World Daily News Catch-Up

74 Dead in Ethiopia: The Ogaden NationalLiberation Front, a Somali guerrilla group, killed 65 Ethiopians and 9 Chinese in their sleep, officials reported this morning.  200 gunmen launched the 50 minute battle against the workers and guards employed by Zhongyuan Petroleum Exploration Bureau, a divisionof China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., a large state-run oil companybetter known as Sinopec.  The Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia confirmed the attack happened, and added that seven other Chinese were kidnapped.  This is just the latest episode in a week-long conflict where Ethiopia is trying to crack down on insurgent groups in the Somali capital.

Syrian Human Rights Advocate Sentenced: After being detained for 12 months, activist Anwar al-Bunni was sentenced by a Syrian court to five years in prison.  "This verdict is a political verdict," proclaimed al-Bunni's lawyer.  Al-Bunni was accused of spreading false news that could damage national morale.  Along with being sentenced, he was ordered to pay a $2,000 penalty.  Khalil Maatouk, Al-Bunni's attorney, says he will appeal the ruling within the next 30 days.  Al-Bunni was among many intellectuals arrested last year during the Syrian government's crack-down on internal opposition.

Mexico City Law to Become Pro-Choice: Despite strong protests from Catholic groups, Mexico City is set to legalize abortion, maybe putting an end to the underground abortion market.  As the LA Times wrote today, abortions have been done for years in Mexico City, but under sickly conditions that endanger the lives of women.  "The vendors at the Sonora Market are part of a large and illegal industry catering to women seeking abortions here," wrote the Times.

Part of the reason why this is so controversial is because Mexico is the largest Roman Catholic country in the world.  Pope Benedict has urged local bishops to oppose the measure.  The local legislature in Mexico City, which represents more than 22 million people, is expected to pass the law relatively soon.  Even if passed, the law would only give women the right of choice in the first 12 weeks of the pregnancy.

Israeli-Palestinian Ceasefire at an End: Following Israeli raids into the Gaza Strip to capture suspected terrorists, Hamas retaliated today by firing rockets into Israeli towns for the first time in five months.  The barrage of rockets coincided with Israel's 59th anniversary.