World

A day after gunmen killed another of the defense lawyers for Saddam Hussein and six co- defendants, the rest of their attorneys cut off all contact with the Iraqi war-crimes tribunal. A spokesman for the defense team blamed US-led coalition forces for the political instability that has led to the murders of two colleagues and the wounding of a third. He said the survivors "face daily threats" and consider the resumption of the trial "canceled and illegitimate." Meanwhile, US and Iraqi forces said they've neutralized the terrorist-infested town of Husaybah, near the border with Syria.

By a 322-to-291 vote, Parliament in Britain dealt Prime Minister Tony Blair a stinging defeat - the first under his leadership - on controversial legislation aimed at addressing Islamist- inspired terrorism. Analysts saw the vote as a major blow to Blair's authority, and it came despite his ordering Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and treasury chief Gordon Brown home from official trips abroad to try to improve prospects for passage. Opponents, however, vehemently objected to a provision that would have allowed the government to jail suspected terrorists for up to 90 days without being charged. Blair resisted all overtures to compromise on that provision.

Rioting decreased by almost half Tuesday night, authorities in France estimated, as a state of emergency in Paris and dozens of other cities took effect and the government ordered the immediate deportation of persons convicted of involvement. To date, 120 foreign nationals fall into that category.

The most wanted terrorism suspect in Indonesia may have chosen to kill himself rather than be captured in a raid by secu-rity forces, senior police officials said. Alleged Al Qaeda bombmaking expert Azahari bin Husin was traced to a villa 528 miles east of Jakarta, the capital. But witnesses reported hearing gunfire and an explosion from inside before the raid could begin. At least six other suspects also died. Azahari, a Malaysian, was believed to be the chief plotter of last month's terrorist bombings on Bali, the tourist island, that killed more than 20 people.

Despite a massive nationwide campaign against it, bird flu remains out of control in China, Premier Wen Jibao said on a tour of one affected province. China has reported four outbreaks in less than a month, although none have involved humans. Neighboring Vietnam, however, reported another human death from the virus Tuesday, as did Indonesia. On the final day of an international conference in Geneva, the World Bank estimated that $1 billion would be needed over the next three years to eradicate the problem.