World briefs 7/25/16

First lady's nephews charged with drugs

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Two nephews of Venezuela's first lady confessed to trying to smuggle 1,700 pounds of cocaine into the U.S., according to prosecutors in the case. Court filings Friday by prosecutors shed light on the case that sounded alarm bells about high-level corruption and drug trafficking by Venezuela's political elite at a time of increasing economic and political turmoil in the South American nation. Efrain Campo and Francisco Flores were arrested in November in Haiti in a sting operation coordinated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. They then were flown to New York, where they are in jail awaiting trial for conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the U.S. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Nepal's embattled premier resigns

KATHMANDU, Nepal -- Nepal's prime minister resigned Sunday shortly before he was to face a confidence vote in parliament he expected to lose, aggravating political instability in the Himalayan country. Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli's 9-month-old government had lost majority support this month after the Maoist party pulled out of the coalition, accusing Oli of failing to honor power-sharing agreements. In a televised speech in parliament, Oli said Sunday the way he was forced to resign would have implications for the country and lead to more political instability. "The opposition parties hatched a conspiracy for narrow interests, and I am stunned by that," he said. "I have already submitted my resignation letter to the president and have informed the speaker about the resignation, paving the way for the election of a new prime minister."

Man kills woman with machete

BERLIN -- German media reported a man with a machete killed a woman and injured two others in the southwestern city of Reutlingen before being arrested. Bild and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspapers reported Sunday the reason for the attack in the city south of Stuttgart was unclear. Reutlingen police could not be reached to provide details. The attacks comes as Germany is on edge after a rampage at a Munich mall Friday night in which nine people were killed and an ax attack on a train a week ago that left five wounded.

Thousands flock to critic's funeral

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Tens of thousands of Cambodians marched Sunday in the funeral procession for a government critic who was shot fatally in an attack that raised suspicion of a political conspiracy. A farm worker who was caught told police he killed Kem Ley, 45, over a $3,000 loan. The suspect's wife said the family was too poor to lend so much money. Cambodia has a history of political violence. Although there was no overt political sloganeering during the procession, the huge crowds reflected the anti-government sentiment that could pose a challenge to Prime Minister Hun Sen, a frequent target of Kem Ley's criticism. Since the July 10 killing, Kem Ley's body had been kept at a Buddhist temple in Phnom Penh for people to pay respects. It was placed in a glass casket on a vehicle that took almost 12 hours to complete a 43-mile journey to his hometown.

-- From wire reports