■ UNITED STATES
Face off in Boston
A Boston hospital has given a surgical team permission to perform partial face transplants to certain disfigured patients, the Boston Globe reported yesterday. Brigham and Women's is the second US hospital to make public its plans to offer the rare and controversial procedure. The first is the Cleveland Clinic. Only three partial face transplants have been announced worldwide -- two in France and one in China. Critics argue it is unethical to expose patients to the risks of a transplant for a non-lifesaving procedure, but the report said that Brigham and Women's would sanction transplants only for patients taking immunosuppressant drugs. That would minimize the risk of tissue rejection and infection.
■ UNITED STATES
Dead birds in Metro probed
Three Metro train stations were briefly closed in the US capital while hazardous materials crews investigated a few dozen dead birds and a substance that eventually was identified as a commercial pest poison. All signs point to a contractor making a mistake, Candace Smith, a spokeswoman for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, said on Sunday. The poison was spread outside at least six Metro stations. "We want people to know they weren't in any danger," Smith said. She did not have details on what may have caused the problems or the contractor's name. An FBI task force and National Institute of Health officials joined the probe as reports of the dead birds increased during the day.
■ UNITED STATES
`Exorcism' ends in death
Police officers responding to a report of an exorcism on a young girl found her grandfather choking her and used stun guns to subdue the man, who later died, authorities in Phoenix said on Sunday. The three-year-old girl and her mother, who was also in the room during the struggle between 49-year-old Ronald Marquez and officers, were hospitalized, police said. Their condition was unavailable. The relative who called police said an exorcism had also been attempted on Thursday.
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