Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tuesday 10 November that the three US hikers detained by Iran after they strayed across the border from Iraq last July face charges of illegally entering the country. Other charges may be filed. The US has called for the three to be released, and insists that they were wrongly detained. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Germany Monday 9 November, “We believe strongly that there is no evidence to support any charge whatsoever.” AFP , AP (video)

Two US journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, were freed from prison in North Korea and flew home to Los Angeles with former US President Bill Clinton late 4 August. The two women were jailed in March for illegally entering the country. They were released on orders from Kim Jong-il, North Korea’s leader, to show the country’s “humanitarian and peace-loving policy” after Clinton went to North Korea on an unannounced visit 3 August. The families told US media they were “overjoyed.” North Korean sources said Clinton and Kim had wide-ranging talks and that Clinton brought a personal message from US President Barack Obama. The White House denied this and repeated that Clinton’s visit was purely a personal one. Nevertheless, the chartered plane carrying them home landed at a military base in Japan with no comment from the military about how long they would be there. BBC, CNN, MSNBC, Wall Street Journal

Former US President Bill Clinton arrived in Pyongyang, North Korea to broker the release of two US journalists imprisoned there since March. He was met at the airport by Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Supreme People’s Assembly, and by the vice-foreign minister, Kim Kwe Gwan, who is also North Korea’s chief nuclear negotiator. The two women journalists were sentenced in June to 12 years’ hard labour for illegally entering North Korea from China. Their employer, Current TV, was launched by Clinton’s former vice-president, Al Gore. BBC, CNN, NZZ (Ger)

Two American reporters, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, will face trial in North Korea on charges of illegal entry and perpetrating hostile acts against the communist state. The reporters were arrested five weeks ago at the Chinese border after reporting on North Korean refugees living in China. North Korea is likely to use the trial as political leverage against the United States, according to the International Herald Tribune.