Passengers rescued from

ship

All 52 passengers (scientists and tourists) from the ship stuck in Antarctic ice have now been transferred by helicopter to an Australian

icebreaker. A helicopter from a nearby Chinese icebreaker ferried passengers on Thursday. The

helicopter carried the passengers a dozen at a time in an operation that lasted about five hours. The rescue is the latest chapter in a saga that began Christmas Eve after the Russian ship Akademik Shokalskiy got stuck in unusually thick ice. The ship was surrounded by ice up to nearly 10 feet thick. Officials abandoned a succession of other rescue attempts in recent days because of the

treacherous conditions in the region. The master of the Akademik Shokalskiy has decided to keep the 22 Russian crew members on board the stranded ship until the pack ice eventually breaks up and

allows it to move again.

In Other NewsIn Other News The family of Terri Schiavo has joined the battle over Jahi McMath, a 13-year-old girl

on life support who has been declared dead by doctors. A deadline loomed Monday as a judge had said the hospital could disconnect the machines after 5 p.m. (8 p.m. ET). But shortly before Jahi could have been cut off, that same judge extended his order to 5 p.m. (8 p.m. ET) on January 7. Terri Schiavo died in 2005, nearly two weeks after doctors removed the feeding tube that had sustained her for more than a decade. She was severely brain damaged and became a national focal point in the right-to-die battle. Her husband and guardian, Michael Schiavo, said she wouldn't have wanted to live in her condition, which Florida courts deemed a "persistent vegetative state." Her parents fought to have her kept alive. Schiavo's parents, brother and sister created the Life & Hope Network. Last month, Jahi had surgery to remove her tonsils, adenoids and extra sinus tissue. Doctors had recommended the surgery to treat pediatric obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that made her stop breathing in her sleep and caused other medical problems. She initially seemed fine after the surgery. It wasn't long before something went terribly wrong. In the intensive care unit, the girl began bleeding profusely. According to family members, Jahi went into cardiac arrest. Days later, she was declared brain dead. Hospital officials have said privacy laws prevent them from discussing details of the case.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's organs are failing and he remains in critical condition Thursday. Sharon is known as a highly decorated -- and controversial -- Israeli military figure who became prime minister in 2001. But Sharon has been in a coma since 2006, when he suffered a major stroke that led doctors to put him under anesthesia and on a respirator. His term as prime minister came to an end.

A beloved Roman Catholic priest, Rev. Eric Freed, was found dead Wednesday in his California church's rectory, spurring police to launch a murder investigation.