North Korean President Kim Jong Il has pardoned and released U.S. journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling. Read the CNN report. 

Former President Bill Clinton is in North Korea to negotiate the release of Euna Lee and Laura Ling, American journalists who were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for illegally entering North Korean territory. The journalists have been held since March. Read the New York Times article. Sign the IWMF petition for the journalists’ release.

D’Almeida is the deputy editor-in-chief of Radio Klédu in Mali. She has worked for the Malian private radio station for more than five years and reports on the environment and agriculture, as well as human rights issues. D’Almeida participated in the IWMF Africa Leadership Institute in Uganda in February 2009.

Russian journalists who have published articles in 2008 covering education are invited to submit their work for a competition on reporting on educational issues. The competition is organized by the Ministry of Education and is available only for registered Russian journalists. Application deadline is Oct. 1. For details visit the Web site (in Russian).

Journalists from Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh are invited to apply for a two-part course focusing on environmental protection in the coastal region in the area and how it is relevant to global environmental trends. Selected participants will receive a stipend covering part of their expenses. Application deadline is Aug. 21. To apply and read more visit the Web site of the Institute for Further Education of Journalists.

The 2009 Asia-Pacific Awards for Excellence in Environmental Journalism is accepting applications from journalists in the region. Entries should have been published within the 2008 calendar year and reflect any aspect of the environment in the Asia Pacific Region. Application deadline is Aug. 31. For more information, visit the Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum Web site.

Yoani Sanchez, author of a prominent independent blog in Cuba called Generacion Y, was chosen to receive a Maria Moors Cabot Prize. The award recognizes those who have furthered inter-American understanding through their reporting and editorial work. Sanchez also received a special citation for outstanding reporting. Read more in the Americas Quarterly blog.

The percentage of women working in local television news is at a high of 41.4 percent, according to the Radio Television News Directors Association/Hofstra survey of Women and Minorities in local news. However, the survey also showed that the percentage of journalists of color working in local radio and television news fell. Read the survey results.

Sudanese journalist Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein was arrested in Khartoum last week and charged with dressing indecently. She is facing 40 lashes; at least 10 women have already been whipped for similar offences against Islamic law. Read more from Agence France-Presse.

The Kaiser Family Foundation will sponsor a 12-week summer internship program for young journalists specializing in health reporting. Applicants for the 2010 program should apply by December (print media) or January (television or radio). Visit the KFF Web site for details.

Capitolbeat, an organization for reporters covering state and local governments, will hold its annual conference Aug. 20-22 in Indianapolis. The conference is open to members and state government reporters who wish to join the organization. Early bird registration of $125 is due by July 31. Visit the Capitolbeat Web site for details.

The Ochberg Fellowship, an initiative of the Dart Center, is available to reporters, editors, photographers, and producers from all media. Candidates must have at least five years of experience and expressed interest in covering violence, trauma and emotional tragedies. Selected participants will take part in an intensive training program in Atlanta and will have access to the conference of the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies. Application deadline is July 24. To apply, visit the Dart Center Web site.

A regional Kuala Lumpur workshop is open to television journalists to promote environmental sustainability and raise awareness in the media. The workshop will take place Nov. 13-16. Participants must have at least five years of experience on documentaries or current affairs and be fluent in English. The age limit is 40. Application deadline is Sept. 30. For more information and to apply, visit the Web site.

The EFE news agency and the Instituto de Cooperación Iberoamericana offer the annual King of Spain Journalism Award to Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking journalists in the print, radio, TV, photo and digital fields. Works must be published between Sept. 1, 2008, and Aug. 31, 2009. Previous winners are not eligible to participate. Application deadline is September 30. For details, visit the EFE website (in Spanish).

The photo contest Reversing Realities: Seeking Gender Equality in Education is accepting applications from journalists in Asia. The initiative aims to promote gender equality, and the winning 13 photographs will be featured in the 2010 Gender in Education Calendar. The photographs should not be previously published and should have been taken after 2000. Application deadline is July 31. For more information, visit the UNESCO Web site.