Iranian Nobel laureate to defend U.S. journalist

An Iranian human-rights activist and Nobel laureate has joined the legal team of an Iranian-American journalist convicted of spying and jailed in Iran. Shirin Ebadi, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2003, took up the case of Roxana Saberi at the request of Saberi’s family, her father, Reza Saberi, told CNN Wednesday.

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2009 Pulitzer Prizes awarded

The Pulitzer Prize winners for 2009 were announced Monday, with The New York Times capturing five of the awards. The Times garnered wins in the categories of breaking news reporting, investigative reporting, international reporting, criticism and feature photography. In the arts, “Olive Kitteridge” by Elizabeth Strout won for fiction, “Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II” by Douglas A

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Iran orders quick appeal for U.S. journalist, report says

The head of Iran’s judiciary Monday ordered a "careful and speedy appeal process" for an Iranian-American journalist who was convicted of spying, Iran’s state-run news agency reported. Roxana Saberi, 31, was sentenced Saturday to eight years in prison after a one-day trial that was closed to the public. The decision prompted sharp denunciations from President Obama, as well as other U.S.

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Father: U.S. journalist holding up in Iranian prison

Roxana Saberi, the American journalist convicted of espionage charges in Iran, has lost weight in prison but is being treated well, her father said Sunday. “She has lost weight and she looks frail and weak,” Reza Saberi said. “She says she’s not treated harshly

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Drogba puts Chelsea into FA Cup final

Didier Drogba muscled his way through for a late winner to put Chelsea into the FA Cup final with a 2-1 victory over Arsenal at Wembley on Saturday. The all-London clash rarely hit the heights on a difficult pitch, but Drogba’s 84th minute strike gave Guus Hiddink’s men a deserved victory and leaves them in contention for three trophies

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Nadal to play Djokovic in Monte Carlo final

Rafael Nadal beat Andy Murray in straight sets to reach the final of the Monte Carlo Masters where he will play Serbia’s Novak Djokovic on Sunday. Nadal will be bidding for his fifth straight title in the principality but was made to work for his 6-2 7-6 victory by Scot Murray who once again showed his growing adaptability to clay.

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African villages denounce female circumcision

Ten villages in western Niger have publicly denounced the practice of female genital mutilation, according to a UNICEF report. The FIA Court of Appeal said that the rear diffusers used by the Brawn, Williams and Toyota teams “comply with the applicable regulations.” The FIA panel sat for eight hours in Paris on Tuesday to hear evidence and their decision backs up a decision by the stewards at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix that the controversial aerodynamic devices were within the rules

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