Tag Archives: U.S.

Film and TV, International, Military, Politics, The Media

U.S. TO EXTRADITE COMEDIAN MARGARET CHO TO NORTH KOREA

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L-R: Fey, Cho, Poehler
L-R: Fey, Cho, Poehler (Screen capture, Golden Globes)

HOLLYWOOD, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – Upon the request of President Kim Jong-un, the United States will extradite Korean-American Margaret Cho to Pyongyang to face slander charges.

The State Department action comes the morning after controversial televised segments of the Golden Globes in Los Angeles.

As part of a running gag on the show, co-hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler introduced the “newest HFPA member” — North Korean general Cho Young Ja, played by Margaret Cho.

She was solemn and quiet at first, holding up her freelance magazine, Movies Wow, and wanting only to take a picture with Meryl Streep. Cho kept reappearing during the three-hour telecast as the North Korean general who is obsessed with American entertainment.

In a statement, the State Department said that the extradition is part of Washington’s ongoing efforts to re-establish diplomatic relations with North Korea. “It’s a good faith effort to show the Pyongyang government that America is sincere in wanting conciliation with the communist country,” the statement said.

The U.S. does not have an extradition agreement with North Korea.

International, Law Enforcement

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE LISTS BEST PRISONS IN THE WORLD, PHILIPPINES IS NO. 1

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imageThe Hague, Netherlands (The Adobo Chronicles) – The International Court of Justice (French: Cour internationale de justice; commonly referred to as the World Court or ICJ) has just released its 2014 list of the Top Ten Best Prisons in the World.

ICJ is the primary judicial branch of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. Its main functions are to settle legal disputes submitted to it by states and to provide advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it by duly authorized international branches, agencies, and the UN General Assembly. 

This is the first year that ICJ is releasing the best prison list, based on an international survey it has commissioned to look at prison conditions in U.N. member countries.

The Philippines ranked No. 1 on the ICJ list, followed by Great Britain and Japan.

Reacting to the good news, Philippines Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima told reporters that her efforts to rid the country’s prison system of corruption and mismanagement have finally paid off. “We should treat all prison inmates with respect and dignity by providing them comfortable accommodations during their incarceration,” de Lima said.

Rounding up the top ten list are U.S.A., China, South Africa, Australia, Switzerland, New Zealand and Singapore.

(Michael Martin Navarrete Bello contributed to this report)

 

International, Sports

PHILIPPINES WILL BID TO HOST 2024 SUMMER OLYMPICS

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imageManila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – It could not bid to host a Winter Olympics because it has no winter season, so the Philippines is going for the Summer Olympics in 2024. It joins an elite group of developed countries and cities that have set their eyes on the next available open spot for Olympic host.

The Philippines’ announcement came on the heels of Tuesday’s meeting of the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) during which four U.S. cities presented their bids to be the official U.S. city that would bid for the 2024 Olympics: San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Boston, and Los Angeles. The USOC is expected to make its selection in January.

Philippine President NoyNoy Aquino, in making the announcement about his country’s intention to bid, said that it would be his greatest legacy and accomplishment if the Philippines were chosen as host of the 2024 Olympics.

“It will be a multi-city effort,” Aquino said, “with world-class sports venues already built and located in various parts of Metro Manila, including Rizal Park (Luneta) in Manila, the Mall of Asia in Pasay City,  the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, and the new Philippine Arena in Bulacan.” Aquino added that Makati City will provide facilities for an upscale Olympic Village to host the athletes of the world.

“We just need to work on the mass transit network to make it easy for both athletes and spectators to travel from one venue to another,” Aquino added.

The Philippine Olympic  Committee is currently preparing its presentation to the International Olympic Committee when it formally opens the bidding process.  In addition to the U.S., other countries that have expressed intention to bid to host the Olympics include Germany, Japan, Argentina, Paris and Rome.

Aquino even revealed the elaborate plan for an Olympic Opening Ceremony featuring the prison inmates from Cebu City whose Michael Jackson dance videos have become one of the most viewed dance videos on YouTube.