Thousands rally in Madrid, demand PM resign

People gather during a protest called by right-wing opposition parties against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at Colon Square in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday. Tens of thousands of people joined the rally to demand that Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez step down for his handling of the Catalonia region’s secession crisis.SD-Agencies

Netanyahu vows to freeze Palestinian funds

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is campaigning for re-election, vowed on Sunday to freeze money transfers by Israel to the Palestinian Authority (PA) after a deadly Palestinian attack on a young woman.

Israel collects around US$127 million a month in customs duties levied on goods destined for Palestinian markets that transit through Israeli ports and then transfers it to the PA.

The Israeli parliament, the Knesset*, last year passed legislation to partially withhold funds, in response to PA payments to families of Palestinians jailed by Israel for attacks against Israelis.

Thai princess disqualified as PM candidate

Thailand’s election panel on Monday disqualified the sister of the king from running for prime minister, putting an end to a stunning*, short-lived candidacy by echoing King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s words that royalty should be “above politics.”

The Election Commission released the official list of parties’ candidates for prime minister without the name of Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi, 67, the king’s elder sister.

100 dead after drinking bootleg alcohol in India

More than 100 people died in two Indian states after drinking bootleg* alcohol, police and media said on Monday, in the worst such case in years.

Many of those who died in Haridwar in Uttarkhand state and two districts in neighboring Uttar Pradesh complained of stomach pains and respiratory problems, relatives and officials said. Police have arrested four people in connection with the deaths, Haridwar senior superintendent* of police Janmaijai Prabhakar said.

“Total casualties remain at 36 and right now around 18 people are undergoing treatment,” he said.

Poroshenko to seek re-election

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko, whose popularity has plunged over rampant corruption and sliding living standards, has launched his uphill fight for re-election, promising to steer his country toward the West and join the EU.

Polls show Poroshenko trailing the opponent he defeated five years ago, opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, a veteran former prime minister who has pledged to clamp down on graft, raise wages and lower household energy prices.

Hungarian women with 4 kids get tax exemption

Hungary’s government is greatly increasing financial aid and subsidies for families with several children, the country’s prime minister said on Sunday.

The measures announced by Viktor Orban during his “state of the nation” speech are meant to encourage women to have more children and reverse Hungary’s population decline.

The benefits include a lifetime personal income-tax exemption for women who give birth and raise at least four children.(SD-Agencies)