World

Muslim clerics who spread an "evil and extremist ideology" will be deported, British Prime Minister Tony Blair told Parliament as his government moved to tighten the nation's anti- terrorism laws in the wake of last week's bombings that killed 52 people in London. The announcement came as police revealed that the attacks were perpetrated by four British Muslims of Pakistani origin, although the chief plotter and the maker of the bombs are still believed to be at large. Blair called Muslims in Britain "overwhelmingly law-abiding, decent members of our society."

Israeli troops took back the West Bank city of Tulkarm and arrested five members of Islamic Jihad in retaliation for Tuesday's terrorist bombing. The extremist group claimed responsibility for that attack. A Palestinian policeman died resisting the takeover. Control of Tulkarm had been transferred to the Palestinian Authority in March, but the bomber, who killed himself and three Israeli women, was from a village on its outskirts. Israel said it also would target Islamic Jihad's leadership and that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas must understand that "these things don't just hurt Israel; in the end [they] will bring down his government."

Despite another deadly car bomb explosion Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said his government's security forces are ready to assume responsibility for law and order in some cities as a step toward sending foreign troops home. He didn't specify the cities, but pointed to the Kurdish north and Shiite south. He also rejected calls for a pullout timetable. Almost as he spoke, however, 27 people were killed and 67 others were wounded in an explosion in Baghdad. Many of the victims were children lined up for handouts of candy from American soldiers.

Negligence on the part of a passenger train operator was blamed for the worst railway accident in Pakistan in 14 years. Reports from the scene said 128 people died and 170 others were hurt when a Lahore-to-Karachi express crashed into another train that had stopped for repairs. A third train, coming from the opposite direction, plowed into the wreckage.

The remains of the last two men missing after an explosion in a Chinese coal mine early Monday were recovered, bringing the number of deaths to 83. Only four of the miners who were underground at the time escaped.