THE chief editor of Sudan’s independent newspaper Al-Rai Al-Akher has won an international award for her courage in reporting news. Amal Abbas, the newspaper’s editor, said she had received a fax at the weekend from the Washington-based International Women’s Media Foundation announcing they had granted her the bravery award for 2001. “I believe in freedom of expression and I do not care what happens to me as a result of exercising this freedom,” said Abbas, who has been jailed in the past for her reporting. In February, a Sudanese court ordered Abass and writer Hassan Ibrahim temporarily released until their appeal is decided, their lawyer said. Abbas and Ibrahim were ordered by a criminal court 17 days earlier to pay a fine of 15m pounds (about $6_000) each or face three months in prison for defaming the government. – AFP