World briefs

CAMBODIA’s Parliament passed legislation yesterday that could allow the lifting of a five-year ban on political activity by some top opposition politicians.

THAILAND A policeman in Thailand was arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a French man at a shopping plaza in Bangkok.

US-IRAN As U.S. President Donald Trump re-imposed harsh economic sanctions on Iran last month, hackers scrambled to break into personal emails of American officials tasked with enforcing them — another sign of how deeply cyberespionage is embedded into the fabric of U.S.-Iranian relations.

ISRAEL-PALESTINE A Palestinian gunman got out of a car and opened fire at a bus stop outside a West Bank settlement yesterday, killing two Israeli soldiers before speeding away, the Israeli military said.

TURKEY A high-speed train hit a railway engine and crashed into a pedestrian overpass yesterday at a station in the Turkish capital of Ankara, killing nine people and injuring dozens, officials said.

SERBIA-KOSOVO Tensions soared in the Balkans a day before Kosovo’s parliament is set to approve the formation of an army, with Serbia warning yesterday that the move would threaten peace in the war-scarred region.

HUNGARY’s parliament has approved the creation of a new court system to deal with matters related to public administration, giving Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government close control over what will become a crucial part of the judiciary.

FRANCE A police operation was underway yesterday in the Strasbourg neighborhood where the suspected gunman in an attack near a popular Christmas market that killed three people last was seen.

BRITAIN Prime Minister Theresa May was seeking a Brexit lifeline from European Union leaders yesterday after winning a no-confidence vote among her own Conservative lawmakers at home — a victory won only after she put a time limit on her leadership. 

VENEZUELA Socialist President Nicolas Maduro said Wednesday that he has uncovered an assassination plot that leads directly to the White House. Venezuela’s leader repeated his frequent warning that a U.S. invasion is imminent — this time giving some details but no evidence.