World briefs

PHILIPPINES A military investigation yesterday has concluded that six elite army soldiers were killed last month by an artillery round mistakenly fired by the marines and not Muslim militants as reported earlier.

INDONESIA After a hotly contested presidential election in Indonesia ended with both sides declaring victory, candidate Joko Widodo called on his backers to stay calm and refrain from celebrating out of fear that it could incite violence from the other side’s supporters as the nation settles in to wait for the official results.

MYANMAR 4 reporters and the chief executive officer of a magazine in Myanmar have been sentenced to 10 years at hard labor in prison on a national security charge for investigative stories about a weapons factory.

MECCA A World Health Organization official urged millions of Muslims making the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to exercise basic hygiene as mass gatherings pose risks of spreading the Middle East respiratory syndrome. The UN agency has recorded 827 cases of MERS and 287 deaths, mostly in Saudi Arabia.

GAZA More than 20 people have been killed in the latest air raids on Gaza, Palestinian officials say, as Israel continues its current offensive. Most died in attacks in Khan Younis in the south, bringing the overall death toll to 80. Militants in Gaza continued firing rockets into Israel. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned the situation was “on a knife-edge”.

GERMANY took the dramatic step yesterday of asking the top U.S. intelligence official in Berlin to leave the country, following two reported cases of suspected U.S. spying and the yearlong spat over eavesdropping by the National Security Agency. The move reflects growing impatience in Germany at what is perceived as U.S. nonchalance about being caught spying on a close ally. More on p15

USA More flights on U.S. airlines are running late or getting canceled, and complaints are rising. The Transportation Department said that 76.9 percent of flights arrived on time in May, down from 79.6 percent in April and 79.4 percent in May 2013. Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines, which get good weather on many routes, rank best. ExpressJet and Envoy, which fly smaller planes for big airlines, rank last.

USA The fantasy saga “Game of Thrones,” defying the Emmy Awards’ grudging respect for genre fare, emerged as the leader in the nominations announced yesterday with 19 bids, including best drama series. Other top nominees included “Fargo,” with 18 bids, and “American Horror Story: Coven,” with 17. The AIDS drama “The Normal Heart” received 16nominations, including best TV movie.

UKRAINE Divisions are appearing among the pro-Russia separatists fighting government troops in eastern Ukraine. The head of one influential rebel battalion in the region said yesterday he will not submit to the command of the military leader of the separatist insurgency. Vostok commander Alexander Khodakovsky also said he would not abandon the rebel-held city of Donetsk even if ordered to do so. No such order has been issued, but rebel troops did flee from their stronghold in Slovyansk last weekend.