Sudan Court Convicts Briton of Blasphemy

KHARTOUM, Sudan — A Sudanese court convicted a British teacher, Gillian Gibbons, yesterday of insulting Islam for letting her students name a teddy bear Muhammad and sentenced her to 15 days in prison, avoiding a heavier punishment of 40 lashes. The sentence and quick seven-hour trial were aimed at swiftly resolving the case, which had put Sudan's government in an embarrassing position — facing the ire of Britain on one side and trouble from Islamic hard-liners on the other.