US: Vice-president Dick Cheney has taken full responsibility for the accidental shooting of a fellow hunter last Saturday, which he described as "one of the worst days of my life". In an interview with Fox News last night, Mr Cheney spoke in public for the first time about the shooting, which has left 78-year-old Harry Whittington in intensive care after a minor heart attack caused by birdshot lodged in his heart.
"I'm the guy who pulled the trigger that fired the round that hit Harry . . . That's the bottom line and it was not Harry's fault. You can't blame anybody else. I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend," he said.
Mr Cheney defended his decision to allow Katherine Armstrong, who owned the ranch where the accident happened, to break the news to a local paper the following day. The 20-hour delay in releasing news of the shooting has caused bewilderment in Washington and outrage within the White House press corps.
Mr Whittington, a Texas lawyer with links to the Republican party, was hit in the cheek, neck and chest.
However, doctors said yesterday, that despite the heart problem, he was now on the road to recovery.