Deepak Adhikari, Nepal Deepak Adhikari, 32, has worked as a reporter at the Nepal Weekly magazine since 2003 covering current affairs, foreign affairs, and human interest stories with a special focus on marginalized communities. He has written numerous cover stories on topics which include human organ trafficking, Bhutanese refugee issues, and the sex trade in Thamel. From 1994 to 1998 Adhikari reported on parliamentary affairs and mainstream politics for the vernacular Drishti Weekly. He earned his B.A. in English, journalism, and mass communications in 1997 and his M.A. in English literature in 2006, both from Tribhuvan University. Assignment: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
	Lucía Baldomir, Uruguay Reporter Lucía Baldomir, 27, writes on government financial policy, private investment and personal finance and serves as acting editor for the Monday edition of the financial section of El País. Since 2002 when she joined the paper, Baldomir has also written for the city desk, the arts magazine, and the youth-focused “Reverso” section. She has also worked as a producer in both television and radio. Baldomir’s B.A. in social communication from Universidad Católica was achieved in 2004, with additional studies in international relations and macroeconomics in progress at Universidad de la República. Assignment: Sun-Sentinel
	Ákos Beöthy, Hungary Since 2000, Ákos Beöthy, 29, has been writing and editing for Világgazdaság (World Economy), Hungary’s leading daily business newspaper, covering international and policy issues, macroeconomic trends, and the European Union. He began as a writer for the international section and was then promoted to be the first news editor of Világgazdaság online during its initial launch in 2003. Following that he became an editor, again for the international section, and is currently the deputy head of the foreign desk. His Master of Economics in international relations from Budapest University of Economic Sciences was awarded in 2001. Assignment: The Philadelphia Inquirer
	Utku Çakirözer, Turkey Since 1996, Utku Çakirözer, 37, has worked for Milliyet reporting on politics, defense and foreign policy. He currently writes on Turkey’s European Union accession process, the development of human rights and cross-cultural/religious issues in Turkish society, Turkish-U.S. relations, terrorism, and regional issues including Afghanistan, Armenia, Cyprus, Greece, Iran and Iraq. He has been awarded the Nezih Demirkent Journalism Award (2007) and the Contemporary Journalists Association’s Journalism Award (2006). He holds a B.S. in information science (1992) and a M.S. in political science (1995), both from Bilkent University. Assignment: Los Angeles Times 2008 Daniel Pearl Fellow
	Umar Cheema, Pakistan Special Correspondent Umar Cheema, 29, writes investigative stories on politics and terrorism from Islamabad for The News International. He has broken stories about the relationship between the Inter-Services Intelligence agency and jihadi organizations and the illegal occupation of lands by Pakistani armed forces. Cheema has served as the secretary general of the Islamabad chapter of the South Asia Free Media Association and is writing a book about the history of suicide bombing. He received his B.A. in literature and journalism in 1998 and his M.A. in mass communications in 2000, both from Punjab University. Assignment: The New York Times 2008 Daniel Pearl Fellow
	Sopan Joshi, India Sopan Joshi, 34, is deputy editor of Down To Earth, a science and environment fortnightly magazine. After an M.A. in English from University of Delhi in 1996, he worked as a city reporter in Mumbai at The Asian Age and then The Indian Express. In 1997, he moved to the editorial desk of Down To Earth in Delhi. He worked at Outlook Traveller from 2001 to 2002, writing features from travels across the country. He then returned to the reporting team of Down To Earth, where he has covered land and agriculture, forestry, indigenous people's crises, urban management and open-source software. Assignment: The Washington Post
	Sonia Kaur, Brunei Darussalam Sonia Kaur, 25, is chief reporter for the Borneo Bulletin, Brunei’s leading independent English language daily. At age 17 she joined the Bulletin as a trainee reporter and then became a court reporter before beginning her current position. Her reporting covers a wide range of topics including unemployment, health, business, and foreign policy–including coverage of the Association of South East Asian Nations summit and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2007. Sonia received her B.A. in business administration in 2006 from Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Assignment: Rocky Mountain News 2008 Helen Baldwin Fellow
	Andrew Kipkemboi, Kenya Andrew Kipkemboi, 31, joined The Standard in 2002. He has served as sub-editor, foreign news editor and is currently the features editor. In addition to assigning and editing feature stories, Kipkemboi writes on a wide variety of topics including business, crime, education, environment, health, politics and press freedom. Kipkemboi is a published poet and has worked as both a primary and secondary school teacher. Kipkemboi received his B.A. in literature, linguistics and African languages from the University of Nairobi in 2001. Assignment: The Sun (Baltimore)
	Samuel Siringi, Kenya Bureau Chief Samuel Siringi, 31, oversees print and broadcast operations in Eldoret for Nation Media Group. Siringi joined the Daily and Sunday Nation in 1999 as a correspondent and then became a staff reporter. He has written extensively on health, public service and education issues. In 1999 Siringi received his B.Sc. in publishing and media studies from Moi University. He continued his education at the University of Nairobi where he was awarded a Post-Graduate Diploma from the School of Journalism in 2000, and then an M.A. in population studies and research from the University of Nairobi in 2006. Assignment: The Kansas City Star
	Yunting "Ivan" Zhai, China Ivan Zhai, 32, has been with the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong-based daily, since 2003. He reports from Guangzhou on issues such as civil unrest, abuse of power, officials’ corruption cases and environmental protection. Like many journalists in China, his stories and research have made him a target for intimidation and pressure from many local authorities. Zhai is also one of the founders of Far & Wide Journal, a free online magazine styled after The Economist, where he writes extensively on American politics. He received his B.A. in public relations from Sun Yat-sen University in 2000. Assignment: St. Louis Post-Dispatch Top of Page