N Korea shells S Korea, China/Japan standoff

North Korea shells South Korean island:

A South Korean soldier was killed and 13 others injured after North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells onto a South Korean island setting more than 60 houses ablaze and sending civilians fleeing in terror.

This will certainly win hearts and minds. More details:

Defence Minister Kim Tae-Young said the South fired 80 shots in response to the North's shelling.

"We were carrying out naval, air force and army training exercises and they (the North) seem to have opened fire in objection," a military official was quoted as saying by YTN.

The incident comes amid high cross-border tensions over the North's nuclear programme and the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship near the border in March.

The South blames a North Korean torpedo attack while the North denies responsibility.

Yeonpyeong lies just south of the border declared by United Nations forces after the war, but north of the sea border declared by North Korea.

In other news, AFP, which is basically redundant to Xinhua, reports that Chinese and Japanese patrol boats had a stand-off in the Senkakus:

Chinese and Japanese patrol boats were involved in a brief weekend stand-off near disputed islands, China's state media has reported, accusing the Japanese side of "unreasonable interference".

Two Chinese fishery patrol vessels were cruising near the islands in the East China Sea on Saturday when they were approached by up to seven Japanese patrol boats and two reconnaissance aircraft that circled above, the Nanfang Daily newspaper reported.

The Japanese side asked the Chinese boats when they planned to leave, said the report issued Monday.

The Chinese boats responded by saying the disputed waters were "China's sacred territory" and they vowed to continue carrying out patrols in future.

My favorite part of this little piece is AFP's description of Japan's sovereignty over the Senkakus:

Both Tokyo and Beijing claim the potentially resource-rich islets, known as the Diaoyu islands in China and the Senkaku in Japan, along with their surrounding waters.

However, Japan has traditionally had more of a presence in the area.

"traditionally more of a presence." You mean like, ownership, right?

Al Jazeera has more live coverage of the Korean situation.
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