Nation/world roundup

Saddam, other defendants boycott trial

BAGHDAD -- Saddam Hussein and four other defendants refused to attend at a new session of their trial Wednesday and their lawyers boycotted the proceedings, demanding the removal of the chief judge, who they claim is biased against the former Iraqi leader. Chief judge Raouf Abdel-Rahman continued with court-appointed defense lawyers and only three defendants present.

Nation mourns Coretta Scott King

ATLANTA -- Coretta Scott King, who turned a life shattered by her husband's assassination into one devoted to enshrining his legacy of human rights and equality, has died at the age of 78.

Flags at the King Center were lowered to half-staff Tuesday morning.

"We appreciate the prayers and condolences from people across the country," the King family said in a statement. The family said she died during the night. The widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. suffered a serious stroke and heart attack last August.

"It's a bleak morning for me and for many people and yet it's a great morning because we have a chance to look at her and see what she did and who she was," poet Maya Angelou said on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue ordered flags at all state buildings to be flown at half-staff and offered to allow King to lie in state at the Capitol. There was no immediate response to the offer, the governor's office said.

Bush: Hamas jeopardizes Palestinian state

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- President Bush said Wednesday the vision of a Palestinian state cannot be realized if a Hamas-led government refuses to renounce its desire to destroy Israel. He also said Iran can have nuclear power but not a nuclear weapon. Bush said it was too early to tell what path Hamas would choose. "The conditions for peace and the conditions for a settlement will be up to Hamas to make the right decisions," Bush said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Iran leader vows to resist 'bully' nations

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's president lashed out Wednesday at the United States and vowed to resist the pressure of "bully countries" as European nations circulated a draft resolution urging that Tehran be brought before the U.N. Security Council for its nuclear activities. In a speech to supporters hours after President Bush's State of the Union address, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad derided the United States as a "hollow superpower" that it's "tainted with the blood of nations" and said Tehran would continue its nuclear program.

United leaves bankruptcy in low-key fashion

CHICAGO -- United Airlines quietly celebrated its departure from bankruptcy Wednesday, a leaner and more cost-efficient carrier after a painful restructuring that began in 2002 and lasted a record 1,150 days. The nation's No. 2 airline said it would officially exit Chapter 11 when it files documents in U.S. Bankruptcy Court by day's end. But it was marking the event in low-key fashion throughout the day even before that formality, sending top executives to airports around the country to thank United employees and customers for their patience.

From wire reports. E-mail news@thesantaclara.com.