hTiger is shot and killed

hTiger is shot and killed
LOS ANGELES -- Authorities shot and killed a male tiger Wednesday that had been roaming the hills near the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The 425-pound cat, above in a sack, was shot several hundred yards from soccer and baseball fields at the edge of a housing development, said Lorna Bernard, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Fish and Game. "It's unfortunate that we had to kill it," Bernard said. "It's even more unfortunate that the person who owned it didn't come forward and alert us immediately. We might have been able to capture it." Trackers had to shoot to kill because a tranquilizer would have taken five to 10 minutes to bring down the animal, Bernard said. They were concerned the animal might attack them or bolt onto a nearby highway.
Extension in Schiavo case
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- A judge extended an order Wednesday keeping brain-damaged Terri Schiavo's feeding tube in place, saying he needed time to decide whether her parents should be allowed to pursue further efforts to keep her husband from removing her life support. State Circuit Court Judge George Greer extended until 5 p.m. Friday an emergency stay that was to expire Wednesday afternoon. He said he needs to decide whether her parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, can have more time to determine if she has greater mental capabilities than previously thought. The Schindlers also are seeking to have her husband, Michael Schiavo, removed as her legal guardian.
Reputed mastermind ofbus massacre is arrested
WASHINGTON -- A reputed gang leader suspected of masterminding a bus massacre in Honduras that killed 28 people was arrested this month in Texas, U.S. and Honduran officials said Wednesday. Authorities described the man, Ever Anibal Rivera Paz, known as "El Culiche" -- The Tapeworm -- as the leader of the Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, gang in Honduras. The violent Central American gang has members in the United States, and U.S. officials are concerned that they might help sneak Al-Qaida terrorists into the country. Rivera Paz was arrested by the Texas highway patrol about 100 miles north of the U.S.-Mexican border.
hHeading to America
KALMUNAI, Sri Lanka -- A week after a 4-month-old tsunami survivor was reunited with parents after a wrenching custody battle, the family of the boy known worldwide as "Baby 81" packed their bags Wednesday for an unexpected trip to New York -- courtesy of an American television network. Sporting a black spot on his forehead and cheek to ward off evil, Abilass Jeyarajah and his parents were seen off Wednesday by relatives and neighbors in this eastern coastal town as they set off for the capital, Colombo, for a Sunday flight to the United States. A week ago, Abilass was given to his mother and father by hospital officials after a local court ruled that DNA tests confirmed he belonged to the couple, who lost him in the Dec. 26 tsunami. Initially, eight other couples had tried to claim him, sparking a drama that captured hearts around the world and became a symbol of the tragedy that killed nearly 31,000 people on the island.
Elephant parts seized
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- Dutch customs police have seized a shipment of African elephant body parts, including 22 feet, eight tusks, eight ears, three tails, a skull and an entire hide, officials said Wednesday. The cargo, originating in Zimbabwe and bound for Germany, was halted at Schiphol airport without proper licenses. The find was announced this week following an investigation and will be permanently confiscated, spokeswoman Anita Douven said. African elephants are an endangered species and can be shipped only with special licenses.
Combined dispatches
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