A round-up of today's other world news stories in brief
N Korea orders hard labour for US citizen
SEOUL – North Korea said yesterday it had sentenced a 30-year-old American man to eight years of hard labour for illegally entering the country, a decision that could further strain ties with Washington.North Korea previously has used detained American citizens as bargaining chips, and the announcement comes as the United States has been putting pressure on North Korea to return to stalled international nuclear disarmament talks.
Last month, North Korea said it was putting on trial Aijalon Mahli Gomes, from Boston, who entered the state in January. – (Reuters)
Woman charged over plot to kill
PHILADELPHIA – A second woman charged in connection with an alleged plot to kill a Swedish cartoonist who depicted the Prophet Muhammad with the body of a dog pleaded not guilty in a US court yesterday.
Jamie Paulin Ramirez (31) was arrested last week in Philadelphia after voluntarily flying back from overseas to face the charge in the case. Another American, Colleen LaRose, who is also known as “Jihad Jane”, was charged last month with plotting to kill Lars Vilks and using the internet to enlist co-conspirators. – (Reuters)
Vessel hijacked on way to Kenya
NAIROBI – A Turkish-flagged bulk carrier en route to the Kenyan port of Mombasa has been hijacked, the head of a regional maritime body said yesterday.
Earlier in the day, Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme said that Yasin Chad come under attack some 250 miles (402km) east of the port of Mombasa.
The hijacked South Korean-operated Samho Dream, which can carry more than two million barrels of crude and was seized on Sunday, had reached Somali waters, he added. – (Reuters)