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Show 2 T A T E S M A N U TA FRIDAY, JAN. 28,2005 '•.4 Contact: 797-1 742 statesman@cc.usu.edu ': fttf-Hi; hrtfcfflrVi \ Today's to Today is Friday, Jan. 28, 2005. Today's issue of The Utah Statesman is published especially for Zack Luther, a junior majoring in photography from Hyrum, Utah. The policy of The Utah Statesman is to correct any error made as soon as possible. If you find something you would like clarified or find unfair, please contact the editor at 797-1762 or TSC 105. Nona) Briefs West Valley marine killed in Iraq chopper crash WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - A Utah man who was assisting U.S. forces secure Fallujah, Iraq, for this weekend's elections was one of 31 soldiers killed in a helicopter crash in a desert storm. Family members huddled at their suburban Salt Lake City home on Thursday identified the victim as Matthew Smith, 24. "He died a hero and brave," said his mother. Colleen Parkin, choking back tears. The crash was single worst incident, in terms of U.S. casualties, since the beginning of the Iraq war. Thirty Marines and one sailor were killed. His father, Gary Smith, described the Marine marksman as a news junkie, always hungry for timely updates from newspapers, magazines and especially from the family. Gary Smith was at work Tuesday when he received a phone call from another son at home, who told him the Marines were there and things weren't good. Fully aware of the helicopter crash from the news, Gary Smith said, "I was in shock." "Are you sure it's Matthew?" asked his mother, Parkin, who was only satisfied she had lost her son a ler Marine personnel recited h?-" Social Security number. 12 Iraqis, 1 marine killed in pre-election violence BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Eleven Iraqis and one U.S. Marine were killed Thursday as insurgents clashed with U.S. croops and blew up a school slated to serve as a polling center, pre-election violence that followed the deadliest day for U.S. troops since the war's start Another U.S. soldier died in an accident The Marine was killed and five others injured when insurgents launched mortars at their base near Iskandariyah, about 30 miles south pf Baghdad. Australian officials announced that one of two car bombing on Baghdad's dangerous airport road Wednesday had injured eight Australian soldiers riding in a convoy escorting Australian government officials. Also on Wednesday, 30 U.S. Marines and one Navy sailor died in a helicopter crash in bad weather in the western desert, and six U.S. troops were killed in insurgent ambushes. Number of people on HIV drugs falls short of target GENEVA (AP) - The number of people on HIV/AIDS drugs in the developing world almost doubled during 2004, but still falls far short of a U.N. target to have 3 million people on treatment by the end of this year, the World Health Organization said. "Although the level of commitment is encouraging, it must accelerate in 2005," the U.N. health agency said Wednesday in a 64-page progress report on its efforts to boost HIV/AIDS treatment At least another 2.3 million people need to start treatment if the target is to be reached, WHO said- About 5.1 million adults around the world — 72 percent of them in sub-Saharan Africa alone — require treatment and but are not receiving it. At least $2 billion will be needed in additional funding from governments and other sources to achieve that objective, WHO said. "Many countries need to accelerate their scale up (of treatment), money is short and international organizations need to become much faster in assisting countries," the report noted. Palestinians ban civilian weapons People BY MOHAMMED DARAGHMEH Axsoi ititcd Press RAMALLAH, West Bank - The Palestinian leadership banned civilians from carrying weapons and indicated on Thursday it would appoint a new interior minister known for his hardline stance against militants, the latest in a series of steps to stop violence that have brought rare praise from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The ban on weapons signalled the Palestinian Authority's aim to take control of the streets from militants, who often overtly brandish their automatic rifles and other arms and who have surpassed the authority's power in some neighborhoods and refugee camps. While the Palestinians were seeking a joint cease-fire declaration with Israel, the Palestinian security forces prepared for their next step to impose order: deploying into the volatile southern Gaza Strip to prevent rocket attacks into Israel. A similar deployment in northern Gaza last week has been effective in stopping militants from firing rockets at Israelis. Adding to a new wave of optimism for peace after four years of fighting, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas won WEAPONS BAN See page 8 AP Photo/Lefleris Pitarakis PALESTINIAN CHILDREN look at a poster of the Islamic militant group Hamas depicting Palestinian militants and the late Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, Thursday. Murder charges filed in California train crash BY PAUL CHAVEZ Associated Press GLENDALE, Calif. Prosecutors filed potential . death-penalty multiple murder charges against the man who. allegedly caused two commuter trains to collide when he drove a vehicle onto rail tracks in a suicide attempt The criminal case moved forward against Juan Manuel Alvarez as police and forensics experts worked Thursday to gather evidence from a crime scene the length of several football fields and coroners investigators searched the tangled wreckage for any remaining body parts or tissue. Alvarez, 25, was charged with 10 counts of murder in a complaint that was to be amended following the discovery of an 11th body in the mangled Metrolink trains that smashed together early Wednesday. Prosecutors also alleged a spe- cial circumstance of murder by train derailment. A special circumstance makes capital punishment a possibility, but prosecutors did not immediately decide whether to seek the death penalty. Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley said Thursday prosecutors were evaluating Alvarez's mental state in regard to the special-circumstance allegation, but he asserted that it was no defense to the charges. "His despondency doesn't move me," Cooley said. "The mere fact that he was a little upset or despondent doesn't mean he has a defense for anything. It may actually work to support our case." Alvarez's state of mind, while not providing a motive, could show intent to commit a crime, Cooley said. He noted that a defense of not guilty by reason of insanity has a very high stan- AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes DEAN JAESCHKE, a truck driver comments on his experience rescuing a trapped man yesterday while delivering ice cream to the Costco warehouse, during an interview with The Associated Press, Thursday, in Vernon, Calif. AP Photo JUAN MANUEL ALVAREZ, 25, of Compton, Calif., is shown in this photo released by the Clendale Police Department Authorities say he left his vehicle on a railroad track Wednesday, after changing his mind about committing suicide. dard of proof. Alvarez, who authorities say had slashed his wrists and stabbed himself at some point during his suicide attempt, remained hospitalized Thursday, forcing postponement of his arraignment to Friday. Officials initially described Alvarez's wounds as superficial, but district attorneys spokeswoman Jane Robison said "they were apparently more serious than that, according to his doctor." Alvarez's family retained criminal defense attorney Eric A. Chase, but he planned no comment until after the arraignment, said Dann Novak, senior administrator of Chase Law Group. Court documents show that Alvarez's estranged wife, Carmelita Alvarez, obtained a restraining order against him in December. Chirac, Blair urge rich not to forsake poor BY PAUL HAVEN Associated Press DAVOS, Switzerland — The world's richest man, one of its most visible social activists and Britain's leader put a sharp focus on the horrors facing Africa's poor on Thursday, saying the planets indifference to the suffering has been scandalous. British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the continents plight is "a scar on the conscience of the world" and questioned whether the global community would allow such poverty to persist anywhere else in the world. "I almost think if what was happening in Africa today as we speak was happening in any other part of the world there would be such a scandal and clamor that governments would be falling over themselves to do something about this," Blair said at the second day of the World Economic Forum in this Swiss ski resort Bill Gates, who has amassed an estimated fortune of $4-8 billion as founder of Microsoft, said most of the disease and despair on the continent would be easily preventable if resources were applied. "Millions of children die in Africa who shouldn't die, who it would be very easy to save," he said. "The fact that we don't apply the resources to the known cures or to finding better cures is really ... the most scandalous issue of our time." Gates recently put more of his money where his mouth is, pledging $750 million to support immunization programs in developing countries. Bono praised both men, saying they were "getting it right" Of Gates, he said: "He is a brainy man and he thinks extreme poverty is stupid." During a keynote address to the conference Wednesday, Blair read off a litany of statistics: • 300 million Africans lack safe drinking water. • Three thousand African children under the age offivedie every day from Malaria. • Six thousand Africans die daily of AIDS. "We know all of this. So what can be done?" Blair said. Blair and Bono joined former President Clinton to exchange ideas on how to improve the plight of CiIORAI HFIP See page 14 SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Oscarwinning actress Nicole Kidman has won temporary restraining orders against two freelance photographers. Magistrate Lee Gilmore of the Waverly Local Court ordered photographers Jamie Fawcett, 43, and Ben McDonald, 32, not to approach . Kidman at her home or go within 66 feet of her house. The restraining orders will remain . in place until at least Feb. 11, when the case returns to court. Neither Kidman nor the photographers attended Thursday's hearing. Photographers have been staking out Kidman's home since she arrived Sunday to begin filming her new movie. Kidman's security guards allegedly discovered a listening device earlier this week outside her residence. Kidman's chief bodyguard, Neil McMaster, said Monday that surveillance footage taken from the house showed that the bug had been intentionally planted by someone seeking to intercept conversations among Kidman and her bodyguards. Graham Walsh, a lawyer for McDonald, told the court Thursday that his client "absolutely denies emphatically he has anything to do with planting any listening device anywhere near Miss Kidman's home.": Lawyer Roland Day, representing Fawcett, also said his client wasn't : involved with the alleged planting of the device and said he was just doing his job. Kidman, 37, won a best-actress Oscar for her role in 2002's "The Hours." DETROIT (AP) - Kid Rock says he's parting ways with his publishing company, Warner ChappeU's BMI affiliated publishing company, Warner Tamerlane. "We've had a great run, and we'll miss many of the individuals at Warner's publishing company," Rock said Wednesday in a statement. "We wish them all the best." Rock said his 2004 tour received ,. little or no support from the company and he felt that it was time to move t his new projects forward with partners more interested "in music than IPOs." Warner representatives didn't immediately return messages seeking comment. "Labels like Atlantic and Warner Chappell aren't the great music labels they used to be. They're just businesses now," Kid Rock told The Associated Press. "I've been fortunate to make a lot of money and to have a great fan base, so now my focus is on just making music." Kid Rock said he's still under contract with Warner for three more albums — "pending their attitude." The 34-year-old rapper, born Bob Ritchie, was a Detroit-area hip-hop DJ when he broke through with 1998's "Devil Without a Cause," which successfully married hard rock beats with rap lyrics. Late Sight Late-night quotes compiled from www.poh'ticamumor.aboutcom • "Michael Moore announced his latest project A film looking at voter fraud at the Oscars.... As you heard Michael Moore's film, 'Fahrenheit 9/11* did not get one nomination for an Oscar, not one. Today, President Bush said, 'Does this mean I can't get best actor now?'" —Jay Leno • "This was the greatest year ever for African-American actors. Five out of the 20 acting nominations went to African-Americans. In fact, Condoleezza Rice is up for best actress for her line Tm looking forward to • working with Barbara Boxer.w —Jay Leno • "The latest reports say that President Bush is going to double the reward for capturing Osama Bin Laden from $25 million to $50 million dollars. $50 million, which sounds like a lot until you think the Mets spent $119 million to get Carlos Beltran." -Jay Leno • "A state senator from Tennessee, by the name of John Ford, a Democrat, is in court for child support and he revealed he lives with his divorced wife and their three kids three days a week He lives with his girlfriend and their two kids the other four days a week. He's being sued by another girlfriend for child support and his ex-wife is pregnant by him again. But the good news today he was given the Jerry Springer lifetime achievement award" —Jay Leno "t\ |