UPI NewsTrack TopNews - July 8, 2007
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Sat, 07 Jul 2007 22:13:01 GMT |
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Darfur aid workers under attack
KHARTOUM, Sudan, July 7 Savage attacks against aid workers in Sudan's Darfur are increasing, with June among the worst months recorded, it was reported Saturday.
Attacks by armed bandits and militia groups have escalated from an average of 10 per month a year ago to one attack every day during June, The Independent reported.
At least 28 people working for international aid charities were kidnapped in June, while more than 35 aid vehicles were hijacked or shot at, the newspaper reported.
Two people died and five were injured in the June attacks, with one of the most daring occurring near Kebkabiya when a convoy of 37 United Nations vehicles were ambushed and one driver injured.
More than 2.5 million Darfuris have fled their homes and now live in squalid camps, while another 1.5 million also are dependent on humanitarian aid, the newspaper said.
"Security has always been an issue but what has changed in the last year is that humanitarians are now direct targets," said U.N. spokeswoman Dawn Blalock.
Execution stay denied for Texas hitman
AUSTIN, Texas, July 7 The execution of a hired killer will go forward after a Texas appellate court Friday declined to give him a stay based on claims his case was botched.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals' 5-2 ruling means inmate Rolando Ruiz of San Antonio is on schedule to die Tuesday.
Morris Moon, Ruiz' attorney, told the Austin American-Statesman he would ask the federal courts to review the decision.
In 1992, Ruiz fatally shot Theresa Rodriguez, 29, at her San Antonio home. Rodriguez's husband and brother-in-law, now serving life terms, paid Ruiz $2,000 so they could split her $400,000 life insurance policy.
Ruiz is not denying his guilt. Rather he alleged in his appeal that his court-appointed appeals attorney, C. Wayne Huff, was so bad the case "was doomed to failure on the day it was filed."
An investigation by the American-Statesman discovered that court-appointed lawyers routinely file "incomplete, incomprehensible or improperly argued writs without consequence," which instigated a crackdown on incompetent attorneys handling death-penalty cases.
Bahrain royals split over Sunni groups
MANAMA, Bahrain, July 7 An uneasy rift over relations with militant Muslim groups reportedly has developed within the royal family of Bahrain.
A faction of the ruling Khalifa family has been supporting hardline Sunni groups on the same political wavelength as al-Qaida, the Los Angeles Times said Saturday.
It is unclear where King Hamed ibn Isa Khalifa stands, but Khalid ibn Ahmed Khalifa, minister of state for royal court affairs, is considered a leader of the hard-liners.
"The royal court minister is backed by the Sunni extremists and he backs them," one Bahraini analyst told the Times. "It's a very dangerous game. They are going down a slippery road."
The newspaper said some of the supporters of the Sunnis see it as a necessary means of curbing the influence of the Shiites, who make up the majority of Bahrain's population and are the power center in Iran.
The United States favors a moderate and stable Bahrain since the tiny island nation is flush with oil, sits on the strategic Persian Gulf and is home base of the U.S. 5th Fleet.
Nepal royal gala flops amid protests
KATMANDU, Nepal, July 7 Nepal spent the weekend feting its king in a three-day celebration replete with palace parties and noisy student protests.
The Young Communist League organized a rally Friday night to protest the opening-night reception in honor of King Gyanendra's birthday.
Nepalnews.com said the protest seemed to have an effect as most of the 800 invited guests chose to stay away. Among the no-shows were the head of the army and the prime minister.
The king has been an unpopular figure in Nepal since 2005 when he seized power. He was forced to give up some of his authority last year after long-running protests.
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