A round-up of today's world news in brief
Yemeni forces kill al-Qaeda chief in shootout
SANAA – Yemeni forces killed an al-Qaeda leader in an overnight shootout and militants hit back with an ambush that killed two soldiers yesterday, security officials said.
Yemen has intensified operations against al-Qaeda since the group said it was behind a Christmas Day attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound US airliner. – (Reuters)
Scientists issue cocaine warning
LONDON – More than 3 per cent of sudden deaths in Europe are related to cocaine use and many of them are brought on by a “lethal cocktail” of the drug, alcohol and cigarettes, scientists said yesterday.
There is no such thing as safe recreational cocaine use, researchers from the Institute of Legal Medicine in Seville, Spain said. – (Reuters)
Icelanders against $5bn repayment
REYKJAVIK – Icelanders are increasingly opposed to a Bill that would mean repayment of more than $5 billion in relation to the collapse of the islands banking system, a poll showed yesterday. The poll showed 62 per cent would vote against the Bill, up from 41 per cent in a poll from a week ago. – (Reuters)