World briefs

THAILAND About 400 anti-government protesters rallied in the Thai capital over the weekend, calling on the country’s military rulers to give up power and hold elections they promised soon after staging a coup in 2014.

CAMBODIA A woman who threw a shoe at a billboard depicting Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has been arrested after she was repatriated from Thailand, where the UN refugee agency reportedly had formally recognized her as a refugee. 

INDONESIA A packed tourist bus returning from an outing collided with a motorbike and plunged from a hill on Indonesia’s main island of Java after its brakes apparently malfunctioned, killing at least 27 people.

INDIA-UAE Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the second day of his visit to the UAE by unveiling a model of the first Hindu temple that will be built in the capital of Abu Dhabi, a testament to the stronger ties that both countries seek.

IRAN Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied on the streets yesterday to mark the 39th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, just weeks after anti-government protests rocked cities across the country.

ISRAEL’s prime minister said yesterday his country delivered “severe blows” to Iranian and Syrian forces and vowed to take further action against its adversaries following the most serious Israeli engagement in Syria since the war there erupted almost seven years ago.

RUSSIA A passenger plane believed to be carrying 71 people crashed yesterday near Moscow, shortly after takeoff from one of the city’s airports. No survivors were immediately reported.

ITALY Marchers protested racism Saturday in several Italian cities and warned against a revival of neo-fascist sentiment amid the campaign for Italy’s March 4 national election.

SPAIN Police say they have confiscated 310 kilos of young eels that were about to be smuggled out of the country and shipped to Asia.

VENEZUELA The government’s decision to plow ahead with early presidential elections over the objections of the opposition risks spurring more international sanctions and exacerbating an economic and social crisis driving increasing numbers of Venezuelans into exile, analysts say.

BRAZIL Authorities are investigating arsons at two separate residences where Venezuelans were living that they believe were committed by the same person, a police official said Friday.