Judge ponders fate of brain-damaged Schiavo

A US federal judge weighed the fate of a brain-damaged Florida woman yesterday, acting hours after the US Congress and President George W Bush intervened to push the highly charged right-to-die case back into court.

US District Judge James Whittemore issued no decision after holding a two-hour hearing to consider a request from Terri Schiavo’s parents to reinstate tube feeding for their 41-year-old daughter that was halted three days ago.

He said at the end of the hearing he was going to consider the matter and did not indicate when he was likely to rule. “I will not tell you where, how or when it will be,” he said.