World News in Brief: September 13

Polling stations opened across Sweden on Sunday morning in a closely watched parliamentary election that could see the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) enter government for the first time or the center-left return to power after four years in opposition.

Models present traditional costumes during the 2026 Jongno Hanbok Festival at the Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, on Sept. 12, 2026. The festival ran from Sept. 11 to 12 in Seoul. (Photo: Xinhua)
Models present traditional costumes during the 2026 Jongno Hanbok Festival at the Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, on Sept. 12, 2026. The festival ran from Sept. 11 to 12 in Seoul. (Photo: Xinhua)

* Cambodia and Myanmar have pledged to intensify joint efforts to combat cross-border crime and cyber scams, according to a press release from Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Sunday. The announcement followed the conclusion of a state visit by Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing to Cambodia from Friday to Saturday.

* South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday called on BRICS countries to strengthen multilateralism and push for global governance reform, saying the voices of Africa and the Global South must be fully reflected in shaping the future international order. Ramaphosa made the remarks at a session during the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, according to a statement released by the South African Presidency.

* Iran and Oman have agreed on the details of new entry and exit routes for the Strait of Hormuz and will brief Gulf countries on the outcome of their consultations at a regional meeting in Muscat on Monday, Iranian officials said on Saturday.

* Afghan police have thwarted attempts of trafficking 137 individuals out of the country and took into custody seven traffickers in western Afghanistan's Nimroz province on Saturday, Spokesman for the provincial police office Mawlawi Gul Mohammad Qudrat said Sunday.

* A passenger ship carrying 243 people that was earlier reported missing in the Java Sea has been found, with around 110 people rescued and one confirmed dead, local media reported Sunday.

* Iran, Iraq and Türkiye have stressed the need to prevent an escalation of tensions in the West Asia region. The issue was highlighted in separate phone calls between Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and his Turkish and Iraqi counterparts on Saturday, according to statements released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry early Sunday.

* Egypt's Ambassador to Palestine Bassem Abdel Hadi presented his credentials to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Saturday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

* Yemen's Houthi group said Saturday that international shipping through the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait remained near normal even as intense ground fighting raged along its shores.

* Yemen's Houthi group said Saturday that Saudi warplanes had carried out 129 airstrikes across seven Yemeni provinces over the past 48 hours, amid a sharp escalation following the group's rapid military advance along the Red Sea coast.

* A drone was spotted near Brussels Airport on Saturday evening, marking the second such incident in two days, Belgian air traffic control operator Skeyes told local media. Unlike what happened on Friday, the drone was detected both visually and by Skeyes' monitoring equipment. An investigation is underway, and the drone's origin and operator remain unknown.

* At least one person was killed and three others were wounded after an Iranian commercial ship was targeted by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday morning, the country's state-run IRIB news agency reported.

* Yemen's Houthi group said Sunday that it had launched a large-scale ballistic missile and drone attack on a military base in southern Saudi Arabia.

* Syria on Sunday temporarily raised fuel and cooking gas prices, citing rising global energy and shipping costs as well as reduced domestic refining capacity.

* Australian authorities on Sunday reported the first case of the H5N1 avian influenza in an endangered sea lion. Environment Minister in South Australia (SA), Emily Bourke, told reporters that testing detected the highly pathogenic strain in an Australian sea lion that was found dead on Friday on Kangaroo Island about 100 km off the coast of Adelaide.

* A large wildfire burning on the Croatian island of Brac for days has spread toward villages and tourist facilities overnight, prompting the evacuation of more than 200 people, local media reported Sunday.

Xinhua
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