Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Iraq elects new president and premier, ending stalemate

Iraq’s parliament on Thursday elected Kurdish politician Abdul Latif Rashid as president, who immediately named Mohammed Shia al-Sudani prime minister-designate, ending a year of deadlock after a national election in October last year. The presidency, traditionally occupied by a Kurd, is a largely ceremonial position, but the vote for Rashid was a key step toward forming a new government, which politicians have failed to do since the election.

Civilians in ‘annexed’ Kherson start to flee to Russia amid Ukrainian advances

Evacuees from Ukraine’s southern Kherson region were expected to begin arriving in Russia on Friday after a Moscow-installed official suggested residents should leave for safety, a sign of Moscow’s weakening hold on territory it claims to have annexed. “We suggested that all residents of the Kherson region, if they wish, to protect themselves from the consequences of missile strikes, … go to other regions,” Russian-installed Kherson administration chief Vladimir Saldo said in a video message. People should “leave with their children”.

Lula lead narrows to less than 5 points in Brazil election – AtlasIntel survey

Brazilian presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s polling lead over incumbent Jair Bolsonaro has narrowed to less than 5 percentage points, according to a new opinion survey published on Thursday by pollster AtlasIntel. In its first poll since the first-round vote on Oct. 2, pollster AtlasIntel found 51.1% of voters for Lula and 46.5% behind Bolsonaro. Excluding undecided voters and null votes, Lula has 52.4% support and Bolsonaro 47.6%.

Magnitude 6.2 earthquake strikes New Ireland Region – EMSC

An earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck New Ireland Region near Papua New Guinea on Friday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said. The quake was at a depth of 100 km (62.14 miles), EMSC said.

Turkish parliament passes media law setting jail terms for ‘disinformation’

Turkey’s parliament on Thursday adopted a law proposed by President Tayyip Erdogan that would jail journalists and social media users for up to three years for spreading “disinformation”, despite deep concerns over free speech. Lawmakers from Erdogan’s ruling AK Party (AKP) and its nationalist ally MHP, which together have a majority, approved the bill even as opposition lawmakers, European countries and media rights activists called for it to be scrapped.

Is this a drill? Upcoming Russian nuclear exercises a challenge for the West

With Russia expected to soon carry out large-scale drills of its nuclear forces as President Vladimir Putin threatens to use them, the United States and its allies will be challenged to ensure they can spot the difference between exercises and the real thing. Russia typically holds major annual nuclear exercises around this time of year, and U.S. and Western officials expect them perhaps in just days. They will likely include the test launch of ballistic missiles, U.S. officials say.

Seoul scrambles fighters as North Korean planes fly close to border

South Korea scrambled fighter jets after a group of about 10 North Korean military aircraft flew close to the border dividing the two countries, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, amid heightened tensions over repeated North Korean missiles tests. The statement said the North Korean aircraft were detected flying about 25 km (15 miles) north of the Military Demarcation Line in the central region of the Korea border area and about 12 km (7 miles) north of the Northern Limit Line, a de facto inter-Korean border in the Yellow Sea. The incident happened between 10:30 p.m. Thursday (1330 GMT) and 0:20 a.m. (1530 GMT) local time Friday.

Iran intensifies crackdown on Kurdish areas as protests rage

Iranian security forces stepped up their crackdown on Kurdish regions of the country overnight, deploying militia troops, as authorities pursued their deadly suppression of nationwide protests sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody. Nearly four weeks after Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, was detained in Tehran for “inappropriate attire”, the protests show no sign of abating in a bold challenge to Iran’s clerical rulers, even if the unrest does not seem close to toppling them.

Venezuelans fret over new U.S. border plan, saying ‘we can’t go back’

Venezuelan migrants stranded on the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday worried they might never reach the United States after a bilateral deal this week sought to put a lid on a recent sharp increase in crossings by the South Americans. Under the plan announced Wednesday, Washington will grant up to 24,000 Venezuelans humanitarian access to the United States by air, while enabling U.S. officials to expel to Mexico those caught trying to cross illegally by land.

U.N. Security Council considers Haiti sanctions, targeting gang leader ‘Barbecue’

The U.N. Security Council is considering creating a sanctions regime to impose an asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo on anyone who threatens the peace, security or stability of Haiti, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters on Thursday. The first person to be sanctioned would be Jimmy Cherizier, who goes by the nickname “Barbecue” and is described in the U.S. and Mexico-drafted resolution as one of Haiti’s most influential gang leaders.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)