A roundup of today's other world news in brief
Suspected US drone kills 4 in Pakistan
PESHAWAR – A suspected US drone aircraft fired two missiles into a northwestern Pakistani militant stronghold yesterday, killing four people, Pakistani security officials said.
The US has carried out more than 40 attacks with its pilotless, missile-firing aircraft in northwest Pakistan this year as it forces in neighbouring Afghanistan have faced an intensifying Taliban insurgency.
The late-night attack was in the North Waziristan region on the Afghan border, 20km (12 miles) west of the town of Miranshah. – (Reuters)
Lloyd Webber back in hospital
LONDON – British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has been readmitted to hospital after developing a chronic infection following surgery for prostate cancer.
A statement on his website said that despite the complication, which needed immediate treatment, his cancer operation was “entirely successful”.
“He still hopes to be back at work in the new year,” it added.
Lloyd Webber (61) recently announced he was staging a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera. – (Reuters)
Arrests made over Trojan virus
LONDON – British detectives have made the first arrests in Europe to tackle a “Trojan” computer virus which is believed to have infected tens of thousands of computers across the world, London police said yesterday.
The Metropolitan Police said the ZeuS or Zbot Trojan was configured so that, once installed in an affected computer, it recorded users’ bank details, passwords, credit-card numbers and other information such as passwords for social networking sites. – (Reuters)
Man strangled wife ‘in his sleep’
SWANSEA – A man who strangled his wife during a nightmare should be set free whatever the outcome of his murder trial, a prosecution psychiatrist told a jury yesterday.
Brian Thomas (59) throttled his wife Christine (57) during a bad dream in which he believed he was fighting somebody who had broken into their camper van.
The jury at Swansea crown court had heard that he suffered from a rare sleep disorder which left him unable to control his actions. – (PA)
Brazil to extradite Italian leftist
BRASILIA – Brazil’s most senior judge said yesterday he would vote to extradite former Italian terrorist Cesare Battisti to face murder charges in Italy.
The vote broke a tie among the court’s judges and comes days after Mr Battisti went on a hunger strike in a Brazilian prison to protest his possible extradition.
He risks life in prison in Italy on murder charges dating from the 1970s, when he belonged to a far-left terrorist group called Armed Proletarians for Communism. – (Reuters)