World in brief: South Korea holds security meeting

Seoul, South Korea – South Korea’s president convened an emergency national security meeting today, a day after an official report concluded that North Korea was responsible for the deadly sinking of a naval patrol ship.

North Korea, for its part, spoke of war for a second straight day, while U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was on the way to the region and tensions on the Korean peninsula were expected to dominate her agenda.

South Korea accused North Korea on Thursday of sinking the patrol ship Cheonan with a torpedo in late March in what was the deadliest attack on the South since the Korean War ended in 1953.

Pakistan blocks YouTube access

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan blocked YouTube and many other Internet sites Thursday in a widening crackdown on online content deemed offensive to Islam, reflecting the secular government’s sensitivities to an issue that has ignited protests in the Muslim country.

The move came a day after the government obeyed a court order to block Facebook over a page called “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!” that encourages users to post images of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. Most Muslims regard depictions of the prophet, even favorable ones, as blasphemous.

Supporters of an Islamist political party protested against Facebook in rallies in at least three cities.