Fed up Venezuelans find solace on the beachWhen Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido called for street protests at the weekend in a bid to rekindle popular outrage against President Nicolas Maduro, only a few hundred people turned up. It’s a far cry from the tens of thousands he mobilized a year ago after declaring himself interim president and winning recognition from more than 50 countries. Many, like Jhoan Navarro, would rather turn their attention to the beach these days, glad of a distraction from the seemingly unending political standoff which they say has brought little change to their lives.

Two WWII bombs made safe in GermanyTwo World War II-era bombs were made safe in the western German city of Dortmund after around 14,000 people were evacuated, the city said Sunday. Officials there warning on Saturday that unexploded bombs dropped by Allied forces during the war might be buried in four sites in a heavily populated part of the city centre. Two unexploded bombs weighing 250 kilogrammes (550 pounds) each, one British and the other American, were found and made safe.

Monument to honor US-Mexican dual citizens slain in MexicoPresident Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Sunday that a monument will be put up to memorialize nine U.S.-Mexican dual citizens ambushed and slain last year by suspected drug gang assassins along a remote road in the northern border region near New Mexico. In remarks to members of the small town of La Mora, which was shattered by the Nov. 4 killings of three women and six children from the extended Langford, LeBarón and Miller families, López Obrador said the first goal is to bring those responsible to justice. Speaking after meeting with victims’ relatives, the president said an agreement had …

Small but dangerous: volcano spews ash over Philippine capitalA volcano near Manila spewed a massive cloud of ash that drifted across the Philippine capital on Sunday, forcing the cancellation of flights and closure of schools and government offices as authorities warned of a possible “explosive eruption”. Thousands of people were evacuated from the area near Taal volcano after it suddenly shot a column of ash and steam as high as 15 km (nine miles) into the sky. Taal, one of the world’s smallest active volcanoes, sits in the middle of a lake about 70 km (45 miles) south of the center of the capital, Manila.

Iran's sole female Olympic medallist defectsIran’s only female Olympic medallist Kimia Alizadeh announced Saturday she has permanently left her country, citing the “hypocrisy” of a system she claims humiliates athletes while using them for political ends. “Should I start with hello, goodbye, or condolences?” she wrote on Instagram, as Iran reeled from Wednesday’s accidental shooting down of a Ukrainian airliner that killed all 176 people onboard. Alizadeh, who won a bronze medal in taekwondo at the 2016 Rio Olympics, cited oppression by authorities in the Islamic republic.

AP Analysis: New questions rise as Iran says it downed planeIran’s acknowledgement that it shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing 176 people, raises new challenges for the Islamic Republic both externally amid tensions with the U.S. and internally as it deals with growing discontent from its people. The country did itself no favors by having its air-crash investigators, government officials and diplomats deny for days that a missile downed the flight, though a commander said Saturday that he had raised that possibility to his superiors as early as Wednesday, the day of the crash. While its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard took responsibility, the same commander claimed it warned Tehran to close …

Stomach illness outbreak at Yosemite prompts major clean-upFederal health officials are inspecting Yosemite National Park’s food service areas after at least a dozen people have fallen ill with stomach issues. The National Park Service and the U.S. Public Health Service told the San Francisco Chronicle they launched an investigation after employees and visitors reported the problems this month. Park officials said those who had gotten sick are getting better or already recovered.