Koreas Exchange Fire, Search Goes On
Monday, March 31, 2014
Vol. 3, No. 90
Spring in Korea: About 100 Artillery shells from a North Korean live fire exercise landed in waters claimed by South Korea and the South Koreans returned fire, lobbing about 300 shells into northern waters. All the shells landed in the ocean west of Korea and no one was hurt. While the use of live ammunition is serious, heated rhetoric and weapon tests are a springtime ritual for North Korea. The North is also frustrated in its efforts to win international aid for the starving country.
Flight 370: Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said there’s no time limit on the so far unsuccessful search for the missing Malaysian Airline jet. Ten aircraft and 11 ships were searching today. “We can keep searching for quite some time to come,” Abbott said.
Nation: Today is the deadline to sign up for Obamacare, but the federal website was down for maintenance for four hours. The administration is granting extensions for people who’ve had trouble signing up. Officials say they are on track to sign up 6.5 million people, about half a million short of the original target.
Globe: A United Nations scientific panel says global warming is already having noticeable effects throughout the world. The panel says polar ice is melting, water supplies are drying, heat waves and heavy rains are getting worse, coral reefs are dying, and some fish are going extinct. The report also warns of the danger of regional wars fought over land and water as oceans rise.
The report says things will only get worse if carbon emissions continue at their current rate. The panel’s chairman said, “Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change.”
Whale Ho!: The United Nations high court ordered Japan to stop hunting whales in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica saying the killing of Minke whales is not done for scientific reasons as Japan claims. The court said Japan has killed about 3,600 whales since 2005 in the name of research but has little science to show for it. A worldwide ban on whaling has been in effect since 1986.
Final Four: Connecticut upset the favorite Michigan State 60-54 to advance to the Final Four. Senior guard Shabazz Napier scored 25 points. And Kentucky, with an all-freshman starting lineup, beat Michigan 75-72. Connecticut faces top seeded Florida in the first game next Saturday followed by Kentucky vs. Wisconsin.
Small Screen: Good Morning America Anchor Josh Elliott failed in a bid to win a huge raise and yesterday announced his departure for NBC Sports. Elliot was demanding $8-10 million and ABC News said, “Good luck with your career.”
In the Beginning: Creationist Ken Ham, who recently debated Science Guy Bill Nye about evolution, panned the movie “Noah” in an essay published in Time. Ham denounced the movie’s environmentalist theme and the portrayal of Noah as a man who loves animals more than people. He even said the Ark didn’t look seaworthy. Ham wrote, “Ultimately, there is barely a hint of biblical fidelity in this film. It is an unbiblical, pagan film from its start.” He said nothing about the costumes or the music.
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