North Korea threatens to execute critics over book review
Pyongyang has vowed to execute reporters from two South Korean newspapers, saying they insulted the country’s dignity while reviewing North Korea Confidential, a book by two British authors. State media published a court statement expressing anger over descriptions of North Korean lives as increasingly capitalist. It objected to the translated title of the South Korean edition as Capitalist People’s Republic of Korea and the book’s cover that replaced the red star in North Korea’s official seal with the dollar sign. The court also “sentenced to death” the presidents of the newspapers and said the North would “track down to the end and cut off the dirty windpipes” of those responsible.
What next? The North didn’t directly threaten the British authors of North Korea Confidential, but said the book “viciously defamed and distorted” the country’s realities. The North also threatened South Korean news organisations in 2012, when its military warned that its troops had aimed artillery at the specific coordinates of some Seoul-based newspapers and television stations over their critical reports on children’s festivals that had been taking place in Pyongyang. The North didn’t carry out on the threat to wage a “merciless sacred war” over the perceived insults.
A young Indian bride and her groom share sweets during a wedding organised by a local agency in the village of Vadiya, India. Photo: AP Photo
Indian soap opera ‘glorifying’ child marriage canned after protests
An Indian television soap opera that featured a marriage between a 10-year-old boy and a 19-year-old woman has been pulled off the air following protests from viewers who said it glorified child marriage. “There were numerous complaints about the content of the show and we sent it for review,” said an official from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. “The show was pushed to a late night slot with a disclaimer first and has now been taken off air.” Child marriage, despite being illegal, is widespread in many parts of the country. The legal age for marriage in India is 18 for women and 21 for men.
