QUOTE OF THE DAY
“There is no justification for this military coup.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking after the Thai army seized control of the country on Thursday
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2 Koreas’ ships trade artillery fire; no hits
SEOUL, South Korea — North and South Korean warships exchanged artillery fire Thursday in disputed waters off the Korean Peninsula’s western coast, South Korean military officials said, in the latest sign of rising animosity between the rivals in recent weeks.
Officials from the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and Defense Ministry said a South Korean navy ship was on a routine patrol near the countries’ disputed maritime boundary in the Yellow Sea when a North Korean navy ship fired two artillery shells. The shells did not hit the South Korean ship, they said.
The South Korean ship then fired several artillery rounds in waters near the North Korean ship, which also did not hit it, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
South Korea was trying to determine whether the North Korean ship had attempted to hit the South Korean vessel but missed, or if the shells were not meant to hit the ship.
Officials said residents on the front-line Yeonpyeong Island were evacuated to shelters, and fishing ships in the area were ordered to return to ports. In 2010, North Korea fired artillery at the island, killing two civilians and two marines.
China to tighten rules for Internet firms
HONG KONG — A Chinese state agency that threatened retaliation after the United States obtained indictments of five army officers on charges of cyberespionage announced plans Thursday for tighter checks on Internet technology companies that do business in China.
The State Internet Information Office said the Chinese government would establish new procedures to assess potential security problems with Internet technology and services used by sectors “related to national security and the public interest,” reported Xinhua, the state-run news agency.
The proposed vetting rules appear to have been under preparation for some time, but the timing of their unveiling is unlikely to be mere chance, said Duncan Clark, chairman of BDA China, which advises investors on the Chinese hightech and Internet sectors.
The procedures are intended to “prevent product suppliers illegally controlling, interfering in, or interrupting user systems, or illegally collecting, storing, handling or exploiting information about users,” Xinhua said.
Spy boss, security adviser out in S. Korea
SEOUL, South Korea — President Park Geun-hye’s office said Thursday that she would replace the head of her government’s intelligence agency and her top national security adviser as she struggled to overcome the political fallout of the sinking of a ferry that killed more than 300 people last month.
Nam Jae-joon, director of the National Intelligence Service, and Kim Jang-soo, Park’s main national security adviser, offered to resign, said Min Kyung-wook, a presidential spokesman, Thursday. Park was to announce their replacements soon, Min said.
Min did not clarify why Nam and Kim stepped down, but Park has been under mounting pressure from the political opposition and other critics to overhaul her government and presidential staff for failing to prevent the April 16 ferry disaster and bungling rescue operations.
In South Korea, top leaders traditionally reshuffle their government after a major political disaster or national disaster to mollify public anger and to give the Cabinet a fresh start.
Taliban hold 27 police yanked from cave
KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban fighters kidnapped 27 police officers during an assault on a northeastern province in Afghanistan, authorities said Thursday, part of the extremist group’s spring offensive ahead of the withdrawal of foreign troops at the end of this year.
Gen. Fazeluddin Ayar, the police chief in Badakhshan province, said the 27 officers were hiding in a cave during the Taliban attack Wednesday in Yamgan district. The Taliban took the officers hostage and police are trying to find them, Ayar said. Some 50 other officers in the district hiding in the area escaped, Ayar said.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a message to journalists. The militants routinely execute security forces whom they capture.
Insurgents ambushed several police checkpoints in Badakhshan province, killing at least six police officers in Yamgan district, Ayar said Wednesday. The fighting started late Tuesday and lasted into Wednesday.
Reinforcements were sent to the site, but the police were forced to pull back from the area and were fighting the Taliban forces from surrounding mountains as army helicopters flew overhead, Ayar said. Five insurgents also were killed, and three policemen were wounded, he added.
A Section on 05/23/2014