0 - NATION/WORLD 10 killed in Israeli airstrike s in Gaza NUSSEIRAT REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip (AP) - In the bloodiest day in the Gaza Strip in months, Israeli warplanes and helicopters pounded militant targets yesterday, killing 10 Palestinians, including seven in a refugee camp where a car was destroyed, and wounding about 100. The violent Islamic movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad threatened revenge, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon pledged more raids and the State Department advised U.S. citizens to defer travel to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. With prospects for Mideast peace efforts further clouded, U.S. officials confirmed that John Wolf, the head of the team monitoring implementation of the troubled U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan, was not planning to return to the region soon. The bombing raids yesterday came a day after Palestinian militants fired eight homemade rockets from Gaza into southern Israel and Palestinian gunmen ambushed an Israeli patrol in the West Bank, killing three soldiers and seriously wounding a fourth. Israeli aircraft struck in five separate locations, hitting a suspected Hamas weapons cache twice, another store- house and a car carrying suspected militants. The nighttime strike in the Nusseirat camp in central Gaza, in which 75 peo- ple were wounded in addition to the seven killed, was the bloodiest since an April missile raid on a Hamas leader in Gaza City killed nine people. Residents said Israeli helicopters fired three missiles at the main street, destroying a car. An Israeli army state- ment said the vehicle was carrying members of a Palestinian terrorist squad fleeing after a failed attempt to breach the border fence with Israel a few miles to the northeast. But Israel's Channel 10 TV said that none of the dead were militants, char- acterizing the refugee camp strike as a "mistake." Residents said one of the dead was a doctor who was treating victims when a second missile struck. The identity of the other victims was not immediately known. Hundreds of camp residents carried charred pieces of the vehicle aloft and chanted, "Revenge, revenge."- In Gaza City, Israeli helicopters fired missiles at a building in the Shajaiyeh neighborhood, the same structure that was hit in an earlier airstrike yesterday, residents said. Eleven people were wounded, they said. Israeli military sources said the attack was meant to finish the work of the first one. Judge: Kobe to stand tria for rape EAGLE, Colo. (AP) - Kobe Bryant must stand trial on a charge of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old resort worker, a judge ruled yesterday, clearing the way for a celebrity trial the likes of which hasn't been seen since O.J. Simpson. Eagle County Judge Frederick Gan- nett said prosecutors presented enough evidence Bryant might have committed the crime June 30. The Los Angeles Lakers guard could face a life sentence if convicted. His next appearance, in district court, is set for Nov. 10. Bryant has said the sex was consen- sual. His attorneys suggested the woman's injuries came during sex with other men in the days before her encounter with Bryant at a posh resort in nearby Edwards. The defense can appeal Gannett's ruling, but such appeals are rare, legal experts said. Bryant practiced with the Los Ange- les Lakers at their El Segundo, Calif., facility on yesterday and it wrapped up about two hours before the judge issued his ruling. Bryant was asked then about the decision that would be coming out of the Colorado courtroom. "What courtroom?" he said. At Bryant's first appearance in state WASHINGTON'a..r Fed. deficit reaches record $374.3B The federal deficit soared to $374.2 billion in 2003, the White House said yes- terday, a record total that more than doubled last year's red ink and looked like a prelude to even gloomier numbers. Because the shortfall marked an improvement from a $455 billion projection the White House made in July, Bush administration officials cited it as evidence that their attempts to fortify the weak economy were working. "Today's budget numbers reinforce the indications we have seen for some months now: that the economy is well on the path to recovery," Treasury Secre- tary John Snow said. White House budget director Joshua Bolten said much the same but also con- ceded that worse fiscal numbers were on the horizon, estimating the gap for the new year "will likely exceed $500 billion even with the strengthening economy." Bolten said spending restraint and policies aimed at bolstering the economy can wrench the budget onto a course to halve deficits by 2009. Even so, next year's figure could become a political concern for President Bush and Republicans in Congress. With federal budget years running through Sept. 30, next year's figure will be ready less than a month before elections that will see the GOP fighting to retain control of the White House and Capitol Hill. WASHINGTON Bin Laden is alive, U.S. officials say after tape Osama bin Laden, by referring to recent events in his latest taped message, showed he was alive in the not-too-distant past, U.S. officials said yesterday. It was the strongest evidence in months that bin Laden retains command of the al-Qaida network. Officials with the Central Intelligence Agency said they believed the audio recording of bin Laden, aired Saturday on Arabic al-Jazeera television, was proba- bly authentic. They reached the conclusion after technical analysis in which experts com- pared the voice to known recordings of the terrorist leader. Bin Laden made several references in the message that suggested it was record- ed in the past several months. For example, he spoke of the government of former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, who served from April until Sept. 6. Bin Laden called Abbas' government "a traitor and collaborator government" with the United States. Although the language suggested the message was recorded before Abbas' res- ignation, CIA officials said they couldn't be certain of that. I VIRIGINIA BEACH, VA. Sperg suspect to repr snt himself Sniper suspect John Allen Muham- mad won the right to serve as his own lawyer yesterday in a surprise, last- minute request at his murder trial. He broke a year of stony silence by pro- claiming his innocence in a rambling opening statement and asking a wit- ness: "Have you ever seen me shoot anyone?" It was not clear why Muhammad decided to fire his lawyers, who will serve as standby counsel in the first trial to come out of last year's sniper spree. Just last week, Muhammad told the judge that he was satisfied with his attorneys. Muhammad's decision to represent himself in the death penalty case means he could end up cross-examining his accusers, perhaps survivors of the shootings. In his 20-minute opening statement, Muhammad said nothing about the shootings except to deny involvement. BANGKOK, THAILAND N. Korea dominates 21-nation Asia forum President Bush pushed North Korea's nuclear threat to the forefront of a 21- nation summit yesterday and the com- munist country shoved back with an attention-grabbing missile test. Some leaders complained that security issues were dominating the meeting's stated economic agenda. Gathered behind the freshly painted walls of a government compound, the leaders took up a major economic dispute and agreed to revive global trade liberalization talks that col- lapsed recently in Mexico. They did not offer a formula to break the impasse but directed negotiators go back to work on the text they had left behind, the White House said. BALTIMORE Airline passenger charged, released A college student who said he hid box cutters and other banned items on two airliners in an act of "civil disobe- dience" to expose weaknesses in U.S. security was charged with a federal crime yesterday, and a prosecutor said he committed a "very serious and fool- ish action." Nathaniel Heatwole, 20, was charged with taking a dangerous weapon aboard an aircraft. He was released without bail for a preliminary hearing Nov. 10. According to authorities, he told fed- eral agents he went through normal security procedures at airports in Balti- more and Raleigh-Durham, N.C. - Compiled from Daily wire reports. i HM MM MMn Bil WWW.MICHIGANDAILY.COM The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily's office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $105. Winter term(January through April) is $110, yearlong (September through April) is $190. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscrip- tions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press. ADDRESS: The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1327. E-mail letters to the editor to Ietters@michigandally.com. Attend all required classes or make-up sessions, complete all scheduled tests, and do your homework. If your score doesn't improve on test day from your Kaplan diagnostic or a prior official test score, you can choose to repeat our program for free or get a full refund of your tuition. ** It's that simple. World Leader in Test Prep and Admissions NEWS Shabina S. Khatri, Managing Editor 763.2459, newsmlchlgandally.com EDITORS: C. Price Jones, Kylene Kiang, Jennifer Misthal, Jordan Schrader ETAFF: Jeremy Berkowitz, Ashley Dinges, Adhiraj Dutt, Sara Eber, Victoria Edwards, Margaret Engoren, Alison Go, Michael Gurovitsch, \ymar Jean, Carmen Johnson, Michael Kan, Andrew Kaplan, Emily Kraack, Tomislav Ladika, Evan McGarvey, Kristin Ostby, Michael Pifer, done Rafeeq, Adam Rosen, Karen Schwartz, Maria Sprow, Adam Supernant, Dan Trudeau, Trista Van Tine, Ryan Vcko OPINION Aubrey Henretty, Zac Peskowitz, Editors 763.0379, opinionomichIgandailycom ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Daniel Adams, Sravya Chirumamila, Jason Pesick, Jess Piskor ETAFF: Nicole Avenia, Benjamin Bass, David Betts, Darryl Boyd, Aryeh Friedman, Bonnie Kellman, Rachel Kennett, Sowmya Krishnamurthy, Andy Kula, Earrett Lee, Suhaei Momin, Laura Platt, Keith Roshanger, Ben Royal, Courtney Taymour, Joseph Torigian, Joe Zanger-Nadis :ARTOONIST: Sam Butler OLUMNISTS: Steve Cotner, Johanna Hanink, Joel Hoard, Ari Paul, Hussain Rahim, Lauren Strayer SPORTS J. Brady McCoIlough, Managing Editor 764.8585, sportstmichigandally.com 3ENIOR EDITORS: Chris Burke, Courtney Lewis, Kyle O'Neill, Naweed Sikora IGHT EDITORS: Daniel Bremmer, Gennaro Filice, Bob Hunt, Dan Rosen, Brian Schick, Jim Weber TAFF: Jeremy Antar, Eric Ambinder, Kyle Carpenter, Waldemar Centeno, Mustafizur Choudhury, Ian Herbert, Josh Holman, Steve lackson, Brad Johnson, Jamie Josephson, Melanie Kebler, Megan Kolodgy, Phil Kofahl, Matt Kramer, Julie Master, Shared Mattu, Ellen McGarrity, Michael Nisson, Jake Rosenwasser, Steven Shears, Matt Singer, Ryan Sosin, Anne Uible ARTS Todd Weiser, Managing Editor 63.0379, artspagemihandaIy com EDITORS: Jason Roberts, Scott Seriilia WEEKEND MAGAZINE EDITORS: Charles Paradis, Rebecca Ramsey tUB-EDITORS: Katie Marie Gates, Johanna Hanink, Joel Hoard, Ryan Lewis, Sarah Peterson STAFF: Jennie Adler, Marie Bernard, Sean Dailey, Laurence Freedman, Andrew M. Gaerig, Lynn Hasselbarth, Mary Hillemeier, Erin Kaplan, Michelle Kijek, Zach Mabee, Vanessa Miller, Jared Newman, Neal Pals, James Pfent, Christopher Pitoun, Archana Ravi, Adam Rottenberg, Melissa Runstrom, Julie Sills, Niamh Slevin, Jaya Soni, Justin Weiner, Douglas Wernert, Alex Wolsky r I r r PHOTO Tony Ding, Brett Mountain, Managing Edits 764.0563, photo@mIchIgandaIly.com ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Elise Bergman, Seth Lower NIGHT EDITORS: Jason Cooper, Ryan Weiner STAFF: Nicholas Azzaro, Joel Friedman, Ashley Harper, Curtis Hiller, Kelly Lin, Danny Moloshok, Brendan O'Donnell, Shubra Ohri, Laura Shlecter, Jonathon Triest, David Tuman ONLINE Geoffrey Fink, Managing EdN 763.2459, onllnemIchigandaIdy.com EDITOR: Ashley Jardina STAFF: John Becic, Kate Green, Janna Hutz, Mira Levitan DISPLAY SALES Leah Trzcinski, Manag 764.0554, dlsplaytmlchlgandaly.com ASSOCIATE MANAGER: Belinda Chung ors ftor 9wr ma Aft w w mfAM f WmAmp on OLitnu mA O mmU m" _ _ .... o _I