A round-up of today's world news in brief
Ehud Barak gets death threats
JERUSALEM – Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak has received dozens of death threats from people who fear Jewish settlements in the West Bank will be disbanded as part of peacemaking with the Palestinians, officials said yesterday.In November, the prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu angered settlers by ordering a 10-month partial freeze on new housing in the enclaves.
“Dozens of threats have been received in recent weeks against the [defence] minister in the form of letters,” said an Israeli defence official, who declined to be named. – (Reuters)
Brain returned with woman’s effects
NEW MEXICO – A family is suing a funeral home claiming their grandmother’s brain was sent home in a bag of personal effects given to them after her death.
They said they found the brain the day after the funeral when a foul odour came from a bag they received from DeVargas Funeral Home and Crematory in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The owner said the fault lay with a firm in Utah where the woman died in a car crash. – (AP)
Six-count indictment for bomb suspect
WASHINGTON – A US grand jury yesterday indicted Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab on six counts for trying to blow up an American airliner. He had been previously charged with trying to blow up Northwest flight 253 on Christmas Day as it was approaching Detroit. A grand jury in Michigan indicted him on six counts for the failed bombing, including attempted murder of the other 289 passengers and crew aboard the plane, and attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. – (Reuters)