■ Colombia
Heroin hid in puppies
Colombian drug traffickers surgically hid heroin in puppies' bellies in a plan to evade international customs controls, police said on Tuesday. Acting on a tip-off, police found six puppies with scars on their abdomens at a rural property near the city of Medellin in northern Colombia, the Colombian Police said in a news release. Ultrasound scans revealed bags of liquid heroin hidden inside the living animals. Police said traffickers planned to retrieve the drug once the dogs had passed customs abroad. "The lust for money leads criminals to commit acts of great cruelty," the police said. The puppies were recovering after the heroin was removed by veterinarians.
■ United States
Roo caught in Wisconsin
Authorities in rural Wisconsin on Wednesday caught a wandering kangaroo after receiving calls from residents who spotted the animal this week. "He was just hopping on the highway," said Cheryl Martens, one of many witnesses. "It was a big fella and looked to be in good health." Sheriff's Department dispatcher Jim Harrington said deputies corralled the kangaroo in a barn Wednesday after a resident spotted the 68kg, brownish-red animal. The department had been receiving calls about the animal since Monday. Authorities don't know where the kangaroo came from.
■ Canada
Drug bill could kill trade
Canadian health officials are drafting a proposal to prevent Internet pharmacies from selling mail-order prescription drugs to US consumers, a spokesman said Wednesday, a move that would essentially kill a US$700 million industry that has become increasingly popular with patients south of the border. The three-pronged measure being considered by Canadian Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh would prevent Canadian doctors from countersigning prescriptions for US patients without examining them in person, spokesman Ken Polk said by telephone from India. It also would prohibit prescriptions for foreigners who are not present in Canada and create a list banning certain drugs that are widely used by Canadians from being exported, Polk said.
■ Canada
Monk auctions off temple
A Buddhist monk in western Canada stunned his congregation by putting his temple up for sale, in a bid to raise half a million dollars for victims of the Asian tsunami tragedy. "Life is very precious and the loss of life and property during this tragedy of unparalleled proportions is so enormous," said abbot Thich Nguyen Thao. "This is the least I could do to provide some comfort to the victims who are suffering unbearably. Their need is urgent and greater than our own," said the abbot as he touted the temple in a Vancouver suburb.
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