World briefs 9A

North Korea devalues currency to aid economy

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea slashed the official exchange rate for its currency last week as the latest step in a new reform program aimed at reviving the moribund economy, foreign residents say.

The official value of the won dropped from 46.5 U.S. cents to just two-thirds of a cent, the residents reported, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The reforms by the communist regime, which began July 1 with pay raises and the loosening of price controls, are viewed as significant because they include elements of a market-based economy in one of the world's most tightly controlled countries.

After details of the initial changes leaked out, analysts had said North Korea would have to devalue the won to reflect the realities of its economy, which has been wrecked by years of mismanagement and famine in the 1990s that killed hundreds of thousands.

Little hope for finding crash victims' remains

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico -- Search teams were losing hope Saturday of finding the two remaining bodies of American servicemen killed when their plane slammed into a forested area during a training mission, an official said.

"There isn't much chance of finding the last two bodies because they're probably very dismembered," said Adolfo Menendez, commander of a National Guard unit at the crash site.

Dozens of rescuers spread out on a mountainside to search for the remains of the two final victims nonetheless, but found nothing Saturday. The other eight bodies of those aboard the plane were recovered earlier. The plane crashed Wednesday night.

The search has been hampered by fog, drizzle and mud.

Missing girls didn't use Internet chat rooms

LONDON -- Police investigating the disappearance of two 10-year-old girls in a rural village have found no evidence they used Internet chat rooms before they went missing, officials said Saturday.

Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman vanished Aug. 4 while walking near their homes in Soham, 12 miles northeast of Cambridge.

The girls used the Internet shortly before their disappearance and authorities have been analyzing their computer records, to see if they had arranged to meet someone.

But Detective Chief Inspector Andy Hebb said on Saturday the girls had not communicated with anyone during their 20 minutes on the Internet.

Japanese truancy, crime reach record levels

TOKYO -- After decades of boasting the world's most studious youngsters, Japan's schools reported a record number of truants last year -- double the figure just a decade ago, according to a survey released Saturday.

The Education Ministry said about 139,000 Japanese elementary and junior high-school students refused to attend classes for at least 30 straight days in the academic year ending March 31.

The truancy report came days after the National Police Agency said crime in Japan reached a record level in the first half of the year. Juvenile delinquency, violent crimes and thefts are all increasing.

For decades, Japan enjoyed a low crime rate while experiencing a post-World War II economic boom. But the country's current economic slowdown, the worst in the postwar period, has been accompanied by near record high unemployment and a surge in crime.

-- From wire reports

One Israeli, Palestinian killed in settlement shooting

JERUSALEM, -- Gunfire in a Jordan Valley settlement killed a suspected Palestinian militant and an Israeli woman late Saturday, officials said.

Two Israelis were also wounded in a gunbattle with the army near the settlement of Mechora, said Yehoshua Mor-Yosef, spokesman for the settlers' organization.

It was unclear if the wounded Israelis were soldiers or settlers. Mor-Yosef said the woman who died was a civilian.

The army did not confirm the gunbattle, but said soldiers were searching for more possible infiltrators.