domestic
affairs. Mr. Youssef is facing charges of insulting the president.
World News from the BBC
Amnesty">Amnesty International has described its outrageous reports in the Saudi media that a man may be sentenced to paralysis as a punishment for having paralyzed another man. Saudi media says that the 24-year-old could be paralyzed from the
waist
down if he fails to pay some 270,000 dollars to his victim. Amnesty">Amnesty described the potential punishment as a form of torture.
Prosecutors in Brazil have charged four men in connection with the death of 241 people in a nightclub fire two months ago. The">The two owners of the nightclub and two members of the band that was playing at the time have been charged with manslaughter. Police said the fire in Santa Maria was triggered by fireworks used by the band.
A
survey">survey
published weeks before general elections in Pakistan suggests that an overwhelming majority of young people are pessimistic about their future. The">The British council interviewed more than 5,000 voters aged under 30. Orla Guerin reports
The
survey">survey
paints a picture of a pessimistic generation disenchanted with democracy after five years of civilian rule. Ninety-four percent of respondents said Pakistan was going in the wrong direction up from 50% in 2007. More than half said democracy had not been good for them or the country. When asked to pick the best political system for Pakistan, Sharia law was the top choice followed by military rule, democracy came in third.