Parliament rebuffs Blair on terror rules

LONDON — British legislators Wednesday rejected a tough new policy for detaining terrorism suspects, the first major parliamentary defeat suffered by Prime Minister Tony Blair during his eight years in power.

Blair, following the deadly July 7 bombings on the London transit system, had called for terror suspects to be held without charge for up to 90 days — and had rejected any compromise on the measure. The House of Commons voted instead to double the detention period from 14 to 28 days, a rebuff that observers said raises questions about how long Blair may be able to hold onto power.

Blair had staked his personal authority on the proposed anti-terrorism law radically extending the power of the state to fight attacks such as the summer bombings in which 52 people were killed. Blair said lawmakers of all parties had a "duty" to support legislation formalizing the change to 90 days.

Legislators agreed to increase the time suspects can be held to 28 days and approved language in Blair's anti-terrorism package to create the new crime of "glorification of terrorism." The bill also has provisions to toughen penalties for terrorist-related activities and widen government powers to ban organizations deemed to support terrorism.

Key suspect kills self, Indonesia reports

MALANG, Indonesia — One of Southeast Asia's most-wanted terrorists apparently blew himself up Wednesday to escape capture when an elite security unit attacked his hide-out, Indonesia's president said. Two other suspected militants were thought killed in the blast.

Known as the "Demolition Man" for his expertise with explosives, Azahari bin Husin was a key figure in Jemaah Islamiyah, a terrorist network with links to al-Qaida that has been blamed for a series of deadly bombings and failed plots in Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore.

"We are convinced it is Azahari," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told reporters.

An elite U.S.-trained police unit raided Azahari's safe house in Malang in east Java province Wednesday.

Police chief Gen. Sutanto said fingerprints taken today from one of the corpses in the hide-out matched two sets on file for Azahari.

BEIJING — The U.S. Embassy in Beijing said Wednesday that Chinese police have warned that Islamic extremists might be planning to attack luxury hotels in China over the next week.

However, China today denied it had issued such a security warning, calling the report "false news" made up by a foreign citizen.

The U.S. warning, posted on the embassy's Web site, urged Americans visiting Chinese four- and five-star hotels to "review their plans carefully, remain vigilant with regard to their personal security, and exercise caution."

Senator wants to ban detention challenges

WASHINGTON — A Senate Republican wants to bar suspected foreign terrorists held at the U.S. prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, from challenging their detentions in U.S. courts, a proposal that is drawing protest from human-rights groups.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he also faces some resistance from Senate colleagues and the White House as he considers whether to try attaching his proposal to a defense bill the Senate is debating this week. Senators could vote on the proposal as early as today.

"What I object to is criminalizing the war. Enemy combatants, POWs have never had access to federal court before," said Graham, a 20-year Air Force lawyer.

Compiled from Los Angeles Times, Reuters and The Associated Press