World briefs

CHINA  allowed its yuan to fall below the politically sensitive level of seven to the U.S. dollar yesterday for the first time in 11 years, prompting concern Beijing might use devaluation as a weapon in a tariff war with Washington.

SOUTH KOREA President Moon Jae-in yesterday described the country’s escalating trade war with Japan as a wake-up call to revamp its economy and issued a nationalistic call for economic cooperation with North Korea, which he said would allow the Koreas to erase Japan’s economic superiority in “one burst.”

MALAYSIA Police yesterday they are investigating the disappearance of a 15-year-old London girl, but there were no initial indications of foul play.

SRI LANKA President Maithripala Sirisena said yesterday that the attorney general has informed him that a bill presented to Parliament last week seeking to abolish the death penalty is illegal.

AUSTRALIA Officials confirmed yesterday that their country will not be used as a base for any planned U.S. mid-range missiles following talks with American officials in Sydney.

INDIA The government revoked disputed Kashmir’s special status with a presidential order yesterday as thousands of newly deployed troops arrived and internet and phone services were cut in the restive Himalayan region where most people oppose Indian rule.

MALDIVES Former vice president of the Maldives, Ahmed Adeeb, who was arrested after fleeing to neighboring India to avoid questioning over the alleged embezzlement of state funds was taken to a Maldives detention center yesterday after being returned to the country.

NIGERIA  A court on yesterday granted the leader of the country’s main Shia group, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, permission to leave prison in order to travel abroad for medical treatment.

ISTANBUL Turkish and American military officials met yesterday for negotiations about establishing a safe zone in northeastern Syria to address Ankara’s concerns about U.S-allied Syrian Kurdish-led forces in that region.

AUSTRIA Police say two young girls have died after a driver slammed into the trailer they were being pulled in behind their mother’s electric moped.

UK Bank HSBC yesterday announced the surprise departure of CEO John Flint after just 18 months, saying new leadership was needed amid increasing economic uncertainty, and that it was cutting some 4,000 jobs to reduce costs.