World news in brief
Venezuelan unrest enters fourth week
Venezuelans erected barricades with garbage and even bathtubs on Monday and snarled traffic with mass “sit-ins” along major thoroughfares to press their demand for early elections as anti-government protests entered a fourth week. Ten people have been killed during clashes this month between security forces armed with rubber bullets and tear gas and protesters sometimes throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails. At least 10 people have also died during night-time looting.
President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government accuses foes of seeking a violent coup with U.S. connivance, while the opposition says he is a dictator repressing peaceful protest. The opposition's main demands are for elections, the release of jailed activists and autonomy for the opposition-led congress. But protests are also fueled by the crippling economic crisis in the oil-rich nation of 30 million people. “I have an empty stomach because I can't find food,” said Jeannette Canozo, a 66-year-old homemaker, who said police used rubber bullets against protesters blocking a Caracas avenue with trash and bathtubs in the early
morning.
Demonstrators wore the yellow, blue and red colors of Venezuela's flag and held signs denouncing shortages, inflation and violent crime as they chanted: “This government has fallen!”
Reuters
Swedish police arrest second suspect over Stockholm truck attack
Swedish police have arrested a second person over a truck attack which killed four people and injured 15 others in Stockholm earlier this month. Police spokesman Simon Bynert said the male suspect was arrested on Sunday, but gave no more details. Rakhmat Akilov, a 39-year-old Uzbek man, has pleaded guilty to a terrorist crime after ramming the truck into a crowd outside a main pedestrian shopping street on April 7 during a busy afternoon. British man Chris Bevington, 41, was one of the four people killed
Police have not disclosed a motive for the attack and no extremist group has claimed responsibility. Akilov was known to have been sympathetic to extremist organisations, but police said that there was nothing to indicate he might plan an attack. His Swedish residency application was rejected last year.
PA
Netanyahu gives German FM 'ultimatum' over meeting with NGOs
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to cancel an upcoming meeting with Germany's foreign minister unless the visiting diplomat cancels an appointment with two groups critical of Israel's actions in the West Bank. A senior Israeli official confirmed that the prime minister issued an ultimatum to Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel that he would scrap their meeting scheduled for Tuesday if Gabriel met with members of non-governmental organizations Breaking the Silence and B'Tselem.
Gabriel arrived in Israel on Monday evening following a visit to Jordan. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli Foreign Ministry as to whether the German government has responded.
AP
2,000 protest Russian influence in Budapest
About 2,000 people have rallied against what they say is Russia's growing influence on Hungary and the authoritarian tendencies of Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Monday evening's protest was held a few blocks from the Russian embassy in Budapest after police banned the event from taking place closer to the building.
Cries of “Europe! Europe!” could be heard during the event, called “Let's Stop Moscow” in response to the government's “Let's Stop Brussels” campaign, which claims the European Union is increasingly trying to away rights from member states. Writer and environmental activist Andras Lanyi said there was a growing chasm between East and West “and we Hungarians don't want to find ourselves again on the side of the enemies of humanity.”
AP