NEWS IN BRIEF

BOSTON — Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev returned to court Thursday for the first time since he was arraigned in July 2013, and he received a shout of encouragement from the mother-in-law of a man who was shot and killed while being questioned by law enforcement after the bombings.

Security was tight at the federal courthouse in Boston for Tsarnaev’s final pretrial conference. Tensions ran high, and one bombing victim had a testy exchange with protesters outside.

During the brief court hearing, U.S. District Court George O’Toole Jr. made no rulings, saying he would rule in writing on pending motions, including the defense’s latest push to move the trial out of Boston.

David Bruck, one of Tsarnaev’s lawyers, told the judge that the defense plans to file a motion to delay the trial, which is now scheduled to begin on Jan. 5 with jury selection. Bruck did not say how long of a delay the defense will seek.

At one point, the mother-in-law of Ibragim Todashev called out to Tsarnaev in Russian in the courtroom. Elena Teyer said she told him: “We pray for you. Be strong, my son. We know you are innocent.”

Later, in English, she yelled to the law enforcement officers escorting her out of the room: “Stop killing innocent people. Stop killing innocent boys.”

Tsarnaev never flinched or acknowledged the shouts.

Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured when two bombs exploded near the finish line of the April 2013 marathon. Tsarnaev, who has pleaded not guilty to 30 federal charges, faces the possibility of the death penalty if he is convicted.

Tsarnaev, 21, wore a black sweater and gray trousers and had a scruffy beard and a curly hairstyle similar to the one seen in earlier photos. He smiled to his attorneys and one patted him on the arm.

The courtroom was packed with FBI agents, police who worked on the case and more than a dozen survivors and family members.

European court rules obesity can be a disability

LONDON — Obesity can be a disability, the European Court of Justice ruled Thursday — a decision that could have widespread consequences across the 28-nation bloc for the way in which employers deal with severely overweight staff.

The ruling, which is binding across the EU, has such profound implications for employment law that experts expect EU nations to challenge it.

The court ruled in the case of a Danish childcare worker Karsten Kaltoft, who weighed 350 pounds and said he was unfairly fired for being fat. The ruling said if obesity hinders a “full and effective participation in professional life,” it could count as a disability.

According to Jacob Sand, Kaltoft’s lawyer, the ruling means employers will have an “active obligation” to cater to the needs of their obese staff members who are considered disabled, because discrimination on the grounds of disability is illegal under European Union law.

This could mean providing car parking spaces closer to the office, changes to workers’ desks and other modifications.

In some EU states, the decision may also make it more difficult for employers to fire or lay off workers who are grossly overweight.

“It is a good ruling in my case and I am happy about it,” said Kaltoft, who is now fighting for compensation worth 15 months of his salary.

Kaltoft worked in child care for 15 years for the Municipality of Billund in Denmark before being dismissed in 2010.