Teenager appears in UK court charged with London bomb attack

By Alistair Smout LONDON (Reuters) - An 18-year-old man who came to Britain after his parents were killed in Iraq appeared in a London court on Friday charged with attempted murder in last week's bomb attack on a packed commuter train in the British capital. Ahmed Hassan is accused of carrying out the attack at Parsons Green station in London on Friday which injured 30 people. Wearing a gray sweatshirt and with shoulder-length curly dark hair, he spoke only to confirm his name and address at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court. Hassan, from Sunbury-on-Thames, a town to the southwest of London, is charged with attempting to murder passengers on board a train heading to central London from the southwest suburb of Wimbledon. He is also accused of causing an explosion likely to endanger life using the highly volatile triacetone triperoxide (TATP) - known as “the mother of Satan” - or another explosive substance. Prosecutor Lee Ingham told the court Hassan had expressed hatred for Britain and his "warped view" had motivated him to carry out the attack. There was no application for bail and the case was adjourned until Oct. 13. The home-made bomb engulfed a carriage in flames, but apparently failed to fully explode. It was Britain's fifth major militant attack so far this year. Police are continuing to question two other men, aged 25 and 30. A 17-year-old, who was detained on Thursday, was released on Friday and will face no further action. Two other men, arrested as part of the inquiry, were also released from custody on Thursday. (Additional reporting by James Davey; Writing by Michael Holden; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Ralph Boulton)