Woman Stoned for Adultery in Somalia

A woman in Somali has been stoned to death for adultery. The 20 year-old woman had previously been married and was divorced but a strict reading of Sharia law does not allow even a divorced woman to have sex with another man. The woman’s boyfriend was given 100 lashes. Al-Shabab, the hard line Islamic group that controls much of southern Somalia, was responsible for the sentencing, BBC News.  More on the broken justice system in Somalia, BBC News.

Somali pirates once again attacked the Maersk Alabama, the U.S. ship that was hijacked last April, but the crew was able to repel the attack, MS-NBC.

The European Union will send 100 troops to train Somali forces in hopes that the forces will be able to stem the violence and restore order. The troops will train in Uganda next year, Reuters.

U.S. President Barack Obama finishes up his tour of Asia with a visit to South Korea, Yonhap. Analysis of President Obama’s visit to China, Associated Press.

The PBD series Frontline has a comprehensive look at the death of Neda Agha Soltan, including interviews with the doctor who tried to save her at the scene of the crime and information about the man who shot Neda. The show also provides a good review of the events of the disputed presidential election in Iran in June. A must watch for anyone who wants a better understanding of the situation. Watch the full program online. A transcript of the show will be available around November 24. Maps and video of the protests since June, BBC News. Frontline’s homepage for news on Iran, Tehran Bureau.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Urges Protests to Stop, Supports Ahmadinejad

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, addressed the nation today, calling for protesters to accept the results of last week’s election. He declared the election fair and accused foreign governments of interfering by supporting the protesters, BBC News.

The US has increased its defense capabilities in Hawaii after receiving word that North Korea could attempt to launch a missile at the Pacific island, AFP.

Supporters around the world are marking the birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi, a pro-democracy activist in Burma who turns 64 today. Suu Kyi is currently on trial and is expected to be kept out of the public eye until after the upcoming elections in Burma. A website,  64forsuu.org, has been set up for well wishes from supporters, Voice of America.

A Texas billionaire accused of fraud has surrendered to the FBI and will appear in court today. Allen Stanford urged his client to invest $8 billion in bogus high-yield certificates of deposit at his Caribbean-based Stanford Investment Bank, Reuters.

A Minnesota woman was found guilty of illegally downloading 24 songs and was ordered to pay $1.9 million, or $80,000 per song, to the Recording Industry of America who brought the suit, CNN.

Google released its Farsi translation service ahead of schedule in response to the worldwide interest in events currently happening in Iran, Times Online. Try the service at translate.google.com.