World briefs

CHINA The International Monetary Fund no longer believes China’s tightly controlled currency is undervalued, an IMF official says, a stance that might help Beijing in its wrangling with Washington over exchange rate controls.

CHINA’s navy lavishes praise on a flight instructor and his student who were killed in a crash after steering their stricken aircraft clear of populated areas.

AUSTRALIA plans to pass a law within weeks to give the government power to strip citizenship from dual nationals who are suspected terrorists even if they are not convicted of a crime, the prime minister says. More than 100 Australians are suspected to be fighting with the Islamic State movement and other terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq. Up to 50 percent of those fighters were estimated to be dual citizens, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said.

CAMBODIA-UKRAINE A Cambodian court acquits a senior Ukrainian lawmaker of rape in a case he says was cooked up by political opponents.

IRAQ announces the launch of a military operation to drive the Islamic State group out of the western Anbar province, where the extremists captured the provincial capital, Ramadi, earlier this month. More on p15

IRAN begins the trial of a detained Washington Post reporter in a closed security court.

KENYA Al-Shabab gunmen attack Kenyan police vehicles near Somalia’s border, injuring at least five officers and burning five cars, police say.

USA Two B.B. King heirs who’ve been most outspoken about the blues legend’s care in his final days have accused King’s two closest aides of poisoning him, but the attorney for King’s estate called the claims ridiculous and police said there was no active homicide investigation.

USA Apple innovator Jonathan Ive says he’s been promoted to the company’s chief design officer, making him one of the most powerful people in the world’s most valuable company. As a lead designer with the company, Ive helped conceive the looks of products like the iPod, iPad and Apple Watch.

AUSTRIAN police have detained three suspects for allegedly smuggling people onto flights bound for the United States or Britain.