weather % I TODAY: Variably cloudy; high THURSDAY: Partly sunny; high (2) Century of Editorial Freedom BHD Est. 1893 Volume 101, Issue 31 WEDNESDAY IN THE NEWS Top stones from state, nation and world Judge acquits Mariues of assault on gay man WILMINGTON, N.C. Three Marines were acquitted Tuesday of charges that they assaulted three people at a bar that catered to homosexuals. Judge Jacqueline Morris-Goodson, who was hearing the case without a jury, said the state failed to meet its burden of proof. The Marineswere charged with three counts each of simple assault. They faced a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail or a SSO fine. In closing arguments, defense James Faison m countered, “It r __ D wasn’t self- CraePndgen defense. What it was was an excuse.” Judge Morris-Goodson, ruling after six days of testimony, said, “If any of the defendants acted in self-defense, their individual actions are excused.” Pridgen, who has filed a civil lawsuit against the Marines, met with state and federal officials and complained that he was the victim of a gay bashing. Efforts to feed Sudan's starving not effective LOKICHOGGIO, Kenya A major diplomatic offensive is under way to feed Sudan’s starving, but aid workers say any solution will be too late to save the severely malnour ished, including 4,000 children in the “hunger triangle.” At a tent camp 15 miles south of Sudan’s border, airplanes carry food and workers into Sudan every day as part of Operation Lifeline Sudan, a program of the U.N. Children’s Fund and World Food Program. But they are not taking the aid to two of three communities the United Nations says are the most at risk. Japanese aid to Russia more than $1 billion TOKYO Japan, stung by criticism that it sat on the sidelines while others scrambled to help Russian reforms, has prepared its own major aid package for Moscow. Tokyo has planned to announce the details today at the opening of a seven-nation aid meeting. News reports said the package would total $l.B billion. It will be an important symbolic step for Tokyo, which had to over come strong public sentiment regarding a long-standing territorial dispute with Moscow. Foriegn ministers of the so-called Group of Seven major industrial nations are holding the two-day emergency meeting. Muslim extremists kill security chief in Egypt ASSIUT, Egypt Muslim militants claimed responsibility Tuesday for the machine-gun killing of a top security official and promised more attacks in their campaign to overturn Egypt’s secular government. A member of al-Gamaa al- Islamiya, or the Islamic Group, telephoned a reporter and said Sunday’s attack was to avenge the death of a militant leader shot by police this month. Maj. Gen. Mohamed el-Sheimy, Assiut’s provincial security chief, and his bodyguard and driver were killed in the attack. Journalism professor does notwinPumzer UNO journalism professor Margaret Blanchard, who had been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, was not among the winners announced Tuesday. Blanchard’s book, “Revolutionary Sparks, Freedom of Expression in Modem America,” had been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in American history literature. Blanchard’s 572 page book described conflicts stemming from differing ideas about the freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment. She wrote the book after reading opposing opinions concerning a 1920s case in which a communist was accused of trying to overthrow the New York state government. —The Associated Press ~~~ WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14,1993 ahp Daily