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Buddhists from 2 Koreas to hold joint ceremony

South Korean Buddhist monks headed to North Korea on Saturday for a joint ceremony with monks there, showing the countries continue civil exchange despite a bloody naval skirmish earlier this month.

Breaking the Pyongyang pattern

U.S. President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak reaffirmed in Seoul on Thursday that they will seek a "definite and comprehensive resolution" to the North Korean nuclear issue.

That's luring, not luriling. Or Laura Ling. Or Lisa Ling.

That's luring, not luriling. Or Laura Ling. Or Lisa Ling.

North Korea agrees to free U.S journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling after meeting with Bill Clinton. .

North Korea agrees to free U.S journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling after meeting with Bill Clinton. .

LiberateLaura: What do a bunch of @BarackObama reporters do before heading out of SK? Visit the DMZ, of course. http://bit.ly/4IXJis

LiberateLaura: The 25-y-o guide that chaperoned @worldfocus_org's @benpiven makes $1.67/month, which pretty much sums up NK economy. http://bit.ly/8wepXN

UN: Trade sanctions bite North Korea, but arms embargo stings less

Note posts made on our older Talkback system will still show below. However, new posts can only be made via the new system .

Thailand: End Detention of Lao Hmong Refugees

(New York) - The Thai government should immediately end the detention of 158 Lao Hmong refugees held in poor and abusive conditions for three years, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Didace Namujimbo, the brother I lost in Bukavu

I shall never forgive myself for having initiated and encouraged my younger brother, Didace Namujimbo, to take up journalism. Working for 21 years in Bukavu, a city nestled on the picturesque shores of Lake Kivu, led me to cover every aspect of the brutal conflict and humanitarian catastrophe in...

Letter to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on the Detention and Mistreatment of Lao Hmong Refugees

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva
Government House
Pitsanulok Road, Dusit
Bangkok 10300
Thailand

Re: Detention and Mistreatment of Lao Hmong Refugees

Dear Prime Minister,

North Korea Sentenced Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee To 12... http://tinyurl.com/yk2wxf6

North Korea Sentenced Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee To 12... http://tinyurl.com/yk2wxf6

LiberateLaura: Different kind of smoke & mirrors diplomacy: NK diplomats accused of trying to smuggle cigarettes into friendly Sweden. http://bit.ly/5V5v1k

LiberateLaura: @jamiemfly @FP_magazine: NK may appear manageable only until next case of nuclear technology transfer is discovered. http://bit.ly/7W9wEo

LiberateLaura: @AsiaSociety's John Delury: U.S. must find a way to help support growth of NK-China cross-border trade. http://bit.ly/39i95B

Independent broadcasters harassed, taken off air in Ukraine

New York, November 20, 2009—Authorities in Odessa, Ukraine, should immediately cease harassment of independent and pro-opposition broadcasters, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Officials from the Odessa Public Utility Service and mayor’s office have been physically obstructing the work of several local television and radio stations on the grounds...

Sweden: NKorea diplomats arrested for smuggling

Sweden says two North Korean diplomats have been arrested on suspicion of smuggling cigarettes into the Nordic country.

Learning to Live With Nuclear Iran

"It will be just like Syria," said the strategic scholar just back from Israel and speculating about the much-debated question of whether Israel eventually will bomb Iran's nuclear installations.

An Early Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has a new meaning. This year we feel particularly blessed.

Turner family "moves on" after trial - WPDE

WCBD

Turner family "moves on" after trial
WPDE
Laura Ling was murdered by Stanko just hours before he killed Henry Lee Turner. "I was there you know 24/7 during their trial, and I appreciate them showing ...
Jury begins sentencing deliberations in Stanko trialWIS
Stephen Stanko sentenced to deathWCBD
Stanko sentenced to death for second timeMyrtle Beach Sun News
WMBF -The State
all 48 news articles »

just watched a Mexican drug cartel doc by Laura Ling...wow. Such a dangerous place. Every1 dies young there..

just watched a Mexican drug cartel doc by Laura Ling...wow. Such a dangerous place. Every1 dies young there..

Obama responses stun Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez

Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez was astounded this week by President Barack Obama’s decision to respond a written questionnaire Sánchez submitted to the White House. Still recovering from bruises left by a recent vicious attack by state security agents, she told CPJ from her home in Havana: “This is the...

A Few Gift Ideas

Even though they do not celebrate Christmas in North Korea, it would seem permissible – nay, mandatory – for special U.S. Envoy Stephen Bosworth to present Kim Jong-il with an early Yuletide offering when he visits Pyongyang on December 8th. This despite the fact that the Dear Leader is scheduled to be there in spirit [...]

2100x2010_ja

ACORN helped the North Korean Police arrest Laura Ling and Euna Lee - and made a sex tape with Kim Jong Il #acornfacts

ACORN helped the North Korean Police arrest Laura Ling and Euna Lee - and made a sex tape with Kim Jong Il #acornfacts

Singapore refuses to renew foreign journalist’s visa

New York, November 19, 2009—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the Singapore government’s refusal to renew British freelance journalist Benjamin Bland’s work visa and its rejection of his application to cover the recently concluded Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit meeting. Bland had planned to report on the summit for...

Honored for their work, threatened at home

CPJ introduces 2009 International Press Freedom Awardees Washington, November 19, 2009—Naziha Réjiba, editor of the Tunisian online news journal Kalima, said she knows what to expect when she returns home—surveillance, harassment, and threats conducted by one the world’s most repressive governments....

Criminal defamation eliminated in Argentina

We issued the following statement today in response to Wednesday’s approval by the Argentine Senate of a government-sponsored bill that repeals criminal defamation provisions from the penal code......

Obama to send envoy to North Korea

U.S. President Barack Obama, meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in Seoul on Thursday, said he will send envoy Stephen Bosworth to North Korea next month for bilateral talks on dismantling Pyongyang's nuclear program.

Obama charm offensive hits Great Wall

US President Barack Obama leaves China with little of substance to show from his tightly-scripted visit, says the BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Beijing.

Obama in Asia: Views from the region

As US President Barack Obama's tour in Asia comes to an end, the BBC asks people in the region what the visit has achieved.

Japan: Press North Korea on Human Rights

(New York) - The new Japanese government should take a leadership role in helping to improve human rights conditions in North Korea, Human Rights Watch and three other nongovernmental organizations said today in a letter to Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.

Joint letter to Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on North Korea

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama

Public Relations Office

Cabinet Secretariat

1-6-1 Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku

Tokyo 100-8968, Japan

Re: Japanese Policy on North Korean Human Rights and Refugees

Dear Prime Minister Hatoyama:

Who has qualified for South Africa 2010?

Definitive guide to countries joining the hosts South Africa at 2010 World Cup

Obama urges North Korea to change

US President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak urge North Korea to return to nuclear talks.

Obama Takes Stern Tone on North Korea and Iran

President Obama said the two nations risked further isolation if they did not rein in their nuclear ambitions.

Mags: 12 (Commission Free) Reasons to Get Glamour (Girl With a Satchel)

... 5. The world needs more Hilary Duffs. Enough said. 6. Investigative journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling who were arrested while reporting on human trafficking in North Korea being celebrated for their work... 7. Travel epiphanies are not just unique to Elizabeth Gilbert. See 'The Trip That Changed My Life'. 8. Festive altruism, Glamour -style, includes "Help get PJs to kids in...

Source : Girl With a Satchel (subscribe)

Explore : Crime, Domestic Violence, International, Models, USA

Up Your Butt: Contraband Behind Bars - Huffington Post (blog)

Up Your Butt: Contraband Behind Bars
Huffington Post (blog)
Last year, Laura Ling, Euna Lee and I did another hour-long documentary for "Vanguard," called "Getting out of Prison," which looked at the serious problems ...

Two Somali journalists injured in separate shootings

New York, November 18, 2009—Two Somali correspondents for international media outlets were injured in separate shootings, one in the northeast semi-autonomous region of Puntland, and the other in the capital, Mogadishu, according to local journalists and news reports....

Ashton Kutcher, Lisa Ling, Denise Richards, Alyssa Milano - Examiner.com

Examiner.com

Ashton Kutcher, Lisa Ling, Denise Richards, Alyssa Milano
Examiner.com
This story moved me similar to the Laura Ling & Euna Lee situation when they were imprisoned in China. As you know they have thankfully been released & are ...

Indonesia deports two foreign journalists

New York, November 18, 2009—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the Indonesian government’s decision to deport Raimondo Bultrini, a reporter with Italy’s weekly L’Espresso, and Kumkum Dasgupta, an assistant editor with India’s Hindustan Times, for lacking accreditation. ...

Cuba: Raúl Castro Imprisons Critics, Crushes Dissent

(Washington, DC) - Raúl Castro's government has locked up scores of people for exercising their fundamental freedoms and allowed scores more political prisoners arrested during Fidel Castro's rule to languish in detention, Human Rights Watch says in a report released today.

In full: The Queen's Speech

The full text of the Queen's Speech - setting out the government's last legislative programme before the next general election.

Zambian editor acquitted in hospital 'obscenity' case

As the news editor of Zambia’s largest circulation newspaper and a mother to two young children, Chansa Kabwela already has her hands full. For the last four months, however, this 29-year-old journalist was mired in a court case with a peculiarity that made international headlines and sparked a debate on press freedom in this...

Beating Kim at His Own Game

Pyongyang will never give up its nukes, but it makes sense for the U.S. to continue talks.

Mixed Race Girl Sparks Ugly Race Debate in China

This summer, a 20-year old Shanghai woman sparked a discussion about race across China. Lou Jing is like any other Chinese girl, but when the aspiring TV journalist entered Let’s Go, Oriental Angels, an American Idol-like contest, and rapped on stage, she attracted both admiration and racist hate. President Obama’s arrival in China on Sunday was [...]

International press decries attack on Rosenberg

Twenty-one international news editors have signed on to a letter to the Pakistan government today. It was addressed to Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira and was drafted by Islamabad’s foreign correspondent community. They were concerned about an article that appeared in Pakistan’s The Nation daily on November...

‘How to Draw Asian Women’

Bill Connolly Fails Epically, Loyal K*N*G Posted in Asian American

Euna Lee Scores A Big Book Deal - Mediaite.com

Gawker

Euna Lee Scores A Big Book Deal
Mediaite.com
The adventures of Euna Lee and Laura Ling, the two CurrentTV journalists jailed in North Korea earlier ...
Euna Lee Wins Imprisoned Reporters' Book Deal RaceGawker
Euna Lee Beats Laura Ling to Book DealNBC Bay Area
Journalist Gets Book DealNew York Times
BayNewser -New York Post
all 9 news articles »

Euna Lee Wins Imprisoned Reporters' Book Deal Race [Euna Lee] (Valleywag)

Imprisoned journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were freed from North Korea's clutches in August. One week later, Ling—the more telegenic one, with the famous sister—was shopping a book....

Source : Valleywag (subscribe)

Explore : Euna Lee, International, North Korea

Quick Takes - Los Angeles Times

Quick Takes
Los Angeles Times
A special "Courage Under Fire" tribute will be presented to Current Media journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were arrested by North Korean soldiers ...

and more »

Euna Lee signs book deal (SoCal Sports Observed)

Euna Lee and Laura Ling continue to go their separate ways. Today in New York, Broadway Books confirmed it has a deal for Lee's account of the Los Angeles journalists'...

Source : SoCal Sports Observed (subscribe)

Explore : Euna Lee, International, International Justice

Random House Inks Six-figure Book Deal With Euna Lee

Current TV correspondent Euna Lee, who with her colleague Laura Ling was captured by North Korea and sentenced to 12 years hard labor before being freed, is writing her memoir of the experience for the Broadway Books imprint of Random House, the New York Post and The New York Times reported today She received a six [...]

Six-figure book deal for journalist caputured by North Korea (New York Post)

Current TV correspondent Euna Lee, who with her colleague Laura Ling was captured by North Korea and sentenced to 12 years hard labor before being freed, is writing her memoir of the experience for the Broadway Books imprint of Random House. She rec...

Source : New York Post (subscribe)

Explore : Book Publishers, Entertainment, International, North Korea, Random House

Journalist and translator freed in Afghanistan

New York, November 12, 2009—A Norwegian freelance journalist and an Afghan colleague were released Thursday after nearly a week in captivity in eastern Afghanistan, according to international news reports....

[PR] Announcing the 2009 IDA Awards nominees (Movie City Indie)

The International Documentary Association Announces Nominees for The 2009 IDA Awards Laura Ling and Euna Lee to Present Tribute to Courage Under Fire at the 25th Anniversary of the IDA Awards LOS ANGELES, November 12, 2009– The nominees for the International Documentary Association’s 2009 IDA Documentary Awards competition were announced today, including many of the year’s most...

Source : Movie City Indie (subscribe)

Explore : Bill Clinton, Former US Presidents, International, North Korea, USA

North Korea Warns South After Naval Clash

The United States said a naval skirmish would not deter it from sending an envoy to North Korea.

Current TV Staff Hit by ‘Bloodbath’ of Layoffs

Word has it that the L.A. staff of Al Gore’s Current TV was hit today by “a bloodbath” that saw 80 employees laid off across all departments, as management implemented “a shift in programming strategy.” It hasn’t been a good year for the Al Gore-founded Current TV cable venture. First, back in March two reporters from its [...]

Korean Navies Skirmish in Disputed Waters

One person was killed in fighting that erupted when a North Korean navy boat ventured into disputed waters.

U.S. announces one-on-one talks with North Korea

U.S. officials will soon meet unilaterally with North Korean representatives to facilitate the resumption of talks on ending North Korea's nuclear program, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Tuesday.

Korean navies exchange fire

North and South Korea said their naval forces clashed Tuesday in disputed waters, and each blamed the other for what is the first such violent incident in seven years.

Obama should press Chinese for release of jailed journalists

Dear President Obama: We are heartened by news reports that you plan to talk to Chinese leaders about human rights and related issues when you visit the country next week. On World Press Freedom Day in May, you specifically raised the cases of two of China’s jailed journalists—Shi Tao, imprisoned for allegedly “leaking state secrets,” and Hu Jia, behind bars for alleged “incitement to subvert state power.” Both men remain jailed, and we ask that you now press for their immediate release.

Iran: Four Journalists Receive Hellman/Hammett Grants

(New York) - Four Iranians are among 37 writers from 18 countries who are receiving the prestigious Hellman/Hammett award, Human Rights Watch said today.

The award recognizes their commitment to free expression and the courage with which they have faced political persecution.

Cuba: Prominent Blogger Abducted, Beaten

(Washington, DC) – Cuban authorities should cease all attacks on human rights defenders, journalists, bloggers and civic activists, Human Rights Watch said today. The international community should condemn attacks on those who peacefully exercise their basic rights to freedom of expression, opinion, and assembly in the strongest terms.

N. Korea Says It Has More Bomb-Grade Plutonium

North Korea put further pressure on the U.S. to start bilateral talks by declaring that it had completed reprocessing its spent nuclear fuel for use in a bomb.

North Korea produces plutonium with 'weapons potential'

North Korea has completed reprocessing thousands of spent fuel rods, producing plutonium which could be used in nuclear weapons, state-run media reported Tuesday.

Doing business in North Korea

As the chairwoman of South Korea's Hyundai group, Hyun Jeong-eun, faces business challenges few other executives can imagine.

Will the Real Kim Jong-il Please Stand Up?

Tonight, moreso than any previous Halloween, a gaggle of would-be Kim Jong-il’s will be saddling up to good-looking women at parties and warbling, “Tlick or tleat?” And if one or more of these Dear Leader dress-ups happens to be at the same place as a costumed Laura Ling, Euna Lee and-or Bill Clinton (or if [...]

Honduras: Investigate Abuses, Repeal Repressive Measures

(Washington, DC) - The restoration of constitutional order in Honduras should be accompanied by the immediate repeal of repressive decrees issued by the de facto government, and a full investigation of abuses committed in the aftermath of the coup, Human Rights Watch said today.

Libya: Drop Charges against Journalist

(New York) - The Libyan government should investigate allegations of sexual harassment in a state-run residence for women who had been orphaned instead of charging the journalist who reported the story with criminal defamation, Human Rights Watch said today.

Euna-Laura Trumps Linda-Monica

Last Wednesday evening at Fleming’s Prime Steak House in Sarasota, Florida, Bill Clinton received yet another impromptu standing ovation from a group of restaurant patrons, this time at the close of a day’s worth of golf playing and speech-making sponsored by the parents of Doug and Roger Band, close confidants who accompanied the President on [...]

North Korea’s Mata Hari

Although Laura Ling and Euna Lee’s producer-cameraman Mitchell Koss greatly endangered North Korean refugees and their helpers by fleeing back to the Chinese side of the border on March 17th and thereby allowing the Chinese authorities to seize his camera footage, the fallout from his actions is nothing compared to that engendered by Won Jeong-hwa. [...]

The Queen of Six-Party Simulations

As we approach a seemingly inevitable restart of the Six-Party talks, many different experts are sharing what they think might happen when representatives from the U.S., China, Russia, Japan and South Korea try to cajole North Korea from brinksmanship to the brink of nuclear disarmament. But I would venture to say that no one at [...]

Reporters Tell of North Korea Arrest

The journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee said they were “dragged” by North Korean guards from China.

Freed U.S. journalists suspect they were 'lured into a trap'

The two U.S. journalists released from North Korea last month after five months in captivity said "the psychological wounds of imprisonment are slow to heal."

Laura Ling and Euna Lee Suspect They Were Set Up

The detained journalists "regret" crossing the North Korea border - in what might have been a trap

CBS Correspondent Cami McCormick Injured In Afghanistan

The CBS foreign correspondent Cami McCormick was injured in a roadside bomb incident today in Logar province of Afghanistan where she was traveling with the U.S. army, working on her assignment for CBS Radio News. It is not clear how seriously McCormick was injured, but she...

In South Korea, Freed U.S. Journalists Come Under Harsh Criticism

South Korean rights advocates, bloggers and Christian pastors say the two reporters needlessly endangered North Korean refugees and the activists who help them.

Fox News Poll: Will Clinton’s North Korea Rescue Encourage Kidnappers?

Buried in the internals of the newest Fox News poll (released late last week) are two questions about former President Bill Clinton’s trip to North Korea to win the release of journalists Euna Lee and Linda Ling. First: Will Clinton’s trip improve relations with the country? Most people say no. The second question: That 72-19 “no” [...]

FreeLauraEuna: Pls RT Thanks! http://ow.ly/15L572

FreeLauraEuna: Pls RT Message from Laura Ling - Dear Friends, While in detention in North Korea, isolated and scared, one of the t... http://ow.ly/15KNNY

FreeLauraEuna: Message from Laura Ling: http://bit.ly/g8V3I

FreeLauraEuna: Pls RT Letter to supporters from Euna Lee - August 10, 2009 Its been 5 days since I arrived home from my traumatic ... http://ow.ly/15KFwW

FreeLauraEuna: Letter to supporters from #eunalee: http://bit.ly/iDPtg

Lisa Ling: Sister Trespassed into Enemy Territory

"It was maybe 30 seconds, and everything just got sort of chaotic," she says

Sister: Journalists jailed in North Korea asked for Clinton

Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee told Ling's sister they were treated humanely in North Korea, and they believe they weren't sent to hard-labor camps because they have medical conditions, Lisa Ling said Friday.

Analysis: Bill Clinton as a diplomatic fix-it man

It was a heartwarming sight: Laura Ling and Euna Lee landing on U.S. soil and being reunited with their families.

Journalists Entered N. Korea, Sister Says

One of the two journalists held captive for months in North Korea conceded to relatives that she had “very briefly” crossed into the country, her sister said.

The Clintons’ High-Return Diplomacy

Criticism from some Republicans of the Clintons’ success in gaining the release of two American journalists from North Korea is misplaced.

After Clinton Trip, U.S. Studies Signals From N. Korea

After former President Bill Clinton won the freedom of two American journalists, officials were busily calculating whether the psychology in Pyongyang had changed.

Steve Bing Pays $200K for Clinton Korea Trip

Steve Bing, a wealthy Hollywood mogul and a friend of Bill Clinton, supplied the plane to bring Clinton and the two American journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, home, and paid an estimated $200,000 for Clinton's North Korea round-trip flight. "Bing, a real estate heir and...

Freed Journalists Reunite With Family, Tearfully Thank Clinton

Freed journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee tearfully reunited with family and expressed a heartfelt thanks to former US President Bill Clinton when they arrived via Steven Bing's private jet at Bob Hope Airport in...

Obama on the Ling/Lee Release

Just out from the White House: Good morning, everybody. I want to just make a brief comment about the fact that the two young journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, are safely back with their families. We are obviously extraordinarily relieved. I had an opportunity to speak with the families yesterday once we knew that they [...]

Lee and Ling Are Free and Somehow North Korea Won?

Via ThinkProgress, former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton observed the safe return of Euna Lee and Laura Ling from North Korea by saying, “I worry that the outcome is a lot better for North Korea than for the United States. I mean this is a classic case of rewarding bad behavior.” Let’s see: the United States got [...]

State Dept.: No Comment on N. Korea

Before Bill Clinton secured the release of Euna Lee and Laura Ling, I made the longshot prediction that the noontime State Department press briefing would be dominated by questions about the former president’s North Korea trip. Well, just now I got the transcript, and here’s my favorite exchange between deputy spokesman Robert Wood and a [...]

Laura Ling and Euna Lee Pardoned; Statement by Roxana

Outstanding news! Laura Ling and Euna Lee have been pardoned according to news reports citing North Korean state-run news agency KCNA. Roxana released a statement earlier today: “I would like to join the many other well-wishers around the world in expressing joy at the news that Laura and Euna have been released. The two journalists have [...]

Bill Clinton Frees U.S. Journalists

As you may have seen by now, the North Korean state news agency has announced that psychotic dictator Kim Jong-il will pardon captured American journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling, hours after granting a surprise audience to former President Bill Clinton. I can’t wait to hear how Clinton’s ability to secure the release of two [...]

Bill Clinton Headed to North Korea

UPDATE: "Clinton landed in Pyongyang in an unmarked jet Tuesday and was greeted at the airport by North Korean officials, including chief nuclear negotiator Kim Kye Gwan and vice parliamentary speaker Yang Hyong...

Roxana Travelling to Paris to Join Call for the Release of Former Evin Prison Cellmate Silva Harotonian

Roxana will be in Paris June 22nd – June 24th to participate in events that will call for the release of Silva Harotonian, a humanitarian worker with whom Roxana shared a cell while imprisoned in Iran. Silva has been detained on “soft revolution” and is currently facing her second appeal. While in Paris, Roxana will [...]

Korean Central News Agency - Crimes Committed by US Journalists

The North Korean News Agency (KCNA) has released the facts surrounding the alleged crimes committed by the American journalists Laura Ling and Seeung_Un Lee. According to the agency the two journalists along with two men illegally crossed the Tuman River to gain access to...

Op-Ed in WaPo: ‘Will Elections Loosen the Grip of Iran’s Hard-liners?’

The Washington Post yesterday published an op-ed by Roxana titled “Will Elections Loosen the Grip of Iran’s Hard-liners?” The text is posted in full below. “Roxana, when you go back to America,” my cellmate entreated me last month, “please tell others that our country is not only about the nuclear issue. It is also about people [...]