Royal pardon for Saudi journalist sentenced to lashes

(CNN) -- Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has been called "The King of Hearts" by many of his countrymen, referring to what they believe are his compassionate attempts to reform his ultra-conservative kingdom.
He used his power Monday to overturn a criminal court sentence of 60 lashes and a two-year travel ban imposed on female journalist Rosanna al-Yami. Under the travel ban, she could not have left Saudi Arabia.
Al-Yami was sentenced for her work on an episode of the television show "A Thick Red Line" that featured a Saudi man who bragged about sexual escapades. The controversial show explores social taboos.
It is carried by the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp., for which al-Yami works as a coordinator and guest booker.
"King Abdullah's swift revocation of this punishment sends an important notice to the Saudi judicial system that it should not go after journalists for exercising free speech," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director for Human Rights Watch.
"King Abdullah should also overturn the sentence against the man at the center of the case, who had spoken about sex on a television show, and initiate reforms to strengthen the rights to freedom of expression and to a fair trial," Human Rights Watch said in a written statement.
In the episode, the Saudi man, Mazen Abdul Jawad, 32, bragged about his sex life. Saudi authorities put him on trial and sentenced him to five years in prison and 1,000 lashes. Shortly afterward, the court sentenced al-Yami.
Jawad's attorney, Suleiman al-Jumeii, said al-Yami was not involved in setting up the episode in which his client appeared. The lawyer said he is attempting to pursue an appeal for his client and get the case heard in a special court that deals only with media matters.
"A Thick Red Line" caused an uproar in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia, where sharia, or Islamic law, is practiced. Pre-marital sex is illegal, and unrelated men and women are not permitted to mingle.
Saudi authorities shut down Lebanese Broadcasting's offices in Jeddah and Riyadh after the interview aired a few months ago.
The king's pardon of al-Yami was unusual, but it was not the first time he has stepped in.
In late 2007, the king pardoned a woman who, although she had been gang-raped, was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison for appearing in public with an unrelated male, who also was pardoned, according to the Saudi justice minister.
The king concluded in a letter pardoning the woman that her male companion, who was abducted along with her, had suffered torture along with her. Details of what happened to the two were not disclosed.

India's swine flu death rate is increasing

Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in...

Tennis: Clijsters wins US Open, second time

NEW YORK: Kim Clijsters of Belgium won the US Open on Sunday by defeating Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 7-5, 6-3 in the final.She is the first mother to win a Grand Slam title since Evonne Goolagong in 1980, the victory coming just five weeks after she returned to the sport following a 27-month retirement. She was the first wildcard, man or woman, to win a US Open title in the history of the tournament.

42 killed in wave of Iraq bombings

BAGHDAD: At least 42 people were killed and nearly 100 wounded in a spate of bomb attacks near the restive northern Iraqi city of Mosul and in the capital Baghdad on Monday, police said. In the deadliest single attack, two booby-trapped lorries exploded before dawn in the village of Khaznah, east of Mosul, leaving 25 people dead and 70 others wounded. Thirty-five houses were destroyed in the village, which is home to members of the tiny Shabak community, a sect of Kurdish origin. In Baghdad, two car bombs went off as day labourers were gathering in the early morning hours looking for jobs.The first bomb exploded at Hay al-Amel, in the west of the capital, killing nine people and injuring 46. The second bomb attack in Shurta Arbaa in the north of the city killed seven people and wounded 35 others.

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