Briefly

VENEZUELA

39 army deserters captured over plot

Venezuela announced on Thursday that its troops had captured 39 army deserters on the Colombian border, saying they were part of a recently derailed plot to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino told state television that those arrested were "part of the general scheme" to overthrow Maduro, linking them to a failed sea-borne raid two weeks ago that Caracas said was backed by the United States. Thursday's arrests bring to 91 the number of people detained in what Venezuela said was a botched incursion. US President Donald Trump has denied any involvement of his administration in the plot.

INDIA

Clogged cooling system likely cause of gas leak

A clogged cooling system was the likely cause of a temperature surge in a storage tank which led to a gas leak at a chemical plant in India, killing 12 people, three state government investigators have said. They said workers at LG Polymers, a unit of South Korea's LG Chem near the southern city of Visakhapatnam, did not use a warning system to alert local residents but informed company management after the leak on May 7. The three investigators asked not to be named as they are not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation. LG Polymers said the situation at the plant was now under control. About 800 people were taken to hospital after the leak, and some were asleep when gas drifted over their homes. Police have filed a culpable homicide complaint against LG Polymers.

Agencies Via Xinhua