IN BRIEF (Page 11)

China

Ministry tells UK to stay out of HK

China urged Britain to immediately stop meddling in the internal affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Monday. "Political reform in Hong Kong is part of China's domestic affairs. China firmly opposes and is resolutely against any kind of interference," Hong said.

DPRK envoy visits Beijing

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's First Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Kye-gwan arrived in Beijing on Monday for an informal meeting on the Six-Party Talks. Kim's visit came nearly three weeks after his meeting in Pyongyang with China's Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Affairs Wu Dawei. He will meet Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Wu to exchange views on denuclearizing the peninsula.

United States

Several fatally shot at shipyard

A Defense Department official says several people have been killed and as many as 10 have been wounded in a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard. The official spoke on condition of anonymity on Monday because the official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The official also says the shooter is "contained" but not yet in custody.

Thailand

Police pelted with bombs, acid

Protesters hurled petrol bombs and bottles of acid at Thai police, who fired tear gas in return, in fresh clashes on Monday over a government rubber subsidy in southern Thailand, officials said. Several police officers suffered cuts or acid burns as they were forced to retreat by around 1,000 protesters blockading a key road in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, local police said.

India

60 children hospitalized

Around 60 children were taken to a hospital in eastern India after they were mistakenly instructed to swallow a hepatitis B vaccine instead of polio drops, officials said on Monday. The children started vomiting and sweating after they were orally given hepatitis B vaccine, which is normally injected, at clinics in a village in West Bengal state on Sunday, the health officials said.

Spain

Terror recruiting chief arrested

Spain's Interior Ministry says police have arrested the suspected leader of a terrorist recruitment network that allegedly sent militants to carry out attacks for al-Qaida-linked groups in Syria. A ministry statement said Spanish citizen Yassin Ahmed Laarbi was arrested Monday in the Spanish north African enclave of Ceuta.

China Daily-AFP-AP

(China Daily 09/17/2013 page11)