World Briefs

CHINA warned other countries yesterday against threatening its security in the South China Sea after an international tribunal handed the Philippines a victory. Beijing said it could declare an air defense identification zone over the waters if it felt threatened, a move that would sharply escalate tensions.

MALAYSIA’s central bank yesterday cut interest rates for the first time in seven years to bolster a slowing economy amid fears of greater volatility in global growth following Britain’s decision to leave the European Union.

JAPAN’s Emperor Akihito has expressed his intention to retire and relinquish his title in the next few years, rather than reduce his duties as he ages, the country’s public television reported yesterday. While abdication is unheard of in modern Japanese history, Akihito has broken with other imperial traditions.

ITALY Officials yesterday pointed to delayed, EU-financed rail improvements and the “risky,” antiquated telephone alert system used in parts of Italy as possible underlying causes of a violent head-on train crash that killed some two dozen people.
Turkey Prosecutors are seeking several consecutive life sentences for dozens of suspects accused of involvement in twin suicide bombings that killed 103 people outside Ankara’s train station last year, the state-run news agency reported yesterday.

MALI UNESCO is adding Mali’s Old Towns of Djenne, famous for their adobe architecture, to its list of World Heritage in Danger sites. The committee expressed concern over the historic towns, saying insecurity stood in the way of “safeguarding measures” and appealed to the international community for support.

US Donald Trump is wildly unpopular among young adults, in particular young people of color, and nearly two-thirds of Americans between the ages of 18 and 30 believe the presumptive Republican nominee is racist.

BRAZIL is beefing up funding for the military to help it meet security needs for the Olympics that open next month in Rio de Janeiro. Sports Minister Leonardo Picciani said that despite a budget crunch, the government is granting the armed forces an additional USD24 million at the request of the Defense Ministry.

NATO-RUSSIA Ambassadors from NATO nations met yesterday with Russian envoys to explain decisions made at the recent alliance summit in Warsaw and try to reduce tensions with Moscow.