Former United States President Bill Clinton was instrumental in freeing two U.S. journalists who were detained for almost 5 months in North Korea. His recent visit to Pyongyang helped in the successful release of reporters Euna Lee, 36, a South Korean born US citizen and Laura Ling, 32, a California native.
The journalists were arrested near the North Korean-Chinese border in March while on a reporting trip for Current TV, a media outfit founded by former Vice President Al Gore. Kim Jong II pardoned the women who were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for entering the country illegally and supposedly engaging in “hostile acts”.
Clinton was reported to have apologized on behalf of the women and their grief-stricken families and relayed President Barack Obama’s gratitude.
Image Source: Associated Press
However, Secretary Clinton said at a news conference today in Nairobi that no apology was made to North Korea in connection with her husband’s mission to gain the reporters’ release.
2 weeks ago, North Korea insulted Hillary Clinton by calling her a “funny lady.”
Tensions have been increasing between North Korea and the U.S. due to illicit nuclear-arms program of North Korea. The heightened friction between the two was created by North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests. Kim Jong II also seems to be belligerent in continuing negotiation talks.
Will the visit contribute to a deepening relationship between North Korea and the United States? Will this event open renewed discussions to abandon nuclear weapons program or is it only delaying the foreseeable conflict between the two countries?
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Kanye West Upstages Taylor Swift at MTV’s Video Music Awards (VMA)
Taylor Swift, the cutest American country pop singer, won Best Female Video in MTV’s Video Music Awards and bested out Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Beyonce.
She took the stage to accept the award and deliver her thanks when Kanye West suddenly jumped on stage and grabbed her microphone to declare that Beyonce should have won because she had the best videos of all time.
The crowd booed the Kanye interruption and Kanye stormed off stage. Swift was left on stage flabbergasted looking at the floor before she was ushered off stage. Beyonce was as stunned as Taylor Swift.
Watch what happened
**UPDATE**
Beyonce won Best Video of the Year, the biggest award of the VMA show, and generously shared the spotlight with Taylor Swift. Beyonce danced her way to the stage, with the Single Ladies playing on the background. “Wow, this is amazing. I remember being 17 years old, up for my 1st MTV award with Destiny’s Child and it was one of the most exciting moments of my life. I’d like Taylor to come out and have her moment…”
She then calls Taylor to the stage, “where are you?” The crowd cheered in uproar. Taylor comes out in a red ensemble as well, different from her silver backless gown she wore earlier during her acceptance speech, approaches Beyonce and gives her a hug.
“Maybe we could do this again,” Swift opened her statement. Like any grateful kid, she thanked the director of the video, including the fans who followed her on MySpace and Twitter and her brother’s high school for the video venue.
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