Texas

Gunman subdued at school

A shotgun-wielding man threatened a rural East Texas high school Friday morning until students and a teacher wrestled him to the ground, authorities said.

The 18-year-old man, a former student at Scurry-Rosser High School in Scurry, went into the school office and ordered students into the cafeteria, said Principal Richard Sneed.

The man allegedly began pouring gasoline on the floor. Students then helped subdue him, authorities said.

“Everybody was crying, it was horrible. We thought we were all going to die,” said Courtney Robertson, a junior.

Robertson said the principal and a teacher slowly walked up to the man and grabbed the gun, then wrestled him to the floor.

Nevada

Relaxed rules sought on environment

The Interior Department wants to make it easier to exempt from environmental reviews any activities it sees as having minor effect on public lands, the agency’s top lawyer said.

The Bush administration is also determined to stop the use of the Endangered Species Act as a “zoning tool” on federal lands, said William Myers, the department’s solicitor general.

“It has gotten to the point where you can hardly dig a post hole without having to do an environmental analysis,” Myers said in a speech in Winnemucca to about 100 members of the Nevada Cattlemen’s Assn., who welcomed his criticism of what they regard as onerous conservation measures.

The cattlemen are among those critical of grazing reforms adopted under the Clinton administration, which they claim are aimed at driving sheep and cattle off public land in the West.

India

Missile-control code rejected

India won’t take part in an international agreement to curb the spread of ballistic missiles, the foreign ministry said Friday.

Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said India supports missile curbs, but takes issue with the agreement because it “refers to ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles without a proper distinction.”

India is the second major country to oppose the code. China said earlier this month that it won’t take part. The code calls on nations to curb proliferation and share information about testing ballistic missiles.

Representatives from about 78 countries met in February in Paris to help produce the guidelines.