World Briefs

PHILIPPINES Rodrigo Duterte has offered a nearly USD500 bounty for each communist rebel killed by government forces to save on anti-insurgency costs and said insurgents are easier to hit than birds because they have bigger heads.

Cambodia Two more Westerners arrested in Cambodia for allegedly posting photos on social media of sexually suggestive dancing have been released, leaving only one British man still incarcerated out of the 10 originally detained, a court official and lawyer said yesterday.

INDONESIA A key ideologue for Islamic State militants in Indonesia went on trial yesterday for ordering acts of terror including a 2016 suicide bombing and gun attack in Jakarta that killed eight people including four attackers.

INDIA-PAKISTAN Pakistan’s army says Indian fire has struck a school van from across the frontier in Kashmir, killing the driver and forcing residents to flee to safety.

NEPAL The leader of Nepal’s communist party was named the Himalayan nation’s new prime minister yesterday, a day after the results of parliamentary elections were finalized.

ETHIOPIA Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn announced yesterday he has submitted a resignation letter after the worst anti-government protests in a quarter-century, saying he hoped the surprise decision would help planned reforms succeed and create a “lasting peace.”

BRAZIL A series of muggings, armed robberies and confrontations during Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival celebrations are underscoring the deteriorating security situation in the city. TV Globo showed videos of gunfire between rival drug gangs, teenagers punching tourists in areas usually considered relatively safe.

VENEZUELA Leader Nicolas Maduro says he’s reopening the country’s consulate in Miami, citing requests from fellow citizens who want to vote in the upcoming presidential election. The presidential election is set for April 22.