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Mideast bombs kill l, injure dozens by Jack Katzenell Associated Press JERUSALEM — Palestinian militants set off two explosions in Jerusalem six hours apart Tuesday, one by remote control near a . shopping mall and the second when a man with explosives strapped to his body blew himself up outside a bus. One person was killed, apparently the bus attacker, and about two dozen people were injured in the back-to-back explosions ' that came after Monday’s killing of a 10 month-old Israeli girl by Palestinian snipers in Hebron. The attacks coincided with the start of the Arab League summit in Jordan and placed growing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to retaliate. Sharon was elected last month on a promise to restore security l i to Israelis, but the government has been reluctant to respond during the summit. “We have a war here,” said Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert, adding that the government had expected an escalation of violence during the Arab summit. The explosion close to the bus went off shortly after 1 p.m. in French Hill, a Jewish neighborhood in a disputed part of northern Jerusalem. Flames shot up the right side of the bus, and its back windows were blown out. Danny Sarero, 35, said he was standing a few yards away from the bus when he heard the explosion. “The next thing I knew, I saw a person cut in two, a body and a head lying in the street. I’ve never seen such a thing. Pieces of flesh strewn around for 50 meters,” Sarero said. “I’m in shock.” Jerusalem Police Chief Micky Levy said the body was that of the attacker, who was “wearing a belt of explosives.” Police said 22 people were hurt, many of them suffering from shock. Two people were in serious condition. The explosion went off just a few yards before the bus reached a stop usually crowded with Jewish settlers and Israeli soldiers waiting for rides to the West Bank. In a leaflet sent to news agencies, an unknown Palestinian group calling itself the “Popular Army Front” claimed responsibility for the blast. The militant Islamic Jihad group said it was responsible for a car bomb that exploded at 7:40 a.m. in Talpiot, a commercial neighborhood in southern Jerusalem. Three passengers in a bus passing by at the time of the explosion were lightly injured. College Press Exchange Israeli bomb squad members search through the wreckage of a car that was destroyed by a bomb in Jerusalem on Tuesday. Senate votes down ‘soft money’ plan by Jim Abrams l > Associated Press I WASHINGTON — Senators who i want to take unlimited “soft money” out ; of the hands of political parties scored a key ’ victory Tuesday when the Senate defeated ; an alternative that would have limited, | but not banned, such contributions. The Senate voted 60-40 against an alternative, offered by Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and preferred by President Bush that would have put limits on funds that corporations, unions and individuals provide ! the parties. In another win for supporters of the campaign finance bill authored by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Russ Feingold, l I D-Wis„ the Senate rejected a Hagel proposal to triple the current contribution limit on “hard money,” donations made directly to political candidates. That vote was 52-47. Hagel’s alternative was the most significant challenge to the McCain-Feingold bill, which would ban largely unregulated soft money donations to the parties and restrict political ads run in the final days of an election. “Our principal goal has been for a long time to get rid of soft money; this was the vote that got rid of soft money,” Feingold said. McCain’s backers agreed to accept a part of Hagel’s plan that tightens disclosure rules for political spending and advertising. Democrats propose $300 taxpayer rebate by Curt Anderson Associated Press WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats proposed a $300 tax rebate this year for every American taxpayer to inject $60 billion into the sluggish economy, an approach Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill said would have meager impact compared with President Bush’s entire 10-year, $1.6 trillion tax cut. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said his proposal to immediately lower the bottom 15 percent income tax rate to 10 percent, retroactive to Jan. 1, has broad support among Democrats and Republicans — and shouldn’t await passage of Bush’s broader package. “We can act now to take these two widely agreed-upon proposals off of the table and get them to the president’s desk,” Daschle told reporters. “Let’s get this done now.” The proposal, which would permanently lower the bottom tax rate to 10 percent at a cost of about $460 billion over 11 years, would provide single taxpayers with a $300 check this year, $600 for a married couple. Checks would be sent to addresses based on the 2000 income tax returns and W-2 information received this year by the Internal Revenue Service; there would be a provision for people who don’t get checks to file claims for the money. The White House and its Republican allies say focusirg on short term 2001 tax relief would do limited good in the giant U.S. economy and would remove any momentum for Bush’s big tax cut, even though Democrats said they could return to those proposals later. Bush’s plan would provide only $5.6 billion tax relief this year. World Briefs ■ At least eight killed in Belgium in train collision PECROT, Belgium (AP)—A crowded commuter train slammed head on into an empty locomotive Tuesday in central Belgium, killing at least eight people and seriously injuring at least eight. The death toll was expected to rise as workers cut into the carriages that were turned into a pile of twisted metal. News reports put the death toll as high as 12. One of the trains was empty and the other was crowded with rush-hour passengers when they collided near the village of Pecrot, said Leen Uyterhoeven, spokeswoman for the national SNCB NMBS rail company. ■ EU pressures Macedonian rebels to find solution TETOVO, Macedonia (AP) - The European Union’s security chief on Tuesday reaffirmed his push for a peaceful solution to end Macedonia’s ethnic Albanian insurgency, urging the rebels to let the political process run its course. “You have to achieve a solution to these problems — not by weapons, but by negotiations, by participation in the political process. This is what Europe is all about,” Javier Solana said after meeting with ethnic Albanian leader Arben Xhaferi. Solana declined to comment on proposals put forth by Xhaferi, whose Democratic Albanian Party is a partner in the coalition government. But Xhaferi told reporters he would like the constitution to be changed to ensure a multiethnic state, proportional representation in political bodies and a new census. Congratulations to all the 2001 T.O.A.S.T. Award winners! The Outstanding Achievement and Student Triumph Kevin Abbott Krystal Adams Lawrence Aiello Ashley Albright Kendall Aldrich Liam Aleguire Kimberly Alexander Mark Ammons Tiffany Anderson Patrick Angelos Jessica Arrington Melanie Asche Zach Ashcroft Sam Aultman Margaret Aycock Naceme Azzizadeh Jennifer Lee Bailey Tug Baker Miki Barber Erin Barfield Edward Bender . Tahar Betbout Rohit Bhatia Ashley Blum Tracy Bonds Kip Bouknight Michael Boynton Candace Braddock Pam Brandt Bergen Brennan Ryan Brewer Chris Brown Wilson Brown Chevar Brown Angela Brown Alice Buchanan Robert Burns David Bush Kelly E. Caine Jessica Capone Maria Carrelli Courtney Cohen Stephan Cone Mike Creekmore Kyle Criminger Lisa Crumpton Kristin Cullen Rita Cuthbertson Kanika Darby Byron David Sarah Davis Meg Derrick Kimesha Dines Peter Dockal Melissa Doyle Sean Dozier Kalimba Edwards Sarah Eibling Mandi Engram Shaun Fenchel Melissa Fletcher John Fogarty LeAnn Fraley James Frank Cara Freije Alison French Jason Fromer Wesley Trey Fudger Nate Gary Ina Gierds Lisa Gieskes Lynn Gilfillan Amanda Godbold Alison Golka Natalie Goodwin Nate Gray Stewart Grinton Yutong Guan Joseph Hall Alan Hancock Kimberly Hanes Lisa Haney Hydrick Harden Terrence Harris Gabrielle Haulmark Ashley Heaton Traci Heincelman Tiffany Hicks Caroline Hoffman Grant Honeycutt Rolando Howell Katherine Huckabay T.J. Jeh Cedric Jenkins Mitchell Jordan Jason Julian Scotty Kednocker Brent Keener Lynette Keppeler Angela Kneece Jeffrey Kremlick Steven Krusinski Stephanie Kuszmaul Katie Lawson Travis Lewis Eddie Majzlik Marvin Mark Kanika McAlpine Rob McCollum Kenisha McElveen Ranhoffer Melissa Melissa Miller Brian Mulholland Cheryl Nelson Jackson Jennifer Niemi Alex Niewland Michael O’Grady Rachel Onley Rebecca M. Owens Shital Patel • Neema Patel Ronald Pompeii Patrick Pope Omni Porter Angela Powell Dawnyelle Prince Todd Pumphery Melissa Ranhoffer Sharon Raschal Calandra Reddick Tim Redding Noel Reynolds Ashley Rickman Sharon Robinson Christie Robinson Vernon Rogers Katie Rosinski Jennifer Ross James Ruff Joey Schrage Nisha Shah Angel Sharkey Brian Shields Stephanie Shively Tiffany Ann Shull Kevin Sides Ashley Smith Joseph Sobieralski Jennifer Sparks Kara Springer Courtney Stangrey Priscilla Stites Amy Noel Storey Tony Styles Angela Sumter Duke Taylor Mark Tibshrany Terrence Trammell Lyndsey Traynham Kelley Tribble Amanda Turbeville Brendon Vallee Katherine Veldran Daviana Vora Shannon Wadley Amanda Washburn Ebony Watson Jennifer Weihart Suzanne Whelchel Lindsay White Krista Wingard Lindsey Wise Martha Wright Shelly Yo Wai Sze Cherrie Yuen Office of Leadership Programs • Department of Student Life • Division of Student & Alumni Services -!---*——-1--t-i_