World briefs

CHINA A Chinese court held an appeal hearing yesterday for a Canadian who was sentenced to death for drug smuggling in a case that has deepened a diplomatic rift between the two countries. 

NORTH KOREA fired two suspected short-range missiles toward the sea on yesterday, South Korean officials said, its second weapons launch in five days and a possible warning that nuclear disarmament talks with Washington could be in danger. More on p12

MALAYSIA Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad defended his government’s record on the anniversary of its election victory yesterday and reiterated that he will hand over power to his successor, Anwar Ibrahim, though he wasn’t clear on when.

JAPAN A Japanese court has rejected an appeal from the lawyers of Nissan’s former chairman Carlos Ghosn over bail conditions that forbid him to contact his wife, as a prosecutor defended the restriction as needed to prevent evidence tampering.

AUSTRALIA Central bank has taken responsibility for typos on 46 million bank notes after a radio station posted an image of the microscopic error on social media.

RUSSIA will keep strengthening its armed forces, President Vladimir Putin promised yesterday, speaking at the annual military Victory Day parade that flooded Red Square in Moscow with celebrants, soldiers and military equipment. 

VATICAN Pope Francis issued a groundbreaking new church law yesterday requiring all Catholic priests and nuns around the world to report clergy sexual abuse and cover-up by their superiors to church authorities, in a new effort to hold the Catholic hierarchy accountable for failing to protect their flocks.