Resurrection of the vulture

Bombay The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology aims to rescue the ancient Zoroastrian practice of corpse disposal (writes Ashling O’Connor). Biologists are to inseminate artificially the Oriental white-backed vulture at the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad. The vultures once cleared carcases from the land. Numbers have fallen to a few thousand, which has led to questions about the Parsi community’s ritual of leaving dead relatives to scavengers.

Guards die in van

Johannesburg Three security guards were burnt to death and one was shot dead in a robbery. The guards were taking money to a bank when gunmen forced their van off the road, opened fire, doused it with a flammable substance and set it ablaze. (AP)

Suicide note

Bailey, Colorado Duane Morrison, who took six girls hostage in Platte Canyon High School and killed 16-year-old Emily Keyes before taking his own life on Wednesday, had left a suicide note that had been delivered to a male relative, police said. (AP)

Airliner vanishes

São Paulo Gol, the Brazilian airline, said that it was trying to locate a passenger aircraft that disappeared from the radar. The company said that the flight was carrying 155 passengers. It was not known how many crew members were on board. (Reuters)

Back from space

Arkalyk The first female space tourist, Anousheh Ansari, has returned safely home. “The experience was more than I had ever imagined,” the Iranian-born American said after landing in Kazakhstan. She was greeted by her husband with roses. (AFP)

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