World briefs

CHINA In a country long focused on bringing home as many Olympic gold medals as possible, this year’s haul isn’t what China expected. When China’s 416-athlete delegation set off for Rio, state sports officials were banking on 30 to 36 gold medals. As the games end, it had won just 24 for the worst showing since Atlanta 96. More on p11

CHINA-TAIWAN Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called on China to jointly keep peace across the strait amid strained ties since she took office in May. “China should recognize both sides share the responsibility to maintain peaceful and stable development,” Tsai said in the first briefing with domestic and foreign media since her inauguration. “A communication mechanism has yet to be restored. We hope both sides can keep stability before considering a new view on dialogue,” she said.

CHINA-JAPAN Chinese planes and ships held war games in the Sea of Japan last week, the military said yesterday. During the exercise Beijing displayed its latest-generation frigate at a time of bitter territorial disputes with Asian neighbors.  More on p11

INDONESIA Ten people died and five were missing after a small wooden boat capsized in rough seas and sank yesterday off Indonesia’s Bintan island, south of Singapore, Indonesian officials said. Search and rescue personnel, maritime police and the navy were searching for survivors of the sinking. Two people were rescued. Two children were among the 10 people who died.

NORTH KOREA said that a senior diplomat who recently defected to South Korea is a criminal and “human scum,” in its first official response to the defection. The official Korean Central News Agency also accused Seoul of using the defection of Thae Yong Ho, formerly a minister at the N. Korean Embassy in London, for propaganda aimed at insulting the North Korean leadership. It also denounced the British gov’t for ignoring international protocol.

RUGBY World champion New Zealand humiliated Australia 42-8 to open the Rugby Championship this weekend and extend the All Blacks’ recent dominance over its Bledisloe Cup rival. New Zealand scored six tries as it dismantled the Wallabies, which lost centers Matt Giteau, Rob Horne and Matt Toomua through injury — all inside the first half.

KENYA’s Eliud Kipchoge won the gold medal in the Olympic men’s marathon yesterday on a rainy day in Rio. The 31-year-old dominated the closing stages of the race to finish in 2 hours, 8 minutes and 44 seconds.