across the country were disrupted on Monday, according to the French Ministry of National Education. The ministry noted the figure was down 27 percent from 564 schools on Friday and 32 percent from 610 schools on Thursday.

* India's largest airline IndiGo Monday announced a hike in fuel surcharge for domestic and international flights in the wake of rising Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices. The new fuel surcharge policy will come into effect from Tuesday.

* The European Union (EU) has temporarily suspended the entry of fresh meat and certain processed meat products from Namibia's previously foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)-free zone following an outbreak of the highly contagious livestock disease.

* The leaders of Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia on Sunday issued a joint declaration on state sovereignty, Red Sea governance, and water rights, stressing the necessity of adhering to international law as the foundation for regional stability and cooperation.

* Iran's Foreign Ministry has summoned Norwegian Ambassador to Tehran Paal Bjornestad over Norway's continued failure to act against the "unauthorized" operation of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service on Iranian territory.

* Iraq's Najaf International Airport on Sunday received the first direct flight from Tehran, marking the official resumption of air travel between the two countries following a U.S. waiver, according to an airport statement.

* Yemen announced the launch of a new military operation aimed at retaking the capital Sanaa from Houthi control, as government forces mounted a counteroffensive near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.

* Laos' economy grew by 4.8 percent in the first nine months of 2026, up from 4.6 percent during the same period last year, despite regional and global economic uncertainty.

* Portuguese President Antonio Jose Seguro on Monday signed a government decree introducing 38 million euros (42.56 million USD) in financial support to help road transport operators, taxis, firefighters and social sector organizations cope with rising fuel costs.

* Greece's government on Monday submitted its draft 2027 budget to parliament, projecting gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 2.3 percent, continued declines in unemployment and public debt, and a primary budget surplus of 3.3 percent of GDP.

* The Philippines' exports of goods hit a 35-year high of 9.11 billion USD in August 2026, a year-on-year surge of 27.8 percent, according to local media reports on Sunday.

* Singapore's digital economy grew to 144.1 billion Singapore dollars (about 112.49 billion USD) in 2025, accounting for 19.3 percent of the country's gross domestic product, up from 18.8 percent in 2024, the Infocomm Media Development Authority said on Monday.

* Türkiye's annual inflation eased to 29.73 percent in September, marking a fourth straight month of slowing price growth, the Turkish Statistical Institute said Monday.

* Floods across Thailand have killed 31 people and affected about 4.14 million others since Sept. 16, authorities said on Monday. According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, nearly 3.52 million people in 26 provinces and the capital are still facing floods.

* Nepal has decided to halt the search-and-rescue phase launched following the devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers on Aug. 26, as hopes of finding survivors among those missing have faded 40 days after the disaster, the Prime Minister's Secretariat said on Monday.

* A tanker and two cargo ships collided near Alesund in western Norway on Sunday, with no injuries reported, said rescue authorities. The collision occurred in Valderhaugfjorden, in a narrow passage east of Valderoya before noon.