World briefs

GERMANY yesterday marked the 500th anniversary since the day Martin Luther is said to have nailed his theses challenging the Catholic Church to a church door, a starting point of the Reformation. German Chancellor Angela Merkel took part in a service in the famous Castle Church in Wittenberg, where Luther supposedly posted his 95 Theses on Oct. 31, 1517.

CAMBODIA’s Supreme Court yesterday authorized the continued detention of opposition leader Kem Sokha, who faces treason charges that critics have denounced as part of a ruling party campaign to crush political rivals.

THAILAND has canceled the passports of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who fled the country last month to evade a prison sentence that she said was politically motivated. Yingluck was sentenced to five years in prison in September for negligence in instituting a money-losing rice subsidy program.

BANGLADESH A boat carrying up to 45 Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar capsized in the Bay of Bengal yesterday morning, and a Bangladeshi official said four bodies were recovered.

AFGHANISTAN A suicide bomber struck near the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan’s capital yesterday, killing five people in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. Health Ministry spokesman Wahid Mujro said another 20 people were wounded in the blast, which took place in a heavily-guarded area housing several diplomatic missions.

IRAN’s supreme leader has restricted the range of ballistic missiles manufactured in the country to 2,000 kilometers, the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said yesterday, which limits their reach to only regional Mideast targets.

RUSSIA A journalist has joined the ranks of those wanting to run in March’s presidential election. The 37-year old Yekaterina Gordon declared her intention to run in a YouTube video Monday, saying she plans to focus on defending the rights of women and children.

VENEZUELA-GUYANA Guyana’s foreign minister says the United Nations has summoned foreign ministry delegations from Guyana and Venezuela to discuss the decades-old border row between the two nations.

USA Six U.S. states want to intervene in Hawaii’s lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s travel ban. The states of California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and Washington filed a motion Monday asking to be parties in Hawaii’s lawsuit. They agree with Hawaii that the ban is unconstitutional.