World briefs

THAILAND The relics and ashes of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej were enshrined in the royal palace and two temples yesterday, ending an elaborate five-day funeral for a widely revered monarch who reigned for seven decades.

IRAQ’s Prime Minister on Friday issued a 24-hour suspension of the movement of troops who are deployed in Iraq’s north to bring territory held by Kurdish forces back under federal control. The order was given to “prevent clashes and bloodshed between the sons of one nation.”

QATAR’s central bank is easing its banking rules for expatriates, as it grapples with a regional economic boycott about to enter its sixth month. The regulator ordered lenders to allow foreign workers to conduct normal banking transactions for 90 days after the expiry date of their visa.

SYRIA Islamic State militants, routed from one urban stronghold after another in Syria, have recently been moving deeper into Syria’s remote desert, where experts say they are regrouping and preparing their next incarnation.

ISRAEL Under pressure from the United States, Israel has delayed a bill that would connect a number of West Bank settlements to Jerusalem, officials said yesterday.

SOMALIA In the wake of a night-long assault on a Mogadishu hotel in which 23 people were killed, Somalia’s government has fired the police and intelligence chiefs yesterday. The Cabinet voted to sack the chiefs in response to a recommendation by Somalia’s security minister Mohamed Abukar Islow. 

SWITZERLAND Swiss media have reported that six people have been injured in a roller coaster crash and a merry-go-round mishap at a fair in the city of Basel.

ICELAND’s ruling Independence Party took the largest share of the vote in the island nation’s parliamentary election but faces difficult negotiations to form a new government after populist candidates showed unexpected strength.

CUBA’s foreign minister has announced changes to the island’s immigration policies, seeking to strengthen ties with the 800,000 Cubans living outside the country.