Bridge rampage ends in murder
By Sophie Kirkham
Death returns to Hungerford Bridge in an orgy of violence blamed on two teenagers


A SPATE of vicious attacks on people returning home from the theatre and other nights out on London’s South Bank have left one man dead and at least four others injured.

In what detectives believe may have been a spree of violent homophobic assaults in quick succession, two teenage thugs went on the rampage for 15 minutes in the early hours of Saturday along a normally peaceful section of the Thames.

The youths, one black and one white, carried out at least three assaults, robbing their victims on two occasions along a short stretch of the riverside walk, possibly picking up weapons as they went along.

Their last victim, David Morley, 37, a barman from Chiswick, West London, who was homosexual, was punched and kicked in a severe beating which left him with 40 bruises to his body. He died on Saturday night from his injuries.



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Poraz: Gay law not an excuse for illegal immigrants to stay
By Relly Sa'ar


Minister of the Interior, Avraham Poraz, who instituted a civil reform last year which gives legal civil status to same-sex foreign partners of Israeli citizens, said yesterday that nevertheless, he "would not allow a person's claim to be a homosexual to serve as a pretext for residing illegally in the country ... or to earn immunity to remain in Israel."


Poraz said that despite his desire to protect the interests of the gay community, he could not allow the ministry to be flooded with requests from illegal aliens, "based on the claim that they are living with an Israeli partner, to allow them to receive civil status in Israel."


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Judge Issues Order To Company Threatening School Administrators With Outing 
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff


(Jefferson City, Missouri) A judge has ordered a Texas company to stop sending email masquerading as freedom of information requests to Missouri schools after some administrators were threatened with outing.

The mass emails were sent by Abilene, Texas-based StarProse Corp. seeking information on school administrators, principals and teachers.  

The e-mail messages appeared with the subject line, "Open Records Request," but actually sought personal information.  The emails threatened to list as gay anyone who does not respond to the information demand. The company said in the emails that the information was needed "to help parents when choosing a school for their children."

Attorney General Jay Nixon went to court after a number of school officials complained.


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Cherie Blair lambastes Bush over human rights
* Blair calls US legal code an ‘outdated grandfather clock’


LONDON: Cherie Blair, wife of the British Prime Minister, has criticised the policies of the US President George W Bush, attacking his stance on terrorist prisoners and gay rights, according to media reports on Sunday.

Blair, a lawyer on a lecture tour of the United States, was condemned by supporters of the US President after a speech to Harvard law students in Massachusetts which contained a stinging rebuke to Bush, the Scotland on Sunday newspaper reported on its website.

“She attacked the manner in which the White House has dealt with the human rights of UK citizens detained at the US-run Camp X-Ray prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba,” according to the report.


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Transsexual ties for lead
From correspondents in Taranto, Italy


MIANNE BAGGER from Denmark made the perfect start today in her bid to become the first transsexual to play on the Ladies European Tour. A two-under-par 70 saw her tie for the first round lead in the LET Qualifying school here.

Bagger carded four birdies and two bogies and shares top spot with Anna Highgate from Wales, who endured "an up and down day" with five birdies, five bogies and an eagle at the eighth hole.

Thanks to a capricious breeze whistling around this narrow golf course strewn with thousands of lollipop pines, frayed nerves coupled with the expectations of many friends, family and followers, low scoring seemed as likely as Bagger's chances of playing on the LET not too many months ago.

The LET's pioneering decision to change its rules mirroring the International Olympic Committee's recommendations on Trans-Gender athletes, which was in force at this year's Olympic Games in Athens, Bagger was awarded the opportunity to attend qualifying school and she has seized the moment, despite admitting to playing some scrappy golf in her opening round.


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Woman claims abuse, assault by deputies
Spat at Lake Isabella bar led to unjustified use of force, claimant says
By JESSICA LOGAN, Californian staff writer


A transsexual woman hoped sheriff's deputies would help ease tensions after an argument at a Lake Isabella bar, but instead they beat and harassed her, according to a claim filed with Kern County.

Samantha Cisternas Riding-Red-Horse was arrested at Slugger's Saloon on suspicion of public intoxication and resisting arrest April 17, but she insists she was the victim in the argument. Adding physical and mental injury to insult, Riding-Red-Horse said deputies ridiculed and beat her, according to the claim filed Oct. 7. Such claims are required before someone can sue a government agency.

The county's top lawyer, Bernard Barmann, said his department takes all claims seriously, but he couldn't comment because investigations are ongoing.


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Kirk warned over gay ministers


The appointment of openly gay ministers would rip the Church of Scotland apart, its next moderator has warned.

The Reverend David W Lacy of Kilmarnock Henderson Parish Church told the Sunday Times newspaper that the Kirk was evenly divided on the issue.

"I find myself truly representative of the church," said the 52-year-old moderator designate.

"Sometimes I believe we should not appoint gay ministers and at other times I really believe we should."

Rev Lacy, 52, said he knew some gay people who would make fantastic ministers.