North America
Asia/Oceania
Two victims of a parcel bomb that exploded on Monday at a house in Austin, Texas, were identified as 17-year-old Draylen Mason and his mother, the city’s police chief said yesterday. Mason, who was AfricanAmerican, was killed and his mother was injured in a blast at their east Austin home that police believe was one of a string of related attacks in the state capital that may be hate crimes. A 75-year-old Hispanic woman seriously hurt in a second package explosion in east Austin remained in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. Mayra Veronica Figueroa Marroquin left prison yesterday after the court commuted her 30-year sentence to the 15 years she had already served. Figueroa Marroquin, 34, said she suffered a miscarriage in 2003 while working as a housekeeper. But a court convicted her under El Salvador’s total abortion ban. In February, the court commuted the 30-year sentence of Teodora del Carmen Vasquez for what she says was a stillbirth. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday remained steadfast that he and his wife were not involved in a discount land-sale deal that has seen the opposition call for the resignation of his key ally, Finance Minister Taro Aso. Abe and Aso have come under fresh pressure over the ministry’s admission this week that it had altered documents related to the sale of state-owned land at a steep discount to a school operator with ties to Abe’s wife, Akie. Suspicion of a coverup could dash Abe’s hopes for a third term as leader of his Liberal Democratic Party. Singapore said yesterday it was investigating two local companies accused of supplying luxury goods to North Korea in violation of United Nations sanctions. Under UN sanctions, it has been illegal to sell luxury items to North Korea since 2006.