Spain opens door to 31 exhumations in the Valley of the Fallen mausoleum
Spanish authorities said on Wednesday they would endeavor to exhume some of the thousands of civil war victims in the Valley of the Fallen, weeks after the remains of dictator Francisco Franco were ferried out of the mausoleum by helicopter.
Lebanon bank staff strike to continue on Thursday: union head
Lebanon’s union of bank employees said its members would continue to strike on Thursday, extending industrial action that has shut banks across the country this week.
Brazil says Bolsonaro unaware of planned ‘invasion’ of Venezuela embassy
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was not aware of plans by supporters of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido for an “invasion” of the country’s embassy in Brasilia, security advisors to Bolsonaro said on Wednesday.
Climate change blamed as floods overwhelm Venice, swamping basilica and squares
Venice’s mayor declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after “apocalyptic” floods swept through the lagoon city, flooding its historic basilica and inundating squares and centuries-old buildings.
Guaido backers enter Venezuela embassy in Brasilia, sparking standoff
Supporters of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido gained access to the country’s embassy in Brasilia on Wednesday morning, leading to a standoff with backers of leftist President Nicolas Maduro, according to diplomatic representatives.
Indonesia barred Cambodia’s Rainsy from flight to Jakarta: airline
Malaysia Airlines said on Wednesday it had barred veteran Cambodian opposition figure Sam Rainsy from a flight from Kuala Lumpur to the Indonesian capital Jakarta on the instruction of Indonesian authorities.
Bus crash in Slovakia kills at least 13, many more injured
A crash between a truck and passenger bus killed at least 13 people in western Slovakia on Wednesday and injured many others, Slovak fire and rescue services said.
Asian airlines cancel annual gathering as Hong Kong violence escalates
A group of Asian airlines canceled an annual gathering of their executives next week due to the “unpredictability” of the situation in Hong Kong, they said late on Wednesday.
Protesters blockade universities, stockpile makeshift weapons as chaos grips Hong Kong
Anti-government protesters dug in at several university campuses across Hong Kong on Wednesday, setting the stage for further confrontations as police said violence in the Chinese-ruled city had reached a “very dangerous and even deadly level”.
Mayor of Venice sees hundreds of millions of euros of flood damage
The financial cost of severe flooding in Venice is likely to run to hundreds of millions of euros, Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said on Wednesday, while a senior cleric said the city’s historic Saint Mark’s Basilica risked “irreparable” harm.
