Three Britons charged in threat to prime minister

LONDON — Three British men questioned about an online threat to assassinate Prime Minister Gordon Brown have been charged with terrorism offenses, police said Thursday.

Ishaq Kanmi, 22, is accused of soliciting murder, being a member of or "professing to belong" to Al Qaeda, and distributing terrorist publications, police said in a statement.

Abbas Iqbal, 23, has been charged with distributing terrorist publications, police said, and his brother Ilyas, 21, is accused of possessing an item suspected of being useful for the preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism.

The men were due to appear in court today.