In the World

SOUTH AFRICA

13-foot crocodile kills golfer at park

A 13-foot crocodile attacked and killed a 29-year-old golfer Wednesday at Lake Panic in eastern South Africa at the Kruger National Park, the country's national parks operator said.

Jacques van der Sandt was grabbed by the reptile at about 10 p.m. at Skukuza Golf Course, South African National Parks said in an e-mailed statement. His body was found more than two hours later with teeth marks in it, and the crocodile was shot by rangers.

Van der Sandt had been waist deep in the water searching for golf balls, the Associated Press reported, citing Oubaas Coetzer, a police officer.

"The animal was doing what naturally comes to them - hunting for food - and unfortunately a life was lost in the process," a SANParks ecologist, Danny Govender, said in the SANParks statement. - Bloomberg
INDIA

Mapping aquifers

India plans to spend $331 million mapping its aquifers by March 2017 as groundwater depletion in the world's second-most-populated nation continues at unsustainably high rates. At least 85 percent of India's villages and half of its cities rely on wells for water. The country is collecting aquifer data at six sites across five states, junior water minister Sanwarlal Jat said Thursday. - Bloomberg

BRITAIN

A warning on cuts

A leading economic research institute warned Thursday that "colossal" cuts in public spending could change the British state "beyond recognition," a day after the government outlined plans for eliminating the deficit within five years. The unusually strong language from the London- based Institute for Fiscal Studies reflects just how much austerity-related pain still looms for Britain, despite years of cuts. - Washington Post