The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Tuesday, January 30, 2007 - 3 NEWS BRIEFS JERUSALEM Suicide bombing is first in Israel in nine months After nine months without a sui- cide bombing in Israel, a Palestinian walked from Egypt across the open desert border, hitched a ride from a wary Israeli motorist and then blew himself up on yesterday inside a bakery in the Red Sea resort town of Eilat, Israeli officials said. Three Israelis who worked in the bakery were killed by the blast; it was the first time that Eilat, isolated at the very southern tip of Israel, has ever been hit by a suicide bombing. The town was apparently a tar- get because Israel's web of defenses and travel restrictions on Palestin- ians has made it extremely difficult for bombers to reach Israel from the West Bank, the source of virtu- ally all suicide bombings in Israel in recent years. The attack also complicated the latest effort to restart Israeli-Pal- estinian negotiations, which have languished for six years. The United States will be the host of talks on Friday that will include European, Russian, and U.N. officials, but the White House said in a statement on Monday that if the Palestinian gov- ernment failed to prevent terrorism, it would "undermine the aspirations of the Palestinian people for a state of their own." BAGHDAD Religious cult targeted in battle Iraqi officials said yesterday that U.S.-backed Iraqitroopshadtarget- ed a messianic cult called "Soldiers of Heaven" in a weekend battle that left 200 fighters dead, including the group's leader, near the Shiite holy city of Najaf. A military commander said hundreds of gunmen planned to disguise themselves as pilgrims and kill clerics on the holiest day of the Shiite calendar. The Iraqi government spokes- man, Ali al-Dabbagh, said the raid on Sunday in date-palm orchards on the city's outskirts was aimed against the fringe Shiite cult that some Iraqi officials said had links to Saddam Hussein loyalists and foreign fighters. Officials said the group, which included families, was hoping the violence it planned would force the return of the "hid- den imam," a 9th-century Shiite saint who Shiites believe will come again to bring peace and justice to the world. U.S. and British jets played a major role in the fighting, dropping 500-pound bombs on the militants' positions, but President Bush said the battle was an indication that Iraqis were beginning to take con- trol. LANSING Lawmakers renew push for ban on smoking State lawmakers are reviving a push to ban smoking in Michigan's bars, restaurants and workplaces. Earlier efforts have been snuffed out in the Legislature for nearly seven years. But supporters hope a power shift inside the Capitol and momentum from a U.S. surgeon general's report will add Michigan to the growing list of states with tough anti-smoking laws. WASHINGTON Witnesses allege Libby knew about CIA agent Former White House press sec- retary Ari Fleischer testified yester- day he first heard that a prominent war critic's wife worked at the CIA from vice presidential aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. He said he thought the information might help deflect critical questions from reporters. Fleischer said Libby told him about Valerie Plame's job at the CIA over a lunch in the White House mess on July 7,2003. But Libby has told investigators he thought he first learned about Plame on July 10 from NBC reporter Tim Russert. Four other government witness- es also have said they discussed Plame with Libby before July 10. - Compiled from Daily wire reports Hackers prepare to pounce as Vista arrives Co tr fir sy Mic ing sys most s tory. N test jus Wh, dows ago, so hunted glory, now so with s and sp -- carr are co traded mputer whizzes security companies, who say they are providing a service, and by 'ade holes they nefarious hackers and thieves. Vista, which will be installed on rd in operating millions of new PCs starting today, provides the latest target. stems for cash This month, iDefense Labs, a subsidiary of the technology com- pany VeriSign, said it was offering By BRAD STONE $8,000 for the first six researchers The New York Times to find holes in Vista, and $4,000 more for the so-called exploit, the rosoft says its new operat- programneeded totake advantage tem, Windows Vista, is the of the weakness. ecure in the company's his- IDefense sells such informa- ow the bounty hunters will tion to corporations and govern- t how secure it is. ment agencies, which have already en its predecessor, Win- begunusingVista, sothey can pro- XP, was released five years tect their own systems. :ftware bugs were typically Companies like Microsoft do I by hackers for fame and not endorse such bounty pro- not financial reward. But grams, but they have even bigger )ftware vulnerabilities - as problems: the willingness of Inter- tolen credit-card numbers net criminals to spend large sums ammable e-mail addresses for early knowledge of software y real financial value and flaws that could provide an open- mmonly bought, sold and ing for identity-theft schemes and online, both by legitimate spam attacks. The Japanese security firm Trend Micro said in December that it had found a Vista flaw for sale on a Romanian Web forum for $50,000. Security experts say that the price is plausible, and that they regularly see hackers on public bulletin boards or private online chat rooms trying to sell the holes they have discovered, and the cod- ing to exploit them. Especially prized are so-called zero-dayexploits,bitsofdisruption coding that spread immediately because there is no known defense. Software vendors have tradi- tionally asked security research- ers to alert them first when they find bugs in their software, so that they could issue a fix, or patch, and protect the general public. But now researchers contend that their time and effort are worth much more. "To find a vulnerability, you have to do a lot of hard work," said Evgeny Legerov, founder of a small security firm, Gleg Ltd., in Moscow. Latest injuries overwhelmed Barbaro's sagging recovery By JOE DRAPE Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race TheNew York Times Course in Baltimore. His fractured right hind leg dangled awkwardly KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. - In while his jockey, Edgar Prado, tried eight months of waiting for Barbaro's to soothe him. shattered bones to heal, the horse's In recent weeks, Barbaro's ail- owners and his veterinarian said they ments had become overwhelming: had not seen the Kentucky Derby- complications with his left hind leg winning colt become so uncomfort- lingered, an abscess in his right hind able that he would refuse to lie down heel was discovered last week and, and rest. Until Sunday night., finally, a new case of the painful and So yesterday morning, the own- often fatal condition called laminitis ers, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, and developed in both of his front feet. veterinarian, Dr. Dean Richardson, "That left him with not a good leg decided enough was enough. At to stand on," Richardson said yester- 10:30 a.m., Barbaro was euthanized, day at anemotional news conference ending an extraordinary effort to here at the George D. Widener Hos- save the life of a remarkable race- pital for Large Animals. "He was just horse whose saga had gripped people a different horse. You could see he around the world. was upset. That was the difference. Many had watched in early May It was more than we wanted to put as Barbaro dispatched 19 opponents him through." in the Kentucky Derby in dominating The Jacksons were red-eyed as fashion, by a six and a half lengths. they explained that it had become His resume summoned memories clear their horse could not live with- of Affirmed, Seattle Slew and Sec- out pain after a setback over the retariat, the last three winners of weekend that required a risky sur- the Triple Crown. But two weeks gical procedure on his right hind after that triumph, on May 20, many leg. The couple had spent tons of more were horrified when Barbaro thousands of dollars trying to save pulled up in the opening yards of the Barbaro's life. L Start at Ernst & Young, and your career is headed in the right direction, With our award-winning training programs, you'll have the resources you need to enhance your skills. It's an environment that promotes your personal and professional growth and success. So there's only one way to go--up. Visit us on campus or at ey com/us/careers. FORTUNE 100 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FORRNI 1.2 Millions of dollars it would cost to remove outdated speed limit signs that say 65 miles per hour. The posted speed limit on major Michigan freeways in miles per hour. The Michigan state legislature recently decided to raise the official speed limit to 70, according to the Detroit Free Press. @ 2007 ERNST& YOUNG LLP Luaityin tveryrnng wee o 0 t