American Tourist Sorry for War Crimes: North Korea

The 85-year-old California tourist detained in North Korea last month is sorry for his crimes against the state, at least according to North Korea. Authorities released video of Merrill Newman reading an apology he allegedly wrote; the AP couldn't independently confirm its veracity or whether it was coerced. In the four-page statement, riddled with grammatical errors like "I want not punish me," Newman admits to "indelible crimes against DPRK government and Korean people" during and after the Korean War. It's not clear what will happen next, but Pyongyang appears to be taking steps toward releasing Newman. (More Merrill Newman stories.)