Don't you worry, Avery Jessup-Donaghy's fate will be influenced by real-life events. more ›

The funeral of deceased North Korean tyrant Kim Jong-Il was performed yesterday with "totalitarian choreography," as the Times puts it, with a 25-mile procession through the snowy capitol of Pyongyang. Thousands of dramatically weeping mourners lined the route and broke into hysterics as a giant portrait of "Dear Leader" was escorted by. Kim Jong-un, who despite rumors to the contrary appears to have solidified control of the country and now bears the title "Supreme Commander," walked alongside the funeral procession for a bit, then rode the rest of the way in a limo. Here's video of the scene that greeted him along the route: more ›

As North Korea continues to mourn its late leader Kim Jong-Il, it seems that his young son will not be as powerful as his father: Reuters reports, " North Korea will shift to collective rule from a strongman dictatorship after last week's death of Kim Jong-il, although his untested young son will be at the head of the ruling coterie, a source with close ties to Pyongyang and Beijing said." more ›

U.S. and South Korean ships have begun joint military exercises in the Yellow Sea, as tensions between North Korea and South Korean—and the rest of the region rise. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said that the exercises were "no more than an attempt to find a pretext for aggression and ignite a war at any cost" and added they "are putting the Korean Peninsula at a state of ultra-emergency." This comes after the Tuesday incident where North Korea fired artillery at South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island. more ›

Two days after reports that North Korea showed an enormous, sophisticated new plant used to enrich uranium to an American scientist, the isolated country fired around 100 rounds of artillery (some reports say 200) at the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong in the Yellow Sea, killing two South Korean marines, according to South Korean media. South Korea fired back and its military is in "crisis mode." more ›

The U.S. stock markets fell this morning, due to ongoing concerns about the European debt crisis and the conflict between North Korea and South Korea. Bloomberg News reports, "Stocks plunged from Tokyo to London and New York, dragging the MSCI World Index to a nine-month low, and commodities slid as concern grew that Spain’s ailing banks signal a widening debt crisis and as tension mounted on the Korean peninsula... The MSCI gauge of 23 developed nations’ stocks fell 2.9 percent at 10:55 a.m. in New York to the lowest intraday level since August." more ›

An American citizen who admitted to illegally entering North Korea has been fined $700,000 and sentenced to eight years hard labor. Aijalon Mahli Gomes, 30, of Boston, was convicted of illegal entry and unspecified "hostile" acts against North Korea during a court trial Tuesday; the Times surmises that Gomes might have entered the communist country in support of Robert Park, a Korean-American missionary who had been held by the country for calling for an end to human rights abuses. more ›

Former President Bill Clinton held a press conference at his Harlem office yesterday to announce that his foundation had negotiated with three drug companies to lower the price of medicines for HIV/AIDS patients in developing countries. Of course, the press packed into room was there for juicy details on Clinton's successful mission to North Korea, which secured the release of two American reporters after five months of detention. But while clearly savoring the attention, Bubba was tight lipped on the details, telling reporters:

My job was to do one thing, which I was profoundly honored to do, as an American, and as a father: I wanted those young women to be able to come home. Anything I say beyond that could inadvertently affect the decisions and moods either here or in North Korea, or the attitudes of our allies, and I have no business doing that. I’m not a policy maker anymore.

Yesterday, the country witnessed the dramatic reunion between formerly imprisoned journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling and their families, a reunion orchestrated by former President Bill Clinton, his former Vice President Al Gore, and the White House. Though the White House was working to secure the release of Lee and Ling, Current TV journalists who were sentenced to 12 years in a labor camp by North Korea for illegally entering the country, and had considered envoys like Gore, Bill Richardson, and Senator John Kerry, it turned out that North Korea requested former president Clinton. Lee and Ling, who were being held in a guest house, both told their families in phone calls that North Korea would consider amnesty if "an envoy in the person of President Clinton would agree to come to Pyongyang and seek their release." more ›

After former President Bill Clinton made a "surprise trip" to North Korea and secured the pardon of two imprisoned U.S. journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, the trio made their way back to the United States. Their plane arrived in Burbank, California this morning, where the women made a tearful reunion with their families. Ling made a statement, expressing her and Lee's gratitude and remarking on the drama of their ordeal, "Thirty hours ago, Euna Lee and I were prisoners in North Korea. We feared that at any moment we could be prisoners in a hard labor camp. Then suddenly we were told that we were going to a meeting," and then spoke of seeing Clinton. Here's video: more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Today, former president Bill Clinton met North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. Clinton made the surprise trip to the isolated Communist nation to discuss the release of two American journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, who were sentenced to 12 years in labor camps for illegally entering North Korea. more ›

Former president Bill Clinton is in North Korea right now, in hopes of gaining the release of the two U.S. journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling. Two months ago, Lee and Ling were sentenced to 12 years in labors camps for illegally entering North Korea, but earlier tonight, Politico reported, "North Korean officials told the family that they would release the women to Clinton, the source said. The family then approached the former president. The source said the White House approved the mission, which began Tuesday, North Korea time." more ›

Earlier this week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discussed North Korea on Good Morning America, saying, "What we've seen is this constant demand for attention... And maybe it's the mother in me or the experience that I've had with small children and unruly teenagers and people who are demanding attention -- don't give it to them, they don't deserve it, they are acting out." Well, North Korea didn't like that too much—and made a new bid for attention by slamming the Secretary of State calling her vulgar and unintelligent and saying she looks either like a schoolgirl or retiree. Wow, it's almost like primary season 2008 again! more ›

Two American journalists, who were arrested by North Korea while covering North Korean refugees in China three months ago, were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor by the Central Court of North Korea. Korea's official news agency KCNA reported that the court accused Euna Lee and Laura Ling of "committing hostilities against the Korean nation and illegal entry." The U.S. State Department released a statement, "We are deeply concerned by the reported sentencing of the two American citizen journalists by North Korean authorities, and we are engaged through all possible channels to secure their release. We once again urge North Korea to grant the immediate release of the two American citizen journalists on humanitarian grounds." Lee and Ling work for San Francisco-based Current TV, which was co-founded by Al Gore. The AP adds, "There are fears Pyongyang is using the women as bargaining chips as the U.N. debates a new resolution to punish the country for its defiant May 25 atomic test and as North Korea seeks to draw Washington into direct negotiations," but one law professor in Seoul said, "The sentence doesn't mean much because the issue will be resolved diplomatically in the end." more ›

Today, North Korea's news agency announced the country had "successfully conducted one more underground nuclear test on May 25 as part of the measures to bolster up its nuclear deterrent for self-defense in every way as requested by its scientists and technicians." President Obama denounced the test, "North Korea's attempts to develop nuclear weapons, as well as its ballistic missile program, constitute a threat to international peace and security," as did China and Russia. The NY Times reports that a security expert "estimated the test had a power of one kiloton of explosives... If correct, that would be a fraction of the size of the blasts from American bombs that destroyed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, 1945 — themselves considered small by current standards." The United Nations Security Council will meet later today to discuss the test; according to Bloomberg News, "Japan and South Korea...called for the UN body to take action against North Korea." Back in April, North Korea launched a rocket, though claimed it was a satellite. more ›

This Sunday the Bodies of Pyongyang installation was set up outside of St. Mark's Church. The project is by artist Yoonhye Park and features 20 female performers inside of a 70"x70"x70" clear plexiglass cube, all with the aim of bringing awareness to women's issues in North Korea. "These tightly packed schoolgirls try to move about the enclosed cube box expressing their emotional pain and struggle. Red strings symbolizing their dual inner states of suppression and resistance entangle the girls further confining their freedom to move within their already limited and hermetic space." The installation will be back May 2nd (Washington Square) and May 9th (Tompkins Square). more ›

North Korea claims a Sunday rocket launch was its successful attempt to put a satellite into orbit, but U.S. and South Korea officials disagree, saying that nothing entered space. North American Aerospace Defense Command's statement: "Officials acknowledged today that North Korea launched a Taepo Dong 2 missile at 10:30 p.m. EDT Saturday, which passed over the Sea of Japan and the nation of Japan. Stage one of the missile fell into the Sea of Japan. The remaining stages along with the payload itself landed in the Pacific Ocean. No object entered orbit and no debris fell on Japan." (For a successful launch, the third stage would enter orbit.) The U.S., Japan and S. Korea condemned the launch, which is believed to "be cover for a long-range missile test"; Russian agencies confirm N. Korea's claim that it was a successful satellite launch. The U.N. Security Council has convened an emergency meeting; President Barack Obama said, "With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations." more ›

The New York Philharmonic Orchestra’s historic concert in North Korea concluded hours ago, marking the first performance by an American orchestra in the impoverished, totalitarian nation. The event also marked a first for much of the press, who are routinely denied access to North Korea and, once inside, usually find their movements tightly controlled. The Times has a stunning slideshow of photos snapped en route from the airport to the center of Pyongyang, something the photographer says is never permitted. more ›

Part of the NBC 2.0 philosophy has been to put cheap programming on air as a measure to cut corners and save money. Even before the writers' strike this has meant a string of programs that are “unscripted,” such as cheesy game shows and of course the requisite fakeality nonsense. So taking quarterlife, a Web 2.0 based online show/online community from the creators of thirtysomething, My So-Called Life, and Once and Again, and sticking it on TV doesn’t seem like a big stretch. more ›

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a burn victim on East 3rd St. and Beverly Rd. in Brooklyn, a shooting on Francis Lewis Blvd. in Queens, and a burn victim on 103rd St. and Park Ave. in Manhattan. Reps for the New York Philharmonic are investigating a planned appearance of the symphony in North Korea. Those excited by news of a George Clooney sighting in Brooklyn Heights yesterday can just go ahead and get giddy... more ›

Congressman Charles Rangel is in the news again, but this time he's not upsetting Southern states - he's scaring the bejesus out of young Americans! He told CBS's Face the Nation that he will will propose legislation to bring back the draft. Why? Because it might act as a war-deterrent, as well as fulfill the need for more troops.

There's no question in my mind that this president and this administration would never have invaded Iraq, especially on the flimsy evidence that was presented to the Congress, if indeed we had a draft and members of Congress and the administration thought that their kids from their communities would be placed in harm's way. If we're going to challenge Iran and challenge North Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can't do that without a draft.

3 Pack by Jeffrey Docherty.
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Yesterday, the countries on the United Nations Security Council had an emegency meeting after North Korea announced it had tested a nuclear device. The U.S. proposed cargo inspections and limited sanctions to North Korea (including luxury items - and Kim Jong Il loves his Henessy), as well as banning any military trade. The North Korea nuclear tests now bring up some new questions about how the administration handled the situation, making international policy even more of an election day issue. And the city's Korean-Americans tell the Daily News they are upset with the blasts and worry about relatives in South Korea, but hope that there is a peaceful resolution. more ›

Doctors Without Borders will be pitching a tent in Central Park this fall. There will be an 8,000 square foot exhibit that looks like a refugee camp placed in Cherry Hill (near Bethesda Fountain) to give an approximation of what's it's like to live in a refugee conditions after disasters. Here's what Doctors Without Borders says:

Guided by MSF aid workers, visitors to this outdoor educational exhibit are asked to imagine that they are among the millions of people fleeing violence and persecution in, for example, Afghanistan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, North Korea, or Sudan. more ›

Aaron Lubarsky,
co-director/editor,
Seoul Train more ›

Gothamist is very fond of the film, Searching for Bobby Fischer. Although there is no Bobby Fischer in it, it does have an interesting look at the chess games in Washington Square Park. For more Bobby Fischer, read Rene Chun's 2002 Atlantic article, Bobby Fischer's Pathetic Endgame. One person doesn't think Fischer's playing was in violation of anything, but adds that Fischer's criminally charges were ordered by "Executive Order" from President Bush (41). more ›

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