Saturday, November 23, 2024

US ‘concern’ for jailed reporters

US President Barack Obama has said he is “deeply concerned” by North Korea’s reported sentencing of two US journalists to 12 years’ hard labour.
The US was working through all channels to secure their release, a spokesman for Mr Obama said.
The journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, were found guilty of “hostile acts” and illegal entry into North Korea, state media reported.
They were arrested in March after allegedly entering from China.
Their trial was held amid growing tensions over North Korea’s nuclear programme and recent missile tests.
“We are engaged through all possible channels” to secure the journalists’ release, White House spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement on Monday.
The trial began on Thursday, and on Monday North Korea’s state media agency, KCNA, released a report saying the two had been convicted.
“The trial confirmed the grave crime they committed against the Korean nation and their illegal border crossing… and sentenced each of them to 12 years of reform through labour,” the brief report said.
The news agency gave no further details.
Outside observers were not allowed to witness the hearing at Pyongyang’s court.
The verdict means that the journalists face the prospect of spending years in one of the North’s prison camps, where conditions are reported to be extremely harsh, the BBC’s Chris Hogg in Seoul says.
Euna Lee, a Korean-American, and Laura Ling, a Chinese-American, were arrested by North Korean guards on 17 March while working on the China-North Korea border on a story about refugees for California-based internet broadcaster Current TV.
Some reports have suggested the women were held while on Chinese soil, but Pyongyang’s state media say they had illegally entered North Korea.
The pair have been held in detention since their arrest.
Regional tensions
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier described the charges against the two women as “baseless”. She is thought to be considering sending an envoy to try to negotiate their release.
There has been speculation that former US Vice-President Al Gore might travel to Pyongyang. He is the co-founder of Current TV.
There are fears Ms Lee and Ms Ling will now be used as “bargaining chips” by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in his efforts to win concessions from Washington, our Seoul correspondent says. These concessions could include humanitarian aid or direct talks with Washington, analysts say.
The US has so far said negotiations can only be held under the currently-stalled six-party talks on nuclear disarmament, which also includes South Korea, China, Japan and Russia.
The women’s families have appealed for clemency and asked Pyongyang and Washington not to link their case with the current diplomatic stand-off.
Tensions have increased in the region since North Korea conducted a nuclear test in May and then test-fired several missiles. Another long-range missile test is believed to be planned for later this month.
The UN Security Council is discussing tightening sanctions against Pyongyang, and Mrs Clinton said on Sunday that the US was considering reinstating North Korea in its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Original Article on BBC

Related News

Thousands in Australia throng to see once a decade blooming “corpse flower”

World Desk : dhakamirror.com Thousands of people recently visited Geelong Botanic Gardens in Victoria, Australia, to watch the blooming ‘corpse flower’. According to CNN, thousands of visitors lined up in the south of Melbourne to see a once-in-a-decade-blooming Corpse flower and experience its smell. Corpse Flower, which is also known as Amorphophallus titanum or Titan ... Read more

Man crushed to death after trying to take selfie with elephant in India

World Desk : dhakamirror.com A man was trampled to death after trying to take selfie with an elephant on Thursday. Srikant Satre, 23, and two of his friends ventured into the Abapur forest in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli after receiving reports that an elephant had been spotted nearby. Once they saw the elephant, the trio decided to ... Read more

Ratan Tata dies aged 86

World Desk : dhakamirror.com India’s top industrialist and Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata died in a hospital in Mumbai last night, the company said. “It is with a profound sense of loss that we bid farewell to Mr Ratan Naval Tata, a truly uncommon leader whose immeasurable contributions have shaped not only the Tata ... Read more

Robert F. Kennedy’s widow Ethel Kennedy being treated in hospital after stroke

World Desk : dhakamirror.com Ethel Kennedy, a social justice advocate and the widow of late U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, is recovering in a hospital after suffering a stroke last week, her grandson said in a statement . “I wanted to let you know about my incredible grandmother, Ethel Kennedy. She has had a ... Read more

Woman eaten by shark while on dream diving trip

World Desk : dhakamirror.com An American tourist was eaten by a shark while on a dream diving vacation with friends in Indonesia. The body of Colleen Monfore, of South Dakota, was found inside the shark’s stomach after she was swept out to sea by strong currents, The Sun reported. Monfore, 68, and six friends were ... Read more

Dubai princess dumps husband in Instagram post

World Desk : dhakamirror.com Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, took to Instagram on July 16 to share a significant update. She announced her divorce from Sheikh Mana Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Bin Mana Al Maktoum, marking a new chapter in her personal journey. “Dear ... Read more

Mummified body of US climber found 22 years after went missing

World Desk : dhakamirror.com The American man’s mummified remains have been found, 22 years after going missing while climbing a mountain in Peru, police announced on Monday. Peruvian police said ice melt had exposed Stampfl’s mummified and clothed body. He was identified by the passport found among his belongings. William Stampfl, 59, was reported missing ... Read more

12-year-old Isaac Bari graduates from US high school

Heads to college for double degree World Desk : dhakamirror.com Twelve-year-old Suborno Isaac Bari is graduating from Malverne High School in Malverne, New York, Wednesday, making him the youngest scholar to ever graduate from the history of the Nassau County school, according to Malverne Union Free School District. Suborno told “Good Morning America” he’s excited ... Read more

Man buried alive for four days is rescued after police heard his muffled cries

World Desk : dhakamirror.com In a shocking incident in Moldova, police rescued a man who had been buried alive for four days. A 62-year-old man buried alive for four days was saved after cops heard his muffled cries for help coming from underground. The horror came to light only after they were investigating the death ... Read more

Man crushed to death by robot in South Korea

World Desk : dhakamirror.com South Korean media, citing local police, reported that a worker at an agriculture distribution center in South Gyeongsang Province had been killed by a box-lifting robot. The accident at the factory complex occurred late on Tuesday, when the victim, an employee of a robotics company in his forties who was servicing ... Read more

Nobel Peace Prize 2023 awarded to Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi

News Desk : dhakamirror.com This year’s Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to jailed Iranian human rights activist, Narges Mohammadi, for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran. According to the Nobel Prize Committee, Narges Mohammadi’s struggle has come at tremendous personal costs. She has been “arrested 13 times, convicted five times, and ... Read more

Joe Biden’s dog Commander removed from White House after biting staff

World Desk : dhakamirror.com U.S. President Joe Biden’s dog Commander has been removed from the White House after a series of biting incidents. “Commander is not presently on the White House campus while next steps are evaluated,” Elizabeth Alexander, communications director for first lady Jill Biden, said in a statement Wednesday. Commander was last seen ... Read more

Man dies, another injured after whale strikes boat near Sydney

World Desk : dhakamirror.com In the early hours of Saturday, a whale reportedly struck a boat off the coast of Sydney, as reported by Australian officials, leaving one man dead and another injured . New South Wales Water Police Acting Superintendent Siobhan Munro said, “Early reports are that a whale may have breached near the ... Read more

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and wife separate

World Desk : dhakamirror.com Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire on Wednesday signed a legal document of separation as they decided to part ways after 18 years of marriage. “Sophie and I would like to share the fact that after many meaningful and difficult conversations we have made the decision to ... Read more

Body of missing mountaineer found after 37 years on melting glacier

World Desk : dhakamirror.com The body of a German climber who has been missing since 1986 has been uncovered on a melting glacier in Switzerland. DNA analysis showed the body was that of a of a German climber, who disappeared 37 years ago. A huge search and rescue operation at the time failed to find ... Read more

Bodybuilder Justyn Vicky dies after 210kg barbell falls on him

The ill-fated incident is said to have happened at The Paradise Gym in Sanur, Bali. World Desk : dhakamirror.com The bodybuilding world mourns the tragic death of talented bodybuilder Justin Vicky, 33. Bali’s fitness community is in shock after learning of the fatal accident at Paradise Gym. The accident occurred during an intense training session ... Read more

Customer mistakenly receives 40 million euros from German bank

World Desk : dhakamirror.com Banks, as a rule, very carefully control the transfers they make every day, since the money deposited there belongs to many people. However, it is inevitable that with so many daily transactions, some errors can happen. Still, what happened at a German bank is hardly a mistake. A person has received ... Read more

Canadian teacher fired from school after OnlyFans account exposed

World Desk : dhakamirror.com A teacher struggling to make ends meet is fighting to get her job back after she was fired for making OnlyFans content, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Kristin MacDonald, 35, was fired after eight years as a teaching assistant in Canada when she received a letter from board officials ... Read more

Silvio Berlusconi leaves €100m to 33-year-old girlfriend in his will

World Desk : dhakamirror.com His two eldest children Marina and Pier Silvio will control his business empire Silvio Berlusconi left a whopping €100 million ($109 million) to his 33-year-old girlfriend Marta Fascina. The three-time Italian prime minister and media mogul died on June 12 at the age of 86 after being hospitalised with chronic leukemia. ... Read more

Three generations of Egyptian family die during Hajj

World Desk : dhakamirror.com An Egyptian pilgrim died during this year’s Haj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. What makes this incident particularly poignant, however, is the fact that both his father and grandfather died during their respective Hajj pilgrimages three and five decades ago. The grieving family, hailing from Beheira Governorate, has been enveloped by ... Read more